Going Veg? Don’t Make These Mistakes
When I switched cold-turkey (pun alert!) from a meat-eating to a vegan diet, I was pleased to see I could still eat fries, chips and salsa, and my secret guilty pleasure, Swedish Fish (it’s not real fish, you see). But I quickly realized I’d stumbled into a common veggie pitfall — eating junk food in place of fresh, whole, plant-based meals.
Here, I’d adopted a vegetarian diet for health reasons but was barely eating my good-for-me vegetables. I started experimenting with vegan and vegetarian cooking, and my mind — and my palate — quickly opened up to a delicious world of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and fruits. A good, healthy mantra for anyone is “all things in moderation.” Jumping into a junk-food vegetarian diet without any balance was definitely not that.
If you’re new to vegetarianism or looking to test it out, don’t make my same mistakes. Here are common pitfalls to avoid.
The Poor-Protein Vegetarian
When you switch from meaty to meat-free meals, you reduce your total protein intake (remember meat is a primary source of protein for most folks). But don’t get lazy and forget to add back an alternative protein source. Eating protein builds, repairs and maintains your muscles; it also keeps you feeling satisfied. Everyone’s protein needs vary — depending on our age, size and activity level. To estimate yours, multiply your body weight in kilograms by .8, or weight in pounds by .37. Beans, legumes, tofu and nuts are all great protein alternatives. I like to boost my spaghetti and sauce with white beans instead of meatballs — or for something like stir fry, I’ll swap the chicken for tofu.
The Vegetarian Who Doesn’t Eat Vegetables
I’ve actually met vegetarians who don’t eat vegetables and can survive on grilled cheese and onion rings alone! I guess there is a vegetable lurking in that order of onion rings, but nothing nutrient-rich, for sure. You can eat a bread-, pasta-, fries- and cheese-based diet every day, but that’s not exactly healthy. Even actress and Jenny Craig spokeswoman Kristie Alley fessed up to her own bad habits and told People: “For seven months I was a vegetarian, and I can’t tell you how much weight I gained being a vegetarian! A vegetarian would probably be eating vegetables. But to me being a vegetarian meant I’m going to eat enchiladas with no meat, and I’m going to eat lots of bread, lots of carbs.”
The Fast-Food Vegetarian
Cheese quesadillas, French fries, ice cream, pizza, nachos and candy — what do all of these foods have in common? They’re all junk foods, they’re often on fast-food menus and they’re all vegetarian (though not always vegan). When eating out, plan ahead by reviewing restaurant menus for healthier choices. A veggie burger may sound nutritious, but smother it in cheese and that sandwich could have more calories and fat than a beef burger. Sure, fried foods and cheesy snacks have their place (always in moderation!), but make sure that’s not all you’re eating.
The Processed-Food Vegetarian
Okay, so you’ve swapped your ballpark frank for a soy corn dog and chicken nuggets for soy nuggets. These meat-replacement products are still processed. Eyeball the ingredients list — they tend to be pretty long and contain chemicals, additives and lots of words you can’t pronounce. Vegans beware: some of these meat substitutes actually contain animal ingredients such as egg whites, cheese and dry milk. Experiment with whole-food protein sources, such as tofu and beans, instead. Use seasonings and marinades to jazz up baked tofu slices. Make your own veggie burgers with mashed chickpeas or grated veggies. I just made this great Bulgur Burger with Chickpeas and Tomato Chutney (shown above, served with kale, spinach and collard greens sauteed in olive oil over a piece of naan bread).
Following a vegetarian diet takes some extra planning to make sure you keep it healthy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Check back each month for my new series, “The Veggie Table” (get it?), and I’ll share my veg-friendly ideas and recipes so we can avoid meat-free mistakes together!
Janel Ovrut, MS RD LDN, loves experimenting with vegetarian and vegan cooking. Read her food blog, Dine Dish Delish, and follow her on Twitter @DietitianJanel.
I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t like many vegetables
As for Swedish Fish, I thought they had gelatin in them so I’ve not had any in years. Are they really vegetarian? If so, they’re about to become and endangered species! I LOVE Swedish Fish!
Great article – so true
Connie
Hi, thank you for your post. I was a vegetarian for nearly ten years (I now eat fish occasionally) and attempted to go vegan for a year while away at school. You are definitely right–it is really easy to go for unhealthy vegetarian options. Yet I’ve found that cooking vegetarian meals at home is a fun challenge and produces an amazing variety of delicious dishes. I highly recommend Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone–it’s a great veggie resource.
For Connie, I don’t think it does, both Wikipedia and ‘the Origional Swedish Fish’ (originalswedishfish.com) site don’t list gelatin as an ingredient. It uses modified corn starch instead
Hope this helps!
Thanks Rebecca for the ingredient response! I don’t see gelatin listed as an ingredient either on the Swedish Fish website: sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, white mineral oil, carnauba wax, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1.
It’s possible there used to be gelatin in the ingredient list, but that has changed. Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much for this post. I am trying to stick to a diet "great taste no pain" for my colon health. Vegan eating is certainly part of this diet. It is so hard to change over from being a meat eater even when you know it is best for your health. I do occassionally indulge in a grilled piece of fish, chicken or even steak but I include lots of vegetables, especially salads. Although it is not required to be a vegan you just have to maike sure that grains and starches are not included with the meats, cheeses and fishes. These create digestive problems.
I do indulge in the vege plates at like Elijah's restaurant. They are so good. The vegetables are steamed.
Ok, I have to ask… 200 lbs times .37 = 74 lbs… I hardly think I need 74 lbs of protein so what am I supposed to do with the 74 number?
Hi Mack,
It is actually 74 grams of protein, not 74 pounds! Sorry for the confusion.
74 grams, it was a little confusing.
I am a good vegetarian, a not as strict as I should be vegan and eat healthy about half the time…I can't cook, work two jobs, and am I guess pretty lazy. I love eating guilt free and not being grossed out by food…it's pretty hard to be grossed out by a vegetable! I always wanted to be a vegetarian but due to my pickiness I thought I would starve. I have expanded my horizons in food since becoming a vegetarian, but convenience usually wins! I'll try harder to be healthier!
This is great! My husband was diagnosed with chronic liver disease due to environmental sources and was told to get his limited protein from veg.s and fruits and dairy. I don't like cooking separate meals, so I too am eating without meats. I love that part of it. As a child I was basically made to eat meat when I had a strong aversion to it. It has also helped with my colitis of over 30 years duration. However, I am not a fan of cooking or inventing dishes and end up repeating too much. The only vegie foods we can get locally are Morningstar. Are they a good choice, or a bad one? I think I am not getting enough protein and calcium because my fibromyalgia seems worse again. Anyone have any suggestions?
I have been a vegan since marrying my husband in 1998. I found out in 2004 that I had a low-thyroid and started ready up on the subject. I was shocked that soy products can cause you to have a low-thyroid. I thought I was doing myself a great favor by not eating meat but it turned out that my body did better with meat than soy products. I now eat eggs, fish and chicken once a week. I will not eat a cow. Sometimes I indulge in pork. I want to advise you to check this out before becoming a full-fledged vegan.
Janel,
Can you discuss "natural" and "artificial flavors"? They seem to be in almost everything (including Swedish Fish), and I've heard that manufacturers can "hide" some not-so-good-for-us things under those headings.
Thanks!
Mia, I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and I have hypothyroidism. After I was diagnosed eleven years ago I read all the same stuff you have read, but I had never eaten soy products because I didn't agree with "replacement" foods, i.e., veggie burgers and the like. I continued to avoid them like the plague for years, and then started eating a limited amount of them. Absolutely no change in my thyroid levels in either direction, up or down. I actually don't eat soy because I loathe tofu, but I eat Quorn because it is NOT soy – it is mycoprotein, which is from mushrooms. Most veggie patties are not soy, and Costco has some mighty tasty ones which are only vegetable and grains.
Have you tried lentils? Versatile, quick cooking and really delicious.
Hey Ive been on a vegan diet for about two months now and i eat a lot of veggies i love my decision however, and excuse me for being blunt here but, sometimes my insides really hurt is this normal ? I would ask my doctor though, seeing as how she already thinks my choice is crazy, i think my fellow veggers could provide more insight.
Cheese enchiladas? Quesadillas? Since when did cheese become a vegetable? I'm sure you meant soy cheese or maybe almond cheese! P.S. Quesadilla is a contraction of queso + tortilla. To say "cheese" quesadilla would be redundant since queso is cheese in Spanish. If you're making quesadillas w/o the cheese, it's not a quesadilla.
The only suggestion that I can think of is that maybe you are not consuming enough fiber. Fiber helps to retain water in the colon during the digestion process making it easier for the food you eat to pass through your body. Fiber is so important, you can find the food's dietary fiber content on the back of their nutrition label, or you can look it up on a website like http://www.nutritiondata.com. To easily include an added source of fiber you can utilize products like Benefiber and Metamucil, both of which easily mix into drinks and some are even great for cooking.