Vegetarian Diet: A Beginner’s Guide

A vegetarian diet is a diet that focuses on eating only plant-based foods. Discover a beginner’s vegetarian diet guide in this article.

What is a vegetarian diet?

A vegetarian diet does not eat animal products. This concerns meat, fish and shellfish. So it is a diet in which only plant foods are eaten. This includes:

• fruit
• vegetables
• legumes
• fresh and dry grains

A specific variant of a vegetarian diet is the vegan diet. This is a stricter diet that excludes all foods that come from animals.

Many people decide to become vegetarian because of the great health benefits this diet can have. Others decide to do it out of empathy and solidarity with animals or to reduce their impact on the environment.

However, starting a vegetarian diet can be complicated. It is important to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure you get all the necessary nutrients from your daily diet. Below we show you a guide to a vegetarian diet for beginners.

A Beginner’s Guide to a Vegetarian Diet

Start step by step

A sudden start on a vegetarian diet can cause anxiety and health problems, so it is better to change your diet gradually.

It can be quite difficult to completely stop eating meat, fish, chicken and other animal products. That’s why it’s best to make the transition little by little.

Changing any habit is difficult at first. It is important to respect your own pace. Every passing day makes it easier.

A good way to make this change is to start with a partial change. For example, try eating vegetarian two or three days a week, or just part of a day. However, if you want to make a radical change right from the start, you can do that too. It all depends on what works best for you.

However, if you’re doing it all at once, it’s important to be patient with yourself and not feel guilty if you don’t always follow the rules. Remember that no one is perfect and it is always possible to start over.

Social environment

Often people who decide to start a vegetarian diet are questioned by their family and friends. That is why it is important to explain your reasons with enthusiasm and conviction and to tell them why you feel good about this.

When you start this diet, you do n’t have to try to convert everyone to a vegetarian diet. That will only cause conflict and hostility.

When you accept an invitation to dinner, it’s best to make it as comfortable as possible for yourself. You need to prevent your new lifestyle from becoming a problem for the people who will be making the food.

A good way to start this diet is with something that can replace animal protein. For example, there are vegetarian burgers and other plant-based ‘meats’ for sale in supermarkets.

Shopping

When you first start a vegetarian diet, trips to supermarkets will probably be a bit more challenging than when you were eating meat. However, many of your favorite food recipes don’t have to include chicken, meat, or fish.

Your purchases to stock your new pantry don’t have to be just fruits and vegetables. Bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cookies and chips are all excellent options for preparing nutritious snacks and delicious meals.

• Other ingredients that you should not forget as a new vegetarian are nuts, dried fruit and granola.
• You can also eat dairy products and eggs if you have not opted for a vegan diet.
• Canned legumes or soup are also great allies as they allow you to have delicious and nutritious food on hand. Plus, they make food preparation easier, which is a big help when adjusting your diet.

There are also delicious plant-based options that you can use as a meat substitute. They are foods that are both tasty and very easy to prepare. For example, consider products such as:

• vegetarian chicken nuggets
• vegetarian sausage
• dishes based on eggs
• meatless burgers

Have a balanced diet

To ensure that a vegetarian diet is providing your body with all the nutrients it needs to function properly, all you need to do is follow a few recommendations.

The first is eating a wide variety of foods, in all colors of the rainbow. On the other hand, if your new diet is making you tired and lacking in energy, you may not be eating enough calories or protein. It’s not enough just to eat fruits and vegetables, you should also eat nuts, beans, lentils and healthy oils.

That said, following a vegetarian diet can also have some potential risks that you should be aware of. Talk to a nutritionist or your doctor if you have any questions or concerns and before starting a vegetarian diet.