I decided to become a vegetarian in March, because of all the health benefits I had heard/read about, but because I didn't fully research vegetarianism I did sometimes eat meat unintentionally (& because of lack of willpower, intentionally). So I decided to restart my attempt at being a vegetarian. Officially I've been a vegetarian since May. Believe me when I say that it can be a struggle at first. My whole family love meat, which meant nearly every night the smell was in the room. But I've stayed strong. So here is the basics on vegetarianism. :)
The 3 types of vegetarian
1) Vegetarian - does not eat meat, fish, eggs & dairy
2) Lacto Vegetarian - does not eat meat, fish & eggs, but does eat dairy
3) Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian - does not eat meat & fish, but does eat dairy & eggs
I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian because it was the easiest option for me personally.
Why become a vegetarian
The reasons people become vegetarian are health, ecological, religion, dislike of meat, compassion for animals, belief in non-violence and economics
Vegetarian nutrition
Sources of protein - beans, lentils, tofu, seeds, tempeh, chickpeas, peas, Quorn, wholegrain bread, greens, potatoes & corn (+ eggs if you are ovo/lacto-ovo vegetarian)
Sources of iron - dried fruits, baked potatoes, mushrooms, cashews, dried beans, spinach, tofu, iron-fortified foods (cereals, instant oatmeal, Quorn)
To increase the amount of iron absorbed, eat a food containing vit. C (citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli)
Sources of calcium - broccoli, kale, tofu prepared with calcium, fortified orange juice, fortified soymilk, (+ low-fat dairy products for lacto-ovo vegetarians)
Sources of omega 3 - flaxseed, flaxseed oil, soybeans, walnuts, tofu & canola oil
Check out http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/nutshell.htm#what & http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vegetariandiet.html for more information
Also, if you have any questions leave a comment below :)
Melissa x
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