A Humble Feast for People Who's into Diet

Vegetarian Dieting

Vegetarianism is defined as the practice of consuming solely plant-based foods and taking out meat, poultry, fish and seafood. Dairy and eggs may or may not be included. Compete avoidance of animal products is classified as veganism. On the other hand, a diet by definition is the intentional selection and/or limitation of food to control body weight and/or address certain health issues such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and heart disease.

In the broadest sense, vegetarianism may be considered a diet in itself as it confers health benefits including weight loss if done properly. Those who practice this oftentimes do not wish to call it a diet as this term connotes deprivation and that it is something you get into for a specific amount of time to achieve a specific health goal as opposed to a lifelong lifestyle choice.

In the strictest sense, a vegetarian diet can be viewed as a “diet within a diet” wherein excessive fats and high-glycemic fruits are limited and instead more vegetables are consumed.

Whether vegetarian or not, smart choices have to be made to be able to achieve long term health and wellness and avoid diseases.

With the rapid increase of people who refrain from or totally avoid consuming meat, more and more restaurants are offering vegetarian options in their menu. Same goes for airlines and cruise ships. These are usually priced more expensively that other meal options and/or sometimes have to be requested ahead of time. Though vegetarians are rarely spoilt for choice in most restaurants, coffee shops and fast food joints, there are some that have a variety of vegetarian options or are flexible in converting some of their dishes.

A home made recipe for vegetarians alike would enjoy:

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 cup raspberries, preferably fresh

2 lb. mixed salad greens

1/2 cup raw almonds

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the salad greens and almonds. Put in refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes.

2. Put salad greens in a large salad bowl. Remove dressing from refrigerator and pour over salad greens. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.