Grocery shopping
for vegetarians adds some color to your diet.
Grocery shopping for a vegetarian can present some culinary conundrums. There are many types of vegetarian lifestyles, each with their own set of dietary standards. Shopping for groceries that satisfy nutritional requirements while staying within specific dietary confines is a challenge in itself, but don't resist the opportunity to add an extra dose of vegetable power to your own meals. With a little forethought and planning you can pick up a cartful of nutritious groceries that meet the needs of vegetarian guests while satisfying everyone at the dinner table.
Instructions
1. Ask your vegetarian to define the limits of his diet so you can build an effective grocery list. Some vegetarians, called pesco-vegetarians, eat fish and seafood, but no meat that has been raised on land. Other vegetarians, known as lacto-ovo vegetarians, can consume eggs, milk and dairy products, but no meat of any kind. Those who subscribe to a vegan lifestyle eat absolutely nothing that is derived from animals. This diet rules out any meat, eggs and dairy as well as anything that contains gelatin, which is produced from boiled animal bones and tendons. Knowing the limits of the individual's diet helps you shop smart and avoid wasted money.
2. Browse vegetarian cookbooks and websites to build meal plans that can accommodate a vegetarian diet. Just because you are cooking for a vegetarian does not mean you will have to sacrifice your own meal preferences as well. You can devise creative ways to accommodate everyone's meal preferences with minimal hassle. You can pour meatless marinara sauce over pasta and eggplant slices that have been lightly battered and baked in an oven instead of meatballs. Add sauce, sprinkle liberally with cheese and broil in a hot oven to add vegetarian-friendly eggplant Parmesan to your menu. Adjust your menu to accommodate some vegetarian ingredients that you may not have tried before, and you might just discover a new pantry staple.
3. Start in the produce section of your grocery store, as most of the items found in this department are compatible for most vegetarian diets. There are some options that are more nutritionally dense than others; red bell peppers contain double the vitamin C of the green variety, as well as high concentrations of lycopene and carotene. Spinach contains more iron, folate and potassium than butter and iceberg lettuce varieties, and sweet potatoes contain beta carotene and other nutrients that are lacking in regular russet potatoes.
4. Bypass the meat counter and seek protein from sources like dairy -- for lacto-ovo vegetarians -- beans, tofu and grains like quinoa and barley. Many supermarkets also have health food aisles that contain non-dairy alternatives for vegan diners, like soy and rice milk.
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