A diet is a way of eating (at least for the purposes of this post). Not a means to lose weight. It’s an important distinction, and one that often gets lost.
PSA: Diets are not religions. A particular diet is not going to save you, nor flip a switch in your body and make you perfectly healthy forever. Nutrition is important, sure, but it’s not a religion.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR A PARTICULAR WAY OF EATING. THIS IS NOT ADVICE. PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS AS A MEANS TO PROVE THAT VEGANISM WILL SAVE US ALL.
This is just some basic information to demystify some popular diets.
First up? Vegetarian Diets
WHAT IT IS: Following a vegetarian diet means that you choose to exclude meat and meat products from your diet.
WHY MIGHT SOMEONE CHOOSE THIS? If a vegetarian diet aligns with your individual ethics or religion, then it might be an appropriate diet for you. It also is probably better for the environment to consume less animal products (though this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go entirely vegetarian).
TYPES OF VEGETARIANS:
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: Foregoes meat, but still eats eggs and dairy products
Lacto: Foregoes meat and eggs, but still eats dairy products0
Ovo: Foregoes meat and dairy, but still eats eggs
Vegan: Eats no animal products, including honey (for some)
RELATED:
Pescetarian: Foregoes meat, but still eats fish, (and for some) eggs and dairy products
Flexitarian: Foregoes meat the majority of the time, but still eats it occasionally
RELIGIONS THAT ARE LINKED WITH VEGETARIANISM:
Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS:
“Plant-Based Diets” are not necessarily vegetarian, and not all vegetarians follow a plant-based diet
Vegetarian/Vegan diets do not alkalize or detox the body
Becoming a vegetarian will not necessarily lead to weight loss, nor is it necessarily healthier
You can get enough protein following a vegetarian diet, though it is inherently more difficult
The purported benefits of vegetarianism are not exclusive to vegetarianism
Now that we have firmly established what a Vegetarian diet is (and is not), let’s talk about some pros and cons:
PROS
A well-planned vegetarian diet can be high in fruits and vegetables – which is definitely a good thing (note that this is not a condition specific to being a vegetarian. We should all be eating vegetables).
A well-planned vegetarian diet can be rich in unprocessed foods, which can result in a caloric deficit without a great deal of hunger, making fat loss less unpleasant to achieve (again, not mutually exclusive to a vegetarian diet, but worth mentioning).
A vegetarian diet can be better for the environment (though, again, eating less meat is also good for the environment, so this is not exclusive to strict vegetarianism).
A vegetarian diet can allow a person to eat more closely to their ethical beliefs.
A vegetarian diet can allow a person to connect more closely with their religious and cultural heritage.
CONS
In a vegetarian diet, it is more difficult to ingest an adequate quantity of protein (though, not impossible). Remember the RDA (.8g/kg bodyweight) is a bare minimum, and most people need .8-1+g/lb bodyweight.
Since vegetarians cut out part, if not the entirety of a food group, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies, specifically protein, calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamin B12, if proper planning is not done.
Ultimately, how you choose to eat comes down to you – your resources, palate, culture/religion, ethics, and what makes you feel the best. It just makes sense, however, that if you are ever interested in making a change, you do so with all the information that is available.
If you are interested in making the transition to a meatless diet, here are some things to consider as you are cooking:
If you are going to cook vegetarian, your food should still taste amazing, and be interesting to eat. This poses some interesting considerations in terms of creating deep flavor in a dish.
First, how do we incorporate umami into a vegetarian dish? Remember umami is the savory, salty-ish taste (directly translated, “pleasant savory taste”) that is in direct proportion to the amount of the amino acid L-glutamine in an ingredient. The biggest source of umami in recipes tends to be meat. So how do we add umami with no meat?
The following vegetarian foods are natural sources of umami:
Fermented foods (kimchi, etc)
Mushrooms
Tomato
Sea vegetables
Nutritional yeast
Green tea
Toasted nuts
Second, how do you build layers of flavor without the convenience and speed of the Maillard reaction? The Maillard reaction happens when the proteins and sugars in meat are exposed to high enough temperatures – we more commonly refer to it as char, sear, or caramelization. This process adds an important dimension of flavor and texture to a dish without needing a long time to happen. It is why, for example, meat on the grill tastes so. Dang. Good.
The best way around this problem is to create a trade-off of sorts – instead of relying on the protein and sugars in a piece of meat to caramelize and create a new depth to the flavors present, vegetarians must rely on time to build strong and interesting flavors.
For example, roasting the vegetables you plan on using in a stock takes ordinary vegetable stock and elevates it to a new level.
Fermenting cabbage with spices over long periods of time takes it from something that has to have big flavors added to it to be delicious and turns it into kimchi, an incredibly flavorful Korean staple.
Adding more time to the preparation of a dish can also mean cooking for longer over a lower heat to allow more time for spices to develop and impart their flavor, marinating your main ingredients to infuse your desired flavors, or even soaking the spices in oil before cooking to bring out their flavors better.
Third, how do you add protein? This has to be the singular most frequently asked question when I hear people talking about vegetarianism.
Non-meat sources of protein can include beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, some grains, meat substitutes, and dairy products – all of which have different levels of protein, and all of which have different (and most often incomplete) amino acid profiles.
The good news? If a diet is sufficiently varied, the lack of complete proteins are not as much of a concern, especially for cooking. It is sound practice, however, to include at least one protein source at each meal.
Hopefully, this is a good starting point for those that are interested in eating less meat, or transitioning to a vegetarian diet. Happy cooking!
