September 30, 1847 in Britain was founded Vegetarian Society, which was its task "to support, represent and increase the number of vegetarians in the United Kingdom."
Since then, there are four main directions in vegetarianism. We list them:
- lacto-ovo-vegetarianism (milk, eggs and honey are allowed);
- lacto-vegetarianism (milk and honey allowed);
- ovarian vegetarianism (eggs and honey allowed);
- strict veganism, or veganism (sometimes honey and bee products are allowed).
Vegetarian food completely excludes meat and fish (as well as all seafood). True, there are subspecies of vegetarianism:
- Pesketarianism allows dairy products, eggs, beekeeping products, as well as fish and all seafood.
- Pollotarianism allows you to eat meat of birds (but not fish and seafood), and, again, eggs, milk and honey.
Pescetarianship and Pollotarianism, strictly speaking, do not fall under the definition of vegetarianism. Nevertheless, from all of the above, we can see that the list of products of vegetarians in all cases does not contain red meat - that is, meat of mammals.
Products for Vegetarians
Among the vegetarian products there are no bad and good, because the basis of vegetarian food is plant food. However, the nutritional value of various vegetables and fruits (as well as dishes from them) is not the same, because each contains a different amount of amino acids and starch. Here is a small example of the starch content in foods for vegetarians:
- high starch content: flour products, cereals, whole grains, all corn beans (soy, beans, peas), potatoes, artichokes, nuts;
- low content of starch: avocado, cauliflower, carrots, beets, turnips, dates, figs;
- do not contain starch: broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, salad chicory, spinach, celery, sorrel, zucchini, asparagus, radish, green onions, parsley, green beans, garlic, sweet pepper, cucumbers, onions, green peas , tomatoes, pumpkin, leeks;
- also do not contain starch such fruits as: peaches, pears, oranges, apricots, mangoes, cherries, strawberries, watermelons, lemons, red currants, sweet cherries, melons, gooseberries, plums, mangoes, grapefruits, blackberries, raspberries, pineapples, grapes.
Adherents of vegetarianism daily use the following products:
- Vegetables (fruits, root vegetables, leaves).
- Fruits (half an hour before meals - no later!).
- Grains of cereals.
- Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) and seeds of oil plants.
What are the main vegetarian foods?
In food for vegetarians, the main place is given to vegetables - of which 3/5 of the daily ration consists. Vegetables fit the human body best, as they contain all the substances necessary to it: fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, trace elements, vitamins, enzymes. But since the nutritional value of vegetables is not the same, it is necessary to use different combinations of these in your menu.
What makes vegetables so irreplaceable in a vegetarian - and not only! - Food? Containing free organic acids in them. These acids, together with pectic substances, protect the intestines from fermenting and putrefactive processes, and fiber - also contained in vegetables - helps to empty the intestines. Free organic acids, thus, allow vegetables to keep the intestine clean and healthy - by participating in the process of its sanitation. For this reason, vegetable dishes can not be attributed to food, which is suitable only for vegetarians - they should be in the diet of every person who is attentive to one's health.
Can a person eat only vegetarian food?
The human body needs 20 amino acids for protein synthesis, of which only 12 are capable of synthesizing independently. The rest 8 amino acids can be obtained by our organism only in ready-made form - from those products that
Can I gain weight from a vegetarian meal?
Yes, it is quite. The fact is that there are many recipes in vegetarian food, in which products containing a high percentage of carbohydrates are used. Do not get carried away with pasta and flour products, fried potatoes, sweets - if you are worried about the state of your weight.
Is everyone a vegetarian food?
The children's body, for a balanced and healthy development, needs those nutrients that are contained only in animal food. Therefore, before 19 years of age to have only vegetarian products in their diet is undesirable.