| Imagine
an eating regimen that helps you shed pounds, lowers blood
pressure and cholesterol, kick-starts your energy level and
tastes great. Only in your dreams, you say? Not so! The
well-planned vegetarian diet is all of these things. If you're
worried that you can't possibly get all the protein, calcium and
iron you need from a meat-free diet, Suzanne Havala, a registered
dietitian and author of "Being Vegetarian for Dummies,"
has a thing or two to teach you. Here's some (veggie) food for
thought:
Take It Slow
If you're new to the vegetarian diet, Havala suggests gradually
weaning yourself off animal products rather than going cold
turkey, so to speak. This gives your body — and your appetite
— time to adjust to the absence of filling meats. Begin by
decreasing the amount of meat in main dishes. For example, instead
of having a whole chicken breast, prepare a vegetable stir-fry
with small chunks of chicken. Eventually, you can just skip the
chicken. You should also continue to make your favorite dishes;
just replace the meat with a soy-based alternative. Chili,
spaghetti sauce and tacos, for example, taste great with soy
crumbles, a good substitute for ground meat.
Shop Right
It may seem daunting to whip up creative veggie-only dishes day in
and day out. That's why you should stock up on the frozen
vegetarian meals available at most supermarkets. Look for
vegetarian enchiladas, mac and cheese, pizza, lasagna and even
meatloaf among the traditional varieties (one good, easy-to-find
brand is Amy's Naturals). Also, don't forget veggie burgers, dogs
and deli meats (Soy Deli is a favorite).
Pick Your Food
Contrary to popular belief, "you can get all the vitamins and
minerals you need with a vegetarian diet," says Havala. You
simply have to add a variety of new foods to your pantry. Here are
some nutritious winners:
- Calcium: You probably never knew that pinto beans contain
calcium; just half a cup has a respectable 45 milligrams. Other
calcium-rich vegetarian options are tofu (408 milligrams in one
cup); calcium-fortified soy milk (200 to 300 milligrams per eight
ounces); orange juice (200 milligrams per six ounces); breads (290
milligrams per three ounces); and cereals (150 to 600 milligrams
per cup). Who needs dairy to get 1,000 milligrams — the
recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium?
- Iron: Cooked kale, a leafy green, contains 1.8 milligrams
of iron in one cup — about the same amount you'd find in a
1.5-ounce sirloin steak. Other foods that meet your iron RDA (32
milligrams for vegetarian women versus just 18 milligrams for
non-vegetarians, because the blood absorbs iron more readily from
meat than from other sources): kidney beans (4.6 milligrams per
cup); lentils (4.2 milligrams per cup); fortified cereals (4.7
milligrams per 30 grams); enriched pasta (2.2 milligrams per cup);
and whole-grain bread (0.8 milligrams per slice). If you still
have trouble filling your iron quota, take a daily multivitamin.
- Protein: It's not as hard as you'd think to work protein
into a vegetarian diet, since nearly every food on Earth contains
some of this nutrient. "Protein is the biggest nonissue,"
says Havala. "It's part of the myth of vegetarianism."
With 46 grams of protein as your goal, you can get your fill with
tofu (10 grams per half cup); veggie burgers (18 grams each);
whole grains (seven to 26 grams per 100 grams); nuts (26 grams per
cup of walnuts); and lentils (16 grams per cup).
- Vitamin B-12. This vitamin, found exclusively in animal
products and essential for a healthy nervous system, is the only
nutrient that vegetarians really need to be concerned about.
Havala suggests taking a complete multivitamin or a B-12
supplement daily, or eat nutritional yeast, a food Havala likens
to vegetarian Parmesan cheese. That ought to fill the B-12 gap in
your diet.
Select Super-Foods
Finally, a great way to pack your diet with a nutritional punch is
to consume as many vegetarian super-foods — those loaded with
key vitamins and minerals — as possible. After all, with fewer
food options, you'll need to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Here, some yummy, high-nutrition eats:
- Walnuts: Chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
- Oats: A high-fiber, high-satiety food. (They make you
feel full.)
- Leafy greens: Rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C and
E.
- Sweet potatoes: Packed with vitamins A, C, B1 and B2,
beta-carotene, calcium, iron and fiber.
- Blackstrap molasses: A potent source of iron.
- Vegetarian baked beans: Contain calcium, iron, B
vitamins, zinc and fiber.
- Olive oil: Rich in monounsaturated fat and antioxidants.
Return to The
Vegan Lifestyle
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