What is the best Balanced Vegetarian Diet and what can and can't Vegetarians eat?

Question

I'm a sophmore (going to be) in high school, I weigh 76.5 pounds and my height is 59 inches. I have limb girdle muscular dystrophy and wanted to know what the best diet is. I just started being a vegetarian for about 10 days and need some help.

Answer 1

http://www.vegsource.com/nutrition/pyram...

Vegetarians avoid the flesh of animals and slaughter by products such as gelatin, animal rennet, fish oil etc.

Answer 2

yay. one more vegetarian.:) well, i'll tell you typically what i eat, although it might be different than most vegetarians since i only consider myself vegetarian, but i'm almost vegan. I don't eat cheese or eggs and I don't drink milk, because milk is disgusting, and they inject cows with testosterone, which makes you grow hair like a mustache....:/ and then i like to eat white rice, oatmeal, lots of fruits and vegetables, and pasta, and salads. certain places will be hard to eat at, because they won't have some vegetarian foods. Some things that typically have gelatin in it are: marshmallows, some puddings, gummies [gummy snacks, gummy bears, worms, etc.] and mini wheats cereal.

I avoid things that have chicken broth in it too, such as cup of noodles or instant ramen. Certain one's don't but for the majority they do.

Eat pasta, but only a little, because most vegetarians make the mistake of eating TOO much grain, and they just get bloated. The whole "i need a ton of vitamins" thing is totally wrong, you really don't, you just need to eat a lot of fruits and veggies, because they have all the vitamins you need.

Don't eat already frozen vegetables, and try not to microwave or cook them at a high heat, because this takes out the nutrients.

hope i could help.:]

Answer 3

A huge body of scientific evidence now shows us that a well-balanced, 100% plant-based (veggie) diet will keep you fighting fit and healthy - and chances are if you stop eating meat, you'll live longer too. You probably think that veggies and vegans have to take mineral and vitamin supplements, but it's not true. As long as you eat a varied diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with grains, beans and nuts, you will obtain all the nutrients that you need for a healthy body.

You will also be healthier just because you think more carefully about what you eat.

Things to avoid are all forms of meat and fish, Gelatine - made from boiled animal bones and hooves

Anchovies - small fish

E120 also known as cochineal - red food colouring made from squashed insects

Suet, dripping and lard - beef fat

Rennet - found in some cheeses, from the stomach of calves

Vegetarian food should have the vege stamp on it.

Answer 4

well come to the world of vegetarain because of you more and more animals will save their lives thanks :)

Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.

Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.

A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.

Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.

Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.

Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.

Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.

Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.

Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.

ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:

More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.

1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.

" Source: Seventh day Adventists study

2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.

3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.

4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.

5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to