Will you take the veggie challenge?

By Hannah Sherwood

Today marks the beginning of National Vegetarian Week – will you be setting aside your carnivorous ways and going cold turkey for seven days? It may sound like a challenge, but meat-free eating has never been so accessible – or delicious. At this time of year, there’s an array of fresh fruit and veg at their seasonal best, and a trip to your local supermarket will reveal a great selection of protein-rich vegetarian options. But if you’re worried going meat-free will mean you're depriving yourself of vital nutrients, HFG nutrition consultant Juliette Kellow has this advice…

Is a vegetarian diet healthier?

There’s no definitive answer to this. Studies show vegetarians have lower mortality rates, particularly from heart disease, compared with the general population. However, this difference disappears when vegetarians are compared with meat eaters who follow a healthy lifestyle – so it’s hard to conclude whether it’s a veggie diet that makes people healthier, or other lifestyle habits, such as not smoking or being active.

The best way to ensure a healthy diet is to apply the healthy eating principles – regardless of whether you do or don’t eat meat: have five portions of fruit and veg a day, base meals on fibre-rich starchy foods, choose low-fat dairy products, eat two portions of protein-rich foods each day, such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds or eggs, and limit fatty, sugary and salty foods.

Some meat provides certain nutrients, so if you do choose a vegetarian diet make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need from other food sources:

CALCIUM, SELENIUM AND ZINC

It’s easy to get enough calcium if you include low-fat dairy products in your diet. Pulses, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fortified soya products, bread and green leafy veg also contain some calcium, but it’s in a form that’s harder for the body to absorb. Eating nuts and seeds will give you the antioxidant selenium, needed for a healthy immune system, and for zinc (also immune-boosting) eat eggs, nuts, seeds, wholegrain cereals and pulses. If you cut out all animal foods, it can be difficult to get the vitamin B12 needed for a healthy nervous system, so you may want to take a supplement.

PROTEIN

Going meat-free can reduce your protein intake, so it’s important to know the foods to eat to keep your levels up. Don’t be tempted to rely solely on cheese for this nutrient, though, as many varieties are also high in fat, saturates and salt. If you include dairy products and/or eggs in your diet, you’re likely to be getting plenty of protein. Beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, tofu, quinoa and meat alternatives, such as Quorn, are also good sources. Even foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, couscous and rice contain some protein.

IRON

According to recent findings, low iron intake is a concern for many women in the UK. A deficiency can lead to anaemia, with symptoms including extreme fatigue, poor concentration, shortness of breath and an increased risk of infection. Red meat is one of the main sources of iron, but other good sources include eggs, pulses, fortified breakfast cereals, nuts, seeds and green leafy veg. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plant foods, so eat them with citrus fruit, berries, kiwi fruit or peppers.

National Vegetarian Week runs from 19–25 May. To find out more, visit nationalvegetarianweek.org

Take a stand against extreme diets

By Melanie Leyshon

 

As you'd imagine, being the editor of Healthy Food Guide magazine, I check the daily newspapers for health breakthroughs. And there's no shortage of stories – some based on reliable scientific evidence, others rely on more flimsy statistics. 

Putting aside the well-researched advances in overcoming cancer, finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, etc, at this time of year, when the beach beckons, many health sections become obsessed with diets – and extreme diets. Yet, despite the growth of the dieting genre – juicing, fasting, no carbs, feeding tubes – we continue to upsize as a nation.

When we read about a diet that promises you'll lose 7lb in a week, it can be tempting to give it a go. 

I’ve taken shortcuts myself. There was the miserable, stinky week of the Cabbage Soup Diet (dire daily doses of soup, fruit and a hellish day of 5 bananas that left me too weak to think), then there was the anxiety-inducing South Beach Diet (I was so shaky after day 6, I made straight for the sandwich shop for a cheese bap).

Now I eat in moderation or semi-moderation and factor in exercise to offset the excess. I’m no Jessica Ennis, but even I’ve found a mix of running, cycling and yoga works. It's helped me maintain a healthy weight and BMI, which my recent NHS Health Check confirmed.

Health professionals, such as British Dietetic Association (BDA) registered dietitians, know it’s not necessary to go to such extremes to lose weight. Doing so can mess with your metabolism and compromise your health, as you may miss out on vital nutrients. What’s more it’s almost impossible to stick to restrictive diets that cut out food groups, or expect you to exist on under 1,400 calories a day - so any weight loss achieved is short lived.

That’s why at Healthy Food Guide magazine we decided to launch our mission to Fight the Fads: Make Every Meal Healthier, which has gained the backing of the BDA, Diabetes UK and the British Nutrition Foundation.

Our aim is to encourage both women and men to eat healthily every day instead of resorting to extreme, yo-yo dieting. Healthy Food Guide magazine is the only dedicated food magazine with a panel of health and diet professionals (qualified dietitians, not self-styled nutrition therapists), registered fitness experts and fully-trained recipe consultants. They bring their expert know-how to our fully referenced features – we don’t print facts that can’t be substantiated.

In our September issue (which comes out tomorrow), our nutrition consultant, registered dietitian Juliette Kellow, has put together a visual guide to portion sizes (no scales required) that will help you reduce your calorie intake without missing out on any of your favourite foods. We also have 46 taste-tested and nutritionist approved recipes, including slimmed down versions of your favourites, such as steak and chips and chicken kiev – that are full of flavour, but easy on your waistline. Plus, we’ve investigated the claims surrounding cancer and diet, to bring you the latest scientifically supported advice about what to eat to help reduce your risk. 

Pick up your copy of Healthy Food Guide magazine in larger supermarkets, Boots, WH Smiths or M&S; download a digital edition or purchase a subscription.