Vegetarian Nutrition:
Vegetarian food is extremely healthy, and provides all the important vitamins, minerals proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that make up a nutritious, well- balanced diet. And because you tend to eat more fruit, vegetables, grains, and legumes, the diet is rich in complex carbohydrates, your primery source of energy and fiber, wich help to keep your body vibrant and healthy.
Protein:
Obtain sufficient protein is not a problem in a vegetarian diet, there are plenty of foods from wich to choose. Eggs, cheese, milk, nuts, beans, soy products are exelent sources. "Make sure that you eat a wide variety of this foods to get the full range of protein that your body needs.
Fat:
One additional benefit often over-looked of following a vegetarian diet that is quite low in fat. The main sourses of fat in your diet will be from vegetable, nuts,olive oil, dairy foods and any products containing this ingredients.
Carbohydrates:
A vegetarian diet is rich in complex carbohydrates, found in starchy foods, such as brown rice, oats, whole wheat, pasta, bread. These are particularly useful to dieters, as they ensure a steady release of energy and stable blood sugar level.
Vitamins:
Fruit and vegetables are packed with important vitamins. Essential for our general well-being and the healthy funtioning of our bodies. If you follow a vegetarian diet, you can't go far wrong.
The best sources of vitamin A are yellow fruits and vegetables ( Apricots, peaches, carrots, spinach for example ). It is also present in butter and added to margarines.
Vitamin A helps us to resist infections and keeps the skin, hair, eyes, and body tissues healthy. The B group vitamins act as a catalist in the realising of energy from food. They are also vital for the maintenance of a healthy nervous system and red blood cells. Appart from vitamin B12, all vitamin B can be found in yest and wholegrain cereals, especially wheat flour and whetgerm.
Vitamin C is well know for helping to prevent infections and is firmlybelieved by many to assist cure winter cold and flu. Eat food rich in vitamin C with iron as it help to increase the uptake of iron. Fresh fruit, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes are a good source. Avoid drinking tea, coffee and certain soft drinks with that contain vitamin C, as the caffeine can decrese the amount of vitamine C your body subsequently absorbs.
Vitamin D, enables the body to absorb calcium providing strong bones and teeth.
Minerals:
Minerals are another group of vital nutrients required by the body. althogh only very minute amounts are actually needed, minerals need to be supplied on regular basis. It makes sence to get to know wich foods contain them, and make sure you get plenty of these in your diet.
Calcium is found in milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products, leafy vegetables, bread, nuts, seeds, cocoa, and chocolate, wholw wheat bread, dried fruits (specially appricots and figs). Other important minerals include magnesium, phosforus, potassium and zinc.