A perfectly balanced diet is one of the main clues to a perfect health. The vegetarian diet is the most appropriate diet for human beings.  Let us examine all the necessary ingredients of a perfectly  balanced diet: energy, buiding blocks, protection, and cleaning. Like a car requires petrol to run, the body requires “fuel” for energy, so it can do its work of muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction, hormone production, wound repair, cell growth etc. The cell fuel is composed by carbohydrates, by fats (although more difficult to use as energy source), and also by sunlight, air (prana)  and water. Carbohydrates are “burned” for energy, while the fats tend to be stored in the body’s fat depots and used in emergencies and crisis periods. The “building block” material for making muscles, blood, hormones, hair, fingernails, immune antibodies etc., are called protein. Our body cells do their work of protein production and metabolism by using active chemical substances called enzymes. These enzymes require vitamins to perform their vital chemistry. The function of the vitamins in your body, in relation to the enzyme “partners”, is similar to the additives and lubricants in your car that help the moving parts to work properly. Earth elements, called minerals, are required for electrical and chemical reactions in the body. Sufficient pure water is needed so that the blood flows, the glands secrete vital fluids, and the chemical reactions of life can occur in the cells.  Fibres or roughage are needed to brush away waste materials from the digestive system and to keep it moist with water so some important substances can be further absorbed. Not less important, the presence of an adequate amount of roughage in the intestine allows a quick passage and an easy elimination.

PROTEINS

Proteins are complex molecules made up of smaller units called amino acids. Amino acids in turn are made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur. There are twenty in all and some life forms, like plants and many bacteria, can synthesise them all from basic elements. Others, including animals and humans, can only synthesise some of them. Humans need to have eight amino acids provided in the diet, these are called the essential amino acids and they are: methionine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine. Histidine is essential for children but adults can manage without it. Some researchers also believe that the body has a pool of amino acids, which can be used to make up any temporary deficiency, so as long as the diet is well balanced overall, we should not worry too much to ensure that we have a complete supply of proteins at every meal. Even those foods not considered “high” in protein are adding some amino acids to this “pool”.

Protein is made up of amino acids, like a wall is made up of bricks. When you eat a food containing protein, your digestive system will break it down into the constituent amino acids, which are then reassembled into the particular proteins your body needs at the time. Foods contain proteins which have amino acids in differing proportions; these may not be the same proportions that we need to synthesise our body proteins. The simpler is the way in which the bricks are put together, the better we can break down the wall and utilize the bricks to build up our own protein “walls”, that is to say, our own body.  Vegetable proteins are generally composed by simpler patterns of amino acids, and so they are much more digestible than animal proteins. This allows our bodies to utilize more easily and fully vegetable proteins. Meat proteins are very complicated, and very often the simple action of breaking them down to useful amino acids may be a strain for our system. If we want to continue with the example of bricks and walls, vegetable proteins can be compared to very simple boundary walls composed of definite kinds of bricks, kept together in a very simple way, while meat proteins can be compared to a a very  complex interior wall in a house, where bricks of many different kinds have been collected and bound together according to convenience. If we are building a new house to suit our personal needs, it will be much more practical to break down a simple boundary wall and add to these bricks some extra elements we may find elsewhere, according to our personal necessity, rather than breaking down a complicated house wall, where many bricks have to be thrown away or stored aside, and the binding materials are much stronger, and all the plastering has to be scraped off, and so on.

According to the scientific language, the essential amino acids are the 8 out of 20 that must be supplied in the diet because our bodies cannot make them. This means that our human body, when healthy, is normally capable of making (producing) 12 different kinds of amino acids, by using other substances normally found in vegetarian diet. Another interesting information is that in the vegetarian diet, all essential amino acids can be found in large quantities in milk and milk products, and in the vegetable kingdom, in soya beans, peanuts, and in smaller quantities in food supplements like nettles, algae, pollens, etc. Actually we should not worry at all, because most of the eight essential amino acids are very abundant in the major vegetable protein foods. We can also get larger ranges of amino acids by combining together vegetable foods which contain separately different ranges of basic amino acids (like rice and pulses, wheat and nuts, corn and beans, and so on).  The categories of food that provide complete proteins are: dairy + cereals, dairy + nuts, dairy + pulses, cereals + pulses, cereals + nuts. Also other components of the meal, like vegetables, salads and fruit, and even drinks (like milk or yogurt-based drinks), can contribute small amounts of amino acids to the total.

Actually all the popular traditions in the world have already organized very good combinations: like the staple diet of rice, dahl , capati and subji of Indian people, to the south-American maize tortillas with beans, or the Chinese rice and soya, to the African steamed millet peanuts and pulses, to the European bread and legumes soups, and so on. Common people have always naturally chosen to eat these staple food because they gave energy and satisfaction, and were also very palatable. Also greens and other vegetables contain small quantities of proteins, and may be an important part of our diet for other reasons still, as we shall see later.

But while talking of proteins, we must also clearly inform the public that, just like the lack of proteins, their excess may be very bad for health and causing degenerative diseases. We only need a very small quantity of proteins in our daily diet, about 1 gram every kg. of  bodily weight. For example, if an adult weights 80 kgs., he will only need 80 grms. of proteins a day. Children and pregnant and lactating women need up to 2 grms. per day, while old people need less and less, and may find themselves very well with only 0.5 grms of proteins per day. But what is the problem caused by excess proteins? We may explain very briefly that amino acids contain ammonia substances (from here the word “amino”), which must be expelled by the body through the kidneys (urine). This is why urine often smells like ammonia. When there is an excess intake of proteins, the kidneys get surcharged, and waste substances, like ammonia and uric acids  cannot be properly eliminated and they load the blood with poisonous crystals. If this goes on for a long time, these crystals start to deposit in the weaker points of the body. Everyone has a different body from birth itself and due to his individual life story; some may have a weak liver, some may have e weak circulation, some may have a weak digestive system. Usually the weaker point for the general people are the body joints, and the blood vessels’ terminations, where blood circulation slows down as a matter of fact. So these crystals usually start settling down in the joints (thus causing arthritis and reumatisms), or in hands or feet (thus causing swelling and gout). When the situation is still manageable, they announce themselves as little pinpricks, sometimes a temporary pain under the feet, or so, but after some time they may become very serious diseases and give much pain. Usually such diseases afflict old people, because their system has never been cleansed from all these deposits. It has been demonstrated that by reducing the quantity of proteins to 0.5 grams per day in elderly people’s diet, and switching to fresh fruits, vegetables, and lighter foods, and helping the body to cleanse itself of these old waste substances, enormous benefits can be seen.

But let us see how much we should eat to ensure a proper quantity of proteins for an average working adult. The proponents of meat-eating diet sometimes say that meat in rich in proteins. In facts, proteins are its main feature. Low-fat meat may contain up to 20% proteins, that is to say, on 100 grms. of food eaten, 20 grms. of proteins. Of the remaining percentage, fats (always present even if in small quantity) may represent a 5%, other various substances (as we already discussed previously) may add up to another 5%, and then we have a 70-75% of water! This is one thing that we study in school, that human body is made about 75% of water. But also animal bodies have a very similar composition!  Particular cooking or processing techniques (frying, drying etc.) may reduce drastically the water contents, but then not only the proteins can be more concentrated, but also fats and extraneous substances!

Meat does not contain sugars or starches, which are the normal substances which give energy (or calories) to our bodies, and does not contain food fibers, which are needed for many delicate and subtle reactions in our bodies. Therefore no human being can subsist only on a flesh diet for long periods. They have to eat some grains, some vegetables, some fruits. If they do not, they get sick very quickly and die prematurely. Complex proteins and saturated fats, which are the usable substances in flesh meat, can be used by human beings only as an emergency resource, just like when we undergo a very long fasting period, our bodies use up their own flesh and fat in order to survive. But this is clearly not very healthy.

In order to obtain 80 grms. of proteins (which are a normal requirement for an average adult) one should then eat  400 grms. of meat daily. With this, also an average quantity of fats are introduced in the system. Energy is then created from the fats (which are concentrated form of energy), but this process also creates toxins and dangerous waste  substances (also called radicals). In the long run, the lack of some vitamins, minerals, food fibres and natural carbohydrates will certainly cause very serious health problems, and even death. On the other hand, usable substances present in meat can very easily be obtained from vegetarian food.

Let us see know how many proteins are present is vegetable foods. Legumes, pulses and seeds are the richest in proteins. Especially the germ of the seeds is very rich (the small part  which, during sprouting, gives birth to the new plant). This is why we should consume our grains without refining them too much. Brown rice, or whole wheat, for example, are much richer in proteins than refined white rice or white flour or bread. Pulses, which are generally not refined, contain much more proteins than cereals. Not only that, but whole grains also contain many more vitamins and minerals, and food fibers.

Let us take soya beans, for example. To provide 10 grms. of protein only 29 grms. of raw soya beans are needed. Not only that, but soya beans also contain a good quantity of starch, unsaturated oil and other useful substances, like lecithin, which has the effect of treating the excess cholesterol in blood. The same amount of protein can be supplied by 58 grms. of cashews, 50 grms. of chickpeas, by 76 wholemeal wheat flour (atta), by 38 grms. sesame seeds, by 200 grms. boiled spinach.  We can easily see that it is not at all difficult to make up 80 grms. protein every day. In this booklet you will find some tables with food values, so that you can have fun imagining or organizing your own diet.

CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy, and they are provided only by plant foods, honey and milk products; meat, fish and eggs contain no carbohydrates. There are two main kinds of carbohydrates, sugars and starches. The healthiest carbohydrate foods are the unrefined ones such as: unrefined honey, jaggery (unrefined cane sugar), molasses, cereals (wheat, atta, wholemeal bread, brown rice, oats, barley, millet, buckwheat, rye), root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, turnsnips, etc.) many vegetables (like pumpkins, etc.) and almost all fruits. Quite a lot of plant foods, like cereals and beans, are good sources of both protein and carbohydrates.

There is no recommended daily allowance for carbohydrates. Men need about 2,900 calories a day or less, and women about 2,150 or less, but “calories”  is a measurement of energy, and although carbohydrate is the main energy food, protein and fat also provide energy. Your appetite normally dictates how much carbohydrates you will eat and there’s very little chance of going short in a normal diet. Children should be given food more frequently, whenever they feel hungry.

FATS AND OILS

We have all heard that too much fat is bad for us, but a little is necessary to keep our tissues in good repair, for the manufacture of hormones and to act as a carrier for some vitamins. Like proteins, fats are made of smaller units, called fatty acids. Some can be manufactured by the body out of carbohydrates but two, linoleic and linolenic acid, must be provided in the diet. This is no problem as they are widely distributed in plant foods (like sunflower, safflower,sesame, peanut, rapeseed and soya bean oil or even from the seeds usually employed to extract oil).

There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated (the terms refer  to how much hydrogen they contain and the way of bonding their molecules use). Saturated fats have no double-bond, monounsaturated fats have one double-bond and polyunsaturated fats have up to six double-bonds. A double-bond is a site on the fat molecule which can take up an atom of hydrogen. Saturated fats have more hydrogen and tend to be solid at room temperature.

Cholesterol is a different form of fat called a sterol. It is found in all animal foods but is absent from plant foods. Although cholesterol is essential to our body (in very small quantities), we can manufacture all our requirements. Saturated fat tends to be associated with animal foods (including eggs) and raises blood cholesterol levels, while polyunsaturated fat, usually associated with plant oils, does not. Mono-unsaturated fats such as olive oil have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels. As a high intake of saturated fat has been linked to heart disease, we are advised to choose the unsaturated fats, contained in plant oils.

The best diet for those who want to keep a good health includes small quantities of fats, mainly non-saturated (sunflower is the best) and small quantities of foods naturally containing fats (nuts, beans, rice, milk, etc.). There is a lot of  “hidden” fats in processed foods like cakes, biscuits and pastries, and it is also not easy to know from the manufacturers which kind of fats were used for their production, so eat these in moderation. Nuts also tend to be oily, so it’s better to calculate them  carefully in your diet planning if you wish to limit your fats intake.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

“Vitamin” is a group-name for several unrelated nutrients that the body cannot synthesise either at all, or in sufficient quantities. The one thing they have in common is that only small quantities are needed in the diet. It is much better to get one’s vitamins through fresh food, because synthetic vitamins may also cause some harm or may not be properly utilized by the body. Vitamins and minerals are needed in such tiny quantities that there is no need to worry as long as you eat a varied and healthy diet and you have no genetic or environmental diseases. A very important consideration is that some vitamins are destroyed by heat, so we should avoid overcooking foods or consuming only cooked foods. Raw foods like sprouts, fresh fruit, salads and fruit salads are essential to keep a good health. Also, beans, grains, vegetables and other foods which are said to contain such and such  vitamins and minerals should not be boiled in lots of water and then drained, otherwise their vitamins and minerals will be lost in the cooking water. The same applies to milk: if you make cheese, most of the minerals and vitamins will go in the whey; if you throw it you'll lose a lot of benefits. If you wish to boil vegetables or other items, you may try to use the cooking water to make some nice and tasty soup.

The main vegetarian sources are listed below:

Vitamin A: needed for the bones, skin and eyesight, very important in growth processes. It is contained in red or yellow vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, apricots etc.,  and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin B: This is a big group of vitamins, needed to utilize energy in the proper way, to operate the nervous system and muscles, and to transform proteins, fats and carbohydrates. All except B12 occur in whole cereals (especially wheat germ). B1 is found in peas and potatoes, B2 in dairy produce, B6 in green vegetables, nicotinic acid in dairy produce, peas and cereals. B12 can be obtained from dairy products or fermented foods (like good quality soya sauce, tempeh, etc.) or some seaweeds.  As we grow older, our bodies get less good at absorbing B12 from food, so the elderly should take a B12 supplement.

Vitamin C: needed for the protection of the blood vessels and bones, fights infections and strengthens the immune system. It is found in fresh fruit, salad vegetables, all leafy green vegetables (uncooked or cooked very quickly), green peppers, chili pepper (capsicum), fresh lemon juice or orange juice, amla and berries.

Vitamin D: needed especially during children’s growth, to form and develop the structure of bones and teeth. Usually humans can make their own D when the skin is exposed to sunlight (white skinned people usually may expose hands and face for about half an hour/one hour  a day, but black skinned people will need a little more time). This vitamin  will also be present in the milk if cows have been out in the sun.

Vitamin E: protects cells from oxydation, and is found in vegetable oils, cereals and green leafy vegetables. Be careful to consume fresh oil, because when oil is very old  — or if it has been exposed to light or heat for a long time — and it smells old, the vitamin content is much lower.

Vitamin K: needed for blood coagulation, is found in vegetables and cereals, especially whole grains.

Calcium: very important for healthy bones and teeth. Found in lemon and lemon juice, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, bread, tap water in hard water areas, nuts (almonds and others) and seeds (especially sesame seeds), dried fuits, cheese. Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed.

Iron: needed for red blood cells. Found in green leafy vegetables, whole wheat bread, molasses and gur, dried fruits (especially apricots), lentils, nuts, curry powder. A good intake of Vitamin C and smaller quantities of copper, usually present also in green vegetables, lentils and nuts,  help absorption of iron. Also the excess of iron may tend to obstruct the absorption of iodine (usually iron and iodine have some difficulty being assumed together). Also, the excess of iodine (for example due to eating fish) may cause anaemia and lack of iron in the blood.

Magnesium: needed to operate nervous impulses and muscles movements. It is found in green vegetables, bread, milk, and peas.

Phosphorus: needed for the protection of the brain and the bones (together with calcium) and the  best use of energy from foods. It is found in nearly all foods, especially in vegetables, bread and milk. A very useful food for those lacking in Calcium and Phosphorus is almonds. Ten almonds a day are an excellent cure for these problems.

Sodium: needed for the nutrition of the cells, in excess quantity can create serious pressure problems. It is largely contained in common salt, but nearly all foods contain small quantities. So we should try not to consume too much  salt in our foods.

Potassium: like magnesium, helps in the development of the body proteins and the use of carbohydrates. It is found in many foods, especially in tomatoes, potatoes, peas, dried beans, and fruits.

Trace minerals (those needed in minute quantities) are many more, but we shall consider now only iodine and zinc. Iodine is contained in great quantities in seawater and thus in seaweeds, unrefined salt, and even in the sea breeze. Simply strolling on the beach can supply us with a nice quantity of iodine. Dairy products also contain iodine, and some vegetables like watercress. Iodine is very important to keep a good metabolic and hormonal balance. Zinc is quite plentiful in the vegetarian diet, although the best source is whole wheat bread prepared with yeast.

Some important foods

CEREALS:  Grains have been the staple foods of many civilizations for thousands of years. Cereals are seeds of plants, usually members of the grass family but there are a few exceptions. Like all seeds, cereals are very nutritious because they contain all the nutrients that the embryo plant needs to start growing. Unrefined cereals are valuable sources of proteins, energy, B vitamins and also contain some fat, iron, vitamin E and trace minerals, and are a very good source of  roughage in the diet. Some cereals contain a protein called gluten, which is essential for bread-making. Cereals may be used in grains, and boiled or cooked or steamed alone or in soups or baked dishes, or rolled into flakes (which is the quickest way to cook whole grain cereals), or ground into flour to make bread or unleavened bread (like chapatis or parathas), or macaroni and noodles.

Wheat contains remarkable quantities of gluten (wheat protein) and may come in two main varieties: soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) and durum wheat (Triticum durum), known in India as dahlia. Usually durum wheat is best used as a flour for noodles and other pasta, or broken into small bits (suji) to make upma and halava. But there is a wide range of other recipes from all over the world which can be made with suji (farina or semoline). From wheat gluten Japanese buddhist monks invented Seitan, which looks and feels very similar to meat, although purely vegetarian. Starch is also used in pastry making and to prepare very nice sweet creams and puddings. Nutritionally, 100 grms. whole wheat provide 14 grms. protein, 2.2 g. fat, 69.1 carbohydrate, 2,.3 fiber, 3.1 mg. iron, 36 mg. calcium.

Rice is probably the most ancient cereal known to history. Achaelogists have found that rice was grown in China more than 7000 years ago. This cereal is a good source of carbohydrates but doesn’t have quite as much protein as some other cereals (6.5 g. per 100 g.). Unpolished rice is a good source of B vitamins too. From the nutritive point of view, parboiled rice is a little better than plain refined rice, because during the first processing, some minerals and vitamins are saved into the grain, which is then husked. Flaked rice and puffed rice, if not completely white, is also more complete nutritionally. Rice flour is used for various kinds of pancakes and as a thickening agent for puddings and ice creams, but since it does not contain gluten it cannot be used to make leavened bread.

Maize (corn), called Zea mays by botanists, is the principal food plant of America and was unknown in other parts of the world until Christopher Columbus reached America in 1492. It was grown by the Maya, Inca and Aztec civilizations, and by various north American indian tribes, but now it has widely spread all over the world, used for human food, animal feed and as a source of raw materials for industry.  100 g. maize give 9 g protein, but it is deficient in the amino acid triptophan. There is no problem in a normal mixed diet, especially if the same meal contain some beans or other sources of proteins. Fresh maize is also used as a very nice vegetable in stews, pulao, pies, salads or roasted on the cob. We most often see maize as cornflakes or popcorn, but cornmeal is also very useful in cooking and can be made into polenta and polenta chips, tortillas or tortilla chips, or added to soups or pancakes.

Oats, called also Avena sativa (white oats) and Avena byzantina (red oats) are thought to have originated in Western Europe, and are very useful especially in cold climates. In facts, oats help heating the body  and is low in gluten. 100 grms. oats (oatmeal, rolled oats or flakes) give 13 g. protein, 55 mg. calcium and 4.6 mg. iron. Among the many recipes, there is the very famous English porridge. Rolled oats can be used to make veg-burgers, wonderful soups, roasts, pancakes, cookies and pies, and other salted and sweet preparations.

Barley (Hordeum distichon) grows in a wider variety of climatic conditions than any other cereal. It used to be a very important source of direct human food, but its use has been replaced in the last 250 years by wheat and rice. It has a high gluten contents and can be made into bread, but its best use is stewed with equal quantity of rice, or added to soups. If the grains are dry-toasted until deep brown and ground, they can be used to make a very nice coffee (without coffee). Barley is generally recommended for those who suffer from bowel irritation.

Millet is the name applied to a variety of grasses first cultivated in Asia or Africa, including Pennisetum glaucum, Panicum milliaceum, Panicum ramorum. It is a staple crop in Africa because it is drought resistant and keeps well. 100 g. millet provides 9.9 g. protein and 6.8 mg iron (higher than other cereals). The small grains are best sauteed with a little vegetable oil (and if you like some spice, too) until some begin to crack, then you can add some water (1 cup of millet requires 3 cups water) and simmer for 40 minutes; the result is very similar to upma. Using sugar and fruits instead of vegetables, you can have a sweet similar to halava. If you want, you can mix some cornmeal to the millet seeds before cooking, and you will have a smoother consistency; after cooking you can spread the mixture to cool on a plate (like dhokla), and flavor it as you like, or even deep fry the pieces after they have cooled well. Millet is recommended for those who want to have nice and strong  hair, nails and skin.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sagittatum or esculentum) is not a true cereal as it is not a member of the grass family. It usually grows in cooler climates and thus is very useful for heating the body; 100 g. provide 11.7 protein, 3.9 mg. iron and 114 mg. calcium. The triangular grains of buckwheat can be sauteed briefly in vegetable oil then cooked in water and served like rice or added to soups, while buckwheat flour makes wonderful noodles and spaghetti (also mixed with a little wheat flour), famous pancakes (like the Russian blinis), and is a tasty ingredient for baked dishes, fillings, veg-burgers, batters and coating mixes.

PULSES

Peas, beans and lentils are, collectively, called pulses. Legumes have characteristic nodules on the roots which contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria,  absorbing it from the air and converting it into natural nitrate in the soil, in a form available to the plant, so pulses can in fact produce valuable protein crops on comparatively poor soils, at the same time naturally  fertilizing the land for the benefit of all other plants.

All pulses, except for soya beans, which we will consider separately, are very similar in nutritional content. They are rich in protein (21-25%), carbohydrate and fibre, and are also important sources of some B vitamins. Generally, pulses can be boiled in water and make very good soups and stocks (by adding simply some spices or herbs and a little salt; you can add also vegetables and other ingredients), or baked dishes, patés, terrines, sandwich or toast spreads. They can also be cooked with less water (or drained) and flavored as a main course dish (curry or tarkari), especially when whole grains, or cooked with rice (kichari) or used to make wafers (papads) or other specialties (vada, barat, dosa, uttapam, etc.).

The nutritional quality of the soya bean is superior to that of other pulses. It contains more protein, which in turn has more of the amino acid Methionine and from the point of view of protein utilisation, can be comparable to cheese. It is also a good source of iron and calcium. From soya flour (which can also be used to make soya butter, soya pancakes, and other recipes), TVP is made (textured vegetable protein), which curiously resembles meat chunks. These can be rehydrated with hot water, or better vegetable stock, and then cooked as meat chunks (always add a few drops of soya sauce, which greatly helps the flavour) for about 10 minutes. If you want a nice gravy, during the cooking time add a spoonful flour, a spoonful oil, and your favorite herbs or spices. Another very interesting product of the yellow soya bean is soya milk (and curd, and cheese), which is obtained by soaking for some time the whole beans, grinding them with some water and heating the liquid for some minutes. Then the liquid is strained, and while soya milk can be further transformed in yogurt or curdled cheese (called tofu), the solids (called okara) can be used as an ingredient for other recipes, like veg-burgers, fillings and cakes.

The nutritional quality of the soya bean is superior to that of other pulses. It contains more protein, which in turn has more of the amino acid Methionine and from the point of view of protein utilisation, can be comparable to cheese. It is also a good source of iron and calcium. There are three main varieties:

- green soya, also called mung dal, very easy to digest, sprouts easily and cooks quickly. A wide range of recipes are possible, from dahl to curries to stews, to kichari to barats, to tasty fillings, and veg-burgers, pancakes, etc.

- red soya, much richer in starch and sugar, is very beneficial for kidneys and female disorders. It takes a long time to cook, but it has a sweety tasty flavor and can be used also to make sweets, puddings and creams, as well as salted soups, stews, and fillings.

- yellow soya, much richer in protein and fat, and very beneficial for those people who suffer frome excess cholesterol in blood. It is most widely used to extract oil and lecithin, and to produce a very wide range of foods. From soya flour (which can also be used to make soya butter, soya pancakes, and other recipes), TVP is made (textured vegetable protein), which curiously resembles meat chunks. These can be rehydrated with hot water, or better vegetable stock, and then cooked as meat chunks (always add a few drops of soya sauce, which greatly helps the flavour) for about 10 minutes. If you want a nice gravy, during the cooking time add a spoonful flour, a spoonful oil, and your favorite herbs or spices.

Another very interesting product of the yellow soya bean is soya milk (and curd, and cheese), which is obtained by soaking for some time the whole beans, grinding them with some water and heating the liquid for some minutes. Then the liquid is strained, and while soya milk can be further transformed in yogurt or curdled cheese (called tofu), the solids (called okara) can be used as an ingredient for other recipes, like veg-burgers, fillings and cakes. From soya beans, with a particular process, you can also obtain tempeh, another very interesting and new food which is very high in B vitamins, very tasty and quick to cook. Texture and taste are especially appreciated by those who like meat, although it is a perfectly vegetarian product. To prepare soya beans derivates, like tempeh, soya sauce etc., you need the special microorganisms (similar to those of yogurt) which pre-digest soya proteins by breaking them down and creating B vitamins.

POTATOES

Botanically called Solanum tuberosum, potatoes originated in the Andes where they have been used for at least 2000 years. The plant is perennial, but in practice it is dug up to obtain the tubers so it is replanted every year. They usually give a good crop, so they are a very cheap source of nutrients: they supply some vitamin C, most B vitamins, protein and a small amount of iron and calcium, and naturally plenty of carbohydrates. Some of the vitamin C is destroyed with cooking, so avoid overcooking. Also avoid eating green potatoes or old potatoes which have begun to sprout as they may contain a toxin called solanine. Also, avoid eating potatoes too often or in excess quantity, or potatoes and rice in the same meal, because this combination can very easily cause diabetes after some years.

Among the useful recipes, besides the classical potato sabjis, try fried potato chips (you can also give first a quick boil, cool, peel and thinly slice them, and deep fry in hot oil or ghee), mashed potatoes (while boiled potatoes are still hot, peel and mash them and heat again with a little milk, butter and salt). Potato soups are very good and light and they can be flavored with many ingredients (milk or vegetables, or chopped spinach or herbs etc.). Baked potatoes are also very tasty and easy to digest, either baked in their jackets and served with fresh butter and salt, or parboiled, sliced and baked with white sauce or cream. Many good recipes with potatoes come from Northern Europe (Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Britain etc) where in the XV, XVI and XVII centuries potatoes saved entire populations from starvation and famine.

LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES

The different varieties of spinach, watercress, cabbages and cauliflowers and other members of the Brassica family, lettuce and a wide range of leafy salad vegetables, and all other edible greens, are  particularly important in the diet because they supply vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, calcium and fibre.

It is important to note that the content of vitamin C is damaged during cooking (especially long cooking or pressure-cooking)  and minerals are also lost due to disposing of the cooking water, so you should definitely try to taste them uncooked in a nice salad, after washing them very carefully, possibly with a light solution of sodium bicarbonate which kills germs. Of course the vegetables should be nicely cleaned and trimmed, and very finely cut or shredded, then you can season them with a nice dressing  (fresh seasoned yogurt is wonderful) and maybe keep your salad in the fridge while you are giving the last touch to the rest of the meal. Salads may also contain fresh panir or cottage cheese cubes, roasted nuts, a few sprouts, some boiled beans (cooled!), and other salad vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum etc.; this dish  goes very well with toasted bread. For many recipes of salads and dressings, please read our other literatures.

OTHER VEGETABLES

So many and different are the vegetables according to the season and the climatic zone and the tradition of the place, that it is practically impossible to list them all in such a small book. But very often housewifes tend to use only some of them (the ones which are most easily found in the market or are quickly cleaned), and farmers tend to cultivate only a few.  But the fortunate people who have a small garden can try to grow some wild varieties (which are usually tastier than farmed ones) or foreign varieties (many of the most common vegetables we use today came from a long distance, even if a long time ago, like potatoes, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin etc.) or grow common varieties, without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Generally trees give the best results, because they do not require so much work like the annual plants, but they should be accompanied and protected by compatible plants (see permaculture).  If you do not feel ready to embark in growing your own vegetables and fruits, try to grow a few herbs and spices, and probably your enthusiasm will grow , too!

FRUITS

Every climate, country and area have their own varieties of fruits. Adding plenty of fresh fruits to the diet will greatly help your health. Try to eat fruits and sweets in a separate meal and not at the end of regular meals because fersh fruits contain enzymes which ensure a very easy and quick digestion if taken alone, while the sugar contained in fruits, if not immediately digested, will quickly ferment and spoil the entire contents of the stomach by transforming starch into fermented sugars and disturb metabolism, also causing the danger of diabetes.

DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS

The most commonly available dried fruits are dates (Phoenix dacxtylifera), raisins, sultanas and currants which are all from different varieties of grapes (Vitis vinifera), but in the West there are many more, like figs (Ficus carica), prunes (Prunus domestica), apricots (Prunus armeniaca), and peaches (Prunus persica). Also mangoes, apples and pears can be dried and used in the same way.  Drying fruits removes the water, which not only makes them easy to store, but also concentrates the nutrients, making them a most useful source of vitamins and minerals (especially iron and calcium), and sometimes also proteins (like figs, with 3.6 g. proteins on 100 g. dried fruit).  Anyway, remember that the drying process destroys most of the vitamin C and thiamin in the fruits although all the minerals remain, so fresh fruits and vegetables should not be completely substituted with dried ones. All dried fruits can be used as a simple and tasty snack, or mixed in the muesli or breakfast cereal, or to any sweet preparation (puddings, cakes, pancakes, dessert creams etc.) or even salty preparations like pulao or sabjis.

Nuts in general are very nutritious, providing protein and many essential vitamins and minerals and fibre. They combine well with cereals to form a balanced protein dish, although not in the same proportions (you need to eat a smaller quantity of nuts compared to cereals) because they are also high in carbohydrates and oils. While pulses all belong to the legume group of plants, nuts come from a variety of different plant groups, so the nutritional content is more varied too. All nuts can be eaten raw or roasted, salted or sweetened as a snack or added to salads or rice, or ground into butter for spreads or to thicken sauces. Finely ground nuts can be added to white sauce, to nut roasts, cakes, biscuits, sweets, breads etc.

Cashews: Anacardium occidentale, withstands rather drier conditions than most other nuts. 100 g. cashews provide 17.2 g. protein, 3.8 mg. iron, and vitamin A.

Almonds: Prunus dulcis, known as sweet almonds, are very nutritious: 100 g. provide 16.9 g. protein, 4.2 mg. iron, 250 mg. calcium, 20 mg. vitamin E, 15 mg. zinc and 0.92 mg. vitamin B2. The bitter variety  is used to make almond oil for flavoring and skin care preparations, but its nuts should not be eaten in large quantity because they contain a certain quantity of arsenicum. Sweet almonds can be used roasted as a snack or added to pulao, sabjis, puddings, desserts, or used for burfi,  and many international cookery specialties such as marzipan, etc..

Coconut: Cocos nucifera is also a very wonderful food. Both its water and milk are very nutritious and beneficial to health, and the nutmeat can be eaten fresh or dried (shredded). 100 gr. fresh coconut gives 3.2 g. protein, while dessiccated gives 5.6 protein. South Indian and Indonesian cookery has devised many recipes to use coconut, but there are some original ones invented by Western cooking, like cakes and other desserts.

Peanuts: Arachis hypogaea, also known as groundnut, it is actually a legume. It gets its name groundnut because as the pods ripen, they are actually forced underground. Peanuts are highly nutritious with 30%  protein and 40-50% oil, and they are an important crop. Oil is used in cooking, as salad oil, in margarines and to make peanut butter. Whole peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted as a snack and can be mixed with other nuts to bring down the cost of making nut roasts etc, while still maintaining flavour and good nutrition. They can also be used in cooking, added to other dishes (pulao, salads, sabjis, fillings, sauces, dressings etc.), or made into sweets like croccante, fudges etc. 100 g. peanuts gives 2 mg. iron and 61 mg. calcium.

Pistachio nuts: Pistacia vera, the kernels are green and are prized as much for their ornamental color as for their flavor. The pods can be slightly roasted to extract the kernel, and then used as a snack or added as a tasty decoration to salty and sweet preparations (rice, puddings, ice creams, etc.) 100 g. pistachios give 19.3 g. protein, 14 mg. iron, 140 mg. calcium.

Brazil nuts: Bertholletia excelsa, a native of South America, should be widely introduced in the rainforest ares as a part of a permaculture program (permaculture is an agroforestry scientific system which allows to reduce manpower and energy in cultivation while getting very good results). The nuts grow inside a hard, woody fruit rather like a coconut shell which has to be broken to expose the 12-24 nuts inside. Brazils are high in fat (66%) and protein (14%); 100 g. nuts provide 2.8 mg. iron and 180 mg. calcium.

Sesame: Sesamum indicum, of Indian origin but now common in tropical and subtropical Asia. An oil is extracted from the seed and used for cooking (especially in Chinese cookery), salad oil and margarine. Seeds can be made into sesame butter or ground into sauces with other ingredients or used for sesame halva; or used as a decoration on breads, cakes, confectionery etc. 100 g. sesame seeds give 26.4 protein, 12.6 mg vitamin B3, 7.8 mg. iron, 131 mg. calcium, 10.3 mg. zinc.

Sunflower: Heliantus annuus, was cultivated by North American Indians as long as 2000 years ago. The oil extracted can be used for salads or cooking (maybe the lightest and the best one), or to make margarine. The seeds can be eaten whole, raw or roasted (and husked!) as a snack or added to breads and cakes, made into savouries, sprinkled over salads or breakfast cereals. 100 g. sunflower seeds give 24 g. protein, 7.1 mg iron, 120 mg calcium.

Pumpkin: Cucurbita pepo and allied species, is a very useful and prolific plant. The seeds can be eaten raw, roasted or cooked in both sweet or savoury dishes. Sprinkle on salads or breakfast cereals. 100 g pumpkin seeds gives 29 g protein, 11.2 mg. iron, 51 mg calcium.

Some other nuts which grow in colder climates and are extensively used in Europe and North America are:

Chestnuts (Castanea sativa), which is rich in carbohydrates and is used in soups, fritters, desserts, porridges, stuffings, stews and sweets, as well as being roasted or boiled whole or preserved in syrup, Hazels (Corylus avellana), they are very ancient and they were collected by Mesolithic people in Europe, they are used in many sweets and also very popular as a snack, Pine nuts (Pinus pinea), a Mediterranean plant, the seeds are used frequently also in salty preparations and sauces, as well as in desserts and in special recipes like Castagnaccio, Pignoccata, etc., Walnuts (Juglans regia, Juglans nigra, Juglans cinerea), are also widely used as all other nuts and has a very nice flavour. Walnuts are usually eaten whole and raw and often used as a decorative and tasty ingredient on cakes, breads and pastries. Two very famous recipes are: the walnut cheesecake (a salty creamy, lightly spiced,  uncooked layer cake) and the ItalianWalnut Sauce to season pasta or rice (uncooked sauce made with walnuts, cottage cheese, cream cheese and spices).

Vegetarian diet is very good for young people and athletes

It is not true that young people and athletes need to eat meat. This idea started from the West, when the first empiric scientists, while observing the quality of the components of the human muscles and flesh, concluded that to “build up muscles and flesh”  we had to eat flesh. But as everyone may understand, this is a very feeble argument, because then if we wanted to be beautiful, then we should eat limbs of beautiful people, or if we wanted to be very intelligent, we should eat some scientists’ brains! Also it would be very difficult to understand how the elephant, the bull, and the rhinoceros can be so stout and strong and build up such large bodies and powerful muscles by simply eating grass...  And horses and asses can endure so much work by eating the same things. Actually this idea was simply due to ignorance and to bad informations about the real healthy foods. Until the ‘60s the Western scientists did not even know about vitamins, and the diets lacking of fresh food like fruits and vegetables  were causing so much trouble and so many mysterious diseases, which were attributed to many other concocted reasons! So it is easy to understand that the average diet of the poor people in the West (especially those who lived in the cities, where fresh fruits and vegetables were not easily available) was very poor and therefore could not allow to have a strong and stout body. As we already said, only the villagers who were not too poor, and could afford a good variety of vegetarian foods, had very little health problems. Unfortunately, these villagers did not go very often to see doctors, so the scientists could not investigate so much on their health...

Anyway, in these last few decades, after a mass study of the dietary habits of many different groups of people and their most common health troubles, many scientists, doctors and researchers have come to affirm that  a well balanced vegetarian diet has shown to give the best results for the growth of children and the performances of athletes. Usually, it was observed that vegetarian athletes had much greater endurance capacity, and a greater strength than meat-eating athletes.

In England, the Vegetarian Cycling and Athletic Club originated in 1887. Members of the Club have done much to show that vegetarians can do at least as well as meat-eaters in athletic pursuits and sometimes even do better. Members of the Club have broken 68 national cycling records and 77 local records, and two members of the Club have won Olympic games gold medals for running and wrestling.  One notable record is that of Mr. George Alien, who in 1908 averaged sixty miles a day on the Land’s  End to John O’ Groats walk. Today,  most athletes are vegetarian or vegan.