Becoming a New Vegetarian

When you’re planning on becoming a new vegetarian, to eat a healthy vegetarian diet you are limited only by your imagination. One of the most important things is to plan your meals well in advance to ensure you eat enough nutrients.
 It’s important to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits in different meals, including seeds and nuts. Variety is the spice of life so they say, and it will help ensure your diet is nutrient-dense, interesting, and fun! Aim for variety, even when you serve favorite entrees over and over again, by serving different side dishes, snacks and desserts. Adding variety this way will make your new diet appear to be less of a chore and will give you more chance of succeeding.

Be creative when planning meals and add plenty of variety. Increase your intake of beans and vegetables by eating these foods at lunch time or a mid afternoon snack rather than just for dinner. Try to some kind of   vegetable every day for lunch and two for dinner if possible.  Plan out your meals around a vegetable, a great way to do this is by using baked potatoes this can be a healthy nutritious meal if served with baked beans, a sauce of stewed tomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or make a simple meal of sautéed vegetables and pasta.
 
 If you find things getting monotonous try experimenting with new foods such as new variety of grains such as quinoa, couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries.
Try new fruits and vegetables that are popular in different countries that you haven’t tried before. Put emphasis on the positive and focus more on the healthy foods that fit into a vegetarian diet plan rather than the foods you should be avoiding.

If you’re unsure how to include a new food into your vegetarian diet, ask the produce manager at your local grocer or health food store for ideas on how to prepare it. The internet can be a great resource for new recipe and preparation ideas.  But be sure that you’re building your menu on a strong plant food base.  Make them the core of your diet.
 
Don’t stress about getting enough protein. As long as calories are sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarians easily meet protein needs. Grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts all provide protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat special combinations of foods to meet protein needs. However, it is important to be aware of fat. Even vegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains large amounts of nuts, oils, processed foods, or sweets.