Vegetarian foods have become a new trendsetter among Indians. A lot of people are following the slogan of "Go Veggie". A vegetarian diet mainly consists of vegetables, fruits, cereals, milk, beans, seeds, and nuts. They contain essential nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, dietary minerals, enzymes and fibers. They also produce phytochemicals and antioxidants which protects the immune system of our body. The main advantage of a vegetarian diet is that they contain very less amount of fats and cholesterol. Most of the people don't know that vegetarians are further divided into subcategories based upon their diet. They are:

1. Semi-vegetarian

They use milk, fish, eggs, and chicken in their diet but avoid the meat of animals.

2. Pesco-vegetarian

They use milk, fish, and eggs in their diet but avoid all kinds of meat.

3. Lacto-Ovo vegetarian

Their diet consists of  milk and eggs but they avoid fish and all kinds of meat.

4. Ovo-vegetarian

They include eggs in their diet but avoid fish, milk, and all kinds of meat.

5. Lacto-vegetarian

They include milk in their diet but avoid fish, eggs, and all kinds of meat.

6. Vegans

They avoid all kinds of products derived from animals.

7. Macrobiotics

Their diet includes only grains, fruits and some kind of special vegetables.

Vegetarian diet has many advantages but some disadvantages too.

Advantages Of Vegetarian Diet

1. Protein

The most essential nutrient required for the healthy functioning of our body is proteins. Soybeans, peanuts, sesame seeds, spinach, barley, kidney beans etc have high contents of protein in them. Milk is also a good source of protein.

2. Fat

The body needs fat to maintain its energy levels. There are two types of fat, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are harmful to the body and unsaturated fats are good for the body because they lower your LDL (low- density lipoprotein) levels and prevent heart diseases. Vegetarian foods are free of cholesterol and contain unsaturated fats. Olive oil, almonds, and avocados are rich in unsaturated fats.

3. Vitamins

Daily dosage of all the vitamins is needed by the body to perform efficiently. Vegetarian foods are the store room of vitamins. Vitamin A and vitamin B1 is found in spinach, sweet potato, carrots, and cereals. The main source of vitamin B2, B3, B5 and B6 are milk, potatoes, tomatoes, oats and soy products. Vitamin B7 and B12 are abundant in fruits and milk. Vitamin D is formed in the body as result of sunlight exposure and dairy products are also a good source of vitamin D. Almonds, sunflower oil, and vegetable oils are enriched in vitamin E. Green vegetables like spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and sprouts are rich in Vitamin K.

4. Minerals

Calcium is the most important mineral that our body needs daily. Green vegetables, ragi, and dairy products are good sources of calcium. Iron is also a very important mineral and deficiency of of it can lead to anemia. Vegetables are high in iron content but it is found in ferric state which is not absorbed by the intestines. Vegetables lack zinc content. Grains, cashew nuts and legumes are rich sources of zinc.

5. Dietry Fiber

Deficiency of fiber in your diet can lead to constipation, blood cholesterol, and decrease in glucose levels. They contain phytochemicals which destroys toxic elements in your body. Spinach, cucumber, carrots, sprouts, onion, tomatoes, watermelon etc are good sources of fiber.

6. Omega-3 Fatty Acid

They are unsaturated fatty acids which is essential for your body. Vegetarian foods mainly contain omega-6 fatty acids. Flax seed oil and walnuts contain essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Some Disadvantages Of Vegetarian Diet

1. The protein present in most of the vegetarian diets lack amino acids except milk.

2. A vegetarian diet lacks vitamin B12, which is abundant in meat products. Intake of milk can solve this problem to an extent but vegetarians belonging to vegans category need to take B12 supplements.

3. As the iron in vegetables is found in ferric state, the gut can't ingest it and it is useless. Poultry products contain iron in ferrous state which is easily ingested in the intestines.

4. Most of the vegetables don't contain zinc. Red meats, eggs and sea foods are good sources of zinc.

5. Vegetables also lack omega-3 fatty acids. Sea foods are the main source of omega-3 acids.

All these essential nutrients should be present in your daily intake of food. A vegetarian can face health hazards, if the rules of food habits are not followed. Don't follow vegans or macrobiotic diet during adolescence, pregnancy or in old age.

Facts About Vegetarians

1. Vegetarians live much longer than meat eaters. The mortality rate especially due to heart diseases is very low among vegetarians.

2. Vegetarians have 40% less chances of having cancer.

3. Lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes are not found in vegetarians because of fiber in their diet.

4. The immune system of vegetarians are stronger than that of non vegetarians.

5. Harmful chemicals and hormones are less in the body of a vegetarian.