Vegetarian Food Pyramid

More and more people are eating vegetarian food, which means they are avoiding meat products and fish. But not every vegetarian diet is automatically healthy. We will show you how to eat a balanced diet even with a vegetarian diet.

Balanced vegetarian diet

A balanced diet is particularly important for vegetarians in order to prevent nutrient deficiencies as a result of not eating certain foods. In addition, any deficits are compensated. Diet affects your overall health, so an unbalanced diet can have psychological and physical consequences, such as:

• fatigue
• power loss
• diabetes

To counteract this, you should pay attention to the balanced composition of your food. Our vegetarian food pyramid will help you with this.

Stage 1 – Drinks

At least 6 portions of liquid per day are recommended, which corresponds to an amount of 1 – 2 liters. You should definitely drink this amount of water or unsweetened drinks such as tea. You should also reduce your coffee consumption to 3 cups a day. Sugary drinks do not count towards this level at all.

Tip: If pure water is too tasteless for you, you can enhance the taste with other foods such as mint, lemon, cucumber, or berries.

Stage 2 – Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide the body with important nutrients such as vitamins and fiber. They are essential in a vegetarian lifestyle. Therefore, you should eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Ideally, these are 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables, which you can eat raw, cooked, or as juice.

Stage 3 – High Carbohydrate Foods

2 – 3 portions of carbohydrate-rich food daily provide the body with important nutrients and ensure, among other things, intact digestion. In addition to cereals and potatoes, this also includes bread, cereal flakes, rice, or pasta. Whole grain products are particularly suitable for your diet due to their higher nutrient content.

Stage 4 – Legumes and protein products

1-2 servings per week are recommended. Particularly high-quality protein can be found in beans, chickpeas, lentils, lupins, peas, or soy products such as tofu or tempeh.

Stage 5 – Nuts and Seeds

30 to 60 grams of nuts and seeds a day are enough to provide your body with nutrients and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids.

Stage 6 – Vegetable oils and fats and dairy products

You should include 2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oils and fats in your vegetarian diet daily, ideally flaxseed or canola oil. It is also recommended to consume up to 250 grams of milk or yogurt or up to 50 grams of cheese daily.

Stage 7 – Eggs and luxury foods

You can eat eggs up to 2 times a week and alcohol and sweets such as wine, chips, or chocolate can also be consumed from time to time. However, you should not exceed the maximum amount of 1 portion per day.

Energy demand

Of course, a balanced vegetarian diet also depends on the energy requirement. For adults, this is based on age, gender, height, and weight and can be calculated. The average level of energy intake per day is as follows:

Age in years – Daily requirement for men in kcal – Daily requirement for women in kcal

• 15 to under 19 years 2500 kcal/ day 2000 kcal/ day
• 19 to under 25 years 2500 kcal/ day 1900 kcal/ day
• 25 to under 51 years 2400 kcal/ day 1900 kcal/ day
• 51 to under 65 years 2200 kcal/ day 1800 kcal/ day
• 65 years and older 2000 kcal/ day 1600 kcal/ day

Of course, these values ​​are only guidelines. Depending on your physical activity, your own energy requirements can also deviate upwards or downwards. It’s best to observe how you get along with the recommendations and adapt them to your needs.

Supply of vitamins

With a balanced vegetarian diet, you absorb almost everything your body needs – almost. Because vitamin B12, for example, which is responsible for cell division and blood formation, can only be found in significant amounts in animal foods. If you are a vegetarian and especially if you are striving for a vegan diet, you should get your vitamin B12 from one of the following options:

• eat enough dairy products and eggs
• take dietary supplements
• Use toothpaste fortified with B12

In addition, the supply of vitamin D is difficult. Vitamin D is only influenced by our diet between 10 and 20%. We have to consume the rest in a different way, for example by being in the sun for 15 minutes a day. Since the conditions for sufficient sunlight in Germany are unfavorable, many (also omnivorous) people in this country are undersupplied. We, therefore, recommend that you take additional vitamin D supplements if necessary. You should of course discuss the amount with your doctor, as vitamin D should only be consumed in moderation.

Eating vegetarian outside of the home

It is often difficult to consistently implement a vegetarian diet when you are away from home. Because some restaurants or the canteen at work only offer a limited selection of vegetarian dishes. If possible, it is advisable to put together a variety of dishes yourself instead of eating the same thing every time. On request, some restaurants also offer vegetarian alternatives.

Tip: You can also prepare your own dish for work the day before, such as our fresh summer rolls. This not only complements the vegetarian diet well, but also often saves money.