Here at Active Nation we want to help you to feel happier and healthier, without compromising on delicious flavours! We are therefore proud to dedicate this blog to World Vegetarian Day. Falling on 1st October, this day recognises the health benefits of chucking meat from your diet. So, we have put together some of the reasons why we think you should try going veggie today!
Love your heart
With one study suggesting that vegetarians are 25% less likely to die from heart disease [1] than meat eaters, sticking to a vegetarian diet is an easy way to maintain a healthy heart. Cutting out processed meat (bacon, sausages, ham and salami) is especially good, since these meats contains nitrates, which can lead to all sorts of health complications.
Red meat also has a high saturated fat content, which increases your blood cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of stroke and heart attack. With all the hard work your heart does for you, a veggie diet is just the kind of TLC it deserves!
Go with your gut
There is a whole bunch of bacteria lurking around in your digestive system and the more good bacteria there is, the better your digestive system will perform. Plant based foods are known to have a higher proportion of good bacteria, as well as fibre, than meat does. Your gut is going to love those extra helping hands when processing all that food.
Get glowing
Not only is vegetarian food great for your insides, but it is good for the outside too. In fact, a veggie diet can deliver a boost to your skin, hair, and nails. Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants will support both healthy hair and healthy skin, which could be welcome news if the summer glow is fading!
Get saving
It won’t just be your body thanking you for your new healthy diet, but your bank account will thank you too! Bulking out your meals with vegetables, pulses, and meat alternatives will prove cheaper than buying meat – so use those extra pennies to treat yourself for keeping up the healthy diet!
Pennies aren’t the only thing you will save by cutting down on your meat consumption. The environment and, of course, the animals will be far better off! Over 80% of corn and 95% of oats produced in the world are fed to livestock, and cattle alone consumes more food than the Earth’s entire human population![2]
Growing all this animal feed requires a huge amount of deforestation, and less trees is bad news considering that over 51% of greenhouse gasses worldwide are emitted from animal agriculture.[3] When eating one hamburger has the same water footprint as an entire month’s worth of showering,[4] anyone who cares about the environment can appreciate the benefits of vegetarian diet!
Test new tastes
If you think that a veggie diet might be a bit dull, think again! Replacing meat with vegetables, pulses, and other alternatives will add exciting new colours and flavours to your plate, and we have plenty of yummy veggie Active Nutrition dishes for you to try out.
One of our favourites has got to be this warming Sweet Potato Soup, with vibrant orange colour that gives us a Halloween feel! A hearty and filling soup, it is packed with goodness and delicious flavours that will have you finishing off the entire bowl.
If soup isn’t your thing, then you could try this awesome Stuffed Pepper recipe. Stuffed Peppers are easy to make and a great introduction into a vegetarian diet. Swap out the beef stock for vegetable stock to make this dish totally veggie!
Still not convinced?
If you can’t conceive of a turkeyless Christmas day, we understand! Reap the benefits of a veggie diet needn’t be all or nothing. Loads of people are opting to simply cut down on their meat intake, and you could start by trying out a few new veggie dinners each week. World Vegetarian Day is the perfect time to give it a go, so why not see if you can find a recipe that really gets your taste buds tingling? Remember, going meat free doesn’t mean going flavour free!
[1] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
[2] https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/how-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment/
[3] https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/how-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment/
