World Vegetarian Day: Five foods that pack a nutritional punch
SUNDAY, Oct 1 marks World Vegetarian Day, encouraging people around the world to go veggie for the day, or possibly for life.
With the health benefits of a plant-based diet becoming more apparent, many of us are already reducing our meat consumption in favour of vegetarian alternatives. Here we round up some of the most nutrient-dense options to include in a healthy vegetarian diet.
Soy-based products such as tofu and tempeh not only provide the protein that can be lacking in a vegetarian diet, with around 8g of protein per 100g of tofu and around 19g in tempeh, but with their firmer texture and a variety of cooking methods they are an easy way to substitute meat in meal.
Eat plenty of .... vegetables. It may sound obvious, but being vegetarian doesn’t mean you automatically eat enough veggies. Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet for everyone, and with dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts containing a large amount of vitamins and minerals that vegetarians can lack, they are a particularly important part of a meat-free diet.
Including chickpeas, kidney and fava beans, lentils, and dried, split or black eyed-peas, there are a variety of pulses to enjoy and all with multiple health benefits.
Made up of about 2025 per cent of protein by weight, pulses are an excellent source of plantbased protein to satisfy your meat-free needs. They are also great sources of fibre and high in amino acids and important minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and essential B-vitamins including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and folate, often gained from meat.
Seeds are also a great source of protein, as well as many other vitamin, minerals and nutrients, and are so easy to incorporate into your everyday veggie diet. Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, hemp and flax all can easily be added to smoothies, soups and salads to help you meet your protein needs and add a boost of vitamins. — Relaxnews