Is Following a Vegetarian Diet Really Healthy?

By Marion McConnell

While people choose to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet for health, environmental, ethical or other reasons, simply cutting out animal products does not mean that you will have a healthier diet than your meat eating friends! Including quality sources of plant protein, a variety of vegetables and essential good fats will ensure that your diet is healthy and nutritious. A tendency to rely on processed, refined foods, too many grains and dairy products can lead to unhealthy vegetarian eating habits.

Quality protein – organic tempeh, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, quinoa, amaranth, pea protein powder

Whole grains – brown rice, buckwheat, oats, millet

Essential Fats – all oils should be organic, cold pressed and extra virgin. Coconut oil (good for cooking), olive oil, flaxseed oil (not to be heated), chia seeds, avocado, tahini, walnuts, leafy greens

Vegetables – choose a variety of colours and try to eat organically, locally and seasonally. Include some raw salad/vegetables with each meal as these are full of nutrients and enzymes to help digest your food. Kale, spinach, rocket, broccoli, cauliflower, capsicums, celery, carrots, beetroot, shallots, tomatoes, red cabbage, pumpkin, sprouts.

Flavours – Use fresh or dried herbs and spices to boost the flavour and health promoting effects of your meals. Garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, dill, parsley, mint, nutritional yeast flakes, sea salt and black pepper, seaweeds, tamari, miso.

Plan ahead – Planning ahead, even by a day, can help to keep you on track with healthy eating and less reliance on processed foods.

Taking a good quality multivitamin may also assist in making sure you meet your daily requirements of nutrients. In particular, vegetarians and vegans need to be aware of including adequate calcium, iron, zinc, B12, vitamin D and omega 3 fats in their diet. These can be found in foods such as raw almonds, tahini, pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, quinoa, legumes, miso, organic tempeh, mushrooms, chia seeds and 15-20 minutes of sunshine each day!

Eating vitamin C foods with iron foods will enhance absorption, such as red capsicum or lemon juice with your spinach or lentils. Combining plant protein at meals or over the same day, will assist in consuming all the amino acids needed by the body, such as dahl with rice, or hummus which has chickpeas and tahini. If you have any concerns, it may be a good idea to get a blood test once a year to check your levels of these nutrients.

Consuming more vegetables and plant proteins has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and maintenance of a healthier body weight. Plant based foods provide all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre which our bodies need to be healthy, operate efficiently and ward of disease. Therefore we can all benefit from including more vegetarian meals in our diet, why not start by eating vegetarian one night a week. Here is an easy and delicious soup recipe, I love to eat this with a slice of sourdough toast smothered in avocado! Check out this great website for more recipe ideas – http://www.101cookbooks.com/, and keep an eye out for more recipes coming soon!

Marion is available for consultations every Monday at Red Suva 10-6pm. She is an authority on eating a balanced Vegan diet.