By ecological commitment, for a question of health or in opposition to animal suffering, the reasons which can push us to want to become vegetarians are numerous. However, this food practice requires some precautions to be taken.
What to eat to start?
Becoming a vegetarian means stop consuming animal flesh, that’s to say meat, fish and shellfish. The consumption of eggs, dairy products and honey therefore remains possible. The idea is to go gradually. “To start a vegetarian diet, you can start with become a flexitarianthat is to say, reduce your consumption of meat and fish while favoring quality over quantity“, begins Maxime Mességué. The nutritionist, however, invites you to be wary of commercial plant products because they are highly processed and contain many additives that are harmful to health. “Firstly, emphasis can be placed on dairy products and eggs, then gradually start cooking tofu and tempeh, add pulses. Above all, don’t put pressure on yourself. By becoming a vegetarian we open our taste and food palette“, he continues.
The first step in learning to do without meat is to become aware of the reasons that lead us to do so. Beyond the ethical and ecological issues it involves, the consumption of meat, and particularly red meat, is classified as a probable carcinogen. She is also high in saturated fat which promote the development of cardiovascular diseases and disrupt the balance of the intestinal microbiota. Despite this realization, it can be difficult to stop eating meat overnight. This is the reason why it is preferable to reduce it gradually, favoring quality over quantity (flexitarianism). “In preparations such as stuffings and dumplings, it is possible to introduce a vegetable preparation rich in protein to supplement or even replace the minced meat. The more regularly you taste new vegetarian flavors, the more you accustom your palate“, specifies the specialist.
If you eat dairy products and eggs, there is very little risk of deficiencies.
“Contrary to popular belief, the vegetarian diet allows you to stay in excellent health since it is possible to compensate for protein deficiencies linked to the non-consumption of meat.“, reassures our interlocutor. Provided that we give pride of place to vegetable proteins to compensate for the lack of animal protein intake. legumes (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, broad beans, etc.), eggs, soy, tofu, spirulinahemp seeds, chia seeds, tempeh, oilseeds (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), cereals (buckwheat, quinoa, oats, spelled, wheat, rye, rice, millet). If you eat dairy products and eggs, there is very little risk of deficiencies.
What precautions to take?
To become a vegetarian without suffering from deficiencies, it is essential to consume enough vegetable protein. The only downside is that these are less well digested than animal proteins, which is why you have to eat more of them. “In practice, one would need to ingest approximately 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day of vegetable protein to cover its protein needs, explains Maxime Mességué.
When to take food supplements?
Taking dietary supplements is generally not necessary as part of a vegetarian diet. Iron supplementation should however be considered in the presence of iron deficiency anemia. This is mainly manifested by fatigue, pallor, headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, dizziness as well as brittle hair and nails.
Thanks to Maxime Mességué, dietitian nutritionist in Paris