Becoming vegetarian

editcoolchris

Hello anyone here who are meat eaters considering on becoming vegetarian at some point? I’m thinking on becoming vegetarian with the hopes to reduce the salt/sodium as I have hypertension.

Chris

cmriverside

Well, it does require some knowledge. There are some nutrients you cannot get readily from plants without being mindful and your body doesn't produce all of them so maybe do some research about that part. It takes a bit of focus to hit them all.

I eat fairly low salt due to mild hypertension, but I still eat meat and eggs and dairy and seafood. It's mostly the processed meats and store-bought baked goods like breads that have the most salt. So, like, deli meat, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, tuna, prepared meats like premade meatballs or cooked meats in the freezer section. Condiments are another thing to check - like pickles, olives, mustard, ketchup, salsa, hummus. I just watch my daily intake. I've stopped buying canned soups, sauces and canned vegetables too. There is a lot of salt in frozen meals and things like pizza, snack foods and bagels...so, those are "rarely" foods. I buy unsalted raw nuts and nut butters, and make my own bean dishes from dry beans.

I find regular moderate exercise is far better at controlling my mild hypertension than trying to become vegetarian.

I know, that wasn't your question. oops.

Rockmama1111

I first heard the term “plant forward” here on this forum, and I have adopted that mindset. I love meat, so eliminating it would be really hard for me. Instead, I base most of my meals on vegetables, fruits, and beans and look for new vegetarian recipes to try. If MFP nutrition data is accurate (it’s not, probably, but it’s my only measure), my sodium intake is consistently lower than the limit.

siberiantarragon

I'm not vegetarian but I was for three years and my partner still is. I mostly eat and cook vegetarian at home since I don't want to cook meat just for one person. Plus I've never really been that big on meat. I find it is really easy to get enough nutrition if you're still eating dairy and eggs. I didn't notice any difference in my health when I was vegetarian vs. omnivore. My partner doesn't really watch what he eats that closely, he lives a very active lifestyle, and he hasn't had any problems. Veganism is really where the potential of deficiencies comes in. The other good thing is that being vegetarian saves money, especially these days when meat has become ridiculously expensive.

It's hard for me to stay under the MFP sodium intake but that's mostly from processed food rather than animal products. My partner is one of those people who puts salt on his food before he even tastes it, so I know his sodium intake must be way over the recommended amount. Also the vegetarian mock meats are very high in sodium so definitely avoid those. Instead use beans, tofu, and so on.

neanderthin

Try more whole foods if you think you need to reduce salt.

sbelletti

I've been a vegetarian for a number of years now. Still plenty of vegetarian foods with high sodium, so it's really less about being vegetarian and more just watching your sodium if that's your main reason for switching.

Easiest thing is to try adjusting a few of your favorite high-sodium meals to use alternatives. See how that goes. If you do well and enjoy it, swap a few more.

AnnPT77

Considering it? No, I did it. In 1974. AFAIK, it has nothing to do with sodium intake: You can be a high sodium vegetarian, or a low-sodium vegetarian; a high-sodium omnivore, or a low-sodium omnivore.

For sure, you can be a hypertensive vegetarian, because I was one for probably at least a couple of decades. Then I lost from obese to a healthy weight, and I've been a non-hypertensive vegetarian for 7+ years now. I still eat a lot of sodium, TBH.

Unless you have ethical reasons to become vegetarian or fully plant based, I don't encourage it. (There may be a few health end-cases where it's especially helpful, but I think that's fairly rare.) It makes good nutrition a tiny bit more complicated, makes social life a tiny bit more complicated, and can make travel a tiny bit more complicated. Why take that on, if you don't have to, and especially if you enjoy meat?

Sure, if you want to reduce sodium, skip the high-sodium processed meats.

Given the statistics on the typical American diet, I'm pretty sure most people would be better off health-wise eating more (much more!) veggies and fruits, and I suspect things are similar in other developed-world countries.

neanderthin

neanderthin wrote: »

Try more whole foods if you think you need to reduce salt.

There's very little salt in animal products so you could use the salt argument to eat more meat, excluding processed meats. There's very little salt in most plant food, so you could eat a plant based diet for that same argument, of course excluding some that are processed. Basically why I said the above statement. Also hypertension is a little more complicated than too much salt in the diet, but makes for easily dispensed advice.

claireychn074

I was vegetarian for about 14-15 years, then started eating meat again. Not sure it made any difference to my sodium, but I personally find it easier to eat a varied diet which includes limited meat and fish. I didn’t thrive on being a vegetarian, which suggests I didn’t manage to get all the necessary nutrients. But I do prefer vegetarian dishes - there is a strong chance I’ll gradually migrate to more of a vegetarian diet in time, but pay more attention to what I’m eating!

nossmf

I tried being vegetarian as a teenager, just to see what it was like. My goal was a week; I lasted three days. No matter how much I ate I could never satisfy my hunger, my energy levels plummeted, wasn't a good experience. This was before the internet, and obviously I didn't do much (any) research first, so don't follow my model. If you want to try going vegetarian, do your research FIRST before actually making the switch, finding filling meals, ensuring you get all your needed macro- and micronutrients.

kshama2001

I spent three years as an involuntary mostly vegetarian when I lived in vegetarian yoga communities. I didn't like it. I didn't even have to do the work of preparing balanced meals as they were provided. That was the first time my anemia affected my well being.

As others have said, you can be a low sodium omnivore by eliminating foods with added sodium.