Switching to a vegetarian lifestyle offers benefits to your health, animals, and the environment. Ensure success by easing into a meat-free way of life, planning your vegetarian diet, and making tasty meatless meals at home.Tips for planning vegetarian dietsIf you’re considering a vegetarian lifestyle, get individualized advice from a registered dietitian who’s knowledgeable about vegetarian diets.

There are different kinds of vegetarians, depending on what they eat. The definition of a vegetarian that’s most widely accepted by fellow vegetarians is a person who eats no meat, fish, or poultry. A vegetarian consistently avoids all flesh foods, as well as byproducts of meat, fish, and poultry.Of course, vegetarian diets vary in the extent to which they exclude animal products: Semi-vegetarian: Someone who’s cutting back on his or her intake of meat, in general.

Although nutritionists once counseled vegetarians to eat complementary proteins to make sure you get proper nutrition, you don’t have to combine foods to get enough protein in a vegetarian diet. The idea was that since plant foods are limited in one or more of the essential amino acids, you should combine a food that is limited in a particular amino acid with a food that has an abundance of that same amino acid.

Switching to a meatless diet can be difficult if you’ve been raised with typical Western eating habits. Becoming a vegetarian is rewarding, so hang in there! As you strive for the vegetarian ideal, gradually cut meat out of your life, and use these tips to ease the transition: Get educated. Read books, attend lectures and cooking demonstrations, and talk with experienced vegetarians for tips on making the switch.

Great-tasting, health-supporting vegetarian meals can be simple to make. Some favorite dishes have always been meatless, but you can omit the meat from even the most carnivore-friendly meals to come up with new vegetarian classics. Try some of these: Bean burrito with steamed broccoli and fresh fruit salad

If you’re considering a vegetarian lifestyle, get individualized advice from a registered dietitian who’s knowledgeable about vegetarian diets. And whether vegetarianism is new to you or you’ve been meat-free for years, keep these general guidelines in mind: Eat a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts, and get enough calories to meet your energy needs.

If you’re a vegetarian, you probably know exactly how to eliminate meat from your diet. But if you want to cut back on other animal products — like eggs and dairy — you may be at a loss when it comes to appropriate recipe substitutions. Try these clever tricks for replacing animal products in your favorite recipes: Use half of a mashed, ripe banana to replace one whole egg in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.