How strict should the diet be?

[Guest guest]

Hi Melody,

 

n> hi, marko, and welcome to the group!!

 

Thank you!

 

n> the most important thing when going vegetarian, and especially when going

n> vegan, is to educate yourself in nutrition. you will need to have a source

of

n> vitamin b12, and make sure your diet is a balanced one -- about 30-40%

proteins

n> (including things like soy products, nuts/seeds, beans, many whole grains),

n> 40-50% complex carbs (including things like whole grains, vegetables and

n> fruits), and 20% healthy fats (mono/polyunsaturated, like olive oil,

nuts/seeds,

n> avocadoes, canola oil). if your diet is balanced, you will most likely feel

n> better than you did before you went veg!

 

Is it hard to make a balanced diet? Will I be forced to count vitamins,

proteins, carbon-hydrates in every meal till the rest of my life? Or,

is it enough just to remember to have certain meals every week, and in

that way assure the body is getting all the nutrients it needs

regularly? How strict and planned should the diet be?

 

n> melody

 

Marko

[Guest guest]

> Is it hard to make a balanced diet? Will I be forced to count

vitamins,

> proteins, carbon-hydrates in every meal till the rest of my life?

Or,

> is it enough just to remember to have certain meals every week,

and in

> that way assure the body is getting all the nutrients it

needs

> regularly? How strict and planned should the diet be?

 

 

I know that you were asking Melody to answer this since she's the

expert, but my personal opinion is that it just isn't any harder

than eating a meat diet! You just don't eat the meat. So, if you

eat everything you would normally eat and forgo the meat, you should

be fine. Also, one of the favorite things I have heard is to just

make sure you are eating a balanced diet of different colored food.

The different colors indicate different nutrients and is a pretty

easy way to eat a balanced diet. I honestly have not done anything

different than I ever used to (except I don't eat the meat) and have

never felt better!