Vegetarian diet: This is how a meat-free, balanced diet works
Changing your own vegetarian diet is becoming increasingly popular. A common argument against meat-free nutrition is that pork, beef and the like contain important nutrients. That's right, but a balanced diet is also possible without meat on the menu.
Forms of vegetarian diet
In general, a vegetarian diet means avoiding meat. However, some vegetarians include other animal products. Opinions also differ on whether fish is allowed.
- Lacto-vegetarians, for example, do not eat meat, fish or their products. However, they eat milk and milk products.
- Ovo vegetarians also do not eat meat, fish or their products. They don't eat milk or milk products, but they do eat eggs.
- Ovo-lacto vegetarians avoid meat, fish and their products. But they eat eggs, milk and milk products
- Pescetarians do not eat meat and meat products. Fish and its products are already part of the menu.
- Flexitarians, as the name suggests, eat flexibly. They eat mostly vegetarian food, but sometimes they also eat meat and fish.
A balanced diet without meat - it works with these tips
If you eat a vegetarian diet, you also do without some nutrients such as iron or vitamin B12, which are contained in animal products. You have to compensate for this deficiency if you want to eat a healthy vegetarian diet.
- Drink at least one and a half to two liters of water a day.
- Consume two servings of fresh fruit and about 400 grams of fresh vegetables a day. There should be about two to three servings of cereals and potatoes. You need this amount to get enough iron.
- Iron is found primarily in green vegetables such as spinach, fennel and legumes. Whole grain products such as oatmeal, whole grain bread, wheat germ and amaranth muesli also help.
- Vegetable oils and fats make up two to four tablespoons of your daily needs.
- To meet your protein needs, you should consume 250 milliliters of milk or yogurt or alternatively 50 grams of cheese a day.
- Protein is not only found in animal products, but also in cereals, legumes, nuts, potatoes, seeds or mushrooms. Dishes such as cheese spaetzle or quark potatoes are best suited for protein intake.
- For enough vitamin B12, you need to eat two eggs a day. The only alternative are nutritional supplements, because vitamin B12 is only found in animal products.
The benefits of a meatless diet
Eating meatless has many positive aspects, provided you make sure that the body receives all the important nutrients.
- Reduced meat consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
- A vegetarian diet is also beneficial for weight loss.
- So you potentially have a longer life expectancy than meat consumers.
- Refraining from meat should also increase the general well-being of the body. In any case, you can live with a clear conscience that no animals have been killed because of them.