Easy Ways to Add More Veggies to Your Diet

Vegetarianism isn’t nearly as uncommon as it once was. About 5 percent of American adults adhere to this method of eating, and that number is on the rise, with about 23 percent of adults reporting that they’ve consumed less meat over the past 12 months. That’s presumably because most experts and health organizations concur that consuming more plants is a healthy thing, no matter how strict a vegetarian diet you observe. Interestingly, vegetarians are inclined to live healthful lifestyles even outside of supper time. In general, they exercise more frequently and tend to live longer than nonvegetarians. Because the number of individuals interested in cutting back on meat is growing, food manufacturers and restaurateurs have begun to follow suit. A plethora of vegetarian-friendly options on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus makes being a vegetarian today much simpler and more delectable than it has been in the past.

Here, let’s delve into what it means to be a vegetarian and the influence it could have on your health.

What Is a Vegetarian?

Someone following a vegetarian diet consumes meals focused on plants, including nuts, seeds, cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. There are many various varieties of vegetarians, but the most traditional definition is someone who doesn’t consume meat.
Plenty of factors exist for why someone might become a vegetarian. Some individuals decide to forsake animal products because they don’t believe it’s ethical to slaughter animals for sustenance. Others believe a plant-based lifestyle is more healthful, while others may go vegetarian for environmental benefits or religious beliefs.

Types of Vegetarian Diets

A strict vegetarian consumes a diet free of all forms of meat, including chicken and fish, but there are many versions of a vegetarian diet.

Here are seven:

1. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians consume both eggs and dairy but no meat, poultry, or fish.

2. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products but no eggs, meat, poultry, or fish.

3. Ovo-vegetarians consume eggs but no dairy, meat, poultry, or fish.

4. Pescatarians consume fish but no meat or poultry.

5. Semivegetarians don’t consume red meat but do take chicken and salmon.

6. Flexitarians adhere to a vegetarian diet most of the time but consume meat, poultry, or fish on occasion.

7. Vegans, the strictest type of vegetarian, refrain from all animal products and animal derivatives, including dairy, eggs, honey, and items created with gelatin.

Vegetarian Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid

As a vegetarian, you’ll avoid meat (and whatever else goes along with the sort of vegetarian you’ve chosen to be). Instead, you’ll fill up on plant-based foods (preferably, those that are whole and unprocessed).

What to Eat

Grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, and citrus are all fair game. You’ll also find that the grocery store is stocked with vegetarian options inspired by meat counterparts — veggie patties, poultry substitutes, and synthetic minced beef, for instance, though these are less healthful than whole, unadulterated vegetarian foods. What to Avoid
Strict vegetarians will avoid poultry, fish, and meat, but there’s some flexibility based on the type of vegetarian you elect to be. You’re able to consume eggs as an ovo-vegetarian, for instance, or fish as a pescatarian.

Eating Vegetarian: A 5-Day Sample Menu for Meal Inspiration

Day 1

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with a handful of blueberries, almonds, and cinnamon
• Lunch: Avocado crostini with whole-wheat bread, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese crumbles
• Snack: Apple segments with hazelnut butter
• Dinner: Black bean tacos with shredded lettuce, sauteed vegetables, reduced-fat cheddar, and fresh salsa

Day 2

• Breakfast: Bran-and-blueberry muffin with low- or nonfat yogurt
• Lunch: Bean-and-veggie soup using low-sodium vegetable broth
• Snack: Roasted legumes prepared with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt
• Dinner: Caprese sandwich (with tomato; low-fat, part-skim mozzarella; olive oil; and basil) on whole-wheat bread

Day 3

• Breakfast: Tofu stir on a bed of brown rice with sautéed chiles
• Lunch: Quesadillas with low-fat, part-skim cheddar cheese; black beans; and sweet potatoes
• Snack: Mixed-fruit platter
• Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry with tempeh on a bed of brown rice

Day 4

• Breakfast: Strawberry beverage prepared with kefir
• Lunch: Mixed vegetable salad with charred chickpeas and segments of barbecued portobello mushrooms
• Snack: Carrot spears and aioli
• Dinner: Quinoa bowl with roasted vegetables and kimchi

Day 5

• Breakfast: Low- or nonfat Greek yogurt with cinnamon and fruit
• Lunch: Vegetable and cheese panini on whole-wheat bread
• Snack: Kale crisps prepared with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt
• Dinner: Zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) with marinara sauce and low-sodium vegetarian meatballs (preferably homemade)

Potential Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Well-planned vegetarian diets are usually abundant in fiber and lower in calories and cholesterol than a nonvegetarian diet.
Eating this manner, whether for a few meals or for decades, can be beneficial to your health in heaps of ways:

• Heart Help Without meat, your diet will be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which ends up reducing your risk of heart disease. Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Sticking with a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and risk of heart disease by 40 percent. Hypertension Management Eating a plant-based diet may help lower elevated blood pressure.

• Improve Insulin Response Going vegetarian won’t resolve type 2 diabetes, but it may help stabilize your blood sugar and make your body more responsive to insulin as long as you’re consuming a balanced diet. It could also reduce your risk of other complications related to type 2 diabetes. Cancer Protection Vegetarians have lower cancer rates than nonvegetarians, suggesting an association between following a plant-based diet and a lower risk of certain types of cancer. Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk Some studies suggest that individuals who load their platters with plants also tend to have reduced rates of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that may raise your risk of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

All of these health benefits reduce down to one main one: Being a vegetarian may help you live longer. And research demonstrates that there’s a correlation between health benefits and how stringent a vegetarian diet one follows, with severe vegetarians (aka vegans) seeing the greatest health benefits, followed by lacto-vegetarians, pescatarians, and nonvegetarians.