Plants for vegetarians

Introduction

A vegetarian diet is a fairly general concept because there are several varieties of it. The most popular is the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, which requires the elimination of meat and fish, but allows the consumption of eggs, milk, and dairy products. Recently, the vegan diet, which does not contain any animal products, is also becoming more and more popular. Other varieties of a vegetarian diet include, among others lacto-vegetarianism (milk and dairy products are the only allowed animal products) and ovo-vegetarianism (excludes meat, fish, milk, and dairy products, but permits consumption of eggs). One of the newer varieties of the vegetarian diet is semi-vegetarianism, which is divided into pesco-vegetarianism (eggs, dairy products, and fish are allowed) and polo-vegetarianism (it allows the consumption of both eggs and dairy products, as well as poultry). However, semi-vegetarianism raises a lot of controversies. A variation of the vegetarian diet that is gaining popularity, but requires a lot of attention when it comes to providing all the necessary ingredients, is the vegan diet. This type of nutrition model is based solely on plant products.

Healing properties

A properly balanced vegetarian diet can contribute to good health. It helps to control body weight, maintain normal blood cholesterol levels, and may also reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, some ingredients require special attention when balancing this type of diet. These include protein and iron. Below are selected plants that are worth including in a vegetarian diet.

Legumes

Rośliny strączkowe są bogatym źródłem wielu cennych składników, m.in. białka, błonnika pokarmowego, nienasyconych kwasów tłuszczowych, witamin z grupy B, cynku, żelaza, magnezu i polifenoli. Strączki są jednym z najlepszych źródeł białka wśród wszystkich roślin uprawnych. Zawartość tego ważnego składnika kształtuje się na poziomie 17-40% suchej masy. Najwięcej białka zawiera soczewica i soja, a następnie fasola i groch.

Legumes are a rich source of many valuable ingredients, such as protein, dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, B vitamins, zinc, iron, magnesium, and polyphenols. Pods are one of the best sources of protein among all crops as their content is at the level of 17-40% of dry weight. Lentils and soy contain the most protein, beans, and peas only a little less.

Pips and seeds

Pips and seeds are a valuable supplement to a vegetarian diet. We should have no problems including them in the menu. You can add them to cocktails, porridge, salads, homemade bread.

• Chia seeds – are a rich source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on memory and concentration. They also show strong anti-inflammatory properties. Chia seeds enrich the menu with vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
• Pumpkin seeds – provide zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and are also a source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
• Sesame seeds – the protein found in sesame is high in tryptophan, an amino acid essential for the synthesis of melatonin (the “sleep hormone”) and serotonin (the “happiness hormone”). Sesame seeds also provide a good amount of calcium. Therefore, it is worth including them in a vegan diet, which involves the elimination of milk and its products. Remember, however, that sesame seeds are quite high in calories – a tablespoon is about 70 kcal.

Parsley

Parsley contains both a large amount of iron and vitamin C. This is especially important as there is no meat in a vegetarian diet, which is a source of more digestible heme iron. Plants contain only non-heme iron, which is less digestible. However, it can be increased by combining foods rich in iron with those that are a good source of vitamin C. The combination of these two ingredients can be found in parsley. That is why it is worth adding to soups, salads, and home vegetable spreads. Parsley can also be added to smoothies (e.g. with banana).

Summary

Plants that are worth including in a vegetarian diet are legumes, pips, and seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds), parsley. When balancing a vegetarian diet, one needs to focus on protein and iron. Their deficiency can lead to worse regeneration of the body, a decrease in immunity, and also iron deficiency anemia.