Many of my clients ask me for advice on how to be a healthy vegetarian. An unhealthy vegetarian diet can lead to low energy levels, weight gain, and other health issues. I see so many people adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet without fully understanding how to do it properly.

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I do not follow a vegetarian diet. I have tried both the vegetarian and vegan diet and find it is just not suitable for my body. No matter what I do, I find it causes low energy and bloating. But just because it doesn’t work for me, that doesn’t stop me from sharing lots of yummy vegan and vegetarian recipes.

Our bodies and metabolism are all so different. A diet that works for me may make you feel awful and vice versa. The most important thing you can do is to really listen to your body and eat the foods that make you feel awesome.

Understanding amino acids is essential to being a healthy vegetarian

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein structures created by amino acids play a key role in the health of our blood, skin, muscles, bones, hormones, immune system and enzymes. Not all amino acids are essential because your body can make many of them; however, there are 9 amino acids the body cannot manufacture. These amino acids are called essential amino acids and must be acquired from our food.

Animal proteins contain all of the essential amino acids; therefore they are called complete proteins. Plant-based foods usually contain some, but not all, of the essential amino acids; therefore plant-based foods must be combined to create complete proteins that the body can use. You don’t have to eat complementary proteins together in the same meal, but it is important to eat a complete protein profile every day.

Food Combinations for Complete Protein

Food	Limiting Amino Acid	Complimentary Food
Grains and Corn	Lysine, Threonine	Legumes   Dairy*
Legumes	Tryptophan, Methionine and Cystine	Grains   Nuts/Seeds
Nuts/Seeds	Lysine, Isoleucine	Legumes
Dairy*	Lower in Methionine and Cystine	Grains   Veggies

Unhealthy vegetarian and vegan diets are usually deficient in protein, iron, and vitamin B12. All three of these nutrients play an important role in our energy levels and overall health. Below are some healthy vegetarian and vegan sources of these nutrients.

Healthy vegetarian sources of protein

• Whole Grains – quinoa*, brown rice, millet, amaranth, oats, organic corn, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, spelt, Ezekiel and kamut
• Legumes – green peas, lentils, chickpeas, alfalfa sprouts, mung beans, beans (kidney, lima, aduki, navy beans…), organic soybeans* and peanuts
• Greens – spinach*, sea vegetables*, cremini mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, Swiss chard, collard greens and cauliflower
• Nuts/Seeds – almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, macadamias, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, flax seed and chia seeds
• Organic Dairy Products* and Organic Eggs*

* a complete protein

Healthy vegetarian sources of iron

• spinach
• turmeric
• Swiss chard
• basil
• cinnamon
• romaine lettuce
• organic soy
• shiitake mushrooms
• green beans
• parsley
• kale
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• asparagus
• olives
• lentils
• pumpkin seeds
• sesame seeds
• celery
• quinoa
• cabbage
• kidney beans

Healthy vegetarian sources of vitamin B12

• yoghurt
• milk
• eggs
• fermented organic soy (miso, tempeh)
• sea vegetables
• nutritional yeast
• supplementation

Importance of Low Sugar Diet

Grains are a staple in a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet; therefore, the diet is inevitably is high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates metabolise into sugar in the body and, when additional high sugar foods are also part of the diet, there is a risk of yeast overgrowth or parasites. In addition, sugar is a pure carbohydrate with no vitamins or minerals which causes an acidic state in the body. To neutralise the acidic state, the body leaches minerals from your bones which can lead to many health issues. According to Dental Expressions: Dentist in Lee’s Summit, MO : “Along with the other health benefits of a low-sugar diet, it also helps to reduce the tooth decay if you follow the diet regularly”.

When following a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet it is very important to limit sugar intake in the form of processed sugar, desserts and sweet treats. I have lots of yummy low-sugar vegetarian and vegan desserts in my cookbook Healthy Dairy Free Desserts.

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