Much like every other diet, if you’re thinking of making the switch over to vegetarianism, you need to make sure you’re aware of what nutrients you need to include, ensuring a balanced and healthy diet. Research has shown that vegetarians have a reduced risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease, making it a great option if you’re looking to improve your health and wellbeing. Around five percent of the UK population follows this diet, the majority of this number being teenage girls.
You can be any age when embarking on this diet switch, although children between six months and five years are advised to take vitamin drop for A, C and D so as not to hinder their development. It’s also advised to make the switch gradually so that your body has a chance to get used to the change in diet – however, there’s no harm in doing it overnight if you’d prefer. You may want to include vegetarian food into your diet one day a week to begin with, then up this over the period of a few weeks so that you can adjust to the change.
In terms of the healthy eating guidelines, the vegetarian diet doesn’t differ too drastically to that of a regular diet. It’s important that you maintain a balanced array of nutrients, so try to include plenty of fruit and vegetables, in addition to grains (wholegrain wherever possible), protein, and dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese – as with any other diet, try to limit your intake of sugar and fats. You should aim to get plenty of vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron – you can get this from sunlight and breakfast cereals, soya products and leafy green vegetables respectively. You can always top up your diet with a multivitamin supplement if you feel you’re lacking in something, or speak to your GP for advice on what you should be including in your diet.
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