Nutrition

FAQs: Raising Vegetarian Teens

The teenage years can be difficult times for vegetarians or aspiring vegetarians. Peers, teachers and parents who are unknowledgeable about vegetarianism may question the teens’ dietary choices.

Simple, Tasty & Nutritious

Most people would love to have the time to indulge in nutritious culinary fantasies, making delicious meals everyday for themselves or their families. Unfortunately, most would agree that labor-intensive meals are not practical for their hectic lives. But with quick and easy healthy meal solutions, there is no reason why a person can not have their veggies and eat them too. Below are some suggestions for simple and nutritious snacks and meals that will please the whole family.

Maintaining Your Ideal Weight with a Vegetarian Diet

A low-fat, vegetarian diet is a great step toward arriving at and maintaining a healthy weight. If your meals are always abundant in fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains, it is easy to avoid excess fat.

Keeping Your Heart Healthy

A healthy diet is the best defense against high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess body weight; the three main factors contributing to heart disease. In honor of February as Heart-Healthy month, Down To Earth brings you some tips to maintain your heart plus a few recipe ideas.

The following is based on the American Heart Association guide for healthy American Adults:

• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Choose 5 or more servings per day.

Fruits Not Fries

There is little shock in the fact that America has become a “fast food culture.” The abundance of fast food restaurants across the nation is leading many people to clogged arteries and added pounds. So, while fast food restaurants can not be blamed for the whole obese epidemic in the United States today, they certainly can take responsibility for being a big part of the problem.

Fats, Carbs, and Protein: The Balancing Act

“So you’re a vegetarian? How will you get proper nutrition?” Vegetarians, novice and veteran, often encounter this question. Fortunately, the answer is simpler than many of our non-vegetarian friends or family think. As the meat-eater’s diet is made up of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, similarly, the nuts and bolts of a balanced vegetarian diet will follow a similar structure. The difference is that the vegetarians get their nutrients from plant-based foods.

The Fabulous Flax Seed

As nutritional awareness and health maintenance become increasingly popular, foods that were once staples of the human diet are being “rediscovered” for their incredible health benefits. One of these incredible foods is the flax seed.

Essential Fatty Acids from Plant Foods

Contrary to popular belief, eating fish is not the best way to get your essential fats. Most fats can be synthesized by our own bodies and are not necessary to have in our diet. However, there are a few unsaturated fats that we cannot make which we have to get from food called “essential” fats.

Eating Fats, Eating Healthy

There are many diets on the market that turn people away from all fats because they are considered bad. But good fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Your body needs fat to maintain its vibrancy. Fat protects your body, keeps your cells properly functioning, and is critical for the absorption of many essential vitamins and minerals. The goal is to incorporate beneficial fats into your diet and eliminate the harmful fats. A low-fat vegetarian diet, rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, is the perfect option for health and wellness.

The Skinny on Healthy Fats

Many people are concerned about their intake of saturated fats from vegetarian foods such as nuts and seeds, coconuts, and avocados. While it is true that a high intake of saturated fat is linked to increased risk of heart disease and arteriosclerosis, it is important to understand that there is a difference between saturated fats from animal sources versus saturated fats from vegetable sources.