Meatless, Yes. Boring? Never.

Thinking about going meatless more often? Discover how a vegetarian diet can boost your health, save you money, and open up a world of delicious new recipes. Learn the essentials for balanced, satisfying meals—no meat required

Meatless Monday is a relatively new tradition that many families have adopted. It’s a healthy practice, but that’s just one day out of seven. You don’t have to give up the occasional burger or turkey leg to reap the benefits of vegetarian eating. Just try going meatless two or even three times a week. And if you’re thinking about a more comprehensive dietary overhaul, read on for some valuable information and advice.

Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

1. Vegetarian and plant-based diets help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and protect against cardiovascular disease.
2. According to the American Heart Association, regularly eating less meat and more plant foods can lower your risk of stroke and heart attack.
3. Plant-rich, high-fiber diets improve insulin sensitivity and lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
4. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer and may also help lower the risk of breast and prostate cancer.
5. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in calories and higher in fiber than conventional diets, which helps lower BMI and maintain a healthy weight.
6. Have you seen the price of meat lately? Breaking the meat habit—or at least reducing consumption—can help you save money.

Types of Vegetarian Diets

• Semi-vegetarian, or flexitarian, includes eggs, dairy foods, and occasionally meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
• Pescatarian allows for fish and seafood, eggs, and dairy, but no meat or poultry.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian includes eggs and dairy foods, but no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.
• Lacto-vegetarian excludes meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter are allowed.
• Vegan excludes all animal foods and products.

Getting Enough Protein

An important concern people have about vegetarian diets is getting enough protein. When you eat fats and carbohydrates, your body can store whatever it doesn’t need for later use. Protein is different—you must consume it daily. If you don’t, your body will start breaking down muscle tissue for energy and tissue building and repair.

Protein is made from building blocks called amino acids. As the protein you eat is digested, it’s broken down into individual amino acids and chains of amino acids called peptides. These are then recombined to make the proteins, structures, and new cells your body needs. Protein contributes to these essential functions:

• Building and repairing muscles, bones, cartilage, skin, hair, and nails
• Making enzymes and hormones
• Supporting immune function
• Transporting oxygen
• Controlling appetite by helping you feel full after a meal

How Much Protein Is Enough? Do the Math!

Ten percent to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from protein. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for all adults is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or about 15 percent of daily calories. To calculate your daily requirement, multiply your weight by 0.36:

• 120-pound person: 120 × 0.36 ≈ 43 g/day
• 150-pound person: 150 × 0.36 ≈ 54 g/day
• 180-pound person: 180 × 0.36 ≈ 65 g/day
• 200-pound person: 200 × 0.36 ≈ 72 g/day

Vegetarian Protein Sources

Listed below are major sources of protein for vegetarian meal planning:

• Soy products: tempeh, tofu, edamame, and soy milk
• Legumes and pulses: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans
• Dairy: cheese, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds
• Whole grains: quinoa, oats, spelt, and amaranth
• Meat substitutes: seitan (known as “wheat meat” because it is made from wheat gluten), mycoprotein (Quorn), and veggie burgers

Beyond Protein: Essential Nutrients

When you delete certain foods from your diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re getting key nutrients. If you decide to take supplements, ask your doctor to recommend the appropriate dose.

Vitamin B12, which is essential for producing red blood cells and preventing anemia, is found mostly in animal products. Vegetarians—and especially vegans who avoid dairy—should take B12 supplements. Vegetarians can also obtain B12 through eggs and dairy. Pescatarians enjoy seafood sources such as mussels, salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, and mackerel.

Calcium helps keep teeth and bones healthy and strong. Milk and dairy products are the richest sources of calcium, also found in kale, collard greens, broccoli, turnips, and bok choy. Another option is choosing calcium-fortified products such as juices, cereals, tofu, or plant-based milks.

Vitamin D, like calcium, is essential for bone and dental health. Nearly all milk sold in the U.S. is vitamin D–fortified. Fortified soy, almond, cashew, and rice milk are also options. While sun exposure can provide some vitamin D, it’s usually not enough. Talk to your health care provider about whether supplements are needed.

Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, which enables red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body. Like B12, iron is easily obtained from meat sources. Meatless diets can provide iron from dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole grains, dark leafy greens, and dried fruit. Because iron from plant sources is not absorbed as efficiently, vegetarians need nearly twice the iron intake of nonvegetarians. Vitamin C improves iron absorption, so balance iron-rich meals with foods such as peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage, and broccoli. Ask your doctor whether supplements are necessary.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in canola and soy oils, walnuts, ground flaxseed, soybeans, and fatty fish. Vegetarian diets that exclude fish may be low in two types of omega-3s: DHA and EPA. Evidence suggests these may lower the risk of heart disease and support fetal development during pregnancy. Vegetarians who do not consume fish may consider fortified foods or supplements.

Zinc supports vision and immune function and helps the body make certain proteins. It is more easily absorbed from animal sources. Seafood and dairy are good sources for pescatarians and vegetarians, respectively. Plant sources include whole grains, soy products, lentils, beans, seeds, wheat germ, and nuts.

Iodine is essential for thyroid health and helps promote muscle growth. It can easily be added to foods by using iodized salt. Seafood, dairy, and seaweed are also good sources.

Test Your Culinary Creativity

Most of us were raised to be carnivores, so imagining a meal without meat can be a challenge. But delicious meatless recipes are all over the Internet. There are also countless vegetarian cookbooks you can buy or borrow from the library. Try some local ethnic restaurants to taste vegetarian specialties from other cultures and then look for recipes to make these dishes at home. Once you start looking, you’ll discover a world of tasty options—like cauliflower mac and cheese, white pizza topped with low-fat ricotta, vegetables, and herbs, or seitan tacos. Eventually, you just might find you don’t miss meat at all!

This article first appeared in the February 2026 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.