Cornerstone Family Practice

ARTICLE

Easing into a Vegetarian Lifestyle

Whether for health, religious, ecological other reason, many people choose to be vegetarian.

Vegetarians generally have lower rates of:
• Type 2 diabetes
• Several cancers
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Gall bladder disease

There are many variations on the theme, vegetarian, as you can see below. So if starting a vegetarian lifestyle is something you are considering, you may want to consult a dietitian to be sure you are not lacking any essential nutrients.

Vegetarian diets are usually classified into one of these three types:

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Restricts all dietary sources of animal protein except dairy products and eggs. This is the most common and easiest to follow of the vegetarian diets.

Lacto-vegetarian: Restricts all dietary sources of animal protein except dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter.

Vegan: A vegan is a vegetarian in the strictest sense of the word. Vegans restrict all dietary sources of animal protein.

If you're not following a vegetarian diet but you're thinking of trying it, here are some ideas to help you get started:

Baby Steps: Each week or month increase the number of meatless meals you and your family are familiar with such as spaghetti with tomato sauce or vegetable stir-fry (try adding some tempeh).

Bring in the meatless relief pitcher: Take your favorite recipes and try them without meat. For example, make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans. Or make fajitas using extra-firm tofu rather than chicken. You may be surprised to find that many dishes require only simple substitutions and are delicious.

Many people worry that by starting a vegetarian diet they will not be able to consume enough protein. The foods listed below all have the same amount of protein as one ounce of meant (about 7 grams of protein).
• ¼ cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 ounce of cheese
• 1/3 cup mixed nuts
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• ½ cup of legumes, cooked
• ¼ cup tofu
• ¾ cup yogurt

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