ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Avoid an Unhealthy Vegetarian Diet

Updated on October 15, 2010

Vegetarian Diet

There are so many people (men, women, and children) who are practicing a vegetarian diet or are thinking about switching.

Vegetarian diets have been proven to be healthier and it can potentially prevent obesity and various diseases and illnesses. So, many believe that this is just the healthier way to live. Fruits and vegetables versus meats and animals.

If you opt to maintain a vegetarian diet, choose what type of vegetarian you want to be. Do you want to be one who is more of a semi-vegetarian who continues to eat poultry and fish? A lacto-vegetarian who eats dairy but no eggs? Or a a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, who eats dairy and eggs but doesn't eat any other meat?

Depending on what type of vegetarian you are, you'll find that there will be a few dietary differences, as those who eat some poultry and fish may not need to take B12 supplements when compared to a vegetarian who doesn't eat poultry, dairy, or fish.

When managing a vegetarian diet, it's important to know what you need in your diet in order to maintain a healthy body and bodily systems.

Unhealthy Vegetarian

Whether you are a new vegetarian or a long-term vegetarian sometimes you just don't pay close enough attention to what you're eating, and sometimes this leads to an unhealthy diet.

As a vegetarian, it's important that you watch what you eat, as different foods are rich in different vitamins and essentials. If you don't eat a varied diet, then you will easily become an unhealthy vegetarian.

When trying to be a healthy vegetarian, you want to make sure that you consume 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, 5-9 servings of whole grain, 2-3 servings of beans and legumes, and 2-3 servings of milk and/or dairy. It's also a good idea to supplement your diet with nuts and seeds, which make great healthy snacks.

Variety is key.

Vegetarian Daily Food Servings

When monitoring your food servings, keep the following tips in mind.

Vegetable servings: (3-5 servings a day)

  • Vegetables are measured in 1/2 cup per serving.
  • Salads are one cup per serving.
  • Vegetable juices are measured per 1/2 cup per serving.

Fruit servings: (2-4 servings a day)

  • Fruits are hard to measure, as they have a lot of variations. One large apple may equal 2 servings, whereas a medium, may just be one serving. A cup of watermelon and a cup of pears will also measure out differently.
  • The best thing to do is to check cans, if you prefer can fruits, as all cans will tell you the serving size.
  • Generally 1/2 cup of fruit equals 1 serving.

Beans and legume servings: (2-3 servings a day)

  • 1/2 cup equals 1 serving

Grain servings: (5-9 servings a day)

  • Cooked rice and pasta- 1/2 cup per 1 serving
  • Hot cereal- 1/2 cup per 1 serving
  • Cold breakfast cereal- 2/3 cup equals 1 serving
  • Remember to check labels, as some serving sizes may vary

Milk and dairy servings: (2-3 servings a day)

  • 1 ounce or 1 slice of cheese is equivalent to 1 serving
  • 1/2 cup of ice cream is equal to 1 serving

Nut servings:

  • Typically measured per type of nut, but about 2 tablespoons or 10-15 nuts equals 1 serving
  • 2 tablespoons of peanut butter measures about 1 serving.

 Disclaimer: Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licensed physician. If you are thinking about converting to your diet, consult your doctor so that you can ensure that you stay healthy in the process.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)