Guide to Following a Vegetarian Diet

A vegetarian diet consists of plant-based meals such as nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

Vegetarians come in a variety of forms, but the most common is someone who does not consume meat.
There are numerous reasons why someone might choose to become a vegetarian. Some people choose not to consume animal products because they believe it is unethical to slaughter animals for food. Others believe that a plant-based diet is healthier, while others may become vegetarian for environmental or religious reasons.

Dinner: Black bean tacos with shredded lettuce, sauteed veggies, reduced-fat cheddar, and fresh salsa

Day 2 

Breakfast: Bran-and-blueberry muffin with low- or nonfat yogurt

Lunch: Bean-and-veggie soup using low-sodium vegetable broth

Snack: Roasted chickpeas made with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt

Dinner: Caprese sandwich (with tomato; low-fat, part-skim mozzarella; olive oil; and basil) on whole-wheat bread

Day 3

Breakfast: Tofu scramble on a bed of brown rice with sauteed peppers

Lunch: Quesadillas with low-fat, part-skim cheddar cheese; black beans; and sweet potatoes

Snack: Mixed-fruit bowl

Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry with tempeh on a bed of brown rice

Day 4

Breakfast: Strawberry smoothie made with kefir

Lunch: Mixed green salad with crispy chickpeas and slices of grilled portobello mushrooms

Snack: Carrot sticks and hummus

Dinner: Quinoa bowl with roasted vegetables and kimchi

Day 5

Breakfast: Low- or nonfat Greek yogurt with cinnamon and berries

Lunch: Vegetable and cheese panini on whole-wheat bread

Snack: Kale chips made with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt

Dinner: Zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) with marinara sauce and low-sodium meatless meatballs (preferably homemade)

Day 6

Breakfast: Overnight oats with walnuts, sliced peaches, and cinnamon

Lunch: Arugula-and-veggie-topped pizza with whole-grain dough and reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella

Snack: Handful of raw, no-salt almonds

Dinner: Portobello mushroom sliders with romaine, Swiss cheese, and tomato, on whole-wheat buns

Day 7

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun

Snack: Veggie spring rolls

Dinner: African curry with rice and seitan.

Desserts are naturally vegetarian, so whatever you enjoy now will likely work on a vegetarian diet, too.

Eating this way, whether for a few meals or for decades, can be beneficial to your health in loads of ways:

• Heart Help Without meat, your diet will be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which ends up reducing your risk of heart disease.

   

 Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

 Sticking with a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and risk of heart disease by 40 percent.

• Hypertension Management Eating a plant-based diet may help lower high blood pressure.

   

• Improve Insulin Response Going vegetarian won’t cure type 2 diabetes, but it may help stabilize your blood sugar and make your body more responsive to insulin as long as you’re eating a balanced diet. It could also reduce your risk of other complications related to type 2 diabetes.

   

• Cancer Protection Vegetarians have lower cancer rates than nonvegetarians, suggesting an association between following a plant-based diet and a lower risk of certain types of cancer.

   

• Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk Some studies suggest that people who fill their plates with plants also tend to have lower rates of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that may raise your risk of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

   

All of these health benefits boil down to one major one: Being a vegetarian may help you live longer.

 And research shows that there’s a correlation between health benefits and how strict a vegetarian diet one follows, with strict vegetarians (aka vegans) seeing the greatest health benefits, followed by lacto-vegetarians, pescatarians, and nonvegetarians.

One study involving people with type 2 diabetes found that following a vegetarian diet was almost twice as effective at helping with weight loss as following a low-calorie diet.

To see these weight loss benefits, vegetarians need to stick to healthy whole foods and avoid overeating, says Julieanna Hever, RD, the Los Angeles–based author of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot’s Guides). “With all of the new animal-free junk food on the market, it’s become increasingly easier to eat hyperpalatable [vegetarian] foods to the point of weight gain,” she says.

Vitamin D Supplements for Vegetarians