Nutritionist Anita Mulderij answers the question.
Anita Mulderij: 'Vegetarian and vegan food is hot. More and more people are taking the step. Are you also considering eating less meat, or eliminating this food from your diet altogether? Which can. A piece of meat is nice, but we can do very well without it. And eating without meat doesn't have to be less tasty or 'boring'! But:how healthy is vegetarian food really? And are meat substitutes really that healthy?
Meat
It has been scientifically proven that meat is not always healthy. Large amounts of meat contain unhealthy substances from the diet that animals receive. Especially when it comes to processed meats, it is difficult to find out what was done with it or what exactly was put in it. It also sometimes comes to light that some animals whose meat is in the supermarket have had little living space and have not always been treated equally well. And of course you don't want to eat meat from an unhealthy animal.
Meat substitutes
Replace your meat then? It is not the case that all meat substitutes are by definition better or healthier than a piece of meat. If you would like to add a meat substitute to your menu, pay attention to the information on the packaging. Meat substitutes are often made on the basis of soy. Much of the soy used for this purpose has been genetically manipulated. Sometimes E numbers, a lot of salts and sometimes even sugars are added to the products. It is therefore certainly not recommended to eat meat substitutes every day.
Replace the meat substitute?
Um, what? Indeed:as a vegetarian, you would do well to regularly avoid the meat substitute. You don't actually 'need' a meat substitute with every meal. In fact, occasionally it's even better to supplement your meal with nuts, seeds, kernels, legumes, eggs or traditional meat substitutes like bean curd or tempeh instead. In any case, enough choice and possibilities to vary.
Vegetarian is healthier
This is according to a British study, which has followed more than 60,000 adults in their eating habits since the 1990s. This is partly because vegetarians usually eat more vegetables. Vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels and are less likely to suffer from diseases such as cancer or a heart attack. In addition, you also do your bit for the environment, because producing meat costs liters of water and the cattle also need kilos of feed that has to be grown again. Vegetarian food is therefore not only a healthy but also an environmentally friendly choice.
Occasionally vegetarian
Don't mind replacing your piece of meat in certain meals, but you really can't do without it (yet)? No problem. Eating vegetarian food every now and then already helps your health a lot. For example, you have a lower risk of diabetes. It turns out that more and more people are skipping the meat coolers in the supermarket and opting for a vegetarian option. They find meat unnecessary every day. The less you consume it, the easier it becomes to develop a good and consciously composed vegetarian diet!'
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