Can you be healthy as a vegetarian? Yes, you can. The myth that a meat-free diet can cause many deficiency symptoms and is therefore unhealthy is still persistent.
In fact, vegetarians statistically live healthier lives than meat-eaters. The most important thing is to eat a balanced diet, with or without meat.
Find out how healthy it really is to live as a vegetarian and what to consider when eating a meat-free diet.
Vegetarian breakfast from Verival – discover it now!
What can vegetarians eat?
The foods that vegetarians include in their diet can be just as individual as the reasons for going meat-free. Some people choose to eat without meat for animal welfare reasons, some people follow a vegetarian or vegan diet for environmental reasons and some people do it for health reasons .
Studies show that vegetarians and vegans live healthier lives than meat-eaters . This is mainly because they pay more attention to their diet and health than people who eat a balanced diet.
By definition, there are different forms of vegetarianism:
- Pescetarian: no meat, but fish is eaten
- Ovo-lacto vegetarian: no meat or fish
- Lacto vegetarian: no meat, fish or eggs, but milk and dairy products are eaten
- Ovo-vegetarian – no meat, fish, milk or dairy products, but eggs are included
- Vegan – no meat, fish, eggs, milk or other products of animal origin, such as honey
- Flexitarian – a diet that is predominantly vegetarian or even vegan, but meat and fish are occasionally eaten
Why a vegetarian diet is healthy
By avoiding meat and sausage products, vegetarians consume fewer saturated fatty acids, which are bad for the cholesterol level. This is why vegetarians suffer less frequently from cardiovascular diseases or gastrointestinal diseases and are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure or elevated blood lipid levels.
Vegetarians are also less likely to be affected by obesity. This is because people who eat meatless meals are more likely to choose healthy foods.
Those who eat a balanced vegetarian diet can therefore enjoy above-average health.
Although there are many reasons to choose a vegetarian diet, doubts are still common. The concerns mainly revolve around getting enough protein or a lack of iron and vitamin B12. 1
That's why we've taken a closer look at these issues for you. We'll tell you what really matters and how you can live a healthy vegetarian life.
Whether you eat meat or not, it's got to be balanced!
Fruits and vegetables should be a big part of everyone's diet, not just vegetarians but omnivores as well. They provide essential fiber and vitamins.
Regardless of your dietary preferences, the daily requirement of carbohydrates should be covered by wholegrain cereals such as superfood oats, wholegrain products or potatoes.
We can help with breakfast, because we prefer to use wholegrain cereals in our mueslis and porridges.
Wholegrain breakfast from VERIVAL - try it now
Healthy fats, on the other hand, are taken up through nuts, seeds and vegetable oils and fats.
Legumes, such as beans, lentils or chickpeas, provide the necessary protein intake for vegetarians. Tofu and tempeh are also popular sources of protein. Vegetarians who eat animal products can get additional protein from eggs, milk and dairy products.
What vegetarians should be aware of!
There are many myths about why a vegetarian diet is unhealthy. We take a closer look at the most well-known ones:
Myth 1: Vegetarians don't get enough protein
Protein is one of the three basic building blocks of our body, along with carbohydrates and fat. It is primarily responsible for building body tissue. Consequently, a protein deficiency can lead to a disruption of various bodily functions.
The daily protein requirement for an adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. In a vegetarian diet, fish and meat are no longer sources of protein. However, vegetarians and vegans in industrialized countries are hardly affected by a protein deficiency. There are sufficient plant-based alternatives to easily meet the daily requirement.
Here is an overview of the most important vegan protein sources:
- Cereals (oats, millet, wheat, rye, etc.)
- Legumes (beans, lentils or peas)
- Nuts, seeds or pseudo-grains (buckwheat and amaranth)
- Soy and soy products such as tofu and tempeh
In contrast to meat and fish, these protein sources also contain important dietary fiber. You won't find these in meat and fish.
Those who follow a vegetarian diet can also include eggs, milk and dairy products in their diet.
Myth 2: Vegetarians suffer from iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, about 30% of all people suffer from an iron deficiency. But here, too, developing countries are more affected than industrialized countries.
Since animal products have a high iron content, vegans and vegetarians are actually more likely to suffer from iron deficiency.
However, if you pay a little attention to your diet and eat a balanced diet, you have nothing to fear.
You can find iron in numerous plant-based foods, such as:
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds)
- seeds (e.g. flaxseed)
- whole grains
- oat flakes
- dried fruit (e.g. dates)
- vegetables (e.g. spinach, chard)
However, vegetable iron is less well absorbed by the body than iron from animal products. Therefore, it is a matter of clever combination. For example, vitamin C improves the absorption of iron.
One possible combination: enjoy a glass of orange juice with your favorite VERIVAL muesli in the morning. The vitamin C from the oranges helps you to better absorb the iron contained in your muesli.
Another tip: a squeeze of lemon on your vegetables helps the absorption of plant-based iron.
In addition, you should not combine iron-rich foods with milk or dairy products because they inhibit the absorption of iron.
For this reason, vegetarians are more prone to iron deficiency than vegans. Since they avoid animal products altogether, they eliminate milk completely from their diet.
Myth 3: Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products
Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that must be ingested through food and can only be found in relevant quantities in animal products. For this reason, vegans* have a hard time covering their daily vitamin B12 requirement in the long term. According to recommendations, this is 3 micrograms per day.
The vitamin plays an important role in blood formation and cell division and It is also important for our nervous system and contributes to a functioning immune system.
A deficiency of vitamin B12 often manifests itself in the form of tiredness, concentration difficulties and neurological symptoms such as tingling in the fingertips. However, our body can store its vitamin B12 reserves for several years. This means that a deficiency often only becomes apparent at a very late stage.
Vitamin B12 is responsible for many important bodily functions. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy metabolism and normal functioning of the nervous system. 2
Since vitamin B12 is not only found in meat, but also in eggs, cheese and milk, vegetarians can meet their daily needs with these foods.
Those who do not eat any animal products at all should take vitamin B12 in the form of supplements to avoid a deficiency.
In any case, regular blood tests should also be carried out to detect a deficiency in good time. However, this also applies to meat eaters and not just to vegetarians and vegans.
Myth 4: Vegetarians cannot meet their omega-3 needs
Omega-3 fatty acids are among the essential fatty acids. This means that they cannot be produced by the body itself and must be ingested through food. They are particularly important for heart health and the normal functioning of our brain.
You may have heard that fish is particularly high in healthy fats. These are mainly cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel or herring.
Unlike vitamin B12, however, omega-3 is also found in vegetable oils such as linseed oil, rapeseed oil or walnut oil. In addition, the requirement can be covered by nuts and seeds.
Vegetarians who watch their diet have no need to fear a deficiency. It's easy to integrate omega-3 into your breakfast by adding a handful of nuts to your porridge topping, for example.
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- Shipton MJ, Thachil J. Vitamin B12 deficiency – A 21st century perspective. Clin Med. Published online March 30, 2015:145-150. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-2-145
- Romain M, Sviri S, Linton DM, Stav I, van Heerden PV. The Role of Vitamin B12 in the Critically Ill—a Review. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care. Published online July 2016:447-452. doi: 10.1177/0310057×1604400410
