• Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
• Base meals on starchy foods such as pasta, rice, cereals and pulses such as beans, peas and lentils. These should make up about a third of the diet
• Grill, bake, poach, boil, steam, dry-fry or microwave instead of frying or roasting in oil
• Eat some protein foods such as dairy products, eggs or pulses and have a variety of these foods
• Cut down on sugar
• Watch how much salt you’re eating — check food labels — and it is best practice not to add salt to your food when you’re cooking
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per a day, or more if you exercise or spend time out in a hot climate
• Make sure you get essential nutrients that can be lacking in a meat-free diet especially protein, iron and selenium
Protein is made of amino acids, some of which are known as ‘essential amino acids’ because the body can’t make them itself.
Pulses (such as lentils and beans), nuts and seeds, eggs, soy and soy products (such as tofu), mycoprotien (a meat substitute containing protein and zinc found in Quoin products), wheat proteins (such as cereals, bread, rice and maize) and milk and dairy products.
• Beans on your toast
• Milk with your breakfast cereal
• Rice with lentil dhal
• A rice and bean salad
• Vegetable chilli (with kidney beans) served with rice or tortillas
• Bread and cheese
• Soup made with lentils, beans or split peas with a chunk of bread
• Humous and pita bread
It is a good idea not to simply upon one type of protein such as cheese because you might be missing out on nutrients. Many vegetarians rely on cheese for protein and, have too much saturated fat. If you don’t take milk and dairy products, choose Soya, rice or oat drinks fortified with calcium instead as calcium is essential to ensure strong bones and teeth.
Meat is the best source of iron, but it can also be found in: Pulses, green vegetables (such as watercress, broccoli, spring greens and okra), bread and fortified breakfast cereals.
It is easier to absorb iron from food if we eat it with foods that contain vitamin C, so have some salad or a glass of fruit juice with your meal. Cutting down on tea and coffee could help improve iron levels in the body, which is important for vegetarians.
It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough selenium because selenium is important for our immune systems to function properly. Meat, fish, bread eggs and Brazil nuts are the best sources of selenium, If you eat a mostly vegetarian diet but also eat fish, you should be getting enough selenium.
Soy beans are the only vegetable protein to contain all essential amino acids, making them important for vegetarians. They’re high in calcium, low in saturated fats, and cholesterol-free. They can be ground into flour or made into “milk” as well. Soy milk is a good alternative milk drink and for use on cereal and in puddings. There are also some very good Soya based yogurts on the market also.
