Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian Diet

• In the United States, 32% of adults eat a vegetarian diet (Vegetarianism in America, n.d.). What does the term “vegetarian” mean?

A vegetarian may be defined as a person who takes mostly plant products. They mainly refrain from taking any products of animal slaughter. Such include fish, domestic and game meat, fish, and shellfish (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Their diet is made of mainly seeds and nuts, grains, vegetables, and various types of fruits and vegetables. However, some vegetarians include products from live animals such as milk and eggs. There are many types of vegetarian diets determined by factors such as religion, environmentalism, ethics, and health reasons. The types of vegetarian diets include Lacto-Ovo vegetarians, which follow a feeding program that excludes almost all the animal products but includes eggs and dairy products (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Ovo vegetarians are similar to Lacto-Ovo vegetarians but do not contain dairy products in their diets. Vegans avoid all animal products. Flexitarians are part-time vegans. They change their diets based on availability and many other factors. Pescatarians are vegetarians who include fish and related products but do not eat poultry and dairy products (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Vegetarianism is said to have started many centuries ago for most of the stated reasons but has gained more popularity in the contemporary world. Technological advancement is one of the factors that promote the spread of vegetarian ideas.

• Do you think vegetarian diets are practical? That is, can someone easily be a vegetarian while living the typical American life of being rushed and busy?

One can see that vegetarianism is based on choice. A person controls what they want to eat whenever possible. For that reason, the availability of food and time controls a significant percentage of dietary preferences (vegetariantimes.com). In a busy life such as those of most Americans, one can hardly maintain a strict vegetarian diet for lack of adequate time to prepare appropriate food combinations. Sometimes one is forced to eat other kinds of foods available in the market, some of which are not recommended for a vegetarian. However, one can still violate their eating programs by including other types of foods that are not so non-vegetarian such as dairy products and eggs (vegetariantimes.com). Under extreme lack of vegetarian combinations, one can consist of fish or become flexitarians. However, it may not be practical for one to be a vegan in a world in which the availability of food is dictated by demand and supply (vegetariantimes.com). In some American urban settings, busy lifestyles make it hard for one to get appropriate food combinations that do not include animal products within a short time and still handle the many daily activities.

• Vegetarian diets are associated with a lower risk of obesity and diabetes, as well as other chronic conditions (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Clearly, a vegetarian diet can be a healthy one, but can a vegetarian diet lack nutrients? If so, which nutrients may be lacking? How could these nutrients be measured in the body to determine if someone is deficient in them? Are there vegetarian foods that provide these nutrients, or would supplementation be necessary? Are there any interactions to be aware of with the supplements that a vegetarian may take?

Vegetarian lifestyles are associated with many health benefits, including reduced risks of developing health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and some types of cancer. Even with the many advantages of vegetarianism, one is still at risk of some health problems based on the nutrient availability in most vegetarian diets (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). It is significantly tricky or impossible to get some nutrients by eating some plant materials. Vegetarians need to understand that fact and supplement their diet with appropriate nutrient sources to maintain good health. Vegetarians can hardly get vitamin B12 because it is mainly found in animal foods such as dairy products, meat, fish, and eggs (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Vegans do not take most of the stated foods and are therefore at risk of developing problems related to vitamin B12 deficiency such as anemia and muscle weakness. Vegans are also at risk of developing a deficiency in calcium, iron, and zinc (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Vegetarians can prevent becoming deficient in the stated nutritional elements by including B12 supplements or eating foods such as burgers or fortified cereals.

• Do you think that a vegetarian diet would be costlier than a nonvegetarian diet?

Vegetarian diets can be cheaper or more expensive than non-vegetarian diets depending on the food types one uses in both cases. Vegetarian foods such as veggie burgers are sometimes more expensive than meat containing diets (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). However, one advantage is that one can apply various strategies to make the menu cheaper. Prepared foods usually are more expensive than the self-made. Vegetarians can choose to buy ingredients and make the foods themselves (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). They can also look for recipes on the internet for that purpose. Some vegetarian foods such as pasta, beans, tofu, and rice are generally cheaper than meat. Vegetarians can choose them as an option when the cost becomes the central determinant of the choice of food.

• Look at the meals you ate in your 3-days diet record. Do any of your meals contain no meat? Choose one of your meals that include meat and modify them to be vegetarian. Would you eat a modified meal?

I ate a meal that contained rice, vegetables, and meat. The meat makes the food non-vegetarian. I can replace the meat with vegetarian food such as beans and still eat it. Proteins are the most significant components of meat. Beans also contain some percentage of protein (Marsh, Zeuschner, & Saunders, 2012). Even though the protein percentage in beans is less than that in meat, I can increase the number of beans to achieve the right amount of protein in my meal.

References

Marsh, K., Zeuschner, C., & Saunders, A. (2012). Health implications of a             Vegetarian diet: A review. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 6(3),
250–267.

Vegetarianism in America. (n.d.). Vegetarian Times. Retrieved from

Vegetarianism In America