However, going vegetarian isn’t as easy as scraping the meat off your plate. Before you start, take a look at these common pitfalls—and plan your antidotes:
Junk food free pass “Chips, bread, baked goods, cookies, crackers, and sweets are allowed on vegetarian diets,” says Carol Johnston, PhD, associate director of nutrition at Arizona State University. “Too often, vegetarians overindulge.“Protein skipping “One of the biggest mistakes new vegetarians make is not considering what will replace the meat on the plate,” says Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, coauthor on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position paper on vegetarian and vegan diets. “You’ll need grains, beans, nuts, and soy, although not necessarily at every meal. If you eat some grains as well as a variety of protein sources in the same day, you’re likely to get the essential amino acids you need.“Vitamin B12 deficiency A 2003 German study found B12 levels low enough to cause attention, mood, and thinking problems in a whopping 68% of people practicing vegetarian diets, and low enough to raise blood homocysteine—a risk factor for heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s—in 38%. Remedy: a daily multivitamin with 100% of the daily value for B12 (6 micrograms). For the full scoop on supplements, check out the 100 best supplements for women.Unavailable iron “Only 2-10% of the iron in plants is absorbed in your digestive tract,” explains Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, researcher at Louisiana State University. “A simple solution is to drink a glass of high-vitamin C juice—citrus or tomato—at the same meal as high-iron foods such as beans, since vitamin C can unlock iron from plants.” [pagebreak]
It’s easy to start out cooking nightly quinoa and veggie stirs or deliciously light pastas (we’ve got a few to get you started). But sooner or later life kicks in, and the easy grab-and-gos you were used to are no longer an option if you’re going vegetarian. Here are five fast vegetarian-friendly staples from our Cleanest Packaged Food Awards: Nature’s Path Qi’a Superfood: chia, buckwheat, and hemp cereal: Sprinkle just a couple of tablespoons of this seedy trio into your yogurt, milk, oatmeal for a healthy dose of of omega-3s, protein, and fiber. Morningstar Farms breakfast patties made with organic soy: These breakfast patties contain non-GMO soy and are the perfect start to any Meatless Monday. Wholly Guacamole organic guacamole: A vegetarian snack that will keep you fuller, longer and is chock full of good-for-you fats. Organic Valley pasture butter: Organic dairy is higher in omega 3s, and this butter strikes the perfect omega 3-to-6 balance, making it a healthier (and lower-sodium) butter option. Amy’s Organic Light-In-Sodium spicy chili: This vegan canned chili is high in all-important iron, and doesn’t contain any sketchy MSG or extra sodium.
