Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

There is no question that vegetarian diets are in - especially for teenagers. For people concerned about heart disease, becoming a vegetarian is a good idea because individuals who consume less animal protein and more plant-based protein tend also to consume less fat and cholesterol, and more fibre in the form of fruits and vegetables.

The best way to begin moving towards a vegetarian diet is to have one meat-free meal everyday. Chances are your breakfast is already meat-free, so start with lunch or dinner. If you know you are having meat, chicken or fish for dinner, have pasta with marinara sauce, and a salad for lunch. If you ate a tuna or turkey sandwich for lunch, have tofu stir fry with mixed vegetables and brown rice for dinner. Since dairy products are an excellent source of calcium and protein, it is a good idea to include skim and fat-free dairy products in your diet.

In lieu of animal proteins, it is important to eat a combination of plant-based foods to obtain the essential amino acids that the body requires to make protein for muscle and other functions.

It is a proven fact that strict vegetarians have lower cholesterol, lower rates of heart disease, blood-pressure, and obesity than those who include a lot of animal proteins.

Vegetarians also maintain an overall healthy life-style, maintain weight close to desirable levels, participate in regular physical activity, and abstain from smoking, alcohol and drugs.

There are different types of vegetarian diets, such as lacto-vegetarian which includes dairy products but no other flesh food, such as meat, chicken or fish.

Ovo-vegetarians consume eggs and avoid all other animal sources, while lacto/ovo vegetarians include both dairy and/or eggs in their diet.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including eggs and dairy products.

Becoming a vegetarian is not difficult and there are plenty of great tasting alternatives to eating meat. It does take a lot of discipline though, once you have switched to a vegetarian lifestyle you will encounter numerous temptations to go back. Suppress these impulses, and think of your health.