Vegetarian diets mainly consist of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and they will do anything to keep a cooked animal off the menu. These veggie lovers are out on the quest of maintaining a lean diet that ensures animal, environmental and personal welfare. Scores of individuals are walking the tracks of the herbivores, even the celebrities have joined in on this lean, green and peace loving lifestyle.
Among the long list of 500 celebrities a few mentionable are Brad Pitt, Andre 300, Alicia Silverstone and of course Gandhi, India’s fearless leader. The question at hand is that while it’s good to have a vegetarian diet, a balance of protein is important for a healthy body.
Protein is an essential nitrogenous component of all organic bodies, helps in regulating fluid and electrolyte balance, maintaining proper blood volume within the body. Protein plays an important role in the growth and repair of the skin, bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, hair, eyes and other tissues. Protein deficiencies can have harmful affects on health, which might lead to weight loss, decrease in subcutaneous fat, weakness, muscle wasting, edema and accumulation of fluid in serous cavities.
Although the intake of protein is the concern of every individual, the fact of the matter is that the requirement of protein on a given day is rather small and there is no conceivable problem in obtaining enough with a vegan diet. It is essential for the vegetarian to follow a varied diet which will ensure that plants that lack adequate levels of protein will be compensated by other sources in the diet.
To increase the intake of protein in their diet, vegetarians might follow a balanced diet consisting of tempeh, seitan, cooked soybeans, black beans, rice, oatmeal, kidney beans and pastas. These foods contain high levels of protein and tempeh and seitan are a good substitute for meat while cooking burgers or tacos.
These products may be consumed in the form of whole wheat toasts for breakfast with a glass of soy milk. Lunch may comprise of soy yogurt, baked potatoes or baked beans. The dinner menu of the vegetarian may comprise of cooked brown rice, broccoli and a few almonds.
There are several substitutes of meat available for the vegan diet follower, the very first being the textured vegetable protein, which is simply defatted soy flour and has a sponge like texture which is perfect for absorbing flavors. The textured vegetable protein comes in dried chunks which need to be dehydrated with water and is great alternative to ground beef in recipes of tacos and burgers.
Tempeh is a cultured soybean cake which has its origins rooted in Indonesia. It is a fiber rich food which provides a rich source of protein and iron and at the same time can help in adding a chewy texture and a complex nutty and meaty flavor to the menu. This meat substitute can be grilled, deep-fried, sautéed, steamed, baked, grated, or dry cooked in a microwave oven.
Seitan also known as ‘wheat gluten’ is a rich source of protein for the vegetarian and also a perfect substitute for a beef steak. It was used a staple in the diet of vegetarian Buddhists monks. Seitan contains the same amount of protein found in beef with one third the calories.
Ancient China also presents us Tofu, the key to having a protein and iron rich diet with low calories. Tofu is the essence of soy milk. This delicate and versatile content of the vegetarian diet can be used in making salad dressing, dips and patties, pie fillings and smoothies. Crumbled and fried with herbs and vegetables, soft tofu makes a good vegetarian stand-in for scrambled eggs. Firm cubes of tofu, sautéed, can be a great addition to a stir-fry.
As all vegetarian foods contain certain levels of protein, it is safe to say that a vegan diet can easily fulfill the daily protein requirements for an individual and that there is always a hope without the consumption of red meat. So fret not all you Brad Pitt fans, he’s as healthy being a vegan as any of his meat eater co-stars.
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