I have just made the lifestyle change of becoming a vegetarian. I have thought about it in the past and then I saw the movie..you know which one I am talking about and if you don’t and you want to know email me and I will send it to you, but I do respect the fact that each one of us has a choice, so I am not here to promote vegetarianism, I am here to provide you and your family only the healthiest of foods that fit your beliefs and lifestyle.
Vegetarian cuisine refers to food that meets vegetarian standards by not including meat and animal tissue products. For lacto-ovo vegetarianism (the most common type of vegetarianism in the Western world), eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese are permitted. The strictest forms of vegetarianism are vegan-ism and fruitarianism, which exclude all animal products, including dairy products as well as honey, and even some refined sugars if filtered and whitened with bone char.
Vegetarian foods can be classified into several different types:
- Traditional foods that have always been vegetarian (cereals/grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.)
- Soy products including tofu and tempeh which are common protein sources
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP), made from defatted soy flour, often included in chili and burger recipes in place of ground meat
- Meat analogues, which mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of meat and are often used in recipes that traditionally contained meat.
- Vegans may also use analogues for eggs and dairy products
Making the switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet can help cut saturated fat from your diet, but it may also reduce your iron intake. Vegetarian sources of iron (called nonheme iron) aren’t as easily absorbed by the body. Whereas omnivorous premenopausal women need 18 mg per day of iron, vegetarians require 33 mg per day. Good vegetarian choices for iron include lentils, beans, oatmeal, spinach, tofu and small amounts of black strap molasses. You can increase the amount of iron that your body uses by including vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, tomatoes, broccoli and strawberries in your meal. Calcium, coffee and tea decrease iron absorption, so save your iron-rich dishes for after your morning brew or calcium supplement.
