Being a vegetarian is said to have numerous health benefits while also being lighter on the pocket. It is difficult to go off meat completely however; it is possible to practice vegetarianism once a week. Here are some tips for the same.
Balancing your diet: Meat is not only high in cholesterol and fat but is also rich in proteins. Protein is essential to generate energy in your body for the various activities.
It can be found in various sources besides meat like eggs, nuts, dairy products, lentils, legumes etc. When eating only vegetarian food ensure that you include any one of the protein sources mentioned to last you through the day.
Also include various vitamins and minerals along with your protein intake. Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of iron. Lentils, dry fruits, and dried beans are also sources for iron.
Vitamin C helps your body absorb the iron consumed and food items like orange, tomato, broccoli, and lemon are rich in Vitamin C and should be included in your diet. Spinach, broccoli, and kale are sources for calcium that helps strengthen your bones.
Slow start: Do not be over ambitious when starting this diet. Make sure you start off slowly by choosing a day when your workload is less and when you have a light work out schedule.
Initially you can substitute vegetables instead of meat in your favorite recipes rather than trying out completely new vegetarian dishes. Pizzas, spaghettis, and salads are easier to convert into a vegetarian dish.
Diet Plan: It is important to plan your meals before hand if you intend to stick to a vegetarian diet. For breakfast, you could try a wide variety of cereals and fruits, oatmeal, muffins, fried eggs, and cheese.
During lunch, you can try salads with a variety of vegetables or fruits and cheese, lentil soup, rice crackers etc. For dinner, you can have chili made with black beans, stir fried vegetables, lasagna with vegetables. In between meals, you can snack on cottage cheese with some fruits, peanuts, boiled eggs, and dried fruits.
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