Updated Sept 2016
Optimum health is based not so much what what we eat but how often we eat it.
There is no doubt that reducing levels of sugar, salt and alcohol improves health. Reducing meat consumption - or restricting it to top quality products - can also improve health.
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| Healthy Veggie Dishes should contain Complementary Amino Acids |
The first is a 20 year project in China - run jointly by Chinese, American and British scientists - considered to be one of the best research studies ever. It concluded that eating lots of animal-based foods was more likely to lead to higher death rates from 'Western' diseases. The opposite was true for those eating more plant foods.
Cost is another factor. Vegetarian meals cost less. And thrift is something we are all getting used to. Especially if shoppers are choosing to buy less but better of organic or higher welfare meats, and more organic vegetables and fruit.
67goingon50's optimum weekly eating plan involves two fish meals, one poultry, one meat (beef, lamb, game) and the rest vegetarian with some vegan. (See Healthy Eating...How to page on Nav Bar above). This is a plan for an 'oldie' - reduce fish meals to 1 if under the age of 40!
When planning your meals remember that animal protein provides all the essential amino acids needed by the body; most vegetarian foods contain some but not all essential amino acids. It's important to balance vegetable based foods containing only some essential amino acids with others containing different complementary amino acids.
The Vitamin B12 contained in animal products is vital for good health, preventing serious anaemia and depression. Some people lack the capacity to convert vegetarian B12 into the B12 needed by the body.
These worries are not a great concern if you are simply supplementing your normal diet with more vegetarian or vegan meals. But if you are planning a totally vegetarian or vegan diet, planning is necessary. It's too easy to deprive your body of essential nutrients.
Three plant foods are considered to have all the essential amino acids needed by the body. Two are wholegrains and not especially wallet-friendly. One, quinoa, can be bitter but new organic versions are said not to be. The other, amaranth, 67 has only tested in a cereal mix with other wholegrains -- and was definitely not impressed.
The third vegan protein is Tofu made of soya beans and containing the important minerals magnesium, zinc, copper and B1. This is 67's go-to plant protein. Tofu has been used in Asian cooking for centuries. It is very versatile, coming in two forms: silken & firm.
Silken tofu is wonderful in soups and appears in recipes for salad dressings and desserts. It is found in large supermarkets as well as in the chiller section of Chinese supermarkets.
Firm tofu can be treated like meat, in stir fries and sandwiches. A favourite use involves freezing and defrosting the tofu and squeezing some of the liquid out of it. It is then processed to a mince like texture and used as a replacement for beef or turkey mince. Firm tofu is most often found in health food shops but is now available in Chinatowns (67 has not yet tested the Chinese supermarket version but it is considerably less expensive).
Three plant foods are considered to have all the essential amino acids needed by the body. Two are wholegrains and not especially wallet-friendly. One, quinoa, can be bitter but new organic versions are said not to be. The other, amaranth, 67 has only tested in a cereal mix with other wholegrains -- and was definitely not impressed.
The third vegan protein is Tofu made of soya beans and containing the important minerals magnesium, zinc, copper and B1. This is 67's go-to plant protein. Tofu has been used in Asian cooking for centuries. It is very versatile, coming in two forms: silken & firm.
Silken tofu is wonderful in soups and appears in recipes for salad dressings and desserts. It is found in large supermarkets as well as in the chiller section of Chinese supermarkets.
Firm tofu can be treated like meat, in stir fries and sandwiches. A favourite use involves freezing and defrosting the tofu and squeezing some of the liquid out of it. It is then processed to a mince like texture and used as a replacement for beef or turkey mince. Firm tofu is most often found in health food shops but is now available in Chinatowns (67 has not yet tested the Chinese supermarket version but it is considerably less expensive).
Balancing vegetable protein:
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| Cheese & Walnut Tear & Share Bread |
- Legumes and grains go together eg hummous or other pulses with bread and rice (vegan)
- Dairy products and eggs go with everything
- Nuts & seeds add a little extra protein (vegan)
- tofu goes with everything (vegan)
Vegans needs special care:
- plant protein powders such as rice or pea can 'top up'
- B12 can be taken in supplement form or consumed in fortified foods such as plant based milks and Marmite
Some examples of healthy vegetarian dishes:
- beans on toast
- peanut butter sandwiches
- pasta with cheese
- pasta or rice with a milky sauce
- broth enriched with egg
- vegetable soups with a yoghurt drizzle
- salad with hard boiled eggs
- tofu (vegan), yoghurt or pureed cottage cheese in salad dressings, sauces and desserts
- lentil moussaka
- chickpea paella (vegan)
- avocado pilaff
- vegan Thai larb
- vegan lasagna
For Vegetarian/Vegan Dishes, go to Recipes II Page on Nav Bar
Tips for Energy Efficiency:
- Slow cookers
- Never use an oven unless you're baking two items
- Stir-fryingses little fuel
Additional Sources: Waitrose Health August 2018
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