Healthy Vegetarian

Tips for building a healthful eating pattern

Building a balanced vegetarian diet is about so much more than making sure that meat isn’t on the plate.

When you are planning vegetarian meals, be sure to skip saturated fat. Saturated fat is mostly found in animal products, but that doesn’t just mean meat. Full-fat milk, yogurt, and cheeses are also loaded with saturated fat. Steer clear of saturated fat by choosing low-fat or fat-free versions of these foods.

It’s also important to reduce the sodium you consume. Check out versions of packaged, canned, and frozen foods and choose the options with low sodium.

A note about fiber

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are all loaded with fiber. Make them a key part of your balanced vegetarian diet and you will reap health benefits galore.

According to the paper, Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber, “Individuals with high intakes of dietary fiber appear to be at significantly lower risk for developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Increasing fiber intake lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Increased intake of soluble fiber improves glycemia and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic and diabetic individuals. Fiber supplementation in obese individuals significantly enhances weight loss.”

Source: foodandhealth.com