Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Components of a Vegetarian Diet - 3 Key Protein Sources and Their Benefits Revealed

The components of a vegetarian diet primarily consist of plant-based foods, whole grain, legumes, seeds and nuts. It emphasizes a non-meat food source diet. A vegetarian diet is generally a low fat, low cholesterol diet, and typically includes more fiber.

There are four types of vegetarian groups, Vegans, who eat only plant-based foods. They do not eat food that come from animals; meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheeses and milk. Lacto-vegetarians consume milk and other milk products with plant-based foods only, no meat, eggs, poultry and fish either. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do not eat red meat, fish and poultry, and eat only eggs, milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt and plant-based foods. Flexitarians or semi-vegetarians primarily eat plant based foods but consume meat, poultry and fish on small amounts, occasionally.

Vegetarian DietSince you will be going on a vegetarian diet, you will have to have an adequate nutrition. One important nutrient is protein, your body needs this nutrient to be able to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. The primary sources of protein are meat, eggs, nuts, grains and legumes. When eating only plant based foods there are 3 key protein sources. One such source is in nuts, such as almonds and walnuts, can lower serum LDL cholesterol concentrations in the body. Nuts also have a low sugar content wherein dietitians recommend nut to patients with diabetes mellitus type2. Legumes are also one good source of protein for non-meat eaters. Legumes soybeans contain essential amino acids and surpass other plant food in the amount of protein they give. Cereals or grains mostly are grass that are cultivated for their edible bans or fruit seeds, they are considered as staple crops. They are also a rich source of carbohydrates.

When shifting to a vegetarian diet, one must be aware of food planning, meat substitutions are one key point in a vegetarian diet and try to experiment; you should also know the components of a vegetarian diet to be able to maximize the potential in your dietary lifestyle.

By Faviano Torres

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