Aashu’s Dilemma
“Why we don’t have meat or chicken for dinner?” Aashu asked his mother as he wanted some change in his meal.
His mother replied with anger “You can eat them but that night you won’t be allowed to sleep at home.”
Aashu is afraid and doesn’t understand why his mother is so resistant to a non-vegetarian diet. He asked his father & he explained that a vegetarian diet is more nutritious, health-conscious and flavourful than a non-vegetarian diet.
He is still not convinced by the explanation so he turned to Google to learn what are different vegetarian diets, the benefits of vegetarian diets & their drawbacks. Let’s see what he finds:
What is a Vegetarian Diet?
The main purpose of this diet is to abstain from the consumption of animal products such as meat, seafood & poultry from your daily intake. Vegetarian diets include fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, spices & even dairy and honey in it.
Some sections of society have followed vegetarian diets due to their ethical & environmental constraints for consuming animal products but now even people are turning towards it from non-vegetarian diets because of their health benefits.
But in recent years, individuals also turned away from non-vegetarian diets to vegetarian ones because of the former’s contribution to environmental degradation. To raise livestock for beef production has promoted deforestation, carbon emissions & climate change.
Research claims that 18% of the total world population is now following a completely vegetarian diet. In recent years it has earned much attention worldwide.
People generally think that a vegetarian diet is of one single form but there are many different formats of it : –
Lacto-Veggie Diet
Restricts meat, poultry & seafood but allows the consumption of egg & dairy products.
Lacto- Vegetarian
Restricts meat, poultry, egg & seafood but only allows dairy products.
Ovo- Vegetarian
Restricts meat, poultry, dairy & seafood but only allows eggs.
Pescetarian
Restricts the consumption of meat & poultry but allows a limited intake of seafood, egg & dairy products.
Vegan Diet
The most restrictive of all, it restricts the consumption of meat, egg, poultry, seafood, dairy & even animal-driven products such as honey.
Semi Vegetarian
A relaxed version of other vegetarian diets that allows occasional consumption of all animal products but in limited quantities.
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
– Albert Einstein
Healthy Vegetarian Diet Plan – What to be Eaten & to be Avoided
A typical vegetarian diet plan is a mixture of all plant foods such as nuts, seeds, vegetables & fruits.
As we have discussed earlier, there are other vegetarian diets as well that allow the minimum intake of animal products. But they primarily include plant-based foods.
Plant foods that are recommended in vegetarian diets should be taken fresh & dishes mostly prepared at home as markets are filled with processed & added sugar foods.
Foods to be Eaten
| Category | Food |
|---|---|
| Fruits | Apples, Bananas, Strawberries, Oranges, Melons, Pears, Peaches, Cherries. |
| Vegetables | Leafy greens, Cauliflower, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots. |
| Grains | Millets, Barley, Buckwheat, Rice, Oats. |
| Legumes | Lentils, Black Beans, Peas, Chickpeas. |
| Nuts | Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Chestnuts, Pistachios. |
| Seeds | Flaxseeds, Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, and Sunflower Seeds. |
| Healthy Fats | Virgin Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Raw Olives. |
| Proteins | Almonds, Nutritional Yeast, Soy Milk, Hemp Seeds |
| Herbs & Spices | Ginger, Garlic, Cumin, Cinnamon, Coriander, Basil, Mint & Roseberry. |
Foods to be Avoided
If you are a strict vegetarian then your diet won’t include any sort of animal product.
But if you wish to go for a semi-vegetarian diet, then you might add some quantities of dairy, seafood & egg in your diet but it should be complimentary.
The following list includes all those foods that should be avoided in a healthy vegetarian diet plan but you can add them to your plate as per your needs & preferences.
| Category | Food |
|---|---|
| Meat | Beef, Lamb, and Pork. |
| Poultry | Chicken and boiler. |
| Seafood | All sorts of Fish, Crab, Prawns except Seaweed. |
| Eggs | Hard-boiled & Omelette. |
| Dairy products | Ghee, Curd, Cheese & Yoghurt. |
| Processed foods | Packaged Juices, Soda & Ketchup. |
| Sweets | Cakes, Pastries, Candies & Artificial Sweeteners. |
“the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
– Mahatma Gandhi
7-Days Vegetarian Diet Plan for Weight Loss
Here we are providing you with a sample 7-day vegetarian diet plan that you can directly adopt or utilize to make your own plan:
| Day 1 | Monday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oatmeal with Strawberries and Almond. |
| Lunch | Grilled veggie and Roti with sweet potato fries. |
| Dinner | Vegetable sandwich with baked cauliflower. |
| Day 2 | Tuesday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Vegetable omelette with tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms. |
| Lunch | Pasta stuffed with veggies and tomato soup. |
| Dinner | Chickpea curry with boiled basmati rice. |
| Day 3 | Wednesday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Yogurt with chia seeds, berries & sliced apples. |
| Lunch | Fruit salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and spiced lentil soup. |
| Dinner | Vegetable paratha with a side salad. |
| Day 4 | Thursday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Pasta with peppers, onions, and spinach. |
| Lunch | Full bowl mixed of brown rice, beans, soybean and veggies. |
| Dinner | Vegetable pulao with a side salad. |
| Day 5 | Friday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Whole-wheat bread with peanut butter and nutritional yeast. |
| Lunch | Marinated veggies with fruit salad. |
| Dinner | Vegetable meatballs with noodles. |
| Day 6 | Saturday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Have a glass full of Smoothie of strawberries, bananas, nut butter, and almond milk. |
| Lunch | Veggie burger with fruit salad & walnuts. |
| Dinner | Flatbread with grilled vegetables and pistachios. |
| Day 7 | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Sliced apples and sweet potato fries. |
| Lunch | Vegetable Shawarma with cashews. |
| Dinner | Black bean burger with basmati rice. |
Top 5 Vegetarian Diet Benefits
Many people opt for vegetarian diets just to reap the health benefits associated with it. So here are some of the health benefits that you can reap abiding by a Vegetarian diet.
Full of Nutrients
As it primarily focuses on fruits, vegetables & nuts, a vegetarian diet is by far more nutritious than any other form of diet. In a single meal, you can get all sorts of required nutrients by following this diet plan.
Even studies have shown that vegetarians usually have a better quality of food intake than their non-vegetarian colleagues. Also, their diet, which is enriched with fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin E & magnesium helps in tackling the problem of overeating.
Faster Weight Loss
Many of us have a dream to cut down our calorie intake. Through a vegetarian diet, we can effectively make that dream come true.
Certain studies have shown that vegetarians can lose 2kgs of weight on average in just 18 weeks than non-vegetarians.
Similarly, a study performed on 1000 participants has noted that vegetarians have quite lower body mass compared to meat-eaters as non-vegetarian diets are low in Fiber causing overeating.
Reduces Cancer Risk
Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world but with a vegetarian diet, you can easily reduce the risk of having Cancer.
Research in the US has proved that vegetarian diets which focus on plant foods are helpful. They carry some forms of antioxidants & compounds that make our body resistant to certain common cancers such as colon, breast, rectum, stomach & gastrointestinal cancer.
Controls Blood Sugar / Diabetes
Studies have already proved that Type-2 Diabetes is more prevalent among meat-eaters compared to vegetarians.
A vegetarian diet includes those foods that carry natural sugars & abstain from the consumption of high-calorie processed foods & added sugar. This makes a Vegetarian diet ideal for those who have a family history of diabetic patients.
A study was conducted on 1000 participants who were made to switch from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian diet for 1 year. The result showed that they had reduced risk of type-2 diabetes by 53% proving that a vegetarian diet helps to control blood sugar levels.
Good for Heart
By opting for a vegetarian diet, you can easily reduce the risk of several heart diseases which means a healthy heart & increase in life expectancy.
A study in the US has found that a vegetarian diet can lower the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol & LDL in your body. All these 3 are major factors for causing heart disease.
One other benefit of having a vegetarian diet is that it is low in calories which helps in controlling hypertension. It is a key factor in causing strokes & heart attacks.
After considering these benefits of vegetarian diet, let us see what foods should be included and excluded from it.
Vegetarian Diet Disadvantages
Although a vegetarian diet is nutritious, healthy & good for weight loss, it carries some adverse effects that restrict it from becoming a perfect diet for everyone.
One such effect of having a vegetarian diet is deficiencies of those micro-nutrients that are in abundance in animal products.
Those nutrients are B12, Calcium, Zinc & Omega-3 fatty acids which are plentiful in meat, seafood & poultry. Even dairy & eggs contain Vitamin D & Vitamin B in huge quantities.
If you cut down the consumption of animal products from daily intake, then you must ensure to plan your diet in such a way that other plant sources of these nutrients should be available. You can counter the Vegetarian diet disadvantages by planning your diet in a balanced way.
Beans, Nuts, Seeds, Lentils, whole grains & citrus fruits can be a good alternative to those animal products but their intake should be well-planned with other plant foods.
Conclusion
After going through these Google search results, Aashu is now more adamant about following a vegetarian diet that avoids including meat, poultry & seafood.
He concludes that if you opt for a vegetarian diet, you are planning for a low-calorie but nutritious diet that can have several health benefits throughout your life if followed strictly.
He is also aware that a fully vegetarian diet can cause deficiencies of certain nutrients but that can be tackled with proper planning of diet & by including certain foods that are good substitutes for animal products.
