Vegetarian and vegan diets are increasing in popularity. In fact, about 7.3 million Americans follow a vegetarian-based diet, and 22.8 million follow a diet that is vegetarian-inclined. Some people have been vegetarians for all their lives due to religious, personal beliefs or health factors, some have decided to remove meat from their diet years ago, and others are just joining in now. There are many reasons to follow this lifestyle - not only do vegetarians and vegans spare animals and feel more energetic, in many cases, they are also more healthy.

Finding the perfect portion size

The key to leading a healthy lifestyle is balance, and this is especially true to vegetarians and vegans. This means that you need to eat an appropriate amount of calories, and that should include protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, saturates, fiber and salts to maintain your energy levels. BBC Good Food has cooked up a handy guide to finding the right portion size for your meals - it helps you determine how much of certain foods you should serve by the size of your hand:

• Carbs (cereal, rice, pasta, potato, etc) - your clenched fist
• Proteins (meat, poultry, fish, tofu, etc) - palm of your fist
• Savories (popcorn, crisps, etc) - 2 of your cupped hands
• Bakes (brownies, oat bars, etc) - 2 of your fingers
• Butter and spreads - the tip of your thumb

And smart portions aren’t everything - you’ve got to maintain healthy eating habits if you want to stay energetic. Being too busy is not a good enough reason to remove a meal from your schedule - if you’d like to stay on your diet but just can’t spare the time to cook, we offer daily food services and can prepare and deliver your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, cooked to fit your personal diet. Eating right is easy with Coast Chef, and we enjoy working with clients who like to stay healthy!

Catering to all types of vegetarian diets

In general, vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat, poultry or seafood. However, vegetarian diets vary in what foods they include and exclude:

• Lacto-vegetarian diets include dairy products and exclude meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and any foods that contain them.
• Ovo-vegetarian diets allow eggs but exclude any dairy, meat poultry or fish.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets allow eggs and dairy products but exclude meat, fish, and poultry.
• Pescatarian diets include fish but exclude meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs
• Pollotarian diets allow poultry but exclude meat, fish, and dairy.
• Vegan diets exclude any meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy and any foods that contain these products.

So, if you’re planning an event and know that some of your guests or you yourself are a vegetarian, take it into consideration when creating the menu. Your guests will be pleased that you thought of them. When you work with professional caterers like the team at Coast Chef, all types of diets are considered - just ask, and we’ll help you select the meals that are not only delicious and healthy but also a great conversation starter.

Stay true to your beliefs when celebrating with vegetarian catering in San Diego

From dazzling weddings to refreshing picnics and dinner parties, celebrations are a great way to spend time with your friends and family. However, if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you probably often find few options to choose from the menu or buffet. Coast Chef is here to change that. We can help you create a menu that suits all palates during your next event. Tomato-basil crostinis, pesto and avocado pizzas, sweet potato and bean stews, vegan-friendly chocolate cakes… We can cook anything you’d like! Simply contact us about your event and let us know about your preferences - our team will be glad to make your event a hit!