Except for some vegetarians for religious reasons, it is not recommended for babies, children and pregnant women to choose vegetarianism for others who choose vegetarianism. Because the baby is in the growth and development period, it needs to supplement enough nutrients to ensure growth and development.
Vegetarians eat food similar to ordinary people except animal food. Therefore, in addition to animal foods, the recommendations of general dietary guidelines are also applicable to vegetarians. For vegetarians, we have some suggestions:
1. Cereals are the main food; A moderate increase in whole grains
Adult vegetarians consume 250-400 grams of grains every day, of which 120-200 grams of whole grains account for more than half; Egg squeezers consume 225-300g of grain every day, including whole grain 100g- 150g. For vegetarians, staple foods such as rice and pasta should be eaten better, and the proportion of whole grains should reach at least half.
2. Increase the intake of soybean and its products by 50-80g every day, and choose fermented bean products.
Because there is no animal food intake, it is very important to make rational use of soybean food. For example, bean products and whole grains can be eaten together to supplement protein and improve the nutritional value of protein. Therefore, it is suggested that adult vegetarians should eat 50-80 grams of soybeans or equivalent soy products every day, including 5- 10 grams of fermented soy products, at least twice a day.
3. Eat nuts, seaweed and mushrooms regularly.
Vegetarians are prone to zinc deficiency, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and so on. At the same time, these fatty acids cannot be synthesized by human body and must be obtained from food. Seaweed is not only rich in minerals, but also rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nuts and mushrooms are foods rich in zinc, which can meet the needs of vegetarians for zinc. Therefore, adult vegetarians are advised to eat 20-30g nuts, 5- 10g algae or mushrooms and 15-25g nuts every day.
Vegetables and fruits should be enough.
The intake of vegetables and fruits is consistent with that of the general population, so it is necessary to ensure adequate intake. It is recommended to eat 300-500g vegetables every day, more than half of which are dark vegetables, and 200-350g fresh fruits every day. At the same time, it should be noted that fruit juice cannot replace fresh fruit.
5. Reasonable selection of edible oil
Vegetarians are easy to lack n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, so it is suggested to choose edible oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as perilla oil, linseed oil, rapeseed oil and soybean oil. Perilla seed oil or linseed oil is generally suitable for cold salad, while vegetable oil or soybean oil can be cooked. Similarly, the recommended amount of edible oil should not exceed 30g.
Although vegetarianism has many benefits, it is not suitable for everyone. The following people should not just be vegetarians:
Menstrual women and anemia patients; Anemia is mostly due to the lack of protein and iron, while meat is richer in protein and iron. Therefore, people with anemia must eat meat, preferably red meat such as pork, beef and mutton. Women should also eat meat during menstruation.
Pregnant and lactating women; They should eat nutrition for themselves and their children and mix meat and vegetables to keep healthy.
Children and adolescents; They are in the stage of growth and development, and the synthesis of protein is greater than decomposition, so we should use enough meat to ensure the supply of protein.
Older people; Old people's muscles begin to relax, and protein can delay the loss of muscles. If you don't like meat, you might as well use eggs or dairy products instead.
What are the advantages of being a vegetarian?
Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
Eating high-quality vegetarian food (such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and bean products) is conducive to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating too much meat will make the pathogenic bacteria in the intestine grow rapidly, while vegetarian diet rich in dietary fiber will increase the beneficial bacteria in the intestine and improve the intestinal flora. Therefore, a proper vegetarian diet is beneficial to general health.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
Vegetarian food is low in cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, total fatty acids and sodium salts, and contains more phytochemicals, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which can inhibit the absorption and synthesis of cholesterol. Therefore, a proper vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Improve intestinal flora
Eating too much meat will lead to the rapid growth of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine. Vegetarian diet rich in dietary fiber will increase intestinal beneficial bacteria, improve intestinal flora and benefit the whole body health. This is because fruits and vegetables are comprehensive antioxidant nutrients that can protect the heart and aorta. In addition, they do not contain saturated fat or cholesterol, which is also good for health.