What are the differences between the vegan diet and the vegetarian diet?
Discover the differences between the plant diet and the vegetarian diet.
We hear, with increasing regularity, the following sentences: “I have decided to follow a vegetarian diet”, “I have chosen to become a vegan”… Although very similar, vegetarianism and veganism are different .
Based, both, on foods of natural origin, vegetarianism admits the intake of eggs, dairy products and honey, foods from live and respected animals, while the vegan diet excludes them to stand as a totally vegetable diet.
Both are healthy diets if all the nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body (proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals...) are ingested in a balanced way. That is to say that properly designed, these diets can be sustained in the long term without any type of problem.
How can we make sure that we are nourishing ourselves correctly?
The fundamental thing is to be attentive to the needs of the body. How I feel today? What kind of energy do I need to ingest today? Do I feel very hungry? What do I need to eat? These are some questions that we can ask ourselves before preparing our vegetarian or vegan food.
Food must be a source of life; not a formality or an excuse to be outdated.
Once our needs have been identified, we must decide which of the two diets we are going to choose .
Because?
Because the nutritional values , although similar, differ . Eggs and dairy products of animal origin contain high protein content; when making a vegetarian bowl, they will be our main source of energy. If we opt for a vegan diet, we must replace these products with foods with a similar nutritional value: tofu, tempeh or seitan are, for example, a great source of vegetable protein.
Carbohydrates should follow, to a greater or lesser extent, according to our physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. If, for example, we have to carry out intense physical activity, we will opt for a greater amount of whole grains, wheat or quinoa. If we have done a light physical activity, maybe the body does not need so much. Whether it is a vegetarian or vegan dish, it is important to listen and observe each other.
For vegans , the exquisite and highly nutritious combination of whole grains with legumes is highly recommended: quinoa with chickpea curry, brown rice salad with lentils, tofu with tamari, sesame and buckwheat, sautéed pasta with vegetables and tempeh...
Eating to nourish the body , not to please the mind is a very important criterion to take when taking care of yourself. Healthy fats are another essential property that must be present in our vegetable foods: avocado, nuts, olive or coconut oil are some examples.
So that all this can be complete, we must accompany it with large amounts of green leafy vegetables , rich in vitamins and minerals. With fruit , if we wish. With seeds, algae, sprouts ... The options are very diverse, as long as we are aware of what we are configuring and why we are configuring it that way.
Both diets, vegetarian and vegan, tend to be very colorful. And that means that we are ingesting a lot of vitamins. Either for a health issue or out of respect for animals, both are very varied, they can be eclectic and very original .
One must have the desire to want to innovate, create, surprise and improve. To make rich vegetarian and vegan meals, we must learn to do it, making not so rich recipes. All learning requires mistakes: only then can we evolve, improve and create .
Neither one is better than the other: at Believe Athletics we consider each person as an individual being . Therefore, the most important thing is to listen, observe, feel and go to a specialist who offers personalized nutrition sessions to develop a meal plan according to the needs, concerns and personal desires of the patient: holistic or Ayurvedic nutrition are a good option. . There are plenty. Search, investigate, try and fail . Only then will you find the diet that best suits you.
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