The Vegetarian Diet

The most beneficial diet to human health with increase in chances of survival on Earth is said to be vegetarian plan. Vegetarian plans have an ethically and ecologically sound health reason. The Vegetarian plan includes exclusively vegetable foods and abstaining from any form of animal food. A vegetarian plan excludes animal flesh, animal products, and the wearing and use of animal products. It consists totally of vegetables, vegetable oils, and seeds.

Vegetarian plans should include a wide variety of foods with enough calories to meet our energy needs. As grain products, fortified or enriched cereal products and variety of fruits and vegetables that are good sources of vitamins A and C. Only the intake of sweets and fatty foods has to be minimum as these foods are low in nutrients and high in calories.

The vegetarian plans pattern includes
• Total vegetarian intake that consists of only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts.
• The lacto vegetarian plan includes plant foods plus cheese and other dairy products.
• The ovo-lactovegetarian plan also includes eggs.
• Semi-vegetarians don't eat red meat but include chicken and fish with plant foods, dairy products and eggs.

A Vegetarian plan is healthful, nutritious and low in animal products, low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Thus helps to have a lower risk of obesity, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer. The nutrients included in a vegetarian plan are

Protein: Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.

Iron: Dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.

Vitamins: Some fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, yeast and other foods with vitamin supplements.

Calcium: Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes.

The first vegetarian plan originated from religious or ethical practices but than gained acceptance with its aesthetic, nutritional, and economic reasons. Vegetarians refuse meat as they believe, killing of animals is cruel, and also that meat is harmful to the human body stating pure vegetarian diet is more nutritious. Plant proteins provide adequate amounts of essential and nonessential amino acids.

Also read our article about Vegetarian Diet for Weightloss