Vegetarian: no meat is easy. Eating well without it takes a plan.
Millions of people eat no meat and do just fine. Plenty of others swap the steak for cheese toasties and wonder why they feel rubbish. Here's what a vegetarian diet does, what the studies show, and where it goes wrong.
The short version
- What it is
- No meat, poultry or fish. Eggs and dairy usually stay.
- Good for
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol in trials, less heart disease in long-term studies, a bit of weight loss.
- Bad at
- Iron, omega-3 and, if you skip eggs and dairy, B12. Also bad at stopping you living on cheese and white pasta.
- Evidence
- Moderate. Trials on risk factors, observational data on disease.
- Our take
- A solid filter. We plan the protein and the iron so you don't have to think about it.
What a vegetarian diet actually is
No animal flesh: no meat, no poultry, no fish, no seafood. That's the core. Then there are flavours:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: eggs and dairy are in. This is what most people mean.
- Lacto vegetarian: dairy yes, eggs no. Common in India, often for religious reasons.
- Ovo vegetarian: eggs yes, dairy no.
Drop eggs and dairy as well and you're vegan. Add fish back and you're pescatarian. People choose vegetarian for animals, the planet, faith, health or simply taste. All valid. This article is about making it work for your body.
How it works in your body
Swap meat for beans, lentils, tofu, eggs and vegetables, and saturated fat usually falls while fibre climbs. More fibre means a fuller stomach, slower sugar release and happier gut bacteria. Less saturated fat and less processed meat means lower LDL cholesterol.
But meat brings things that are harder to replace. Iron from meat is absorbed far better than iron from plants, and the NHS says vegetarians are more likely to have low iron stores.1 Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal products, so eggs and dairy have to cover it. Long-chain omega-3 fats come mainly from oily fish, and plant versions may not give the same heart benefits.1
The fix is simple: eat iron foods with vitamin C, get eggs or dairy in daily, and don't let cheese become your main protein.
What you eat, what you don't
Eat
- Eggs, natural yoghurt, cottage cheese, some cheese
- Beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas
- Tofu, tempeh, edamame
- Whole grains: oats, barley, brown rice, wholegrain bread
- Leafy greens, broccoli, peppers (vitamin C helps iron)
- Nuts, seeds, walnuts, ground flax
- Fruit, especially berries and citrus
Forget it
- Meat, poultry, fish, seafood
- Gelatine (sweets, some desserts) and cheese made with animal rennet
- Stock, sauces and soups made with meat or fish
- And for your health: soft drinks, sweets, white bread
- Cheese as the main protein at every meal
- Ultra-processed meat substitutes as everyday food
Alcohol on a vegetarian diet
OK, now and then
- Spirits neat or with soda water and lime
- A glass of dry wine, ideally labelled vegetarian or vegan
- One beer with a meal
Not vegetarian, or not smart
- Wine or beer clarified with gelatine or fish bladder (isinglass)
- Sweet cocktails, liqueurs and alcopops
- Drinking on an empty stomach
50 Club: one small glass of wine or a light beer with a weekend meal.
Some wines and beers are clarified with gelatine or isinglass, which comes from fish. Many producers have switched to clay, but labels rarely say.9 If it matters to you, look for a vegetarian or vegan label. All the details are in our alcohol guide.
What it's good for, with proof
Lower blood pressure
A meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine pooled seven clinical trials: vegetarian diets lowered systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg compared with eating meat.2 The authors noted that's similar to cutting salt or losing 5 kg. The trials were small, 311 people in total.
Lower cholesterol
Thirty randomised trials, about 2,400 people: vegetarian and vegan diets lowered total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B compared with meat-eating diets.3
Less heart disease over the years
The EPIC-Oxford study followed 48,188 people in the UK for about 18 years. Vegetarians had 22% less heart disease than meat eaters, about 10 fewer cases per 1,000 people over 10 years.4 A big review of observational studies came to a similar 25%.5
Some weight loss
Twelve trials, 1,151 people: vegetarian diets led to about 2 kg more weight loss than non-vegetarian diets, mostly over a few months.6
The uncomfortable truth
"Vegetarians live longer." Depends on who you ask. A study of 73,308 Seventh-day Adventists in the US found vegetarians had about 12% lower death rates.7 But a UK study of 60,310 people found vegetarians and comparable meat eaters died at similar rates.8 Both are observational. The honest reading: a healthy lifestyle matters more than the label.
"Vegetarian means healthy." Chips are vegetarian. So are crisps, cake, cheese pizza and cola. A vegetarian diet of beans, vegetables and eggs and a vegetarian diet of toast and cheese are not the same diet.
The risks
- Low iron. Vegetarians are more likely to have lower iron stores.1 Eat beans, lentils, tofu and greens with something rich in vitamin C, and keep tea and coffee away from meals.
- B12, if eggs and dairy are rare. B12 is only found naturally in animal products. If you eat eggs or dairy regularly, you probably get enough; if not, use fortified foods.1
- Omega-3. Walnuts, flax and chia supply plant omega-3, but these may not match oily fish for heart benefits.1
- Stroke. In EPIC-Oxford, vegetarians had about 20% more strokes than meat eaters, mostly bleeding strokes, even while having less heart disease.4 The reason isn't known. It's one study and the absolute difference was small.
- Fractures. The same research group found vegetarians had a higher risk of hip fractures than meat eaters.10 Calcium, protein and strength training help.
- The cheese trap. Lots of new vegetarians replace meat with cheese. That's a lot of saturated fat and salt.
Allergies: watch the staples
Take meat out and eggs, dairy, soy and nuts often take its place. All of them are major allergens.
| Staple | Allergen (EU list of 14)11 | Swap |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs, omelettes, quiche | Eggs | Tofu scramble, chickpea-flour pancakes |
| Cheese, yoghurt, milk, paneer | Milk | Tofu, fortified soy or oat drink, beans |
| Tofu, tempeh, soy drink | Soy | Lentils, chickpeas, eggs |
| Nut roasts, cashews, almonds | Tree nuts | Seeds, beans |
| Peanut butter, satay | Peanuts | Sunflower seed butter |
| Seitan, pasta, bread | Cereals containing gluten | Rice, quinoa, buckwheat, potatoes |
| Hummus, tahini | Sesame | White bean dip with olive oil |
| Veggie stock cubes, soups | Celery | Homemade stock without celery |
Don't go vegetarian if you…
- have iron-deficiency anaemia, without a plan from your doctor
- have ever had an eating disorder and are using "vegetarian" to cut out food groups
- are pregnant, without checking iron, B12 and iodine with your midwife or doctor
- have osteoporosis, without checking calcium, vitamin D and protein
Healthen me asks about all of these and gives you a different plan if any apply.
How we use vegetarian in your plan
Vegetarian is a filter you pick in Healthen me. Tick it, and meat and fish leave your plan and your recipes for good. Tell us whether you eat eggs and dairy, and we adjust.
The engine then checks every week for protein, iron, B12, omega-3 and calcium. Your fast-breaking meal stays low-carb: eggs with spinach and feta, or tofu with greens. Protein comes first at every meal, which matters more on a vegetarian diet because it's easier to fill up on bread and pasta.
Health bodies agree this works: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says well-planned vegetarian diets are healthy and suitable at every life stage.12 Key word: planned.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat.
Sources
- NHS. The vegetarian diet. nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegetarian-diet
- Yokoyama Y et al. Vegetarian diets and blood pressure: a meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine 2014;174(4):577–587. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24566947
- Koch CA, Kjeldsen EW, Frikke-Schmidt R. Vegetarian or vegan diets and blood lipids: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. European Heart Journal 2023. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad211
- Tong TYN et al. Risks of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in meat eaters, fish eaters, and vegetarians over 18 years of follow-up: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. BMJ 2019;366:l4897. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4897
- Dinu M et al. Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2017;57(17):3640–3649. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26853923
- Huang RY, Huang CC, Hu FB, Chavarro JE. Vegetarian diets and weight reduction: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2016;31(1):109–116. doi.org/10.1007/s11606-015-3390-7
- Orlich MJ et al. Vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. JAMA Internal Medicine 2013. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6473
- Appleby PN et al. Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2016;103(1):218–230. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4691673
- The Irish Times. Are all wines vegetarian or vegan? 26 March 2023 (journalism, not research). irishtimes.com/food/drink/2023/03/26/are-all-wines-vegetarian-or-vegan
- Tong TYN et al. Vegetarian and vegan diets and risks of total and site-specific fractures: results from the prospective EPIC-Oxford study. BMC Medicine 2020. doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01815-3
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex II (the 14 allergens). eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
- Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: vegetarian diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2016;116(12):1970–1980. doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025