More Green, Less Red

Studies promote the many health benefits of a vegetarian diet, but you don’t need to go full veggie to reap the rewards. Adopting a semi-vegetarian diet can be easy to do.

Most people recognize the value of a vegetarian diet, but following one can feel daunting. Says Dr Qi Sun, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, “A change to vegetarianism can feel overwhelming and confusing and thus may not be sustainable.”

A solution is to become a ‘semi vegetarian’: Adopt a plant-based diet in which you cut out the red and processed meat and eat healthier animal products like seafood and poultry only occasionally.

Improve Your Health

A semi-vegetarian diet is about adding and subtracting. You focus on greater amounts of whole fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, beans and legumes, whole grains, soy protein, and low-fat dairy. This increases your intake of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, and fibre. In the process, you eliminate certain meats, which can contain high amounts of saturated fats, sodium, and chemical additives.

What makes vegetarianism so appealing? Here is a scientific snapshot of how a mostly vegetarian diet can improve your health.