According to the American Dietetic Association, most people throughout history have eaten primarily plant-based diets.
Because vegetarians consume little if any food derived from animals, they consume less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than non-vegetarians. This eating pattern reduces their risk for heart disease and heart attacks.
Numerous studies such as those done at Loma Health have found that vegetarians have a lower risk for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. However, vegetarian diets that are too high in calories and saturated fat are unhealthy.
Here are several tips to plan healthy vegetarian meals.
- Plan to build meals around low-fat protein sources, such as beans, lentils and brown rice.
- Use vegetables to replace meat and poultry in recipes.
- Search the Living Whole Wellness Program’s “Recipe for Success” archive for vegetarian recipes at http://bit.ly/1jkX8bY.
“Recipe for Success” lists recipes in categories including entrees, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps, and soups and salads.
Have fun exploring the site and finding new tasty vegetarian recipes, including brown rice stuffed portabellos (vegan, gluten and soy-free) at http://bit.ly/1unrMVs, and vegetarian pad thai at http://bit.ly/1i6KPfl.
Source: LLUH 2014 health & wellness calendar