Whenever you kick a food out, there’s always the chance of some nutrient deficiency—especially if you don’t pay close attention to getting the right macronutrients.
But if you decide to skip chicken chops and go meat-free days, should you worry about not having enough protein? Lifelong vegan and award-winning nutritionist Anita Bean said, “First, you can’t stop eating meat. If you want to make the switch to a healthy long-term diet, you have to figure out how to get enough in your diet during the transition period. protein.”
If you don’t eat the meat you used to eat at all, you need to replace it with other proteins, otherwise, you will end up lacking nutrients and energy and it will be difficult to exercise energetically. As a vegetarian, you need to make sure you have enough protein at every meal, snack, and after exercise, especially if you’re serious about your physical health and exercise every day.
Is a vegetarian diet suitable for bodybuilders too?
Plant-based protein is an excellent source of hunger-fighting and an excellent fuel for building quads and biceps. Ginger Hultin, a Seattle-based nutritionist, explains, “The protein needs of a vegan diet are actually not that different from a meat-eating athlete. Plants have the same protein content as meat, and they have Additional benefits of multivitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.” These additional nutrients may partly explain why vegans are often thought to live longer and have lower rates of chronic disease.
Four plant-based protein foods that fitness people must eat, including plant-based high-protein powder, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.
Who is not suitable for a vegetarian diet?
“Vegetarianism is a good diet for many people, but in some cases it may not be suitable for someone’s physical health,” says Boston-based nutritionist Kate Scarlata. If you have these 6 symptoms , may need to stop a vegetarian diet:
- You are often bloated
- You have a family history of osteoporosis
- You are often unhappy and weak
- You start to struggle with eating patterns
- You look bleak
- Your weight gain
Hidden Disadvantages of a Vegetarian Diet
- Eating vegetarian food does not necessarily make you lose weight: Many people feel that vegetarian food is healthier and lighter, but they have not lost weight after eating for a long time. Some vegetarians have a higher rate of cardiovascular disease and lower good cholesterol in the body. The reason is the use of oil. Many people think that vegetarianism is already very healthy, so they put a lot of oil when cooking and use it again. If the vegetable oil that is not resistant to high temperature is fried, it is easy to eat the oil with oxidized substances, so the oil will be too much.
- Vegetarian cooking at high temperature is high in calories: Many vegetarians like to eat vegetarian chicken and meat, and high temperature cooking tastes better, such as: fried sweet and not spicy Tempura, fried eggplant, fried mushrooms, etc., so it is easy to oxidize the oil. If you eat too much, the bad cholesterol will be higher than the good cholesterol.
- May be deficient in key nutrients rich in meat and animal products: for example, the main source of vitamin B12 is animal products, such as: fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk, and lack of vitamin B12 can lead to certain types of anemia, eventually Causes damage to the nervous system, with symptoms including fatigue, body tingling, language or memory problems, and difficulty with balance.
- Excessive intake of carbohydrates: This is the most convenient vegetarian diet, containing refined starches, etc., so it is prone to nutritional imbalances.
- High fat content: Cheese and dairy products are often found in large quantities in early vegetarian recipes. Vegetarian soy products also often contain high amounts of oil, such as bean skins.
How much protein should a vegan eat in a day?
The ideal intake for each meal is about 20 grams of protein. As a vegan, that’s a relatively easy number to hit: about 3 eggs, 250 grams of Greek yogurt, or 500 ml of fortified milk.
Vegetarians straddle the gap between veganism and carnivore, as they can consume some raw protein (eg: dairy and eggs), but avoid meat and fish (such complete proteins are the most common forms.) Complete proteins It is a food that contains nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce naturally, so it must be ingested through food. Since most complete proteins are animal by-products, vegans may need to put extra effort into food selection to ensure they hit their target in consuming bioavailable and complete proteins.
Beans are a great source of protein, but if you mix them with some grains—whether it’s quinoa, oats, or whole-wheat rice—the amino acids will complement each other to make a complete protein.
Foods that contain complete protein are: quinoa, soy, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt.
18 Plant-Based Protein Foods for Vegetarians
Vegetarians who want to get all the amino acids (and other nutrients) they need are advised to eat all vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds whenever possible. Just by alternating them frequently, you can be sure to get enough protein.
Because it is not easy to get plant-based protein completely from a vegan diet, with a few exceptions, most plant-based proteins are incomplete proteins, they do not contain all nine essential amino acids that we can get from our diet, so , the “type” of vegetarian protein matters.
18 Plant-Based Protein Food Recommendations:
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Flaxseed
- Quinoa
- Hemp seeds
- Tofu
- Chickpeas
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Green beans
- Nutritional yeast
- Lentils
- Spelt
- Oatmeal
- Edamame
- Tempeh
- Amaranth
- String Beans
How to become a vegetarian 15 tips to make you a vegetarian!
A vegetarian diet can be difficult to start, mainly because you don’t know what to eat or how to eat the right balance of nutrients. Going vegan is like a long marathon, and you don’t have to be too strict with yourself during the transition. 15 tips to make your vegetarian life easier
- Don’t quit meat right away: for example, reduce one or two meats at a time, avoid meat for two days a week, etc.
- Make a vegan shopping list
- Invest in some reliable recipes
- Store online vegan recipes
- Learn to prepare meals
- Find plant-based alternatives you like: e.g. coconut yogurt, vegan cheese, vegan meat
- Search the menu before dining out
- Bring snacks with you: like nuts, plant-based energy bars, popcorn, toasted potato chips, graham crackers, and even peanut butter and graham sandwich bread
- Invest in marinades and seasonings
- Add new ingredients: e.g. nutritional yeast, kelp, various nut butters
- Avoid vegan junk food as much as possible: e.g. French fries, dairy-free baked goods
- Proper Vitamin B12 Supplementation: Found in nutritional yeast, fortified cereals and non-dairy milk
- Don’t dwell on weight gain: It takes time for your body to adjust to a new diet. Eating unprocessed and fresh foods will provide fiber and keep you full for longer
- Try to rely on social networks
- Consult a nutritionist
Before entering a vegetarian diet, evaluate whether you can really adapt to it, and slowly change your eating habits to maintain it for a longer time!
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