For ages, human feed has compromised between animal food and plant-based products, but in the last decade, these carnivores (humans) have restricted themselves to vegetarian food (plant-based) only. Either due to cultural reasons, health benefits, environmental considerations, or ethical considerations, the pendulum has swung another way, or the world has started to change.
It is proven by research conducted in Canada that over 52% of people aged between 18 and 24 are planning to introduce more plant-based products into their lifestyle.
Vegetarian food means acquiring the whole body’s nutrition from plant products such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Unlike a common perspective, Vegan food provides you with the wholesome nutrients for normal growth, like minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, etc.
According to the American Dietetic Association “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases”.
You should follow an adequate diet plan so that your body will not face the consequences due to the lack of essential nourishing compounds in your non-meat diet.
Say no to meat, but not to nutrients.
Types of Vegetarian Diets
Here are some of the different versions of vegan food; let’s find out in which category your vegan friend falls:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: The most common type of vegetarian diet in which a person includes dairy (lacto) products and eggs (ovo) in his plant-based diet. It has no meat, poultry, or seafood items.
Countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico
- Lacto-vegetarian diet: this vegetarian diet includes all vegan foods with dairy products but no eggs. Persons who practice this diet plan cannot eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
Countries: India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
- Ovo-vegetarian diet: They are obliged to eat plant-based food and eggs only. Here, one cannot have dairy products along with meat, poultry, or fish in his daily routine.
Countries: China, Japan, and South Korea
- Vegan: It is a pure plant-origin diet plan. These people eliminate every animal-based food item or anything that originates from animals from their daily meal.
Countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden
- Flexitarian or Semi-vegetarian: These people are also known as occasional non-vegetarians, as they follow a plant-based diet on a daily basis but, on special occasions, curb their meat cravings as well.
- Pescatarian: A plant-based diet in which one can also have fish, eggs, and dairy products in his food items.
Countries: Japan, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Iceland
Why Do People Opt For Vegetarian Diet Plans?
Have you ever asked your vegan friend about the transition from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegan diet?
Well, everyone has their own reasons and preferences; here are some of my justifications for why people are choosing green salads over meat.
- Ethical and Animal Welfare
Veganism follows the principle that every life has importance, whether it is a human life or an animal life. It’s their way to show respect and ensure the well-being of life. By limiting animal food, they are determined to save animals from slaughtering, caging, and exploiting for food items.
- Religious or Cultural Beliefs
In some countries, parents train their children from birth to live on plant food. It is a part of their tradition or culture to strictly follow a non-meat diet at every stage of life. It is an admission by chance, not by choice.
- Health And Nutrition
Some people voluntarily choose vegan food over animal-based products for its potential health benefits. By avoiding animal foods, one can avoid accumulation of bad cholesterol means a life free from chronic illnesses. Researchers show that sticking to plant-derived products saves one from chronic heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer. Indirectly, vegan food accounts for longevity.
According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, plant-based diets could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, and they can also prevent approximately 8.1 million premature deaths each year by 2050.
- Environmental Benefits
It sounds silly, but vegans are contributing more to environmental stability and reducing their ecological footprint as compared to others. Agriculture for animal products leads to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and excessive use of resources. By cutting meat from their diet, vegans embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle.
According to research, a meat eater exhales 2.5 times more greenhouse gases as compared to a vegan eater.
- Personal Choice
Well, some people follow this track as they enjoy plant foods more than meat-based diets. Their mental thoughts urge them to drop their non-vegetarian diet and become part of the vegan community.
- Global Food Security
Vegetarian people claim that their eating plan consumes fewer resources, and thus it has the potential to eradicate food shortages around the world. Plant-based products are easier to cultivate, and every person can easily access them.
- Allergies
Sometimes, fortune plays its card, and despite having cravings for that food, you still cannot have it. Such people opt for vegan food because their bodies demand it.
Conclusion
The world of vegetarianism is huge; once you set foot in it, be ready to be amazed at every point. Every diet plan has its strengths and weaknesses, and in the end, it’s you who will make every diet perfect or a disaster. Keep balance in your daily intake of nutrients so your body does not starve or become too full from these vital food components. Portion matters the most, and despite a plant-based diet, if you do not focus on quality, there are chances of you gaining weight.
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