Want to whittle your waistline while expanding your culinary horizons? Feeling fit and looking fine is as easy (and tasty) as eating a healthy vegetarian diet – and statistics show that eating healthy vegetarian foods is more important than ever. For example, it is estimated that 11 per cent of Egyptians suffer from diabetes, and studies show that meat-eaters are at higher risk of developing diabetes than vegetarians. Naturally low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates, plant-based foods help your body burn calories by boosting your metabolism. Meat, on the other hand, is loaded with saturated fat, calories and cholesterol, which can clog arteries and make you pack on the pounds. I promise you that fat-laden burgers and chicken kebabs will go right to your thighs. If you want to drop your cholesterol level and drop kilos, simply drop meat, eggs and milk from your diet. You'll have a beach body in no time – really. After all, researchers have found that, on average, vegetarians are 10 per cent leaner than meat-eaters. Not only are many vegetarians slimmer than meat-eaters, they're also less likely to develop heart disease and cancer. In fact, adopting a vegan diet has been shown to reverse the damage done by a steady stream of seafood and fried chicken! So are you ready to trim the fat in your diet? Let's “veg up”! The following five tips will help make your transition to a vegetarian diet easy and delicious: 1. Make vegetarian versions of your favorite meals. Use vegetables, tofu and faux meats in place of the meat in your favorite recipes. Replace the meat in curries, stews and noodle stir-fries with beans, grilled veggies or crumbled veggie burgers. Get creative with rice-based dishes, soups and salads. The possibilities are endless! There are vegetarian versions of almost every meal you can think of! 2. Explore vegetarian recipes. There are thousands of kitchen-tested recipes to choose from at VegCooking.com! If you'd rather thumb through a cookbook, visit libraries and bookshops to find vegetarian cookbooks that can give you ideas for experimenting with new foods and recipes. Vegetarian cookbooks are available for gourmet chefs as well as for those who don't want to spend more than 10 minutes preparing dinner. So no matter how much cooking experience you have, it's easy to make great-tasting vegetarian meals. 3. Go faux! Not only are mock meats and dairy-free delights delicious and cruelty-free, they are also usually high in healthy plant protein and low in saturated fat, and they contain zero cholesterol. You can find faux-meat products – including veggie burgers, veggie hot dogs, faux-turkey deli slices and chicken patties made from soya and other meatless ingredients – at most health food stores. Dairy alternatives such as soya, rice and nut milks are also widely available at most supermarkets. 4. Explore vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in your area. Whatever your budget and wherever you live, you can enjoy great vegetarian meals. Locally owned restaurants across the country also sell an exciting array of vegetarian meals to please every palate. Just call ahead for vegetarian options, or when possible, browse restaurant menus online. If you're stuck at a behind-the-times restaurant that doesn't have many vegetarian options, ask if the chef can whip up a vegetarian entrée. Some easy dishes include roasted eggplant, vegetable chop suey and vegetarian fried noodles. Most restaurants will gladly accommodate special requests, and you'll be surprised at the creativity of some chefs! 5. Explore ethnic eats. Sample food from restaurants that make Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian or other ethnic foods. These restaurants normally have several dishes that are both delicious and meat-free! Try sushi that's made with avocados, carrots or cucumbers instead of raw fish. You can also try Chinese spring rolls and tofu (sometimes called “bean curd” in Asian restaurants) noodle dishes. Tempt your taste buds with Thai coconut curry and tofu pad Thai. And don't forget to add spice to your life with delicious Indian dishes. One more thing: remember to eat a variety of “whole foods”, including plenty of beans, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and avoid partially hydrogenated oils and deep-fried foods. A diet consisting of Coke and French fries is technically vegan, but you can't be healthy if you eat nothing but junk food! ** Ashley Fruno is a senior campaigner for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia. To get involved with PETA's work in Egypt, visit PETAAsiaPacific.com. BM
