So I have seen this ongoing trend amongst many folks that I talk to, especially this time of year. Everyone has some sort of health goal, and a lot of it seems to revolve around cutting down meat or cutting it out of their diets altogether. I, myself, cut down on my meat intake at the beginning of the year (my reasons are very specific: I overdo it in December and my body just functions better on a mostly plant-based diet, not to mention I was a vegetarian for over 10 years).
I went back to meat because with my extreme anemia and all the food allergies that were popping up in my life, I was essentially running out of things to eat. Now a lot of people could argue (and they have) that there are many vegetarian forms of iron, and this is true, but for my particular needs, taking iron supplements, getting B12 shots from my naturopath regularly, in taking as much vitamin C to properly absorb my iron and eating as many iron-rich foods cooked in my cast iron skillet was just not enough. By forcing myself to take all the necessary precautions to get all that my body needed, I quickly discovered what a terrible vegetarian I had been for so long. It’s no wonder I got horribly ill, and I wasn’t alone in this lifestyle. This is very unfortunate.
There is a good and healthy way to be a vegetarian. Swapping your daily McDonald's burger for the fries is not the healthier vegetarian option, and neither is eating a sugary cookie because it’s vegan. So here are some tips for staying healthy and balanced, if you have decided to transition into a plant-based diet.
Start by reducing
Don’t go all or nothing, start out slowly by reducing the amount of meat you consume per week/day and go from there. It will be easy on your body and your state of mind. Going from one extreme to another can set you up for failure most of the time. Reducing is a great way to start having fun and getting creative with your food as well.
Eat whole foods
With so many people switching to a plant-based diet, there have been many food companies that have gotten on board with the trend. Make sure to read labels, and don’t be tempted by the dark side of refined, processed foods just because they are a veggie option. Eat mostly whole foods, but also feel free to practice the 80/20 Rule and treat yourself to some sweet vegan puffballs once and awhile.
Iron
Non-heme iron comes primarily from plants and heme iron comes primarily from meat. Non-heme iron is harder to absorb, so make sure to add more green foods, beans, and oats to your diet and cook in a cast iron pan. If you start feeling any kind of prolonged periods of fatigue, headaches, weakness or dizziness, talk to your doctor about getting your iron blood levels checked, as some people require additional iron supplementation.
Protein
Most people will ask you where your protein is coming from. There are many vegetarian sources of protein and foods that are eaten together that make up a complete protein. Eat more legumes, quinoa (fair-trade, of course!), rice and beans, nuts and nut butters and eggs (if you are not a vegan) to get you a balanced dose of what your muscles need to grow.
Recipe: Zucchini noodle gluten-free lasagna
Ingredients:
4 large zucchini, ends removed and cut lengthwise ¼ inch thick
1 large eggplant cut into rounds
4 cups of spinach
4 large carrots, peeled and cut in small rounds
1 large chopped onion
6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups diced tomatoes
3 cups grated cheese (there are dairy free alternatives out there to make this vegan)
Directions:
• In a medium pot, simmer diced tomatoes with, onion, garlic, shallots, herbs and salt and pepper for 20 minutes. When done, it should resemble a chunky sauce. This is your tomato sauce for the lasagna.
• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• In a deep glass casserole dish start assembling your lasagne in the following order:
Tomato sauce (at bottom of pan); zucchini; spinach; carrot; eggplant; zucchini; cheese
• Repeat order until you run out of room or ingredients. The top/last layer should be zucchini, basil and cheese.
• Cook for about 45 minutes until it starts to bubble and the cheese is nice and melted/brown
