Tips for planning vegetarian diets
If you’re considering a vegetarian lifestyle, get individualized advice from a registered dietitian who’s knowledgeable about vegetarian diets. And whether vegetarianism is new to you or you’ve been meat-free for years, keep these general guidelines in mind:
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Eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts, and get enough calories to meet your energy needs.
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Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods, such as broccoli, collards, kale, fortified orange juice, nonfat cow’s milk or fortified soy or rice milk, almond butter, or sesame tahini.
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Include daily servings of omega-3 fats, such as flaxseed, soybean or canola oils, walnuts, or ground flaxseeds.
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Get enough vitamin D through sun exposure, eating fortified foods, or taking a supplement.
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Include daily servings of vitamin B12 from such sources as Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, fortified plant milk or plant-based yogurt, nonfat cow’s milk or yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, or a B12 supplement.
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Limit sweets and alcohol to ensure that you have enough room in your diet for foods containing essential nutrients.
Quick and easy meatless meals
Great-tasting, health-supporting vegetarian meals can be simple to make. Some favorite dishes have always been meatless, but you can omit the meat from even the most carnivore-friendly meals to come up with new vegetarian classics. Try some of these:
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Bean burrito with steamed broccoli and fresh fruit salad
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Black bean soup topped with minced onions, French bread rounds with pesto, chopped green salad, and a slice of cantaloupe
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Cheese quesadilla, steamed mixed vegetables, brown rice, and apple slices
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Cooked oatmeal with almonds and cinnamon, orange wedges, and black coffee
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Hummus with toasted pita points, tomato and basil salad, and rice pudding topped with chopped walnuts
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Lentil soup, carrot sticks, and a small green salad
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Roasted vegetable pizza, home fries, and vinaigrette slaw
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Vegetarian chili, cornbread, spinach salad, and a baked apple
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Whole-wheat rotini pasta with marinara sauce, sautéed spinach, and a garlic roll
Simple recipe substitutions for vegetarians
If you’re a vegetarian, you probably know exactly how to eliminate meat from your diet. But if you want to cut back on other animal products — like eggs and dairy — you may be at a loss when it comes to appropriate recipe substitutions. Try these clever tricks for replacing animal products in your favorite recipes:
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Use half of a mashed, ripe banana to replace one whole egg in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.
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Replace cow’s milk with equal amounts of soymilk or rice milk in puddings, smoothies, and cream soups.
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Instead of beef broth or chicken broth, use vegetable broth in soups, casseroles, and pilafs.
- Use plant-based or veggie crumbles in place of ground beef in taco and burrito fillings and spaghetti sauce.
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Mash a block of tofu and mix it with a few teaspoons of lemon juice. Use this mixture in place of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese in lasagna, stuffed shells, and manicotti.
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Replace hard-boiled eggs with diced tofu when you make your favorite egg salad sandwich filling.
Easing the transition to a vegetarian lifestyle
Switching to a meatless diet can be difficult if you’ve been raised with typical Western eating habits. Becoming a vegetarian is rewarding, so hang in there! As you strive for the vegetarian ideal, gradually cut meat out of your life, and use these tips to ease the transition:
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Get educated. Read books, attend lectures and cooking demonstrations, and talk with experienced vegetarians for tips on making the switch.
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Set realistic expectations. Mastering new skills and changing long-standing habits take time. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you experience setbacks now and then.
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Keep meals simple. The best recipes use short lists of familiar, easy-to-find ingredients and require no more than basic cooking skills.
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Be low-key about your choice to go vegetarian. Explain your rationale to adults and older children who ask, but let others decide for themselves what they will and won’t eat.
