You are only limited by your imagination when planning ahealthy vegetarian diet. Variety is the spice of life. It'simportant to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains,legumes, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts in differentmeals. Your vegetarian diet needs to be nutrient-dense,interesting, and fun! When you serve your favorite entrees,aim for variety by serving different side dishes, snacks anddesserts.
Try new foods often. Experiment with a variety of grainssuch as quinoa, couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries.Try fruits and vegetables that are popular in differentinternational cuisines, such as bok choy.
If you're unsure how to include a new food into yourvegetarian diet, ask the produce manager at your localgrocer or health food store for ideas on how to prepare it.The internet can be a great resource for new recipe andpreparation ideas. Be creative in planning meals.
Plan a meal around a vegetable. A baked potato can be ahearty entree; serve it with baked beans, a sauce of stewedtomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or make a simplemeal of sautéed vegetables and pasta.
Don't stress about getting enough protein. As long ascalories are sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarianseasily meet protein needs. Grains, beans, vegetables, andnuts all provide protein. Vegetarians do not need to eatspecial combinations of foods to meet protein needs.However, it is important to be aware of fat. Evenvegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains largeamounts of nuts, oils, processed foods, or sweets.
There are many mouth watering, delicious meals that make thetransition to a heart healthy lifestyle really easy. Byadding variety to your vegetarian lifestyle you'll find itmuch easier and enjoyable to stick with it. So try somethingnew today. See you in the produce section.
Author Bio:
Len Richardson has years of experience in diet, nutritionand food preparation. Get more valuable information on thevegetarian lifestyle including a free monthly newsletter andmuch more by going to www.askfirstmarketing.com/ea/veg.html
Source: www.articlesbase.com
