Vegetarian Food Pyramid - The Building Bricks To A Healthy Vegetarian and Vegan Diet

All food pyramids are not created equal. The beloved "USDA Food Pyramid" that we all grew up with and reminds us every day at school, not only to meet nutritional needs and concerns of vegetarians and vegans. Two reasons why many people fall the "vegetarian wagon" are; people do not "feel full" or not people say they are sick on a vegetarian diet. The main causes of these negative symptoms of vegetarianism are rooted in one issue; lack of food and nutritional supplements to support the body. Often, vegetarians do not know how to eat properly, thus, leading to feel sick or not feeling full and satisfied their food. This leads to vegetarians filled with veggie burgers, pre-packaged foods, pizza, cheese sandwiches and junk food, just to try to satisfy their hunger, while sacrificing their health.

To avoid missing your vegetarian lifestyle and diet; to prevent vegetarians and vegans from eating too much wrong types of foods (ie veggie burgers, meat substitutes, soy and carbohydrates) and to prevent vegetarians from getting sick, here is a vegetarian food pyramid to empower vegetarians and vegans with the foods that you should focus on eating everyday to support their bodies and their appetites.

       Fruits and vegetables - The foundation of your vegetarian diet should be fresh vegetables; hence the word "vegetarian". Vegetarians should eat at least 6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables. This is very important because the plant kingdom provides many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that vegetarians and vegans must provide the body with energy and vitamins to support cell growth and development. Avoid canned fruits and vegetables, as these types of products do not add much value to the organization. Instead, choose to eat fresh or lightly steamed to maximize the health benefits that the plant kingdom has to offer. Vegetables and fruits are also full of fiber and are a great way to cleanse the body naturally. Vegetarians will be surprised how much energy you can feel while eating fresh vegetables and fruits.

 
       Pasta, rice, whole grains, cereals and breads - Keep a few years ago, everyone was "anti-carbohydrates?" Meanwhile, carbohydrates caught a bad reputation. The trick is to eat complex carbohydrates in moderation. As a vegetarian, grains and pastas are a staple of the diet without meat. Vegetarians and vegans should not eliminate this important fuel from their diets. Just be sure to eat at least 4 servings per day to support the functioning of the brain and provide your body amino acids.
       Legumes (beans), nuts seeds - beans and nuts are great sources of healthy fats, fiber and protein for the vegetarian diet. 3 servings is the ideal amount that vegetarians and vegans should consume to balance their diet without meat. Try to avoid canned beans because these beans are loaded with preservatives and salt. To really get the most nutritional value of grains, the slow cooked in a crock pot beans use.

 
       Alternatives Meat - Meat alternatives such as veggie burgers, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tempeh, tofu, seitan and must be limited to about 2 servings per day. It is better to eat tofu, seitan, tempeh, and then you eat processed products of the "fake" meat on the market. The less processed foods, more nutrients vegetarians and vegans will receive from meat alternatives.
       Fats, Oils, Sweets - Incorporate fats, sweets and oils in your vegetarian or vegan diet in moderation. When selecting fats and oils to eat or cook, try to choose healthy fats like avocado and olive oil. You can apply the same principle to candy. Try using agave or applesauce as a sweetener instead of sugar. If sugar is all you have access to, try cooking and baking with raw sugar cane.

If you are a vegetarian who eats dairy products and eggs, or lacto-ovo vegetarian, then you want to make sure that you consume no more than 3 servings per day of dairy products like cheese and milk. If you eat eggs then you should eat eggs sparingly; only 2 to 3 times per week.

As a vegetarian, its main objective is to have a healthy and varied diet that includes a variety of foods without meat. Eat a variety of vegetarian and vegan food pyramid to ensure that a solid foundation in the diet has been created to support the commitment to a lifestyle and commitment to a healthy lifestyle without meat.

No comments:

Post a Comment