At first glance, it seems that it is very easy to understand the vegetarian diet, since we are talking about the usual diet, from which meat is excluded. This is not entirely true - there are several types of vegetarian food, depending on the characteristics of the diet, as well as the specifics of vegetarians' choice of foods that, from a biochemical point of view, are intended to replace meat.
Types of vegetarianism
All vegetarians refuse to eat meat and fish for moral or health reasons. However, opinions differ regarding the use of other animal products. Ovo-lacto-vegetarians allow the broadest interpretation of a plant-based diet, adding bird eggs and milk to it, and, accordingly, derivatives from these products - cheeses, cottage cheese, and so on. There are also ovo-vegetarians and lacto-vegetarians. In the first case, they recognize only eggs from animal products, in the second - only milk.
Vegetarianism is prescribed for adherents of some religions, for example, Hindus and Buddhists.
The most strict types of vegetarianism are related to veganism - a philosophy of life that denies not only eating animals, but also the use of their skins and fur. It is not uncommon for vegans to even refuse honey. Some vegans make their diet even stricter. For example, raw foodists try to eat only raw plant foods, while fruitorians can only eat fruits and vegetables, which can be called plant fruits, as well as nuts.
Features of a vegetarian diet
A vegetarian who wants to start eating in accordance with his beliefs should keep in mind that in order to maintain a healthy body, he must organize his food better than the average meat-eater. A vegetarian who avoids meat runs the risk of iron and protein deficiencies. This is corrected by the correct selection of herbal products. Vegetarians get their proteins from soy and other legumes. Dates and some types of seaweed also help with this.
The situation is more complicated with iron, since it is much more fully absorbed from animal products. Therefore, vegetarians often eat wheat and beans sprouts, iron is absorbed better from these products than, for example, from apples. Also, a person who adheres to a plant-based diet often refuses certain substances that remove iron from the body - first of all, coffee and tea.
Various soy-based milk and meat substitutes are also popular with vegetarians.
At the same time, calcium deficiency is rare even in strict vegetarians. In the absence of milk in the diet, the necessary substances can be obtained from broccoli cabbage and some other green vegetables.
