Celebrate Vegetarian Awareness Month

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, so, it is an ideal time to explore the different types of vegetarian diets, their benefits and how to make your diet more plant-centric.

People often equate vegetarianism with veganism, but there are six defined types of plant-centered diets, and veganism is only one. The various diets share the consumption of vegetables, fruit, grains, dried beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

100 percent whole food plant exclusive — only includes food from plant sources that are minimally processed.

Lacto-vegetarian — Plant exclusive with the addition of dairy.

Ovo-vegetarian — Plant exclusive except for eggs.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian — This diet includes dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.) and eggs.

Pesci-vegetarian — This diet includes fish and may or may not include dairy and eggs.

Veganism — Restricts all foods derived from animals, but the quality of the food may not be the primary concern. Honey is excluded, and the lifestyle restricts the source of clothing (e.g., no leather).

Vegetarian diets support better health when compared to the Standard American Diet (SAD) because they are lower in saturated fats and cholesterol and higher in fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential antioxidants and phytochemicals from fruit and vegetables. Even people who rely only on whole plant foods typically have a sufficient protein intake. Making your diet plant-centric may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. These diseases are associated with the SAD way of eating, which includes high levels of red meat (beef, lamb, and pork), cured deli meats and insufficient intake of nutrient-rich plants.

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Eight Steps to Become More Plant CentricEat lots of vegetables. You can count vegetables in casseroles, soups, sauces (like marinara) and condiments (like salsa) toward your daily goal of at least five servings. Enjoy raw, roasted, grilled, or sautéed vegetables in salads, soups and sides. I’m a big fan of frozen vegetables because they don’t spoil and are easy to prepare.

Pump up the pulses. Cooked beans, lentils, garbanzo beans and split peas are protein-rich. Organic canned beans are low in sodium, inexpensive and convenient.

Add mushrooms. All cooked mushroom varieties are nutrient-dense, making your taste buds think you are eating meat. Try replacing half of the ground meat in burgers with finely chopped mushrooms you cooked and cooled.

Replace meat with omega-3-rich seafood twice a week and fish or shellfish as often as you like. Salmon, sardines, rainbow trout and barramundi are available in most markets and are excellent sources of healthy fats. Shrimp and scallops are mild in flavor and can be stir-fried with various vegetables.

Make meat a supporting star. Let animal protein support the star characters: vegetables, beans and whole grains. When you choose an animal-derived protein, devote just a quarter of your plate to this choice.

Make one meal meatless. Choose high-quality plant protein for lunch or dinner. At breakfast, replace the bacon, ham and sausage with vegetables and mushrooms.

Chew the fat. Though high in healthy fat, nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olives and avocados are all protein sources; nuts add crunch and interest to vegetarian dishes, and avocados can replace less healthy fat sources.

Include probiotic-rich dairy products. Unsweetened yogurt, kefir, and cultured cottage cheese are good protein sources and provide active cultures that improve gut health for most people. Nondairy sources of probiotics include soy yogurt and lacto-fermented vegetables (e.g., cabbage and beets), tempeh, and miso.

As you transition from a meat‑centric diet to one centered on plants, be flexible and treat yourself kindly. Focus on following a well-planned diet that incorporates a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and grains that provide a variety of vital nutrients. The Old Ways website has many free sources, and you may want to consider ordering their four‑week vegetarian diet meal plan booklet. Visit oldwayswebstore.org/oldways-4-week-vegetarian-vegan-diet-menu-plan-book.