What is a Vegetarian Diet Plan?
Green Chef’s healthy Vegetarian recipes allow you to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need whilst also enjoying tasty meals each day of the week. We aim to break down the barriers of healthy eating, so our vegetarian meal plan helps you meet dietary needs without compromising on flavour and quality.
Each Green Chef Vegetarian meal box contains high-quality pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes for delicious vegetarian dishes. Many of the ingredients, from chopped veg to tasty sauces, have been prepped for you, allowing you to save time without sacrificing flavour- perfect for a busy lifestyle.
Vegetarian Dishes to Try
Looking for some inspiration? Check out the top rated Green Chef Vegetarian recipes:
- Paneer Tikka Tacos: Discover this spicy fusion between Mexican and Indian cuisines, a guaranteed crowd pleaser
- Feta and Charred Bulgar Wheat Salad: Who said salad had to be boring? Not on our watch. This flavour packed recipes will leave you feeling full and well nourished.
- Chestnut Mushroom and Lentil Pie:: A veggie twist on a classic shepard's pie, with a rich, smokey filling and a creamy sweet and cheddar potato topping.
Find our [top plant based recipes here](https://www.greenchef.co.uk/diet-plans/top-ten-vegan-meals).
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Is a Vegetarian Diet Healthy?
We're always told to get our five-a-day and this is because fruit and vegetables provide us with the best nutrients and vitamins our bodies need to remain healthy. The many benefits of a vegetarian diet are just a testament of this.Some vegetarians rely heavily on processed foods, whereas Green Chef’s easy vegetarian recipes help you cook fresh, delicious meals that will have you dodging these processed foods and keep your vegetarian diet plan as healthy as possible.
These popular vegetarian foods provide a wide range of nutrients and can be part of a balanced diet for those following a vegetarian diet plan. Nutritional needs can vary, so it's essential to ensure a well balanced diet no matter your preferences.
What Ingredients Should you Include in a Vegetarian Diet?
- Butternut squash - Butternut squash is a source of magnesium, potassium, and manganese — all of which play important roles in bone health.
- Cheese: A source of protein and calcium
- Carrot - Carrot contains beta-carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A, and can help promote immune function
- Chickpeas: A source of fibre, which is key for your gut health and a source of protein
- Parsnips - Parsnips are high in antioxidants which may protect against chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
- Sweet potato - The fibre and antioxidants in sweet potatoes promote a healthy gut
- Spinach - Spinach contains essential minerals including magnesium, which supports bone health and energy levels.
- Tofu - Tofu is a source of protein and low in fat, in fact gram for gram, it contains more protein that meat
- Quinoa - A grain perfect for salads or enjoyed as a side dish and a source of plant based protein
- Kale - Kale is a great source of vitamin A, K and C, it’s also high in beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant.
What is the Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan Diets?
A Vegan diet excludes all animal produce, including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy and eggs. Whereas a vegetarian diet includes some animal products like dairy and eggs.
What Are The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet?
A plant-based diet supplies you with all of the essential nutrients your body needs as well as numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that a predominantly plant-based diet may be a healthier way to eat, with fewer reported cases of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes in vegetarians. Vegetarians are also more likely to eat more than their five-a-day which helps against age-related health conditions.Not only are vegetarian diets great for your body, but they're great for the environment too. Following a vegetarian diet plan uses less natural resources and therefore cause less environmental damage.
How to Kickstart Your Vegetarian Diet
If you're just starting your vegetarian diet then it's good to do it in phases. Try cutting certain things at a time, such as red meat, and then a couple of weeks later stop eating poultry and so forth. But make sure you eat foods that are going to counterbalance the nutrients you were getting from these foods. A great first step to vegetarianism is to go flexitarian first.Be adventurous with your recipes as this will help you stick to your new diet. Include new ingredients you've never tried, or different flavours and see what you discover.
Dr Rupy collaboration
With a masters in nutrition, Dr Rupy was the perfect person for us to collaborate with to bring a range of nutrient dense, amazing tasting plant powered recipes, that didn’t compromise on flavour. Whilst Rupy doesn’t exclusively follow a plant based diet, he promotes vegan and vegetarian recipes because he noticed that many of us aren’t getting enough nutrient rich vegetables in our diets. Every recipe in the "Dr Rupy Creates" collection contained at least 3 of your five a day, as well as being packed with plant powered protein.
Whether it’s collaborating with NHS doctors, providing recipes that allow you to consume 30 different fruits and vegetables each week, or enabling you to switch seamlessly between our six diet preferences, we’re always looking for ways to make following your healthy eating goals as exciting (and delicious) as possible.