More and more people these days are choosing to go meatless, whether it’s for ethical, environmental, medical, or religious reasons. There are plenty of reasons why going meatless is a good idea, so if you’re choosing to follow the same route, then remember that it’s good for you!

However, one shouldn’t go meatless without knowing a few things. Despite some of its unhealthiness, meat has a lot of health benefits that now need to be replaced with plant-based sources. This can disrupt your health if you don’t follow a meatless diet properly. So, make sure you remember these five things about going meatless.

1. Replace Animal Protein with Plant Protein

Just because you’re going to stop eating meat doesn’t mean you should stop eating protein! You should always replace the lost protein from meats with something else like dairy or eggs (if you want to be vegetarian), or beans, nuts, and legumes (if you’re going for veganism).

It’s very important to keep up your protein intake because it helps you build muscle and gives you energy. Protein also helps your body repair cells, which is especially important during childhood and adolescence as you grow and develop.

2. Stay Away from Fake Meats

Replacing animal meat with plant-based meat may look like a blessing, but like many things in life, it isn’t always what it seems. Sure, plant-based meats are made of beans, mushrooms, and other meat-tasting things, but they’re also loaded with preservatives, coloring, and binders that have no nutritional value. They’re also packed with sodium to make them taste like real meat, making them just as unhealthy for you! You might as well continue eating real meat.

It’s okay to have fake meat once in a while but limit your intake of it. You should instead go for fresh ingredients like the ones we mentioned above.

3. Don’t Eat Too Much Cheese

Cheese is a great source of protein and is the main ingredient of many iconic international dishes, but it’s also a great source of saturated fats. If you replace your meats with cheese, you’ll end up ingesting a lot of fat that’ll eventually store itself around your organs, around your belly, and all over the rest of your body!

Instead, use cheese to enhance the flavors of your dish. Add a sprinkle of it on top of your vegetarian chili, vegetable pasta, or vegetable pizza. Alternatively, you can also use nut-based cheeses like cashew cheese if you want something cheesier like macaroni and cheese.

4. Refrain from Eating Processed Carbohydrates

You’re replacing animal-based protein with plant-based protein already—you might as well replace refined carbohydrates with unprocessed carbohydrates too! Ditch the white rice, bread, and pasta and replace them with whole-grain rice, bread, and pasta.

A good rule of thumb is to look at the color of your carbohydrates. The lighter in color they are, the less healthy it is for you. Lighter carbohydrates usually have their nutrients stripped away, and many of them are just empty calories.

Remember, the health benefits of going meatless won’t matter if you don’t eat healthier carbohydrates too!

5. Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

What’s the point of going plant-based if you’re not loading up on fruits and vegetables? You can’t just have protein and carbohydrates—you also have to have vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate vegetables into your diet and switch your lifestyle to a healthier one. Firstly, you could just add random vegetables to whatever you’re eating. If you’re eating pasta, toss some broccoli or peas into the pasta sauce. If you’re having a plain cheese pizza, add bell peppers, olives, pineapples, and other tasty vegetarian pizza toppings.

You can never go wrong with plenty of fruits and vegetables!