The unhealthy vegetarian myth must die. Eating plants gives health, vitality and longevity. But in a world of soy ice cream and vegan chilidogs, it has never been easier to eat poorly on a vegetarian diet. There are two big points we’ll make in this article, and if you follow the simple steps, you should be good nutritionally as a vegetarian.
Don’t eat processed junk.
The world has conspired to make the most delicious vegan food ever. But hear this: gluten-free, non-dairy mac ’n cheese is not good for you. Don’t fool yourself. Removing animals from your diet gets you half way there, but eating vegan junk food isn’t the second part of that equation. A lot of the tricks used to make these plants into sausages aren’t the best thing for your health. They add a lot of oil and flavorings to get the same textures and tastes as animal products.
Do this:
Eat whole foods. Cut, chop, cook and preserve your own meals from whole foods. The less processing, the better. Raw veggies, dried beans, rice, frozen veggies, nuts.
Eat enough calories.
If you remove animal protein from your diet, you’ll be losing hundreds of calories. A cheeseburger clocks in at 350+ calories. A cup of broccoli has 31. One of the biggest mistakes that new vegetarians make is that they don’t eat enough. So fill your bellies with good, whole foods.
If you’re concerned about losing weight, fret not. Eat the right calories, and focus on wellness. Healthy food makes a healthy body. A whole food, plant-based diet won’t let you put on weight. Eat all the kale you want. Cut a watermelon in half, and eat the entire thing. The best part about being a vegetarian, you can gorge guilt free—as long as you’re eating the right foods.
There are small tweaks here and there, but these are the biggies. Master these tips, and then focus on leveling up. But most importantly, get the meat out and eat more plants!
Be well,
Veg VA
Vegetarian Virginia 