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What's hiding in your veggie burger? Chances are that if it tastes a lot like a real burger, what's not hiding in your burger is veggies.

Everyone wants their veggie burgers to taste good -- after all, what's the point in eating something if it doesn't? But when it comes to processed food -- and let's be clear, veggie burgers and hot dogs are processed foods -- sometimes making a food taste "good" means taking out the good stuff.

So instead of vegetables, what you might be eating in that burger is a mix of soy, eggs and wheat gluten. An improvement over a Big Mac, sure -- veggie burgers are inherently lower in calories and fat than meat burgers. But if you're a health-conscious veggie burger and hot dog lover, you should take a moment to make sure your favorite barbecue staple is as nutritious as you think.

Forbes has some tips when looking over the label:

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A healthy diet has long been considered a good measure for cancer prevention. The American Cancer Society recommends increasing your servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, incorporating more whole grains into your diet and limiting your consumption of processed and red meats.

Recent research suggests that going one step further and following a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Researchers followed more than 60,000 men and women; some ate meat, others ate fish but not meat, and a third group went vegetarian. The vegetarians were found to have a reduced risk of developing stomach cancer, cancer of the bladder, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

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Ever wondered what Gordon Ramsay's biggest nightmare is? Well, you don't have to anymore-- In a recent interview, Ramsay revealed: 'My biggest nightmare would be if the kids ever came up to me and said "Dad, I'm a vegetarian." Then I would sit them on the fence and electrocute them."

This is just the latest of Ramsay's verbal assaults on vegetarians, according to The Daily Mail, and he's not winning any popularity contests because of it. But as the article points out, he's so adamantly against vegetarianism that he actually convinced 50 vegetarians to try veal.

I can't even pretend to understand where Ramsay is coming from -- if you ask me, being a vegetarian is not only a healthy lifestyle choice but a delicious one too.

(Via Diet Blog)

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We all know broccoli is good for you, right? Not only does it have anti-cancer compounds, and anti-oxidant containing vitamins (vitamin-C and bets-carotene) but it's loaded with fiber. But which way is the best way of cooking broccoli and other vegetables, to preserve the most nutrients?

Believe it or not a recent study done at Cornell University said microwaving (behind steaming) is one of the best ways to cook vegetables and retain the nutrients inside. The study found that cooking vegetables on a grill, which exposes them to higher temperatures, is actually more destructive.

But be careful not to add too much water when cooking your veggies in the microwave. Researchers suggest that in order to keep the nutrients undamaged when microwaving you should only use a couple of tablespoons of water to cook raw vegetables and no extra water to cook frozen ones. That's because vegetables lose water-soluble nutrients like folic acid and vitamin-C when they are immersed in cooking liquid.

What tips do you have for steaming or microwaving your veggies?

It sounds ridiculous, but a reduction in animal farts might slow climate change.

The theory is that if we ate less meat, there would be less livestock, which would mean fewer flatulent animals to release methane into the atmosphere. And it's no joke -- animal gas makes up nearly a quarter of all emissions worldwide, leading many environmentalists to believe that reducing meat consumption is a significant way for people to protect the planet.

This is all besides the fact that you're probably eating too much meat anyway. There have been a number of studies linking excessive red meat consumption to heart disease, cancer, and obesity, for instance. So by cutting down your consumption, you can better your health, and the health the health of the planet -- all in one feel swoop.

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Vegan and vegetarian diets are growing in popularity, which is causing many people to ask why? Pretty much everyone has heard the claim that it's a healthier way to eat, but how exactly? Well here it is broken down: some of the main advantages for going meatless:

• Less fat and less calories. Obviously this depends on a person's individual choices (if you're a vegetarian living off peanut butter and Twinkies that's not going to be the case), but as a general rule healthy vegetarian diets are lower in bad fats and higher in fiber and good fats -- this also has the nice effect of helping you feel fuller faster.
• Better nutrition. A healthy vegetarian diet puts greater priority on vegetables and whole grains than a meaty diet does, making it naturally easier to take in enough servings of each on a daily basis.
  
• Avoiding Mad Cow disease. This threat just isn't going away.
• Save money. Generally speaking, vegetarian meals are less expensive.
• It's easier and more convenient than ever to go meatless. There are more options than ever before when it comes to meatless eating -- long gone are the days of cardboard-flavored veggie burgers and strange looks from other people. Eating vegetarian is fun and tasty whether you're cooking at home or eating out.

Interested in trying a vegetarian diet? If you're not sure how to get started the article also has some excellent tips on making the transition.

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I've heard several people I've talked to recently state that vegetarians can't be all that healthy based on the lack of protein intake from a non-meat diet plus other factors. But, eating veggies for your entire diet is not inherently better than having some meat in your diet, right?

It all comes back to details. For example, there are a multitude of plant-based sources for protein -- it does not have to come from meat as some may think. Cutting out red meat (which is always a good idea) will reduce saturated fat and artery clogging, yes?

The only thing is that you can't replace meat in your diet -- if you decide to become a vegetarian -- with other foods that are bad for you.

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In a recent study that was just concluded, 10-year-olds with higher IQ scores were found to more than likely become vegetarians by age 30.

The British-based research studied 8,170 men and women who were born in the U.K. in 1970. In 1980, the participants took an IQ test -- and 20 years later, all participants were asked whether they were currently vegetarians.

366 of the 8,170 participants said they were vegetarians, and the group included nine vegans (who eat no animal products, such as meat, dairy products, and eggs) and 123 people who called themselves vegetarians despite eating fish and chicken. Guess what? Those with higher IQ scores at age 10 were more likely to be vegetarians at age 30, with the difference in IQ points was about five points, according to the study.

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