A Detailed Guide to Following a Vegetarian Diet

Because the number of people interested in cutting back on meat is growing, food manufacturers and restaurateurs have started to follow suit. A wealth of vegetarian-friendly options on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus makes being a vegetarian today much easier and more delicious than it has been in the past.

Here, let’s dive into what it means to be a vegetarian and the effect it could have on your health.

Here are seven:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy but no meat, poultry, or fish. 

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• Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products but no eggs, meat, poultry, or fish.
• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no dairy, meat, poultry, or fish.

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• Pescatarians eat fish but no meat or poultry.

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• Semivegetarians don’t eat red meat but do eat chicken and fish.

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• Flexitarians stick to a vegetarian diet most of the time but eat meat, poultry, or fish on occasion.

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• Vegans, the strictest type of vegetarian, refrain from all animal products and animal byproducts, including dairy, eggs, honey, and things made with gelatin.

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As a vegetarian, you’ll avoid meat (and whatever else goes along with the type of vegetarian you’ve chosen to be). Instead, you’ll load up on plant-based foods (ideally, those that are whole and unprocessed).

What to Eat

What to Avoid

Strict vegetarians will avoid poultry, fish, and meat, but there’s some flexibility based on the type of vegetarian you decide to be. You’re able to eat eggs as an ovo-vegetarian, for instance, or fish as a pescatarian.

Day 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal with a handful of blueberries, almonds, and cinnamon

Lunch: Avocado toast with whole-wheat bread, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese crumbles

Snack: Apple slices with peanut butter

Dinner: Black bean tacos with shredded lettuce, sauteed veggies, reduced-fat cheddar, and fresh salsa

Day 2

Breakfast: Bran-and-blueberry muffin with low- or nonfat yogurt

Lunch: Bean-and-veggie soup using low-sodium vegetable broth

Snack: Roasted chickpeas made with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt

Dinner: Caprese sandwich (with tomato; low-fat, part-skim mozzarella; olive oil; and basil) on whole-wheat bread

Day 3

Breakfast: Tofu scramble on a bed of brown rice with sauteed peppers

Lunch: Quesadillas with low-fat, part-skim cheddar cheese; black beans; and sweet potatoes

Snack: Mixed-fruit bowl

Dinner: Vegetable stir-fry with tempeh on a bed of brown rice

Day 4

Breakfast: Strawberry smoothie made with kefir

Lunch: Mixed green salad with crispy chickpeas and slices of grilled portobello mushrooms

Snack: Carrot sticks and hummus

Dinner: Quinoa bowl with roasted vegetables and kimchi

Day 5

Breakfast: Low- or nonfat Greek yogurt with cinnamon and berries

Lunch: Vegetable and cheese panini on whole-wheat bread

Snack: Kale chips made with extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt

Dinner: Zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) with marinara sauce and low-sodium meatless meatballs (preferably homemade)

Day 6

Breakfast: Overnight oats with walnuts, sliced peaches, and cinnamon

Lunch: Arugula-and-veggie-topped pizza with whole-grain dough and reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella

Snack: Handful of raw, no-salt almonds

Dinner: Portobello mushroom sliders with romaine, Swiss cheese, and tomato, on whole-wheat buns

Day 7

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun

Snack: Veggie spring rolls

Dinner: African curry with rice and seitan.

Desserts are naturally vegetarian, so whatever you enjoy now will likely work on a vegetarian diet, too.

Eating this way, whether for a few meals or for decades, can be beneficial to your health in loads of ways:

• Heart Help Without meat, your diet will be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which ends up reducing your risk of heart disease.

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   Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

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   Sticking with a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality and risk of heart disease by 40 percent.

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• Hypertension Management Eating a plant-based diet may help lower high blood pressure.

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• Improve Insulin Response Going vegetarian won’t cure type 2 diabetes, but it may help stabilize your blood sugar and make your body more responsive to insulin as long as you’re eating a balanced diet. It could also reduce your risk of other complications related to type 2 diabetes.

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• Cancer Protection Vegetarians have lower cancer rates than nonvegetarians, suggesting an association between following a plant-based diet and a lower risk of certain types of cancer.

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• Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk Some studies suggest that people who fill their plates with plants also tend to have lower rates of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that may raise your risk of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

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To see these weight loss benefits, vegetarians need to stick to healthy whole foods and avoid overeating, says Julieanna Hever, RD, the Los Angeles–based author of Plant-Based Nutrition (Idiot's Guides). “With all of the new animal-free junk food on the market, it’s become increasingly easier to eat hyperpalatable [vegetarian] foods to the point of weight gain,” she says.

• Protein is found in nuts, peanut butter, grains, legumes, eggs, dairy, tofu, tempeh and seitan.
• Iron is found in legumes, spinach, whole grains, fortified cereals, seeds, and tofu.
• Calcium is found in milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, and fortified nondairy milk.
• Zinc can be sourced from legumes, fortified cereals, nuts, seeds, dairy, and nutritional yeast.
• Vitamin B12 is found in dairy, fortified breakfast cereal, soy milk, eggs, and nutritional yeast.
• Vitamin D is most easily found in cow’s milk.

Vitamin D Supplements for Vegetarians

The biggest challenge many vegetarians run into is resisting meat-filled foods they’ve enjoyed in the past, such as turkey at Thanksgiving or a hot dog at a baseball game. You’ll likely need to drastically rethink your meals. “Most of us were raised with meat at the center of the plate, and having to recalculate that requires a transition period,” Hever says.

Here are some ideas for how to do so successfully:

• Cut meat from your diet gradually. Rather than going vegetarian overnight, try adding a few meatless meals to your menu each week until you slowly phase out meat.

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• Work with a professional. Be aware of the potential nutritional deficiencies and plan your meals accordingly with help from a registered dietitian (you can find one at EatRight.org). “With all drastic dietary changes, there are health risks,” Jaelin says, adding that it’s important to pay close attention to those potential deficiencies.
• Meal prep! Choose your meat-free foods wisely and keep your fridge stocked with healthy vegetarian options. Meal prepping by chopping up vegetables to toss in a salad or making batches of quinoa or farro to have on hand is also a good idea.
• Experiment with different flavors. Try out different spices and seasonings to make your meals interesting.
• Make small tweaks to your favorite dishes. If you’re feeling stuck, try to put a vegetarian spin on your favorite meals. For instance, try vegetarian chili filled with beans instead of chili made with ground beef.

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• Source new recipes. Hever suggests referring to websites, cookbooks, and social media to find recipes you love. Then tweak them and add them to your weekly menu. “It becomes second nature rather rapidly,” she says.

Favorite Site for Plant-Based Living

Forks Over Knives has everything you need to feel like a knowledgeable and empowered vegetarian. There are recipes, meal planning help, and a cooking course to teach you how to start creating plant-based meals in your own kitchen. You can also subscribe to the company’s weekly newsletter to get meal ideas delivered straight to your inbox or the print magazine for more food inspiration.

Favorite Nutrition Site

This page from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers useful ideas for vegetarians to source nutrients they may be at risk of being deficient in, including calcium, iron, protein, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.

Favorite Vegetarian Instagram Account to Follow

Worried about getting into a food rut? Have food inspo delivered to your social media feed by following @CookieandKate. Her account posts glamour shots and how-to videos of delicious vegetarian dishes. When you find one that makes your mouth water, you can head over to her blog for the full recipe.

Favorite List of Pantry Staples

Your refrigerator and pantry shelves will look different once you adopt a plant-based diet. This comprehensive list of kitchen basics from EatingWell gives you a list of items to have on hand so you’re prepared to cook healthy, balanced meals and don’t need to resort to processed foods.

Favorite Educational Group

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a nonprofit that educates the public on issues related to vegetarianism, such as the environmental benefits, health perks, and practical matters such as how to stick to your diet when dining out.

Favorite Resource for Finding a Registered Dietitian

When you’re first starting out on a meat-free life, you may want to work with an expert who can help you meal plan to confirm you’re taking in the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you need to be healthy. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website offers this registered dietitian search tool, so you can locate someone in your area.

A vegetarian diet that’s filled with whole grains and vegetables offers loads of health benefits, from weight control to disease prevention.