
Cooking Tips For Vegetarian Meals
It seems that recently more and more people are switching to a meatless diet. Becoming a vegetarian can have several benefits, ranging from weight loss to disease prevention. However, switching to a vegetarian lifestyle can be a difficult adjustment at first. A few cooking tips for vegetarians can help any vegan newcomer get started on the right foot.
Most important to a vegan diet is making sure that your body receives proper nourishment. Cutting meat out of a diet can lead to deficiencies in B12, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, vitamin D and calcium. It was once believed impossible to get the proper nutrients on a vegan diet, but with the help of a nutritionist and some proper planning, adding the lacking nutrient to a vegan diet is fairly simple.
The best thing for proper nutrition when using a vegan cooking style is variety. This will help give the body a full range of nutrients. Purchase foods fortified with extra nutrients to make up where the vegan diet lacks. Salads can be very helpful to a vegan diet as dark leafy greens are rich in iron and calcium and can be topped with beans, nuts and seeds to add protein. For extra omega-3 fatty acids fatty fish, enriched eggs, walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil should be used frequently
For help with the transition from meaty to meatless in a diet there are a few tricks to make it easier. Start by using regular non-vegan recipes and substituting the meat for beans. This is easier when used on dishes with a strong flavor, such as sweet and sour sauce. After using a bean substitute, try switching over to meat substitutes. And don’t underestimate tofu. It is rather tasteless but absorbs flavors well.
Though it may seem a chore to switch cooking habits from meat friendly to vegan, it is much simpler than expected. In addition to all the potential health benefits, vegan cooking can be just as fun as any other type of cooking. Following these few cooking tips for vegetarian meals can lead to a happy and healthy vegetarian lifestyle.