Regardless of which group of vegetarians you fall into, make sure your diet meets required nutritional needs each day. You can do this by choosing a variety of food products such as fruits, legumes, roots, seeds to whole grain among others. Basically, your diet should include enough proteins and minerals to make help you feel full, help in cell repair and growth of muscles and worn out tissues. If you are following a veggie diet strictly, then this post is for you to find which plants include best nutrition sources for you as a vegetarian.
Sources of Minerals
Dairy farm products are a great source of calcium. If your diet, however, does not entail these products, you can get calcium from plant-based foods. The amount of calcium your body can get from these plants greatly vary. Below is a list of plants which are rich in calcium and other minerals.
Unrefined cereals
They are great sources of vitamin A and mineral salts. Note, that unprocessed cereals are much richer in natural nutrients than the processed ones. Their low content of fats and sugar make them suit people even on dietary measures.
Eating cereals will help you feel full quickly. They have the tendency of reducing obesity while help in creating strong bones. This food is a must have not only to vegetarians but also for people who eat mixed up meals. The healthiest of cereals may be named oatmeals, muesli (with no added sugar), shredded whole wheat cereal, granola.
Leafy-greens
Dark green vegetables such as spinach, turnip, broccoli, collard and Swiss chard come to be great nutrition sources for vegetarians. In addition, they have cancer-fighting antioxidants and are rich in iron. To get the most of these vegetables, sprinkle little lemon on them during cooking. Note that cooking the greens for long can destroy their nutrition value, so it’s better to add them later to your meal.
Sea-weeds
They are terrific nutrition sources of iron. Added to that, sea-weeds are rich in a variety of minerals such as iodine, calcium and chromium. Good examples to choose from include Spirulina, dulse, kelp, nori and agar. If you are short of vitamins A, B, C and D, include these super-foods in your recipe.
Sources of Proteins
There are few plant-based sources full of proteins that the body can benefit from. When you want to prepare a meal with a tangible amount of proteins, let one or two of the following be part of the ingredients.
Tofu
Tofu is primarily made from soybean curd and it is prepared more or less the same way as cheese. It is available in different varieties such as soft, medium and extra firm. Tofu rhymes perfectly with most dishes: it does not have its own taste but rather absorbs the taste and flavour of the foods cooked with it.
Although proteins can be found almost in all foods, tofu is the richest nutrition source of proteins for vegetarians. Here are a few receipts we found good for you if you may consider cooking tofu dishes.
Tempe
Unlike tofu, Tempe is prepared using fermented soybeans. Its taste is a bit sweet. You may find it a great add-on for a pasta sauce or salad.
Lentils
Though they are often overlooked, lentils rhyme well with most dishes and are good nutrition sources. A cup of lentil soup, for example, will make you feel full since lentils are rich in protein and fibre.
Chickpeas
This legume is a great source of calcium, potassium, protein, fats, fibre and iron. They are a perfect substitute for meat. You can soften and use them with salad or make hummus out of them.
Nuts
They are rich sources of palatable fats and protein. All types of nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts and macadamia are rich in vitamins E and D, calcium, zinc, and fatty acids (omega 3).
Despite their high-calorie content, a recent survey proved eating nuts doesn’t lead to weight gain. Nuts actually help you lose weight as the extra energy used to digest them burn a lot of calories. Additionally, they make you feel full and help you avoid overeating.
Beans
One cup of Soybeans, black beans or chickpeas gives you a third of total protein and iron required by your body each day. The soluble fibre helps lower cholesterol and prevent constipation. They are terrific nutrition sources given how cheap they are at the market.
BOTTOM LINE
There is a plethora of reasons to go without meat starting from health issues, culture to animal-based welfare. Omitting certain foods has its advantages but you may end up depleting the supply of vital nutrients and minerals to your body. These components are tough to harness from plants unless you know exactly what you are looking for. And once you discover it, plants will turn out to be rich in nutrition sources. Check on good updates and trends which will definitely benefit you as a vegetarian.
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