SuperFoods for the Vegetarians!


A lot of people have asked me "How can you live without eating meat? how do you get your proteins and other nutrients being a vegetarian?" And I've always answered "Frankly, it's not at all tough, and there are a hundred things you can eat to maintain a healthy balanced veggie diet!" I'm not against any of those who eat meat:) it's part of the Food Chain, and helps maintain the balance. But here is a list of 10 Superfoods for vegetarians, which will help you live a healthy life without meat, eggs or poultry. So compare your diet to this healthy-food checklist and see if you need to add something to your daily diet!! October is the Vegetarian Awareness Month, and click here for joining in the fun!

CARROT - They may make your salad more crunchy and tasty, but the powerful beta carotene that they contain, aids in reducing your risk of stroke. It also helps improve your vision, upto a certain extent, and when fed right from childhood.

SPINACH/BROCCOLI/CABBAGE - These green leafy veggies are high in potent anti-cancer compounds like sulforaphane and quercitin. Spinach is loaded with fibre and cancer-fighting substances, it can also improve your eyesight. Cabbage is exceedingly rich in fibre and has almost 50% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Broccoli is packed with antioxidants, which help fight against heart disease, strenghten the immune system and lower the risk of cancer and infection.

APPLE - Often losing out in publicity to its high profile colleague-the orange, recent studies have shown that apples can reduce the risk of asthma and may help prevent lung cancer. Yeah, there's some truth to that popular saying, after all! It helps contribute to increase in haemoglobin too in the blood, and boost immunity.

CITRUS FRUITS (ORANGE) - One of the easiest ways to get your daily dose of vitamin C is eating a lemon or Orange. Vitamin C is an important aid to fighting stress and disease by fighting the growth of free radicals in your body. Citrus juice contains flavonoids, a phytonutrient that lowers the body's production of cholesterol, inhibits blood clot formation and boosts the bang of vitamin C. Citrus fruits are also loaded with soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and helps you to manage your weight. They also contain limonene, an oil found in the peel of the fruit that might inhibit a variety of cancers.

TOMATO - Tomatoes are an abundant source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps in the fight against cancer and heart disease, and are also packed with vitamins A, C and E. Lycopene is also believed to fight cancer and promote heart health.

BERRIES - Berries ahve rightly been called the "Food for the brain!" Research proves that berries slow and reverse many of the degenerative diseases that can affect the brain as we get old. Blueberries contain an additional antioxidant to fight against cancer. They're high in vitamin and fiber content. They're an excellent source of antioxidants, compounds that protect our bodies from the stress of day to day living. They also help boost your memory. Fresh berries are a must for weight-loss plans as they are high in water and low in calories.

BEANS/LEGUMES - Beans of all kinds-kidney, black, pinto, chickpeas, and soybeans - help reduce cholesterol, and are full of proteins, antioxidants, folic acid and potassium. They also contain significant amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, and complex carbs. Beans are especially high in soluble fiber, and a daily serving of cooked beans may lower blood cholesterol by as much as 18%, decreasing the risk of heart disease. Most legumes also contain protease inhibitors, which can suppress cancer cells and slow tumor growth.

WHOLE GRAINS - Wholegrains include a whole range of foods such as breads, cereals, pasta and rice. They contain valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, as well as lots of vitamins, iron, minerals and fibre. Research shows a diet high in whole grains may help prevent heart disease, some cancers, obesity and diabetes. Oats and Barley can help stabilize blood sugar, and assist in hunger management.

ONION/GARLIC - These foods which are responsible for so much flavor in our food, also act as a powerful anti-fungal, an anti-viral and an anti-bacterial nutrient. Studies have shown that consuming crushed raw Garlic lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. They contain diallyl sulfide and saponins, compounds that add distinctive flavors to our recipes and fight cancer and heart disease at the same time.

NUTS/SEEDS - Although high in calories, nuts often enable people to maintain or lose weight. A small handful consumed everyday gives a sense of satiety and results in less total food intake. Nuts have great nutritional benefits; Almonds, Pecans and Pistachios are rich in protein. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids. Sesame seeds contain calcium and vitamin E. Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are particularly good sources of phytosterols which promote healthy heart.

I've tried to come up with a concise list for my readers after scouring the web for various articles, and I hope I have helped in conveying the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet. For detailed articles about food and their health benefits, read our "Health" section. This information is not just limited to vegetarians; every person should have a balanced meal, and whether you eat meat or not, these healthy vegetarian foods will help you take better care of your health. You owe that much to your body, don't you??

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21 comments :

FH said...

I grew up in a pure vegetarian family back in India (not even Eggs!), so I know we can be healthy eating just eating veggies. Great list, nuts and beans are a great source of nutrients.
Although we eat meat here, I still cook vegetarian at least 3-4 days per week by choice.Weekends are free for all kinds of food!:))

musical said...

Hey Mansi, as a fellow vegetarian, i get that question a lot too :). Lil' do people realize that vegetarian food can be equally delicious and nutritious. Props to you for highlighting this.

Anonymous said...

this is a great writeup Mansi...kind of makes you stop and realize what things we take for granted and what we should make an effort to include in our diet!

- Vanissa

Anonymous said...

Include Bell Pepper in your list. It contains twice as much Vitamin C as any other citrus fruit.

Mansi said...

Anon - thanks for the comment! but there are plenty of other foods, besides my list that can go in here...but I just picked the top 10 to make the post length manageable:)

Rohini's kitchen said...

I'm a pure vegetarian. Healthy list.

Manasi said...

GOOD one!! lot of people wonder (in my office) how I have survived so far only on veges. and NO meat and No eggs!!!
little do they realise how much variety we have!!

Anonymous said...

I don't believe eating meat is "part of the food chain." I've heard that comment quite a bit recently, but I don't buy it. And eating meat doesn't help maintain a natural balance. We're breeding billions of animals each year, only to slaughter them for their flesh.

Anonymous said...

this is a remarkable post for a worthy cause! Kudos to you for posting it to create more awareness among people to stop killing animals!!!

KellytheCulinarian said...

I'm not a vegetarian, but this is great to know. I probably don't eat enough meat to get everything I need, so I'll be sure to add some of the superfoods to my repetoire.

Raks said...

Very informative write-up Mansi..:))

Kribha said...

Although my hubby and me eats non-veg , my son dosen't. To be frank, I was worried if I was giving him enough with veggie stuff. Your post assured me that what he is eating is good. Thanks dear for posting this.

Anonymous said...

Mansi, this is a pretty exhaustive list for vegatarians like me. This includes all the colors of the rainbow and so very healthy and nutritious.

Apple said...

Very informative post Mansi....

Anonymous said...

aha i knew i had seen your site before :D
My mom has a blog, http://saltandspice.blogspot.com and she visits you a lot. Guess ill stick to your tech blog ;)

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

I may not be a vegetarian, but I couldn't agree more with this list. I love apples, berries, and carrots!

Katie Zeller said...

I eat and love every food on your list. Personally, I'm an omnivore, and basically eat whatever I like...which just happens to include all those wonderful veggie. As a child I knew a person who would only eat beef and potatoes - how incredible boring, I thought, even then.
But, shouldn't chocolate be on the list? Dark, of course!

Mansi said...

Alfred - thanks for the compliments, both here and over at my tech blog:) I'll try to keep the other one updated, but I find it real hard managing just this one blog!

Katie- If you love everything on this list, I think u r the most healthy person I know:) I wish i could put dark chocolate, but I had to settle for the top 10 foods:)...but don't worry, I'm gonna have an entire post on choc soon!:D

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Hi,

I love your post. It's very informative.
I will count it as an entry, if you will have time to prepare vegetarian dish it will be wonderful too! :)

Greetings, Margot

Deepa Kuber said...

Thats interesting. I am a pure vegitarian and my blog too is :D Nothing can be healthier than fresh veggies and fruits.

Anonymous said...

Great content but Yes I think choosing your words a little better here - "it's part of the Food Chain, and helps maintain the balance" in regards to meat eating. This may have been the case many many years ago but certainly not anymore. 50 billion animals are killed each year around the world mostly due to cruel intensive farming. There is no balance in that at all. Not to mention what it is doing to our planet. Thanks for all the wonderful information and keep up the great work for a kinder world and staying healthy. Carol. x