Tips For Adopting Vegetarian Diet

Adopting a vegetarian diet has many benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, while also conserving fresh water, fertile topsoil and other limited resources that go into creating a meat-based diet.

Here are five tips to help get you started from Beaumont Hospital dietitian and vegetarian Catherine Welemirov:

* Look at Some of Your Favorite Meals. Most people have favorite dishes that are already vegetarian or can be made so easily. If you enjoy vegetable lasagna, stir-fried vegetables or pasta primavera you can begin to transition to a vegetarian diet by making these meals more often.

* Try New Restaurants. Seek out Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern and Thai restaurants to discover the many vegetarian food options they offer.

* Explore Substitutes. There are many soy and vegetable-based meat substitutes that you can easily find in your grocery store. If you try one brand and don't care for it, keep trying. There is something out there for everyone.

* No Need to Cook Separate Meals. If you are the only one in your family adopting a vegetarian diet, try cooking the meat for dishes like pasta or stir fries in a separate pan and add the meat to a separated portion before serving.