Whether you’re considering a vegetarian diet for the first time or have been consuming a vegetarian diet for years, there’s a good chance you’ve fallen victim to some inaccurate myths and unhealthy habits associated with vegetarian eating.

If you’ve chosen to eschew meat, beware of these vegetarian traps to stay on the straight and healthy path!

THE ERROR: ASSUMING THAT VEGETARIAN DIETS ARE LOWER IN CALORIES

Many consumers are drawn to Vegetarian diets thanks to the inaccurate belief that Vegetarian diets are lower in Calories than omnivorous diets.

However, both Vegetarian and Omnivorous diets have the capacity to be totally unhealthy, nutritionally sparse diets. Conversely, they both also have the capacity to be healthy, nutritionally adequate diets.

In general, adopting a Vegetarian diet alone is not enough to cause weight loss or improve health. If you’re adopting a Vegetarian diet for those reasons, you may be disappointed: oftentimes, Vegetarian eaters who buy into the belief that Vegetarian diets are lower in Calories actually gain weight on a Vegetarian diet, over-consuming Calories thanks to the belief that Vegetarian foods can be eaten in larger quantities, or otherwise making poor nutritional choices.

THE ERROR: POOR CHOICE OF VEGETARIAN PROTEIN

Many Vegetarians tend to hyper-focus on one favorite plant-based protein even if it is of poor quality, often thanks to limited health knowledge, or simple hesitance to explore other options.

In the context of total health, it’s important to ensure your Vegetarian proteins are providing you with essential amino acids. Be sure to check labels to see if you are getting more filler than essential ingredients! If in doubt, Blessed Plant Protein is the go!

THE ERROR: EATING TOO MANY PROCESSED FOODS

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Many Vegetarians over consume processed foods and Vegetarian alternative foods. These are what we might term “junk food” Vegetarians and make no mistake- junk food Vegetarianism is prolific. It’s easy to eat a diet of boxed macaroni and cheese and frozen cheese pizza, and relatively difficult to make the beautiful, Instagram-worthy recipes featured on facebook and Pinterest.

However, relying on a diet of processed foods is just as unhealthy for Vegetarians as it is for Omnivores, increasing your risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Remember that healthy recipes don’t need to be difficult, time-consuming, or share-worthy: a simple omelet or stir-fry will always beat a frozen meal.