To eat meat or to not eat meat? That is the question.
According to a study by Vegetarian Times, some thirteen percent of Americans, 7.3 million, have voted no and have chosen to subsist on meat-free diets; they are vegetarians. The same study says one million of those people follow an even stricter vegan diet.
There are several different kinds of vegetarian diets and all are based on limiting or eliminating certain foods. One type is vegan: the strictest one of all. Vegan’s do not eat or use any product that comes from animals, such as poultry, fish, milk, eggs, cheese, and honey. Vegans also avoid leather, fur, silk, wool, soaps and cosmetics produced with animal products. A vegans’ diet consists of only plant-based foods. A lacto-vegetarian diet, another form of vegetarian eating, does allow followers to consume milk products, cheese, and yogurt, but they are unable to eat meat, poultry, and fish.
Finally, there is the flexitarian or the semi-vegetarian. Flexitarians eat a limited diet of meat, poultry, and fish, but still stick to plant-based meals.
These people have turned to a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons: to save animals; to live a healthier lifestyle; or to save the planet. Regardless of their motivation, being a vegetarian takes a great deal of dedication, especially for those living in the Panhandle of Nebraska with a limited amount of vegetarian food choices. For instance, many fast food restaurants do not have many food options for vegetarians, so vegetarians in Alliance, for example, often have only two choices: one, not eat out; or two, to eat the food out of the “sides” menu.
Shopping for food to cook at home, however, may be a bit easier. Safeway and Grocery Kart for example, have all kinds of tofu, such as organic, sprouted, firm, and super firm. Although the stores don’t have an actual vegetarian department, they do have a variety of vegetarian and vegan choices.
Being a vegetarian has several benefits including a reduced risk of chronic diseases and several cancers. Vegetarians also have a lower risk of obesity. But, of course, everything has its disadvantages and vegetarians must be careful to eat their amino acids, minerals, and protein in order to remain healthy.
Non-vegetarians usually wonder, “Where do vegetarians get their protein?” Protein is found in almost all food groups, all dairy products, wheat products, and, especially, in beans and nuts. Protein is not just found in meat products. Therefore, vegetarians may get their daily requirement of meat by consuming any of these other food choices.
When Family and Consumer Science teacher Mrs. Kathy Kloch was asked her opinion of the vegetarian lifestyle she said, “I think what you eat is very personal. If people are really bothered with things and they want to go vegetarian that’s fine. Although my concern with vegetarians is that they have to be more careful than non-vegetarians to be sure that they’re eating the right nutrition.”
Regardless of your choice to be vegetarian or non-vegetarian, it is always a good and healthy idea to experiment with different foods and extend your knowledge of your nutritional needs.