A healthy vegetarian diet consists primarily of plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Because the emphasis is on non-meat food sources, a vegetarian diet generally contains less fat and cholesterol, and typically includes more fiber.
Vegetarians fall into different groups. Vegans eat only plant-based foods. They don’t eat foods from animals including meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese. Lacto-vegetarians consume milk and milk products along with plant-based foods. They omit eggs as well as meat, fish and poultry. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs, milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt, in addition to plant-based foods. They omit red meat, fish and poultry. Flexitarians (semivegetarians) primarily follow a plant-based diet but occasionally eat small amounts of meat, poultry or fish.
No matter what your age or situation, a well-planned vegetarian diet can meet your nutritional needs. Even children and teenagers can do well on a plant-based diet, as can older people, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. If you’re unsure whether a vegetarian diet is right for you, a doctor or a registered dietitian can be of help.
The key to a healthy vegetarian diet — or any diet for that matter — is to enjoy a wide variety of foods. Since no single food provides all of the nutrients that your body needs, eating a wide variety helps ensure that you get the necessary nutrients and other substances that promote good health.
Aryaas, claimed to be the first vegetarian restaurant in Saudi Arabia, opened its doors at Lotus Plaza (Binladin Plaza) on Sitteen Street in Sharafiyah district of Jeddah last month, with a view to offering a healthy vegetarian diet. Its menu card will simply baffle you, as the range of food varieties is wider than you may believe. Soups include herbal and malagathanni (prepared from black pepper). Appetizers range from ‘harabhara shami kabab’ and ‘paneer tikka’ to ‘bhindi’ fritters, and ‘gobi’ and mushroom Manchurian. Salads range from tossed and green varieties to aloo (potato) and fruit chaat, spicy sweet corn and raitas (prepared from yogurt) — boondi, onion and mixed. Then there are hot and cold beverages including south India’s famed filter coffee and almond milk. Fresh juices, milkshakes and desserts comprising sweet delicacies like gulab jamun, rasmalai, carrot halwa and fruit salad with ice cream complete the menu card.
South Indian delicacies, popular the world over, include ‘idli’ (steamed rice cake), vada (donut-shaped delicacy made of special pulses) and ‘dosa’, a crispy delicacy made to paper thickness. This rice pancake is also customized to the choice of the guest. Uthappam is another mouth-watering dish. This spicy, thick pancake made out of spices and pulses is stuffed with succulent onion and tomatoes. Aside from these, lovers of South and North Indian food can enjoy a full meal with a range of chapattis (flat bread), rice, noodles and curries.
“We offer all these and much more as part of our commitment to eco-friendly food,” boasts consultant Ahmed Mohideen who has established the franchise, with stakeholders S.A.S. Sadakka Thullah and M. Seeniali, as part of India- and Gulf-based Aryaas Vegetarian Restaurant chain.
The restaurant presents an elegant look with its tables laid with banana-leaf shaped tops on which the plates are served with food and delicacies. The leaf carries a quote from American Dietetic Association: “Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals....”
