How to eat vegetarian without lacking nutrients?

Notes when buying ready-made vegetarian food

To meet the vegetarian tastes of the people, industrial vegetarian food production facilities have launched more and more dishes with diverse and rich varieties such as spring rolls, ham, sausage, meat, fish, shrimp, squid, vegetarian... In terms of taste, it is not much different from salty dishes. And, because of such convenience, many people often buy them to eat.

Packaged vegetarian dishes.

Dr. Hoang Hai Ha - Faculty of Food Technology, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, who has done research at industrial vegetarian food production facilities, said: If in the past, people who cooked vegetarian dishes themselves would mainly use ingredients such as mushrooms, green beans, soybeans, vegetables, fruits, etc., now these facilities will use wheat flour as the main ingredient. "Wheat flour contains gluten. This substance creates the characteristic viscosity and elasticity of the flour. Wheat flour itself has high nutrition, including carbohydrates and proteins, so wheat flour is widely used in vegetarian food processing" - Dr. Hoang Hai Ha analyzed.

Therefore, people with celiac disease (also known as gluten intolerance) are advised not to eat these foods because if eaten, the body will react, causing digestive disorders and damage to the small intestine...

Dr. Hoang Hai Ha recommends that people with celiac disease should carefully read the ingredients listed on the packaging and product labels when buying ready-made vegetarian products. If there is wheat flour or gluten, they should absolutely not eat them. In addition, carefully reading the ingredients and instructions for use as well as buying products with full labels will help users buy quality products, ensure food safety and hygiene, and balance nutrition in daily meals.

Eat vegetarian properly for good health

Many people worry that being a vegetarian will cause the body to lack nutrients, but according to Dr. Hoang Hai Ha - Faculty of Food Technology, Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, if a vegetarian diet is reasonable, it will be good for health. "If eating salty foods always ensures nutritional balance, with all 4 groups of substances: starch - protein - sugar - fat - fiber, then eating vegetarian properly must balance these 4 groups to provide enough nutrients for the body. To do so, the diet needs to be built in detail, not just eating whatever dish is convenient, it will cause a situation of both excess and deficiency of nutrients".

A proper vegetarian must be flexible in changing the menu, a meal must always ensure 3-4 dishes or more. The ingredients for making suitable vegetarian dishes will prioritize choosing beans, mushrooms... Dr. Hoang Hai Ha said that if the processor uses bean curd as the ingredient, which only has about 16% protein. Eating like that, the body will lack balance. If choosing a vegetarian mushroom dish with ingredients including taro, shiitake mushrooms, and button mushrooms, then it is a good product. That is the reason why buyers should read the full ingredients in vegetarian dishes.

In addition, there are many ready-made vegetarian foods floating around the market and not strictly controlled by the authorities. Therefore, buying ingredients and preparing vegetarian food yourself is best for your health.

According to Vietnamnet