Whatever your reason for choosing to become vegetarian you will naturally want to make sure that you are getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need to maintain a healthy diet. If you are new to a vegetarian diet then this can be tricky at first but even life-long vegetarians like to be reminded of what can make a balanced meat-free diet.
Becoming vegetarian does not necessarily equate to an automatically healthy diet. After all there are still plenty of unhealthy vegetarian foods so you will need to ensure that you only eat these foods in moderation. A vegetarian diet can however save you money. If you have recently switched to a meat-free diet then you will quickly notice the difference on your weekly shopping bill.
Contrary to what some people may like to believe a vegetarian diet can be perfectly safe for children as long as you ensure they receive the right amount of vitamins and minerals they need. So what kinds of foods provide essential vitamins and minerals?
Calcium vegetarians will obtain most of their calcium from dairy products. If you are vegan then there are non-dairy foods that contain calcium such as soya, rice and oat milk, sesame seeds, pulses, dried fruit, leafy green vegetables and brown bread.
Vitamin D your body requires vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. This can be obtained from egg yolks, cereals, margarine and sunlight.
Omega 3 these fatty acids can be found in flaxseed oil, soya, walnuts and egg.
Iron although meat is the best source of iron you can get your required iron from green vegetables including watercress, broccoli and beans. Iron can also be found in fortified breakfast cereals and bread.
Vitamin B12 this vitamin is only found naturally in foods from animals so if you eat dairy and eggs you should be fine. Vegans can obtain vitamin B12 from yeast extract and fortified breakfast cereals and soya products.
Protein there are numerous foods that contain protein in a vegetarian diet. These include nuts, seeds, pulses, beans, soya products, cereals, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Maintaining a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet is really no different to maintaining a non-vegetarian healthy diet. Just ensure that you are eating a balance of food that is providing you with the necessary vitamins and minerals and that your diet includes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Now all you need to do is research some tasty new recipes!
Becoming vegetarian does not necessarily equate to an automatically healthy diet. After all there are still plenty of unhealthy vegetarian foods so you will need to ensure that you only eat these foods in moderation. A vegetarian diet can however save you money. If you have recently switched to a meat-free diet then you will quickly notice the difference on your weekly shopping bill.
Contrary to what some people may like to believe a vegetarian diet can be perfectly safe for children as long as you ensure they receive the right amount of vitamins and minerals they need. So what kinds of foods provide essential vitamins and minerals?
Calcium vegetarians will obtain most of their calcium from dairy products. If you are vegan then there are non-dairy foods that contain calcium such as soya, rice and oat milk, sesame seeds, pulses, dried fruit, leafy green vegetables and brown bread.
Vitamin D your body requires vitamin D in order to absorb calcium. This can be obtained from egg yolks, cereals, margarine and sunlight.
Omega 3 these fatty acids can be found in flaxseed oil, soya, walnuts and egg.
Iron although meat is the best source of iron you can get your required iron from green vegetables including watercress, broccoli and beans. Iron can also be found in fortified breakfast cereals and bread.
Vitamin B12 this vitamin is only found naturally in foods from animals so if you eat dairy and eggs you should be fine. Vegans can obtain vitamin B12 from yeast extract and fortified breakfast cereals and soya products.
Protein there are numerous foods that contain protein in a vegetarian diet. These include nuts, seeds, pulses, beans, soya products, cereals, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Maintaining a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet is really no different to maintaining a non-vegetarian healthy diet. Just ensure that you are eating a balance of food that is providing you with the necessary vitamins and minerals and that your diet includes at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Now all you need to do is research some tasty new recipes!