Vegetarian diet

There is no specific vegetarian diet plan; those who follow vegetarian menu, their diet is called vegetarian diet.  Vegetarian diet is also termed as vegan diet. Vegan or vegetarian diet includes foods from plant like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes, which are peas and dried beans.

Vegan or vegetable diet is divided into two categories like lactovegetarian diet, and ovo-lactovegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarian diet includes cheese and other dairy products in its food range, whereas in ovo-lactovegetarian diet includes egg with all foods of lactovegetarian diet range. There is convention for semi-vegetarian diet also; the followers of this diet type consume egg, chicken, fish, and dairy foods etc.

If a vegan diet can be formed maintaining all the essential requirements body in its food chart, it is no way an inferior diet than non-vegetarian diet rather vegetarian diet has some extra advantages over non-vegetarian diet plans.

Extensive research and study has shown the factor that vegetarian diet followers are at lesser risk of obesity, coronary heart problem, hypertension, diabetes, and certain other carcinogenic diseases.

Whereas vegetarian diet can be nutritious and healthful in effect, diet chart made of high calorie foods, saturated fats, and inadequate nutrients are considered as faulty vegan diet and faulty vegan diet may cause harm for the health system of the followers.

In order to form a balanced and health friendly vegetarian diet, it is important to include certain nutrients in it like protein, legumes, iron, vitamin, essential mineral, calcium and zinc etc.

Zinc from foods is available from legumes, nuts, and grains. Zinc supports growth and development with us but intake of zinc should be restricted because excess zinc may induce adverse effect in body.

It is needless to narrate the importance of calcium in body; green vegetables, broccoli, soybean products are reliable sources of calcium from plants.

Those who follow vegetarian diet, if are deprived from sunlight should take a supplement of vitamin D in regular diet. Equally vitamin B-12 is important for different functional physical activities.

There is great risk of iron deficiency in vegan diet because non-vegetarian foods are mostly considered as good source of iron. However, dried beans, brewer’s yeast, dried fruits, dried beans, and spinach are good source of plant-iron.

Inclusion of soy based foods, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and vegetables are reliable plant source of protein.  A vegetarian diet plan should include all these protein sources alternatively to get over all nutrition from diet.