Adopting a vegetarian diet isn’t only the humane choice, it’s also a healthy one. According to the American Dietetic Association, “Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, and higher levels of fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than non-vegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.”

Need help making the switch? Here are five easy tips to help you make the transition to a vegetarian diet:

Try meat substitutes—veggie “burgers,” “ham,” “hot dogs,” and “turkey” made of soy and other meatless ingredients. Try several different brands to find your favorite.

Visit your local health food stores to find the best variety of vegetarian foods. You’ll find aisles of wonderful products which you never knew existed, like soy-based “cheese,” “ice cream,” and “milk.”

Grab a vegetarian cookbook from the library or bookstore. You will find mouth-watering meatless recipes for every occasion.

Begin by “vegging up” meals you already eat. Replace the meat in favorite recipes with beans or textured vegetable protein (TVP).

Explore meatless cuisines that are popular in other countries. You will find a wealth of vegetarian options at most Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Ethiopian, Indian, Mediterranean, and Mexican restaurants.

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