What is a vegetarian diet?
A vegetarian diet is one that excludes meat, fish, and gelatine. For some people following a vegetarian diet they will include some animal products like dairy and eggs.
What are the health benefits of a vegetarian diet?
According to Harvard Health, vegetarians consume less saturated fat and cholesterol, and also eat more vitamins, fibre, folic acid, potassium and magnesium than people who eat meat. Because of this, vegetarians are more likely to have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index, which reduces the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
How can I eat a healthy vegetarian diet?
It’s important to make sure you’re eating a variety of foods and eat a healthy and balanced diet. Creating a healthy and balanced diet as a vegetarian means ensuring you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs; so eating a range of fruits and vegetables, ensuring you get enough calcium and vitamin D for healthy bones, muscles and teeth, getting enough protein, increasing fibre, eating good fats, and choosing healthy carbohydrates.
How can non-vegetarians join in with World Vegetarian Day?
Think that because you’re not a vegetarian, that you can’t get involved? Think again! Why not try out a new vegetarian dish on the day (or even for the whole month) or get together with work colleagues, friends and family and all bring a new vegetarian dish for everyone to try.
What vegetarian dishes can I try?
There's plenty of choice, you could try a vegetarian alternative of a meal you love and replace the meat or fish with a substitute or more vegetables, or why not try looking online or asking family and friends for some of their favourite recipes.
Below, we've pulled together some easy vegetarian recipes from BBC Good Food to get you started.
Vegetarian bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, or another cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, very finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks , very finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 350g frozen vegetarian mince
- 1 bay leaf
- 500ml passata
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 100ml milk
- small bunch basil , chopped
- 600g cooked spaghetti or other pasta shape (about 250g dried)
- vegetarian hard cheese, to serve, optional
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, carrots and celery until the onion is starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and the vegetarian mince (there’s no need to defrost it) and fry for a couple of mins. Add the bay leaf, passata, vegetable stock cube and 200ml water, then bring everything to the boil.
- STEP 2
Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins or until all the pieces of veg are tender and disappearing into the tomato sauce. Add the milk, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins. Season to taste. If the sauce is a bit thin, keep bubbling until it thickens. Stir through the basil. Serve with the spaghetti and grate the cheese over the top, if you like. Can be frozen into portions and reheated.
Courgette and lemon risotto
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 180g risotto rice
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 2 lemon thyme sprigs
- 250g courgette, diced
- 50g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
Method
- STEP 1
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan. Add the onion and fry gently until softened for about 8 mins, then add the garlic and stir for 1 min. Stir in the rice to coat it in the buttery onions and garlic for 1-2 mins.
- STEP 2
Dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre of boiling water, then add a ladle of the stock to the rice, along with the lemon juice and thyme. Bubble over a medium heat, stirring constantly. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle of stock and keep stirring. Tip in the courgette and keep adding the stock, stirring every now and then until the rice is just tender and creamy.
- STEP 3
To serve, stir in some seasoning, the lemon zest, vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese and crème fraîche.
Vegetarian fajitas
Ingredients
- 400g can black beans, drained
- small bunch coriander, finely chopped
- 4 large or 8-12 small flour tortillas
- 1 avocado, sliced, or 1 small tub guacamole
- 2 tbsp soured cream or crème fraîche
For the fajita mix
- 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 lime, juiced
Method
- STEP 1
To make the fajita mix, take two or three strips from each colour of pepper and finely chop them. Set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the remaining pepper strips and the onion until soft and starting to brown at the edges. Cool slightly and mix in the chopped raw peppers. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min, then add the spices and stir. Cook for a couple of mins more until the spices become aromatic, then add half the lime juice and season. Transfer to a dish, leaving any juices behind, and keep warm.
- STEP 2
Tip the black beans into the same pan, then add the remaining lime juice and plenty of seasoning. Stir the beans around the pan to warm them through and help them absorb any flavours of the fajita mix, then stir through the coriander.
- STEP 3
Warm the tortillas in a microwave or in a low oven, then wrap them so they don’t dry out. Serve the tortillas with the fajita mix, beans, avocado and soured cream for everyone to help themselves.
Mediterranean slices
Ingredients
- 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
- 4 tbsp green pesto (ensure vegetarian if needed)
- 140g frozen sliced roasted peppers
- 140g frozen artichokes (about 3 wedges per serving)
- 125g ball mozzarella , or 85g cheddar, grated
Method
- STEP 1
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Unroll the pastry and cut into 4 rectangles. Take a sharp knife and score a 1cm edge inside each rectangle, taking care that you don’t cut all the way through the pastry. Place on a baking sheet.
- STEP 2
Spread 1 tbsp pesto onto each slice, staying inside the border, then pile up the peppers and artichokes. Cook in the oven for 15 mins until the pastry is starting to brown.
- STEP 3
Tear the mozzarella ball into small pieces, then scatter it (or use cheddar, if you prefer) over the veg. Return to the oven for 5-7 mins until the pastry is crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve with a green salad.