A start-up guide to becoming a vegetarian

Added April 9, 2010, Under: Diets, Health, Nutrition

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Have you ever thought of going vegetarian?

I am not one myself but have definitely cut down on meat products in recent years. Many people are changing to this way of life while others may be thinking about it but don’t quite know the right way to go about it. The vegetarian lifestyle is one adopted by many people for a variety of reasons, including health and animal rights, but as with any kind of diet there is a right way and a wrong way to go about living life as a vegetarian.

While eating a diet that consists mainly of vegetables and fruits would seem healthy on the surface, it can have its drawbacks as well.

There are different levels of vegetarianism, depending on whether you are going to include dairy products, eggs and fish.

What all types of vegetarians have in common is the avoidance of all meat.

But leaving meat out of your diet means you are eliminating a key source of protein and essential nutrients. Being a healthy vegetarian means making sure your body is getting all the things that it needs on a regular basis. As with any kind of diet, the key to a healthy vegetarian diet is ensuring that it is well balanced. Because of cutting out meat and some dairy products, vegetarian diets can be lacking in certain nutrients, including calcium, Iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

It is possible, however, to get these nutrients in a vegetarian diet; it just takes a little extra work:

• Carbohydrates and Zinc, two essential building blocks for healthy body development and proper immune system function, can be found in grain products including cereals and legumes.

• Fat, which is necessary to help your body process vitamins, can be found in nuts, oils and avocados.

• Iron is very important to the blood and can be found in beans, seeds and dark leafy vegetables like spinach.

• Calcium, which is essential for bone growth, is found in dairy products. Even vegetarians who refrain from eating dairy products can get their calcium requirement through calcium fortified foods. It is extremely important to read labels so that you know exactly what you are getting in any food product.

• Vitamins D and B12 can be difficult to get in the proper amount in a diet which does not include animal products or dairy, but there are some alternatives such  fortified foods for Vitamin B12.

A daily supplement can also be helpful to ensure that you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

The problem with cutting out animal products is depriving your body of the main source of natural protein. But protein can be found in other sources including peanut butter, beans, peas and lentils, as well as dairy products. Making sure your diet contains enough protein-rich food is the biggest challenge for most vegetarians.

There are no set rules to becoming a vegetarian – you can reduce your meat consumption gradually, or limit yourself to fish-only or include the occasional piece of chicken. Becoming a vegetarian can be a process, not necessarily an overnight event! Some vegetarians would say that vegetarianism is more of a way of life, not simply what you put on your plate.

Many teenagers try to become vegetarians overnight. They think vegetarianism is cool, but sometimes they lack the patience to adapt their meat-eating-habits to vegetarian ones so they lose interest.