20 Questions About Vegetarian diets are rapidly gaining in popularity.

They can
reduce the risk of many common diseases, promote weight loss,
Vegetarianism and help the environment. However, myths and misinformation
still abound. If you’re thinking about making the switch it’s
by Renee Cloe, ACE Certified important to have accurate information. Let’s take a look at some
Personal Trainer of the most common questions about vegetarianism.

1. What are the different types of vegetarians?

2. What are the health benefits of a vegetarian diet?

3. Is it possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet?

4. How much protein do I need, anyway?

5. What’s the difference between complete and incomplete

proteins?

6. Why do people become vegetarians?

7. How does vegetarianism impact the environment?

8. What does vegetarianism have to do with world hunger?

9. What do vegetarians eat? Don’t they miss their favorite

foods?

10. Are vegetarian diets always healthy?

11. Is it hard to eat in a restaurant when you’re a vegetarian?

12. Is a vegetarian diet safe for children and teenagers?

13. Aren’t vegetarians frail and weak?

14. How do you make the transition to a vegetarian diet?

15. What if you live with a family of meat-eaters?

16. What do vegetarians do about travel, and social

functions?

17. Do vegetarians need special vitamins and supplements?

18. Who are some famous vegetarians?

19. What do the experts say?

20. Where can I get more information?

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 1. What are the different types of vegetarians?

There are several different variations of the vegetarian diet. Strict

vegetarians, called vegans, eat no animal products at all. The
staples of their diets are fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and
peas), grains, seeds, and nuts. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy
products in addition to plant foods. Lacto-ovo vegetarians
include dairy products and eggs as well as plant foods in their
diets.

People who eat animal flesh (meat, fish, chicken) are not
considered to be vegetarians. However, as the health benefits of a
vegetarian diet become more widely known, many people reduce
or eliminate animal products. For example, they may eat fish and
chicken but no red meat, or they may eat meat in small portions
only a few times a week. These people can most accurately be
described as following a semi-vegetarian diet.

2. What are the health benefits of a vegetarian diet?

Vegetarian diets are lower in saturated fats, cholesterol, and

animal protein. They’re also high in folate, anti-oxidant vitamins
like C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals. Overall,
vegetarians have substantially reduced risks for obesity, heart
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and
some forms of cancer - particularly lung cancer and colon cancer.
Vegetarian diets that are low in saturated fats have been
successfully used to reverse severe coronary artery disease. (1)

3. Is it possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet?

Absolutely, it’s actually difficult to become protein deficient

unless you quit eating all together. Just about all unrefined foods
contain significant amounts of protein. Potatoes are 11% protein,
oranges 8%, beans 26%, and tofu 34%. In fact, people have been
known to grow at astounding rates (doubling their body size in
only six months) on a diet of only 5% protein. These people are
infants and they do it during the first 6 months of life, fueled by
breast milk, which contains just 5% protein. (2)

4. How much protein do I need, anyway?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (R.D.A.) for protein is 0.8

grams a day per kilogram of bodyweight. (Divide your weight in
pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms.) Athletes may require more
protein, but the amount is small (1.0 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of
bodyweight), an amount easily obtainable from a vegetarian diet.

Excess protein consumption can cause a variety of problems

including bone mineral loss, kidney damage, and dehydration.

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 Your body can only use so much protein, the excess is either
broken down through oxidization, placing an enormous strain on
the kidneys, or it is stored as body fat. Neither option is
particularly desirable. (3)

5. What’s the difference between complete and incomplete

proteins?

Animal protein contains all nine of the essential amino acids, so it

has been referred to as a "complete" protein. The nine essential
amino acids can also be found in plant proteins, however no
single plant source contains all nine of them. Therefore, plant
protein has been referred to as "incomplete."

It was once widely believed that vegetarians had to carefully

combine plant protein sources in each meal in order to obtain all
nine essential amino acids. However, scientific studies have
shown that the human body can store essential amino acids and
combine them as necessary. So, while combining beans and rice,
or peanut butter and bread produces a complete protein, it’s not
necessary to consciously do this at every meal. If you eat a varied
diet and adequate calories, combining proteins is not an issue. (2)

6. Why do people become vegetarians?

There are a variety of reasons. Many people switch to a

vegetarian diet for weight loss and improved health. Some are
concerned about the safety of meat following recent outbreaks of
salmonella and e. coli bacteria. Others feel that it is moral or
spiritual issue. Some individuals deplore the suffering of animals
in modern factory farms. Still others are concerned about the
environment and world hunger. A few just don’t like meat. For
many vegetarians it is a combination of issues.

7. How does vegetarianism impact the environment?

Throughout the world, forests are being destroyed to support the

meat-eating habits of the "developed" nations. Between 1960 and
1985, nearly 40 percent of all Central American rain forests were
destroyed to create pasture for beef cattle. More than four million
acres of cropland are lost to erosion in the United States every
year. Of this staggering topsoil loss, 85 percent is directly
associated with livestock raising, i.e., over-grazing. Much of the
excrement from "food" animals (which amounts to 20 times as
much fecal matter as human waste) flows unfiltered into our lakes
and streams. (4)

8. What does vegetarianism have to do with world hunger?

Raising animals for food is an extremely inefficient way to feed a

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 growing human population. The U.S. livestock population
consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more than five
times the entire U.S. population. One acre of pasture produces an
average of 165 pounds of beef; the same acre can produce 20,000
pounds of potatoes. If Americans reduced their meat consumption
by only 10 percent, it would free 12 million tons of grain annually
for human consumption. That alone would be enough to
adequately feed each of the 60 million people who starve to death
each year. (4)

9. What do vegetarians eat? Don’t they miss their favorite

foods?

Vegetarians have a variety of great food choices. Many of them

are just slight variations on old favorites. Some popular dishes
include: pasta with tomato sauce, bean burritos, tacos, tostadas,
pizza, baked potatoes, vegetable soups, whole grain bread and
muffins, sandwiches, macaroni, stir-fry, all types of salad, veggie
burgers with french fries, beans and rice, bagels, breakfast
cereals, pancakes, and waffles just to name a few. The freezer
sections of most big grocery stores carry an assortment of
vegetarian convenience foods such as veggie bacon, burgers, and
breakfast sausages.

10. Are vegetarian diets always healthy?

Not always, if a vegetarian replaces the meat with high fat

cheeses and oil, they’re not helping matters much. It’s also
important to remember that there’s no meat in ice cream, potato
chips, and fudge brownies. It’s certainly possible to be a
vegetarian and still consume large quantities of high-fat empty
calories. Vegetarian or not, a healthy diet is low in cholesterol and
saturated fat and is based around fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
and lean protein. Eliminating the meat doesn’t automatically
make for a healthy diet.

11. Is it hard to eat in a restaurant when you’re a vegetarian?

It’s actually surprisingly easy. You can always get beans, rice, and
tortillas at a Mexican restaurant. Chinese restaurants offer all
kinds of vegetable, rice, and tofu dishes. Italian restaurants are
known for spaghetti, ravioli, vegetable lasagna, and minestrone
soup. Even a steak restaurant is guaranteed to have big salads,
baked potatoes and bread.

Fast food chains are surprisingly accommodating as well.

Sandwich shops offer an assortment of vegetables and cheeses on
a bun with mustard, mayo or whatever you prefer. Burger places
are willing to leave the meat off of your sandwich. Many fast
food places now offer salads, baked potatoes, or meatless pita

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 sandwiches. The big pizza delivery companies have all kinds of
delicious vegetable toppings. They’ll even leave the cheese off if
you ask.

12. Is a vegetarian diet safe for children and teenagers?

According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarian diets

satisfy the needs of infants, children, and adolescents and
promote normal growth. Emphasis should be placed on foods rich
in calcium, iron, and zinc. They also stress that growing children
need frequent meals and snacks, and that it’s okay for children to
have some refined foods and foods that are higher in fat in order
to meet their energy demands.

13. Aren’t vegetarians frail and weak?

No, that one is a myth. Former champion bodybuilder, Bill Pearl

is a vegetarian. So is the legendary 6'8, 320 pound wrestler, Killer
Kowalski; fitness guru, Jack LaLanne; Olympic gold medalist,
Edwin Moses; and 6-time Ironman Triathlon winner, Dave Scott,
just to name a few. Burly vegetarians from the animal kingdom
include bulls, elephants, rhinos, and gorillas. Try telling one of
those guys that you can’t get big and strong eating your leaves
and twigs!

14. How do you make the transition to a vegetarian diet?

That depends on the individual. Some people just decide to do it

and never look back. Others make gradual changes to their diets.
They may start by having one or two meatless meals a day just to
try it out. Some people set aside one or two days a week to go
veggie, or even one day a week to eat meat. Some people start by
eliminating red meat and work from there. Others just cut back on
the amount of meat in their diet, using it as a condiment instead of
the main course.

15. What if you live with a family of meat-eaters?

This isn’t as tricky as it sounds. It’s possible for vegetarians and

meat-eaters to coexist peacefully at the same dinner table. Many
dishes are a combination of vegetables, grains, and meat. The idea
is to serve the various elements separately or to add the meat last.

Some suggestions include: a pizza that’s half meat / half veggie,

Mexican food like tacos or fajitas that everyone assembles
themselves, pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs with the
meat added after the vegetarian has been served, or cookouts
where the meat-eaters grill hot dogs and hamburgers and the
vegetarian grills veggie dogs and veggie burgers. Don’t forget
about meatless favorites like bread, beans, potatoes, pasta, rice,

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 casseroles, and desserts that everyone can enjoy.

16. What do vegetarians do about travel, and social

functions?

Major airlines have vegetarian meals available but you need to

request it when you make your reservation. At catered events like
weddings and parties, you may want to mention your dietary
preferences to the host. Caterers can provide a vegetarian meal
for you if they know about it ahead of time. For an important
business lunch in an unfamiliar restaurant, a quick phone call to
inquire about the menu options can help to put you at ease. If
you’re invited to dinner in someone’s home, let the host know
that you’re a vegetarian. You can also offer to contribute a dish to
a dinner party or family gathering. That way you’re assured of
having something good to eat.

In all of these cases, you can choose as much or as little advance

preparation as you want. If you’d just as soon hang yourself with
a dinner napkin than try to make special arrangements, it’s
perfectly acceptable to go with the flow and make the best of
what’s offered. I haven’t encountered a dining situation yet that
didn’t include some variation of vegetables and bread.

17. Do vegetarians need special vitamins and supplements?

In most cases they don’t. A well-rounded vegetarian diet that

includes a variety of foods usually meets all nutritional
requirements. One possible exception would be vitamin B-12
which is found only in animal products. Vegetarians who limit
dairy products may also want to pay special attention to getting
enough calcium. Good calcium sources for vegetarians include:
tofu, beans, dried figs, collard greens, blackstrap molasses, and
calcium fortified orange juice or soy milk.

18. Who are some famous vegetarians?

Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Socrates, Plato, Sir Isaac

Newton, Thomas Edison, Clive Barker, David Duchovny, Drew
Barrymore, Candice Bergen, Kim Basinger, Paul McCartney,
Chelsea Clinton, Woody Harrelson, Steve Vai, Eddie Vedder, Lisa
Simpson, Hank Aaron, Alec Baldwin, Bryan Adams, Peter
Gabriel, Mary Tyler Moore, Leonard Nimoy, Alicia Silverstone,
Liv Tyler, Jerry Seinfeld, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain,
Henry David Thoreau. (5)

19. What do the experts say?

The American Dietetic Association says that appropriately

planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate,

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 and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of
certain diseases. (1)

References:

(1) "Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets" Journal

of the American Dietetic Association, November 1997, Volume 97, Number 11.

(2) McDougall, John, M.D., The McDougall Program, 1990, pp. 44-45.

(3) "Position of The American Dietetic Association and The Canadian Dietetic
Association: Nutrition for physical fitness and athletic performance for adults"

(4) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Fact Sheet #5:
"Vegetarianism: Eating for Life"

(5) The Vegetarian Pages, "Famous Vegetarians/Vegans"

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