Vegetarian diet – characteristics, rules and benefits
What is vegetarianism?
Vegetarian cuisine proposes meals that are based on the rejection of meat, fish and seafood. No processed meat is used. A variation of the vegetarian diet is pesco-vegetarianism, which allows eating fish, but it isn’t a classic approach. However, we do not give up all animal products, unlike in a vegan diet. You can still enjoy the taste of milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt, eggs or honey. Yes, it’s true, we often forget that honey is also an animal product 🙂
Advantages of a vegetarian diet:
Above all – health.
Vegetarian cuisine offers wholesome meals in everyday nutrition. There is no need to make your food boring. The best way to nourish your body is by choosing products purchased from locals, at the market. This way you have a better chance that the products will be fresh and wont have been in storage for several weeks. Interestingly, many farmers now offer weekly deliveries of their vegetables to your door – convenient, right?
Remember that it will be easier to eat a balanced diet when you prepare your own meals as opposed to when you buy processed ones..
Another benefit of the vegetarian menu will be the reduction of blood cholesterol levels by eliminating animal fats, which are the source of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol.
Did you know that you can lose weight faster on a vegetarian diet?
Eating fibre makes you feel full faster, stabilises blood sugar levels and makes it easier to remove metabolic products from the body, which means it is easier to lose unnecessary kilos.
Unfortunately, carnivores tend to eat too little fibre (on average 12g), while those on a plant-based diet eat on average 26g. Of course, we’re aiming for the recommended range of 35-45g. There is much more of it in vegetables, which is why it’s easier to take care of it with our Vege Menu (link).
Having the right amount of fibre in your diet will reduce the risk of constipation, your body will be able to get rid of harmful waste products more easily, and you will feel saturated for longer.
Shortages of micronutrients and protein occur when a vegetarian based diet isn’t well balanced. How to avoid shortages?
It’s worth experimenting and trying to eat different variations every day. A simple vegetarian based diet with natural products and devoid of highly processed foods is the key to success.
If you’re looking for a good source of protein, eat more:
- lentils
- chickpeas
- beans
- peas
- tempeh
- cottage cheese
- dairy products such as buttermilk, kefir, natural yoghurt,
- eggs,
- nuts and seeds,
- plant based drinks.
If you need to include more iron in your menu, choose:
- moringa,
- spinach,
- lentils and chickpeas,
- peas and beans,
- peanut butter,
- parsley,
- oat flakes,
- wholemeal bread,
- dried apricots,
- eggs.
To improve iron absorption, eat foods rich in vitamin C with your meal, such as raw peppers, parsley and rosehips.
Rich in calcium are:
- spinach,
- kale,
- moringa,
- broccoli,
- almonds.
You can find omega-3 in products such as:
- pumpkin seeds,
- linseed, linseed oil,
- Italian nuts,
- almonds,
- rapeseed oil,
- wheat germ oil,
And finally, vitamin B12, a deficiency of which most people on a vegetarian based diet fear. You will find it in:
- eggs,
- dairy and milk products,
- it is also worth considering supplementing this vitamin.
To have control over macro- and micronutrients in a vegetarian diet, it is worth using a calorie calculator that will count everything you enter into it 🙂 Therefore, I present to you Fitatu, a free application that you can extend with hints of super-tasty meatless dishes!
Sample dishes in our Vege Menu.
Omelette with strawberries and blueberries
Ingredients:
- eggs x 3,
- milk 120 ml,
- whole grain flour 120 g,
- fresh or frozen strawberries 80 g,
- blueberries, fresh or frozen, 50g,
- 20g butter,
- sugar 10g,
- salt 1g (pinch).
Preparation:
- Pour flour into a bowl, add milk and mix, then add egg yolks and sugar.
- Add salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff. Add to the yolk mass and mix gently.
- Heat the butter and spread it over the entire surface of the pan. Pour the dough over the entire pan.
- Fry on low heat for about 5 minutes. Then turn over and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blend half of the strawberries into a mousse.
- Transfer the omelette to a plate, pour over the sauce and sprinkle with fruit.
Casserole with potatoes and mushrooms
Ingredients:
- potatoes 480 g (6 pieces),
- mushrooms 200 g (10 pieces),
- mozzarella cheese 80 g (4 slices),
- onion 70 g (4.5 slices),
- garlic 14 g (2 cloves),
- oil 10 g (2 teaspoons),
- spices 4g (2 pinches).
Preparation:
- Peel the potatoes and boil them half-hard in salted water.
- Cut the potatoes into medium-thick slices.
- Chop the onion and garlic and slice the mushrooms.
- Fry the garlic and onion in hot oil, add the mushrooms, season and stew, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Put the potatoes into a greased casserole dish, and put the mushrooms and mozzarella on them.
- Bake for about 15 minutes at 180 degrees.
How does the functionality of the Vege Menu in Fitatu work?
To use the function of suggesting vegetarian dishes, go to Menu Selection, select Veg and click the Enable Vege menu button.
Your menu will contain links with suggestions of vegetarian dishes to choose from in the appropriate calorie value for a given meal. Choose freely and enjoy your tasty meal! We don’t impose anything on you, your food is in your hands!
What ingredients can you expect from our vegetarian menu?
- vegetables,
- fruit,
- cereals,
- nuts,
- dairy products,
- eggs,
- honey
Do you want to try the Vege Menu at Fitatu Premium?
Download the application from the Play Store or Apple Store and start counting your macros with us!
Do you prefer the web version? No problem. A basic web version is prepared for our subscribers. And now you can use the VEGE-5 discount code by going to https://www.fitatu.com/app/giftcode and get Fitatu Premium for 4,97€/month