October is Vegetarian Awareness Month!
Vegetarian Awareness Month is a national celebration that was created to help people consider what it means to eat lots of plants and to move away from consuming meat. With that being said, I thought it would be an ideal time to explore vegetarianism, and what foods you need to be eating if you want to follow the diet.
Vegetarianism is a diet that refrains from consuming the meat of any animal (poultry, red meat, fish, seafood, or any other animal that was killed for its meat). Vegetarians also generally abstain from consuming animal by-products, like gelatin or other animal parts that are processed and used in food. That’s the most basic definition of vegetarianism. However, in practice, a vegetarian might have more specific rules.
Dried fruit
Although you may initially assume that dried fruits can’t possibly be as good as their fresh counterparts, in some cases it really is better to eat the dried variety. Apricots, raisins, dates, cherries, and mangos, are all packed full of everything you need to keep healthy and fit.
Lentils
Whether they are brown, green, or red, adding a little cooked lentils to soups, curries or salads adds some protein to your meal.
Nuts
There are numerous health reasons why vegetarians should go nuts for nuts. It does not matter if it is raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, or macadamia nuts – health experts swear that they are all good sources of protein, zinc, calcium (especially in almonds), heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E.
Tofu
Tofu is another go-to ingredient for a lot of vegetarian dishes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be dull. There is a lot that can be done with tofu to make it tasty – you can substitute it exactly where meat or fish would be, and cook with it in just the same way, making it much more versatile than you might initially think.
Dairy
There are so many delicious dairy alternatives on the market, and no vegetarian pantry is complete without a few. We think the most important dairy replacements to keep around are dairy-free milk and butter.