The Vegetarian Diet AKA Plant Based

Diet - By Ola Adamolekun

I find this one a bit controversial - just my opinion. A lot of people think that a vegetarian diet is the best thing since sliced bread. When studying for my Nutrition and Health Coaching qualification, I looked for people to use as case studies and a young vegetarian was recommended. The reason was that even though she was a vegetarian, she still ate badly. That got me thinking... and I’ll share some of my thoughts in this article. So is a vegetarian diet good for you? I’ll say yes and possibly no. As with any way of eating, there are good and bad points.

What is a vegetarian diet? According to Myprotein, ‘a simple definition of vegetarians is a group of people who eliminate animal products from their diet - typically meats are the primary food excluded. This means the person following a vegetarian diet doesn’t eat beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or venison - they may or may not include fish. This may also exclude dairy products as well’.

beans), lentils and chickpeas.

Seeds and nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds). Green peas.

Tofu - most vegetarians swear by this (my son has dabbled with being a vegetarian so I’ve had to cook with tofu). Mushrooms.

Some grains like quinoa, bulghur wheat.

2. Ensure that you are getting enough healthy fats and micronutrients like zinc, selenium, iron, and vitamin B12. Animal sources (including fish) are a great source of healthy fats especially Omega 3 which a lot of people are lacking. So on a plant-based diet, multivitamins and supplements are an option to quickly bump up your intake of minerals and compensate for potential deficiencies. Algae is also a good source of plant essential fatty acids.

3. Avoid processed foods like the plague. There are a lot of new brands that springing up that contain lots of unnatural ingredients. As I would say to any of my clients, look at the label. If you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t be going into your body.

There are so many advantages of a plant-based diet, like lots of fibre, and less saturated fat which can lead to better heart health and reduced tendency to develop chronic disease. Finally, it helps weight loss and weight maintenance. So, go forth and enjoy those plants!

Now, plant-based foods are amazing and I enjoy them even as a meat eater. However, there is a growing number of plant-based, options that aren’t natural. So, a lot of people that are eating vegetarian or a plant-based diet are eating even more processed foods than people that eat meat! I mean why on earth should you have vegan bacon? On that note, I’d like to share some tips if you are contemplating starting a plant-based diet.

1. Ensure that you are getting enough protein. One of the questions I get asked as a nutritionist is, ‘what is a good source of protein?’. Here are some of my favourite sources: Beans (black beans, haricot beans, edamame beans, kidney