Health and Wellness

By Jignya Sheth

How to Spice up a Vegetarian Diet

Everyone knows the health benefits of vegetarianism, which include lower cholesterol, a lower risk of prostate, breast, or colon cancer, more fiber in your diet, etc. Then, there are the social reasons for this dietary choice, such as saving money, preventing animal cruelty, and following religious tenets. But, this article is not really about whether a carnivorous or herbivorous dietary lifestyle is better, but about how a vegetarian diet can be a fulfilling choice without being an unending parade of bean burritos and Caesar salads.

To the myriad of young people who have moved away from home and Mom’s cooking, making meals are usually a low priority on the daily to do list. It may seem easier to grab a sandwich to go or satiate a rumbling stomach with a couple of bowls of cereal. To make dinnertime more fun and less of a chore, there are many ways to spice up your meals, even as a vegetarian. All it takes is a little creativity. You can start with the veggies in the produce aisle at the grocery store, but what do you do when you start repeating your menu and eating becomes a bore? Try tofu, tempeh, pasta, stir-fry, tex-mex, and even faux meat like veggie burgers.

And now stores like Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats and Whole Foods provide the common man with access to a plethora of healthy organic and international foods. Even with health conscious fast food like Subway sandwiches and Wendy’s salads, the U.S. government’s five-a-day fruit-and-veggie recommendation is not too hard to swing. And the benefits are amazing as fruits and veggies have high water content so they serve in hydrating as well as nourishing the body with complex carbohydrates, phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Also, this water weight fills us up faster, without losing out on taste. Come on, who doesn’t love a good slice of mango as a mid-afternoon snack? That’s what I thought.

Although the American meal is based around the traditional meat and two vegetable sides, there are other choices. Almost everything has a meat substitute nowadays and ethnic cuisines like Korean food (kimchee: spicy, pickled cabbage, pachanga: vegetable pancakes), African food (couscous: pasta made with cracked durum wheat), Middle Eastern fare (falafels: fried lentil cakes stuffed into pita bread sandwiches; tabbouleh: parsley salad), and Italian food (risotto: sautéed rice, gnocchi; potato dumplings) are chock full of numerous mouth watering and meat free recipes. Oh, and of course, how about delicious Desi dishes including palaak paneer (spinach and ricotta), aloo matar (potatoes and peas), stuffed parathas (a type of Indian bread), dosa (Indian stuffed crepes), and idli sambar (rice dumplings in lentil soup)? And yes, while these meals may take some time to prepare, a lot of them come ready made, with easy directions to boot, thanks to the local Indian store.

Some people may fear that switching from a meat-centered diet to a veggie-based diet may mean losing out on more than taste. “Not so,” says registered dietician Natalie Webb. She goes on to state, “planning a healthy vegetarian diet doesn’t need to be complicated, but steps should be taken to ensure the diet is nutrient-dense. Just as with a meat-based diet, the key to ensuring the body meets all its nutritional needs is to choose a wide variety of foods.” She also goes on to explain that there is no right diet as long as moderation and healthful eating are practiced.

Regardless of dietary choices, people should make the effort to make sure they get enough vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc. If you’re thinking about trying to go vegetarian or you already are, rejoice because good food is good food no matter whether you are a vegetarian or not. So be adventurous and try something new like quinoa (new type of grain, bet you never heard of that one before) and vegetarian sushi. Yeah, vegetarian sushi, you read that right. Who knows, you might surprise yourself -- and your taste buds!