Going vegan or vegetarian? Don't make these common switchover mistakes

Whether you choose to eat meat or not is a personal choice. However, if you are trying to go off of meat or at least cut back on your consumption. There are some things you should keep in mind.  
People who are trying to reduce their meat intake or just increase the proportion of plant-based foods in their diet end up making some common mistakes. Know them to avoid them!  

#1 Forgetting about key micronutrients 

Eliminating a major food group like meat means you are not to be consuming your main protein sources. But apart from protein, you also miss out on nutrients like iron, vitamin b12 and omega fatty acids which are most commonly found in meats. Make sure you eat replacement sources for these essential nutrients by adding nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, soy foods as well as whole grains to your diet.  

#2 Focussing only on processed faux meats  

With plant-based meats becoming the latest food trend in the market, it is hard to not be lured by the allure of faux meats. But remember plant-based meats are often highly processed and contain ingredients that don’t really do you any favours. We also don’t yet know what they do to our body in the long term. If the goal is to eat more plant-based food then do it with fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts. After all, there are so many of them!  

Also Read: Vegetarian sources of protein to include in your diet

#3 Using cheese as a catch-all replacement 

It’s an easy way to mirror the lost flavour, so people often resort to replacing meat with cheese in the same dishes. And while there’s nothing wrong with a bit of cheese, too much of one thing is never a good thing. Instead, try to aim for variety in your meat substitution. You can go for tofu, tempeh, chickpea, beans, lentils or just veggies! 

#4 Assuming everything vegan is healthier 

This one is an honest mistake as vegan or vegetarian food is often marketed as a healthy alternative. But this is not always the case. Just because something is labelled plant-based does not make it automatically healthier. You still need to read the rest of the label to figure out the amounts of other things like sugars, artificial additives and preservatives to make a decision.  

Also Read: Word Nerd: 5 vegetarian buzzwords

Ultimately, a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can be very delicious. Just keep the basics of nutrition in mind to make smart eating choices.