A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes is not unfamiliar to the celebrity audience, and lately, it has also been popularized among non-celebrities, such as athlete Gabriel Medina. The surfer’s habit is particularly noteworthy because it helps demystify the idea that eating only those foods compromises athletic performance.

In fact, adopting this eating habit can help improve your quality of life and reduce the risk of chronic diseases . However, for this practice to bring the benefits mentioned and not harm your health, planning is necessary. After all, meat and chicken are some of the main sources of protein.

So, are you interested in following a diet like this? It’s important to learn more about it. Stay up to date!

First, know that the   eating habit of giving up animal foods is not wrong or unusual . Yes, this applies not only to meat and chicken, but seafood as well. However, this does not mean eating only “bush” foods, as common sense tends to believe.

People who are on a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, despite their dietary restrictions, get many foods for their consumption. Among them are tofu, soy milk, lentils, beans, rice, fruits, seeds, cereals, peas, chickpeas, etc. However, this depends on the type of diet adopted. Check it out:

• do not eat meat, chicken or seafood but can have animal eggs and milk;
• consume dairy products, but give up eggs, meat, chicken and seafood;
• give up all foods of animal origin;

As mentioned, this type of diet is becoming increasingly popular. People may follow it for the sake of a better quality of life or for ethical reasons.

How does it work?

When restricting foods of animal origin, according to the adopted version, it is not enough to simply eliminate such foods from your daily diet. It is necessary to plan to ensure the replacement of protein from plant sources and other essential nutrients for the body.

After all, those who do not follow a restricted diet find protein more easily and abundantly in meat, chicken or seafood. For example, beef usually has 26% protein, chicken 27% and sea fish 23 to 30%. Pork also offers 10% of this nutrient.

Protein is essential for the formation and strengthening of muscle mass, for example. Fortunately, it can also be found in vegetables, as mentioned. Therefore, following a restricted diet is not necessarily synonymous with a poor quality of life. In the same way, consuming foods of animal origin does not guarantee that you are eating well.

What are the main challenges of a restricted diet?

As we have seen, it is possible to find protein and many other nutrients in plant-based sources. However, the challenge is to plan meals to ensure adequate consumption of these elements. After all, they were previously found in foods of animal origin.

Otherwise, you may suffer from nutritional deficiencies and, instead of reaping the benefits of a different diet, you may harm your health . In addition, other challenges, especially for beginners, include cutting out meat and being afraid of new things.

In other words, eating meat is part of the tradition of many families . Therefore, giving it up can cause fear. However, little by little, it is possible to adapt to new healthy and tasty dishes that compensate for this lack. In fact, many followers say that it is only felt at the beginning.

How to overcome the challenges of a diet?

In the previous topic, you discovered some diet challenges. Below, find 4 tips to overcome the obstacles mentioned!

1. Seek medical advice

Whenever a technique is adopted, it is advisable to consult a dietitian whose mode of nutrition is supportive of the adopted diet plan. The reasoning is quite obvious. They are able to help with control to ensure nutritional balance. At any rate, it is also worthwhile to familiarise oneself with some substitutions on one’s own.

2. Find alternative sources for replacement

For example, beans provide 6g of protein and other nutrients, such as iron, which controls anemia. In addition to these, you can also include chickpeas and tofu in your diet . They provide 9g and 10g of protein, respectively. In addition, they have other nutritional properties that make including them in your diet a healthy option.

3. Start small

As mentioned, the habit of eating meat is a tradition in many families. In addition, this consumption can also be synonymous with abundance for many social classes.

Despite this, consider that adherence can offer numerous benefits, such as a better quality of life, reduced risk of certain diseases and improved performance in physical activities.

So, if you still want to stick to the diet but it seems like a big challenge, start slowly. After all, food should also be synonymous with pleasure. So, how about setting aside one day a week to cut out foods of animal origin? Later, you can increase the frequency.

4. Opt for plant-based or vegetable-based meats

Especially at the beginning of the diet, you may miss meat and compensate with plant-based or vegetable-based meats. They are not of animal origin, but they simulate the flavor of food . So, you can eat hamburgers, hot dogs or even barbecue. Just keep an eye on the nutritional composition, especially if the foods are processed, and be careful not to overdo it.

Were you able to resolve your main doubts? As you can see, there are several challenges involved in this process. However, they can be easily overcome with nutritional planning and other precautions. Therefore, focus on the reason you chose to adopt this new diet and enjoy the benefits.