Vegetarian Food Near Me, Menu, Recipes and Restaurant for Breakfast
1. You are what you eat
You’ve certainly heard the expression many times, “You are
what you eat.” Have you ever really thought about what it means? And do you
think about it when you’re making food choices?
In some ways, we do become what we eat, literally. Have you
ever seen an example of your blood plasma after eating a fast food hamburger?
What was previously a clear liquid becomes cloudy with the fat and cholesterol
that’s absorbed from eating a high-fat hamburger.
And when you think about it, we also become what we don’t
eat. When we switch from eating meat to a vegetarian-based diet, we become less
fat, less prone to many types of cancers. Our cholesterol can improve. When
we’re leaner and eating fewer animal products, then many other health and fitness
issues are reduced. The incidence of Type II diabetes is reduced. Blood
pressure falls into normal ranges. When you’re healthier, you’re taking fewer
medications. Even if you have a prescription drug benefit in your health plan,
you’re still saving money with fewer co-payments on medications.
If you have a family history of high cholesterol or high
blood pressure, then it’s particularly incumbent on you to revise your eating
habits. Moving towards a more vegetarian diet has been shown statistically to
reduce the incidence of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries.
Vegetarians are statistically healthier than omnivorous persons; they’re leaner
and live longer.
Isn’t it time to think about what you want to be and to eat
accordingly? Do you want to be sluggish and fat? Do you want the risk that goes
with eating animal products, with their high fat content? Or do you want to
look like and be what vegetarians are? Leaner and fitter with a longer
anticipated lifespan. It’s never too late to change what you’re doing and
increase your chances for a longer, fitter life.
2. Humans did not always eat meat.
Do you ever think about how far we’ve diverted from the path
of our pre-historic ancestors and they’re eating patterns? Consider how the
earliest humans evolved, and what they ate. They were hunter-gatherers and did
not evolve with the characteristics of carnivores. Humans aren’t made to tear
animals apart and eat their flesh. When you look at carnivorous animals, such
as wild cats, you can see their teeth are designed to rip and tear, not chew.
Humans evolved from vegetarian creatures. Even our digestive
systems are not particularly suited to eating meat. Eating meat is a relatively
recent development in human history, most likely born of opportunity and
necessity. Perhaps earliest man observed carnivores eating meat, and if they
couldn’t find any of the natural foods they were used to eating, such as
vegetables, berries, nuts and grains, then they might have assumed that eating
meat would at least sustain life.
But initially we emulated the creatures we evolved from,
herbivores like apes. Even to a prehistoric mind, apes would have looked
similar to man, walking primarily upright, with arms and hands. We naturally
would have foraged for our food, eating roots and berries, fruits and nuts. We
would have watched the apes peeling bananas, or crushing nuts on stones to get
at the meat of the nut.
We would have been living more moment-to-moment, constantly foraging for food. Hunting, after all, requires thought and planning. Eating meat requires preparation and most importantly, fire. Until man discovered fire, he was primarily vegetarian, living in what was the natural order of things. Vegetarian eating is a more natural way of eating, in addition to being healthier. It’s a way that’s in balance with the planet, and doesn’t seek to dominate it and conquer it.
3. Why did humans start eating meat?
It must have felt unnatural at first, to eat animal flesh.
After all, we’re not so far removed from animals ourselves. Perhaps it even
felt cannibalistic. There might not have been that much intellectual
distinction between humans and other animals. When humans were pure
vegetarians, they were living in harmony with the earth and with the other
creatures co-habiting the planet with them. Their closest animal relatives,
apes, were vegetarians. Eating the products of the earth, like plants, grains
and fruits that they could gather and eat would have seemed the natural order
of things.
But necessity is the mother of invention. Prehistoric men
who lived in frozen geographies, or who lived in an area that became devastated
by fire, would have eaten anything to survive. Just like the soccer players
whose plane crashed in the mountains of Chile, and were forced to eat the flesh
of other players who died in the crash, earliest man at some point had to make
the choice for survival, and that could have consuming meat for the first time
and changing human history – and health – forever.
We can imagine that men first ate meat that had been charred
or cooked by virtue of being caught in a natural forest fire. They might have
subsequently eaten raw meat, if necessary, but we can also imagine that our
earliest digestive systems rebelled against eating raw meat.
Imagine having eaten raw foods and vegetables for eons, and
all of a sudden, incorporating meat products into your system. You may have
heard friends who were vegetarians tell stories of trying to eat meat and
becoming violently ill afterwards.
Biologists will tell you we’re really not designed to eat
meat, but we adapted to it. However, in the timeline of human history, eating
meat is a relatively recent evolutionary development.
4. Traditional Meat
How did our family traditions become centered around eating
meat? Think about it. When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of turkey. If we
eat pork, then New Year’s celebrations often revolve around pork and
sauerkraut. At Christian Easter, the traditional meal is ham. And in the
summer, we wait for that first hamburger or steak on the grill.
How did that happen to a species that was designed to eat
vegetables and fruits, nuts, berries and legumes?
We can imagine that eating meat was initially an
opportunistic event, born of the need to survive. The taste of cooked meat,
plus the sustained energy that came from eating high-fat meat products made
primitive sense even to earliest man.
Initially, finding cooked animal meat, from a forest fire,
would have been cause for celebration. It’s something everyone in a clan would
have participated in eating together. When man learned to hunt and moved to a
hunting orientation, rather than a hunter-gatherer orientation, he would have
done this in groups. They would have had to hunt in teams, and killing an
animal for food would have been a group effort. Hunting and killing an animal
meant food not just for the individual, but for the clan, and would have been
cause for celebration when the hunters brought the food home.
If they brought the animal back to the clan, it would have
taken a group effort to skin the animal and tear or cut the meat from the
carcass. Everyone would have participated in this, and subsequently, shared in
the rewards of their work.
It’s easy to see how, once we didn’t have to hunt for meat,
but could buy it, the need for gathering and celebration was deeply ingrained
in our natures. We celebrate the seasons and life’s events with family and
friends, and because those early celebrations involved eating meat, that
tradition has continued to modern times.
5. Why switch to vegetarianism
If you’ve eaten meat and animal products your whole life,
you might think, why switch to a vegetarian diet? You’ve lived your whole life
eating eggs, hamburgers, hot dogs, poultry, so why switch now?
There could be many reasons to switch. Start by looking in
the mirror. Are you at a healthy weight? Do you look and feel good most of the
time? Do you wake up energized? Or do you wake up tired and sluggish?
How is your general health? Is your blood pressure within a
healthy range? Are your cholesterol and blood sugar ranges normal? If they’re
not, consider what you’re eating on a daily basis.
How do you feel after eating? Do you feel energized, as if
you’ve fed your body what it needs? Or are you tired and dragged out? Do you
often need a nap after eating? Is that what food is supposed to do for us, make
us tired and sleepy?
Not really. Food should nourish and feed the body and leave
us energized and refreshed. The human body is a machine and needs fuel that
keeps it running in peak condition. When we’re fat, with high blood pressure,
Type II diabetes, high cholesterol and other unhealthy conditions, it’s like a
car engine that hasn’t been tuned or isn’t running on the optimal type of
gasoline it needs to run efficiently. Your body is the same way. It needs the
right kind of fuel to run at peak efficiency, and when you’re eating high-fat
meat, or meat that’s been fed antibiotics throughout its life, that’s simply
not the kind of fuel the human body evolved to run on.
Try eating vegetarian for a week or a month. See if you
don’t feel different, more mentally acute and more physically fit and
energized. At least reverse the portion sizes you’ve been eating, and make meat
more of a side dish, if you can’t stop eating meat altogether. Even that change
can make a big difference in your overall health and well-being.
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6. PETA
People have different motivations for eating a vegetarian
diet. For many people, it’s a health issue. They need to reduce their weight,
bring down their blood pressure and cholesterol, manage their blood sugars. A
vegetarian diet helps them do this.
For others, it’s also moral and ethical decision not to eat
animal products. Through the centuries, we’ve become accustomed to thinking of
man as superior to all other animals on the planet. We use animals for food,
clothing, shoes, belts or other accessories. We use them for scientific
experiments. We discount their place on the earth and consider that animals are
here to serve us and our needs.
PETA stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
and is an organization devoted to changing that mindset among humans. They are
against using animals for food or for clothing, especially for what they
consider the needless or particularly inhumane use of animals, such as killing
or trapping them for their fur.
They are passionate about their cause. In their own words,
PETA believes that animals have rights and deserve to have their best interests
taken into consideration, regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Like
you, they are capable of suffering and have an interest in leading their own
lives; therefore, they are not ours to use—for food, clothing, entertainment,
experimentation, or any other reason.
We are supposedly an evolved society. But how evolved can a
society be that thrives on the suffering of animals? In his excellent book, When
Elephants Weep, author Jeffrey Masson explores the emotional lives of animals
and presents compelling evidence for it. As a species, we must begin to
re-evaluate our place on this earth and where we fit in relation to every other
creature that inhabits it. PETA believes this as well and is a passionate
advocate for the rights of animals.
7. Caged chickens and hormones
If most of us thought about the conditions in which chickens
used for meat and eggs are raised and slaughtered, we’d become vegetarian on
the spot. Egg-laying chickens can be raised in cages with 6 chickens to a cage,
each chicken getting only 67 square inches of space for its lifetime.
Unless they’re certified and labeled as being free-range or
organic or natural, they might have been fed growth hormones to get them to
slaughter faster, and antibiotics to combat the diseases which come from being
raised in cramped and less-than-clean conditions.
And consider what the recommendations are for cleaning up
after touching poultry? It’s recommended to clean surfaces with bleach to
remove bacteria, and to wash your hands thoroughly after touching a chicken.
Do you really want to put something into your body that
requires bleach to clean up after? Something that needs to be cooked to
specific temperatures to be sure you’ve destroyed any bacteria that could make
you sick?
Chickens and turkeys have become so mass-produced and
injected with antibiotics and hormones that there’s no taste to it anymore, so
why bother? Even the most humanely treated chicken has either been stunned in a
salt-water brine before being beheaded. In John Robbins excellent book and
video, Diet for a Small Planet, he shows us pictures of chickens being grabbed
in groups by the neck and thrown into cages. Can you really consider eating a
chicken with that vision in your head?
Any means of mass-producing animals for human consumption is
by its very nature unhealthy and cruel for the animals, and unhealthy for
humans as well. Even if you’re of the opinion that man is a natural hunter, how
natural is it to eat an animal that’s been raised in captivity and fed a diet
of hormones and antibiotics?
8. Cow slaughterhouses
Even if you don’t eat meat, you might think drinking or
using milk is part of a vegetarian diet. We all have images of farmers pumping
milk by hand, and it seems a natural part of life and a benign use of the cow.
But we don’t really think much about it at all, do we?
Do you know how a cow raised for producing milk lives its
life? Like most animals used for mass consumption, a milk cow lives in cramped
and often filthy conditions. It is fed hormones to stimulate its reproductive
processes, because that’s what a mother’s milk is for – to feed its baby. As
soon as a calf is born though, it’s taken from its mother. A male calf often
goes to a terrible fate to be raised for veal; a female calf often has the same
fate as its mother.
Often the cows mourn for their babies. They’ll be seen
bellowing for them and looking for them. Mass producing milk for human
consumption has disrupted the natural order of things.
The cows are fed hormones to continue to stimulate milk
production. The electric pumps are painful to the cow’s udders. With the
hormone stimulation, cows are forced to produce 10 times more milk than they
would ordinarily.
When their milk-producing days are over, the cows are then
slaughtered for ground beef. It also takes enormous natural resources to feed
and water all these cows. The water table is being depleted to sustain this
enormous industry. And the waste produced by all these large animals is having
a detrimental effect on the environment.
We really don’t need to consume milk after a certain age.
Why would we continue to support this industry that’s built on animal
suffering? To really top it off, humans are not meant to drink cow milk. Calf’s are meant to drink cow milk and we
humans are meant to drink human milk.
Our bodies were not designed to digest the proteins in cow milk – so why
bother? Especially when you can get more
calcium from a green, leafy vegetable?
9. Veal
There are few issues that make a more compelling argument
for a vegetarian diet than that of veal and how it’s produced. While the meat
industry is, by its very nature cruel and inhumane, the veal industry is the
worst.
Baby calves are taken from their mothers, often at just one
day old. They’re kept in pens that prevent movement, to keep their muscles
soft. To produce the pale, soft veal that is so highly prized by gourmets, the
calves are fed a liquid that’s deficient in iron and fiber that creates an
anemia in the animal.
The confinement in which they live for their short lives
creates a significant level of chronic stress for the animal and they’re
subsequently given much higher levels of medications that can be harmful to
humans. The confinement makes them weak, often unable to stand. We treat
criminals who have committed the most vicious crimes imaginable more humanely
than we treat innocent calves.
Why would anyone want to consume meat that’s delivered to
the table infused with the suffering of animals? What culinary experience can
ever be worth it when you know what the animal, especially a calf, has to go
through?
At age 20 weeks, the calf is then slaughtered. All the meat
we eat has been mass produced and slaughtered. Their life is inhumane and their
death is inhumane, in addition to which it’s becoming less and less healthy for
us to eat. Veal is the premier example of this industry. Changing to a
vegetarian diet not only is a much more healthy way to eat, it’s way of living
in balance with the earth. It may have been one thing centuries ago to hunt for
meat because it was a means for survival. Today’s mass-produced meat industry
is nothing like that and is more a cause of illness and poor health than it is
for survival or nutrition.
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10. Turkeys
The consumption of turkeys in the
Unhealthy and overcrowded conditions mean that disease
amongst commercial turkeys is widespread, resulting in approximately 2.7
million turkeys dying in their sheds every year. Foot and leg deformities, heat
stress and starvation caused by the inability of immature birds to find the
feed and water troughs are commonplace. Ulcerated feet and hock burns are
common - caused by continual contact with litter contaminated by urine and
feces.
Can you really sit at dinner on your next holiday and look
at a roasted turkey the same way?
It makes a compelling case for switching to a vegetarian
diet, doesn’t it? Suddenly, the jokes about vegetarian dinners, with nut loaves
and vegetables, instead of meat, seem to make more sense, not only from a
health standpoint, but from a humane issue as well. Why do we persist in eating
in such a way that makes us unhealthy and is inherently bad for us? For you
next holiday dinner, consider the possibilities of an all-vegetarian menu. So
much of the dinner is vegetable-based to begin with; it’s a small change to
replace turkey with a plant-based main course as well.
11. Pig farming
Many people reject eating pork and other meats derived from
pigs for religious reasons or health reasons. When people start eating a more
vegetarian diet, red meat is usually the first thing they eliminate from their
diets. When they do, various health indicators generally start to improve, such
as their cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings. Health is one of the
most compelling reasons to eat vegetarian, but the inhumane treatment of the
animals mass-produced for human consumption is another reason many people are
rejecting a carnivorous diet.
Pig farming follows the same processes that chicken farming
and other animal farming employ. The pigs are kept in small crates with limited
movement. They’re overfed so they can be slaughtered more quickly. Their living
conditions can be dirty and they’re fed growth hormones to stimulate weight
gain and antibiotics to ward off diseases that are the results of their living
conditions.
They’re forced to live in unnatural conditions and they exhibit
signs of chronic stress that other animals produced for human food do. They
chew on the bars of their cages or worry with their water bottles excessively.
Their limited range of movement prevents the rooting behavior that’s natural
for a pig.
The pigs pay an extremely high price to feed us. And we pay
a high price for eating pork and other red meat. We’re basically not made to
eat meat. Our teeth weren’t developed to rip and tear meat. We evolved from
herbivores and it’s still the better way for us to eat. When we eliminate red
meat and other meats and animal products from our diet, we get healthier – more
lean and fit, less tired and sluggish. And there’s the added psychological
benefit of knowing that we’re not contributing to the suffering of innocent
animals.
12. Fish, mercury
Many people think if they just eliminate red meat and
poultry from their diets, their eating healthier. This is partly true, but
there are hazards to eating fish and seafood as well. The harm that humans have
done to the environment has had a direct effect on the fish and seafood we eat.
There are elements of fish and shellfish are an important
part of a healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and
other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty
acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can
contribute to heart health and children's proper growth and development. So,
women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in
their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.
However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of
mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is
not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of
mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous
system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of
fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish.
Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant
women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat
fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
Is this anyway to eat? In fear of what unhealthy elements
are lurking in the food we eat? Eliminating red meat and eating a more
vegetarian diet is an excellent start on the road to more healthy eating.
Eliminating fish and seafood is one of the final steps towards eating a complete
vegetarian diet and the health benefits that are your reward for making that
change.
13. Animal suffering
What are the reasons we eat food? That might seem like a
silly question, because we eat to feed our bodies, first of all. Many of us
also obtain an emotional gratification when we eat, and most of us are
omnivores, meaning we eat everything, including meat and poultry.
There are many compelling reasons to move towards a
vegetarian diet, many of them health-related. But many people refuse to eat
meat because of the inhumane treatment of the animals that are mass-produced to
feed the population. Animal farming on the scale that it needs to be to satisfy
Do you really think the flesh of the animal is separate from
its spirit and its energy? The agony and stress they endure in their shortened
lives infuses every cell of their bodies. Consider that depression and stress
can make humans ill, can infect our muscles and organs. Is an animal so very
different? We don’t need meat or milk for survival. We’re no longer a hunting
society; we’re merely a consuming society.
Isn’t it time we all started thinking differently of what we
consume to nourish our bodies? We’re evolved from herbivores, and yet we’ve
veered off our own evolutionary path. One can make a case for hunting and
eating meat when it’s the only means for survival. But that’s no longer the
case and our options are plentiful. Do they have to include the flesh of
suffering animals? How can that possibly be considered nourishment?
14. Different types of vegetarians
Many people think of vegetarians as one homogeneous group
that just doesn’t eat meat. But nothing could be further from the truth. There
are different categories of vegetarians as diverse as the reasons for going
vegetarian in the first place.
A vegetarian is generally defined as someone who doesn’t eat
meat. But someone who is vegetarian could conceivably eat dairy products such
as milk, eggs and cheese. A lacto ovo vegetarian doesn’t eat meat, fish or
poultry, but does consume eggs, milk or cheese. A lacto vegetarian consumes
milk and cheese products, but doesn’t consume eggs.
A vegan is someone who doesn’t consume any animal product or
by-product, including dairy food. They eat only vegetables, fruits, nuts,
grains and legumes. They also don’t use animal products, such as leather.
Vegans also don’t use white sugar because it’s often processed with a substance
derived from animal bones that whitens the sugar.
There are other categories within the vegetarian community.
Fruitarians, for example, eat only fruit. Their rationale is that fruits,
including fruits such as tomatoes, are self-perpetuating and don’t need to be
planted to create the food source. They consider it a way of eating that’s most
in balance and harmony with the earth, the most natural.
All of the above will eat cooked vegetables, fruits and
legumes. There is also a growing movement towards eating only raw or living
foods. This based on the assumption that cooking food processes most of the
nutrients out of it, and to get all the nutritional value, vitamins and amino
acids from food, it’s best consumed raw, or juiced. If cooked at all, it should
only be cooked to slightly over 100 degrees, so the nutrients are still
retained.
The more restrictive you become with your diet, however, the
more educated you need to become to be sure you’re getting all the necessary
proteins and vitamins that you need to maintain good health, especially muscle
and heart health.
15. Vegetarians and heart disease
No matter what your reasons for eating a more vegetarian
diet, there’s no denying the obvious health benefits that are derived from the
elimination of red meat from your diet. On average, vegetarians have lower
levels of the blood fats, cholesterol and triglycerides than meat eaters of
similar age and social status have. High levels of blood fats are associated
with an increased risk of heart disease. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, those who eat
eggs and dairy products, which contain cholesterol-raising saturated fats and
cholesterol, have higher cholesterol levels than do vegans, as those who
abstain from all animal foods are called. But even among lacto-ovo vegetarians,
cholesterol levels are generally lower than they are among meat eaters.
Researchers have found that older men who eat meat six or
more times a week are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who
abstain from meat. Among middle-aged men, meat eaters were four times more
likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, according to the study. As for women,
who are partly protected by their hormones and generally develop heart disease
later in life than men do, the risk of fatal heart disease has been found to be
lower only among the older vegetarians.
In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British
researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of
suffering a heart attack. Though eliminating meat from the diet is likely to
reduce your consumption of heart-damaging fats and cholesterol, substituting
large amounts of high-fat dairy products and cholesterol-rich eggs can negate
the benefit. To glean the heart-saving benefits of vegetarianism, consumption
of such foods as hard cheese, cream cheese, ice cream and eggs should be moderate.
And the introduction of more vegetables, fruits and raw foods will definitely
enhance the benefits of abstaining from eating meat.
16. Vegetarians and cancer
You might have a general idea that eating a vegetarian diet
is more healthy for you. But do you really know how much less the incidence is
of certain types of cancers among vegetarians?
Vegetarian diets naturally low in saturated fat,
high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals help to
prevent cancer. Large studies in
Harvard studies that included tens of thousands
of women and men have shown that regular meat consumption increases colon
cancer risk by roughly 300 percent. High-fat diets also encourage the body’s
production of estrogens. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been linked
to breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among
premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was
one-third higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat. A separate
study from
Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to
cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to
prevent cancer. In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher
level of “natural killer cells,” specialized white blood cells that attack
cancer cells.
17. Bowels and stomach digestion
Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet
have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our
digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable
matter, more than animal products. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide
the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly. The
Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in
animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually
anathema to our insides.
When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s
intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of
cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as
well. When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of
digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that
are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in
a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population.
Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a
vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative
colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet.
And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a
vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer.
When you consider the risks that come with a diet that
includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian
diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to
you? Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and
proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must
continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your
meal, such as in a stir fry. Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables
in your diet can only be good for you.
18. Weight
Think about it, have you ever seen a fat vegetarian?
Probably not. In fact, for most of us, vegetarian is almost synonymous with
lean and healthy, isn’t it? And when you start any diet, what’s the first thing
the experts tell you? Generally it’s to increase the amounts of vegetables
you’re eating and to eat limited amounts of meat, especially high-fat red meat
and pork.
And what happens when you resume your old eating habits?
Generally the weight will come right back on. Even the greatest will-power
can’t overcome the unhealthy effects of eating high-fat meat.
When you eat a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber, that’s
primarily if not totally vegetarian, you’re naturally healthier. You’re feeding
your body and getting it the nutrition it needs to run efficiently. You have
more energy and stamina; you wake up more easily and more refreshed. It’s
easier to exercise, because you’re not so weighed down by digesting the high
fat and excessive protein that comes from eating a carnivorous diet.
Many diets fail because we think of them as depriving
ourselves of food we love. The trick is to change that thinking. There are so
many compelling reasons to eliminate meat from our diet, so why not forget
about losing weight? Focus instead on eating healthier, or eating in a way
that’s in balance with the earth, and that doesn’t need to subsist on the
suffering of animals. You’ll probably find you’ll start to lose weight without
even thinking about it!
And when you do lose weight, so many other health risks can
fall by the wayside as well. You’ll find your blood pressure falls into a
healthier range and your risk for Type II diabetes can decrease. You’ll look
better and feel better and probably never go back to your old ways of eating!
19. Osteoporosis
You know that eating a vegetarian diet can decrease the
incidence of heart disease and certain types of cancers. You also know that it
can make you leaner and healthier. But so many of the health studies are done
on men? What about women and the impact of a vegetarian diet on their health as
they age?
Diets that are high in protein, especially animal protein,
tend to cause the body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. These
three substances are the main components of urinary tract stones. British
researchers have advised that persons with a tendency to form kidney stones
should follow a vegetarian diet. The
For many of the same reasons, vegetarians are at a lower
risk for osteoporosis. Since animal products force calcium out of the body,
eating meat can promote bone loss. In nations with mainly vegetable diets (and
without dairy product consumption), osteoporosis is less common than in the
U.S., even when calcium intake is also less than in the U.S. Calcium is important,
but there is no need to get calcium from dairy products.
We continue to consume meat, while at the same time downing
calcium supplements and prescription drugs to prevent osteoporosis, that often
have drastic side effects. And most experts agree that calcium supplements are
inferior to calcium derived from natural food sources. Doesn’t it make more
sense (and cents) to get your calcium from eating a healthier diet?
What are some good vegetarian sources of calcium? Orange
juice, for one. Dry beans, such as black-eyed peas, kidney beans and black
beans are another good source, as are dark leafy vegetables such as broccoli
and kale. Tofu is also a good source of calcium.
20. Spirituality
How do you feel spiritually when you eat a meal that
contains meat? You’ve probably never given it any thought, but that may because
spiritually you feel nothing after eating a meal of meat except tired and
sluggish. A diet of meat makes our bodies less functional, and we think of
nourishing our bodies in terms of our organs and blood, but we don’t often
think about how what we eat can impact the most important organ in our body,
the brain.
When you eat a vegetarian diet, you begin to feel physically
lighter and fit. When your body is fit, your mind is also lightened. Most
cultures that focus more on spirituality and enlightenment are also vegetarian
cultures. From the beginning of recorded history we can see that vegetables
have been the natural food of human beings. Early Greek and Hebrew myths all
spoke of people originally eating fruit. Ancient Egyptian priests never ate
meat. Many great Greek philosophers such as Plato, Diogenes, and Socrates all
advocated vegetarianism.
In
These are cultures that are considered more enlightened and
focused more on spirituality than is Western culture. If we are to evolve into
more spiritual beings, then we must begin to manage our physical lives in a way
that will enhance our spirituality, and this means taking the path of
vegetarianism as a path to enlightenment.
21. Transition family
If you’re considering moving to a vegetarian diet as an
adult, you probably want to pass on this good nutrition and improved way of
eating to your family as well. In fact, it’s your responsibility as a parent to
nurture your children and help them develop physically, mentally and
spiritually.
But that can be hard to do, especially in a culture where
our children are bombarded with messages from fast food restaurants in the
media. How do you teach kids to resist the siren song of Ronald McDonald? There
isn’t a plate of vegetables on the planet that’s going to look as good to them
as a Happy Meal!
You have to start slowly to change not only your own eating
patterns, but your family’s as well. Like any other dietary endeavor, it starts
at the grocery store. Begin stocking the refrigerator with healthy snacks like
apples and carrots. Exchange good, chewy brown rice for white rice and
processed side dishes, which are so high in fat and sodium. Make meat portions
smaller and smaller and start incorporating more vegetables and grains in your
family dinners.
Don’t make changes all at once. If you do give in and stop
at a fast food restaurant, get fruit or yogurt in addition to or part of that
meal. Make the changes so gradual that they’ll never notice their diets are
changing. Kids are usually very sympathetic about animals, and it’s not too
early to talk to them about eating in a way that isn’t cruel to animals.
You’ll be doing them a favor that will last them a lifetime.
With childhood obesity at epidemic levels in the
22. Detoxification
When people talk about detoxification and cleansing the body
of harmful toxins, it’s often seen as a fringe element of vegetarians. People
really don’t like to think about harmful toxins building up in their colons or
in their arteries, but it’s often a by-product of a carnivorous diet. A diet
that’s high in fat and processed foods tends to slow down our digestive
systems, and our elimination processes are also interrupted.
This can allow harmful bacteria and toxins to accumulate and
can create a general feeling of sluggishness, as well as a host of digestive
disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or colitis. When we begin eating a
more healthy vegetarian diet, we start to get more dietary fiber into our
systems, and all of a sudden, our digestive systems start to work better,
When you eliminate high-fat meat and processed foods from
your diet, then much of your body’s energy is freed from the intense work of
digesting these foods. Everything becomes clearer – your blood, your organs,
your mind. You start to become more aware of the toxic nature of the food you’d
been eating before.
Toxicity is of much greater concern in the twentieth century
than ever before. There are many new and stronger chemicals, air and water
pollution, radiation and nuclear power. We ingest new chemicals, use more drugs
of all kinds, eat more sugar and refined foods, and daily abuse ourselves with
various stimulants and sedatives. The incidence of many toxicity diseases has
increased as well. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two of the main ones.
Arthritis, allergies, obesity, and many skin problems are others. In addition,
a wide range of symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, pains, coughs,
gastrointestinal problems, and problems from immune weakness, can all be
related to toxicity. When you start a vegetarian eating plan, your body
eventually cleanses itself of the harmful effects of these toxic foods.
23. Eliminate red meat
If you’re thinking of changing to a vegetarian diet, how do
you start? Do you just start shopping in the produce aisle of the grocery
store? You might have some anxiety attached to this change as well, and this is
understandable.
Try to think of this as adding to your dietary habits,
rather than a drastic change. If your diet has consistently included red meat,
perhaps you can start substituting other foods for the red meat. Or eliminate
the most processed and high-fat meats first, such as bacon and hamburgers.
Certainly try to eliminate fast food burgers, which have such a high fat and
sodium content. If you think you’ll miss the taste of bacon in the morning, try
substituting a turkey or vegetable-based bacon substitute. It won’t be the
same, but you won’t be giving up the foods you’re used to all at once.
If you’ve had a health scare and feel the need to change
everything at once, make sure you include a lot of variety in the foods you buy
as you begin to discover new flavors and textures that you’ll like to replace
the ones you’re used to eating. If you don’t need to make a dramatic change all
at once, you’ll have a much greater chance of long-term success if you take it
slow. Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat on a weekly basis, even if it
means substituting pasta with marinara sauce for meat just one night a week.
Increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat. Start with raw
vegetables at night before dinner so you’re not so hungry when you get to the
main meal. Start reversing the proportions of meat and vegetables and make meat
a side dish, with vegetables and grains your main course.
We’re creatures of habit and resistant to change. This is
why so many diets fail, because we make drastic changes to facilitate dramatic
results, quickly. This is a decision and a change you want to make for a
lifetime. Make it a natural and gradual change and you can look forward to many
more years of healthy living.
24. Eliminate poultry
If you haven’t been eating a vegetarian diet for years, and
want to make the shift, it’s best to do so gradually, in stages. A good way to
start is to eliminate red meat and substitute fish or poultry for the red meat
you’ve been eating. While it’s not eating more vegetarian, you’re at least
eliminating the biggest offender in disease-enhancing foods, red meat.
After you’ve successfully eliminated red meat, then start
reducing the amount of poultry you eat. While it’s not as bad for you as red
meat, because it’s not as high in fat, it’s still meat that’s been raised on a
farm in terrible, cramped and inhumane conditions. Poultry is so laden with
growth hormones and antibiotics that’s it’s nothing like a chicken or turkey
that we might have hunted for food centuries ago. Chickens are raised in
horrible conditions, overfed and then slaughtered. In the grand scheme of
things, it’s just as detrimental to our physical and spiritual health as eating
red meat. It’s also fairly easy to eliminate poultry from our diets because
let’s face it – it’s like eating wood pulp, it’s so tasteless. All the
antibiotics and abnormal living conditions have processed any natural flavor
that poultry ever had in the first place.
Add more fish and seafood, if you’re not quite ready to
replace poultry with grains and vegetables and legumes yet. While there is risk
in eating fish and seafood, because of the high levels of mercury they contain,
it’s a better alternative to poultry and red meat. This may be as far as you
ever get in moving towards vegetarianism, or at least eliminating meat from
your diet. Give yourself time to get used to this. You won’t miss poultry for a
minute. We usually eat chicken and chicken breasts because it’s lower in fat
and calories, but it’s also lower in any kind of nutritional value. When we’re
not getting essential proteins and vitamins, we’re still starving our bodies,
regardless of how healthy we think we’re being. Eliminating poultry is one of
the most positive steps you can take towards a healthy diet and a healthy
planet.
25. Eliminate seafood
It’s actually pretty easy to eliminate red meat and poultry
from our diets. When you give any thought whatsoever, the reasons are so
compelling to stop eating them. Your reasons may be physical, because you need
to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure. You may want to reduce your risk
of cancers that may run in your family, and eliminating red meat from your diet
is an important way to do this. You may also find that the way we mass-produce
meat and poultry for consumption in this country is repugnant to you. If we
really thought about the way meat and poultry is raised, we’d never eat the
stuff again. We’re consuming flesh that’s been produced from enormous pain and
suffering. Even the smallest life has value on this earth; mass producing these
animals to slaughter and eat them degrades their lives and degrades our own in
the process of eating them.
It might feel like it’s carrying things to far to eliminate
something as elemental as a shrimp or a scallop. But think about what we dump
into the ocean where this food comes from. All our waste and trash gets hauled
into the ocean, if it doesn’t go into a landfill. Think of the millions of
gallons of oil that have been dumped from oil tanker accidents. Think of the
impact that the erosion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere has had on every
living thing on the planet. There are toxic levels of mercury in fish and
seafood, so much so that if you’re a woman contemplating getting pregnant, you
most definitely shouldn’t eat fish. Your risk of producing a baby with birth
defects is extremely high if you do.
It can be hard to let go of fish and seafood, because this
has a similar texture to red meat and poultry. It’s flesh after all, even
though it’s marine flesh. It might take longer to eliminate fish and seafood
from your diet, but keep at the effort. If you’ve been realizing the benefits
of eating more vegetarian, then it’s really a small step to take to eliminate
this last piece of animal flesh from your diet. Imagine how good you’ll feel
about yourself and what you’re doing for the planet when make that last step
and eliminate all meat and animal products from your diet.
26. Got milk? Reasons Not to Grab for the Glass
Many Americans,
including some vegetarians, still consume large amounts of dairy products, but
here are several strong reasons to eliminate dairy products from your diet.
Milk has long
been praised as a ‘weapon’ in the war against osteoporosis, but recent clinical
research shows that it actually is associated with a higher fracture risk, and
there’s been no protective effect of dairy calcium on bone. Increasing your intake of green leafy
vegetables and beans, along with exercising have been shown to help strengthen
bones and increase their density.
Dairy products
are also a significant source of fat and cholesterol in the diet, which can
increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.
A low-fat vegetarian diet that eliminates dairy products, as well as
adequate amounts of exercise, proper stress management and quitting smoking not
only will help prevent heart disease, but could also reverse it.
Ovarian, breast,
and prostate cancers have been linked to dairy product consumption. According to a recent study by Daniel Cramer,
a Harvard doctor, when excessive amounts of dairy products are consumed and the
body’s enzymes are unable to keep pace with breaking down the lactose; it can
build up in the blood and affect a woman’s ovaries. Another recent study showed that men who had
the highest levels of IGF-I, (insulin-like growth factor) which is found in
cow’s milk, they were at four times the risk of prostate cancer compared to
those men who had the lowest levels of IGF-I.
In addition, milk
may not provide a consistent and reliable source of Vitamin D in the diet. Milk
samplings have been found to have inconsistent levels of Vitamin D, and some
have been found to have as much as 500 times the indicated safe level. Excess Vitamin d in the blood can be toxic
and can result in calcium deposits in the body’s soft tissues.
Milk proteins,
milk sugar, fat, and saturated fat in dairy products may pose health risks for
children and lead to the development of chronic diseases such as obesity,
diabetes, and formation of plaques in the circulatory system that can lead to
heart disease.
By choosing to
consume a nutrient-dense, healthful diet of grains, fruits, vegetables,
legumes, and fortified foods including cereals and juices, you can help meet
your body’s calcium, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin D requirements easily
and simply, without the added health risks from dairy product consumption.
27. Flipping the Switch to Vegetarianism
If you’ve made the commitment to becoming vegetarian yet
finding it difficult to make the transition in your diet and your lifestyle,
here’s some suggestions on how to make the switch a smoother ride.
Start out with committing to be a vegetarian for three days
per week for the first couple of weeks.
Start substituting ingredients in your favorite dishes to make them
truly meatless. Throw in mushrooms to
that marinara sauce to take the place of meatballs, or try some textured
vegetable protein (TVP) in that lasagna recipe.
Making simple replacements in your tried and true recipes can inspire
you to stay on the vegetarian track once you see how delicious they can be.
Next, commit to five days per week for the next two
weeks. Study the natural foods aisle at
your local grocer, or make it a point to introduce yourself to the local health
foods store. Treat yourself to a few new
vegetarian products and try them in your next meal. The internet can be a great
source of vegetarian recipes. And don’t
limit yourself to being vegetarian only at home; most all restaurants offer
delicious vegetarian entrees, so be sure to try them. You may even find inspiration for your home
cooking by doing so.
Now all that’s left to
do is add two more days on your week, and you’ll be a converted vegetarian all
week long! After all, you’ve been doing it for a month now; you’ve become a
seasoned rookie in the game. Take pride in your accomplishments, because not
only have you made positive changes in your lifestyle and eating habits, but
for the environment and animals as well. Remember it’s not about being perfect;
every animal-positive change you make it your diet has a great effect. By
rewarding yourself for each vegetarian choice you make, and you’ll be motivated
to continue in the right direction.
28. Variety Adds Vitality to your Vegetarian Meals
Probably one of the most perplexing thoughts a person has
when they transition to vegetarianism is keeping their diet filled with a
variety of fun, diverse, and nutrient-dense foods. It can sometimes feel like you’re cutting
many options out since you’re no longer consuming meat, and it may seem you’re
losing even more options if you’ve also decided to cut dairy and eggs from your
diet as well. With a little creativity, planning, and forethought, you might be
surprised how much variety you can achieve with your new vegetarian diet –
perhaps even more than your meat-eating days!
There are some simple substitutions you can experiment with
and use as substitutions in your favorite meat recipes. Tempeh, which is
cultured soybeans with a chewy texture; tofu (freezing and then thawing gives
tofu a meaty texture; the tofu will turn slightly off white in color); and
wheat gluten or seitan (made from wheat and has the texture of meat; available
in health food or Oriental stores) are all great items to start with.
Milk and other dairy products can also be easily replaced
with vegetarian-friendly items. Try soy milk, soy margarine, and soy yogurts,
which can be found in health food or Oriental food stores. You can also make
nut milks by blending nuts with water and straining, or rice milks by blending
cooked rice with water.
A good way to introduce beans to the diet is to use them
instead of meat in favorite dishes, like casseroles and chili. Because of their
many health benefits, beans should be eaten often. Some great examples are
chickpeas, split peas, haricot, lentils (red, green or brown), and kidney
beans.
Many nuts and seeds are available both in and out of the
shell, whole, halved, sliced, chopped, raw, or roasted. Cashews, peanuts,
walnuts, almonds are some easy-to-find favorites. Sunflower and sesame seeds
are excellent choices for spicing up salads and other vegetable dishes.
And don’t worry that you’ll have to give up your favorite
Mexican, Italian, or other favorite dishes now that you’re vegetarian. Many of
them can still be enjoyed and only require slight variations. Some popular and
easily convertible 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.
So get in the kitchen and let your creativity lead the way!
You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised just how much more variety your diet will
have as a result.
29. Lazy Vegetarians Who Choose the Wrong Carbs Risk Health
We’ve all been there. We’ve just come in from a long day at
work and the last thing on our minds taking the time to prepare a healthy,
nutritionally sound vegetarian meal. But
choosing a refined or enriched carbohydrate over the beneficial carbohydrates
that a solid, well-balanced vegetarian diet offers defeats the purpose of your
decision to live a vegetarian lifestyle, and that’s for optimal health. Consuming refined carbohydrates presents different
hazards to your health.
The over-consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugars
can result in excess insulin in the bloodstream. In the presence of
excess insulin, glucose, the blood sugar, is converted to triglycerides and
stored in the fat cells of the body.
According to one study, consuming refined grains may also increase
your risk of getting stomach cancer. The research found that a high intake of
refined grains could increase a patient's risk of stomach cancer.
In addition, refined sugars and carbohydrates have been
implicated as a contributing factor in increased gallbladder disease, according
to a recent study. It showed a direct
link between the amount of sugars eaten and the incidence of gallbladder
disease. Another study looked at the role carbohydrates play in the incidence
of heart disease. The researchers noted that as carbohydrate consumption
increased, so did the level of triglycerides in the blood of the participants.
Diets low in fat and high in carbohydrates not only dramatically raised
triglyceride levels but significantly reduced levels of HDL, the “good”
cholesterol.
And lastly, refined white sugars increase the rate at which
your body excretes calcium, which is directly connected to your skeletal
health. Simply put, as your sugary and
refined carbohydrate intake increases, your bone density decreases.
So don’t be lazy! Do your body right and take the time to
prepare a nutrient-dense and delicious vegetarian meal. Your body, and your conscience, will thank
you for it in the long run.
30. Proper Planning Prevents Problems
Special care must be
taken when planning a vegetarian diet to ensure proper amounts of nutrients are
included daily. Nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamins
B-12 and D can all be easily incorporated into your vegetarian lifestyle with
the proper planning. Here are some guidelines to consider when you are planning
your weekly shopping trip and organizing your weekly menu.
Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential
and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied
and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and
nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. Soy proteins,
such as soy milk and tofu, have been shown to be equal to proteins of animal
origin.
Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency
than non-vegetarians. Dried fruits and beans, spinach, and brewer's yeast are
all good plant sources of iron.
Vitamin B-12 can be found in some fortified breakfast
cereals and soy beverages, some brands of brewer’s yeast as well as vitamin
supplements. Read the labels of other
foods carefully; you might be surprised what food is B-12 fortified.
As a vegetarian, it’s essential that you have a reliable
source of vitamin D, in your diet.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light stimulates your body produce its own
vitamin D. Daytime outdoor exercise and working in your garden are both great
alternatives for obtaining this important nutrient. Those who don’t have the
opportunity to get out and soak up the sun might want to consider adding a
supplement to their diet.
Recent studies suggest that vegetarians absorb and retain
more calcium from foods than their non-vegetarian counterparts. Vegetable
greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean
products, are good sources of calcium from plants.
Zinc is imperative for growth and development. Good plant
sources include grains, nuts and legumes. However, zinc daily zinc requirements
are actually quite low. Take care to select a supplement that contains no more
than 15-18 mg zinc.
Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency
than non-vegetarians. Dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast
and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron. When eaten alongside a fruit or vegetable
containing high amounts of vitamin C, your body more willingly absorbs the
needed iron, so be sure to team these two vital nutrients up as much as
possible when meal planning.
31. Vegetarian Diet for Optimal Personal and Environmental Health
It’s been well documented
through the years that vegetarians are healthier than people who eat meat.
Vegetarians are less likely to be obese, or to have high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or colon cancer. They are also less likely to die
from heart disease. Vegetarians have lower blood
pressure even when they eat the same amount of salt as meat eaters and exercise
less. Many studies show that vegetarians have less instances of colon cancer,
due in large part to the differences in the bacterial flora that is present in
the colon.
There are many factors in
the vegetarian diet that contribute to better health. Vegetarians consume two
to three times as much fiber as do meat-eaters, which has been shown
to reduce cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and
protect against colon cancer. They also consume more antioxidants, which are found in a wide variety
of plant foods and protect cells from oxygen-induced damage and reduce the risk
for heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and other diseases.
Vegetarians
eat more isoflavones than do meat eaters. These compounds, found mostly in soy foods, are a type of phytochemical. Research
shows that isoflavones may reduce the risk for prostate cancer and may improve bone health.
Vegetarians also consume much less saturated fat and cholesterol than do meat eaters,
resulting in significantly lower levels of blood cholesterol, decreased
instances of heart disease and possibly for diabetes and cancer. And, since vegetarians do not eat meat,
they are not exposed to heme iron, a type of iron found in meat that may
increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.
And
lastly, vegetarianism is not only optimally healthy for your body, but your
environment and the planet’s animals. It
allows you to live more harmoniously with the world around you, which improves
mental and emotional health accordingly.
32. The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet to Diabetics
Diabetics must choose any
food they eat very carefully, as each food choice they make has a profound
impact on their overall health on a meal-to-meal basis. Diabetes affects people of all ages, both genders, from all walks of
life and backgrounds. Untreated, it can cause wounds to heal slowly, infections
take longer to cure, blindness, and kidney failure. Diet is one of the most
important ways of controlling diabetes, and a vegetarian lifestyle with its emphasis
on low fat, high fiber, and nutrient-rich foods is very complementary.
Affecting more than 30 million people worldwide, this
disease inhibits the body from properly processing foods. Usually, most of the
food we eat is digested and converted to glucose, a sugar which is carried by
the blood to all cells in the body and used for energy. The hormone insulin
then helps glucose pass into cells. But diabetics are unable to control the
amount of glucose in their blood because the mechanism which converts sugar to
energy does not work correctly. Insulin is either absent, present in
insufficient quantities or ineffective. As a result glucose builds up in the
bloodstream and leads to problems such as weakness, inability to concentrate,
loss of co-ordination and blurred vision.
If the correct balance of food intake and insulin isn’t maintained, a
diabetic can also experience blood sugar levels that are too low. If this state
continues for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to coma and even death.
Though incurable, diabetes can be successfully controlled through diet and exercise, oral medications, injections of insulin, or a combination. Instead of counting calories diabetics must calculate their total carbohydrate intake so that no less than half their food is made up of complex carbohydrates. Many diabetic vegetarians have discovered that as a result of their meatless diet, they’ve had to use insulin injections less, which gives them a feeling of power and control over their disease.
33. Sample Two Day Diabetic Vegetarian Menu
Though the task of planning out a diabetic vegetarian menu might seem a
bit daunting, with a little creativity forethought, it can actually be very
simple. Consider the following two-day
menu for some ideas and inspiration:
Day one
Breakfast: 1/2 cup melon slices
2 slices French toast (made with
soy milk and cooked in vegetable oil with
1/4 cup chopped peaches or apricots
4 ounces enriched soymilk
Morning
Snack: 1/2 cup fresh grapes
6 assorted low-fat crackers
Sparkling water
Lunch: 1 cup mushroom barley soup with
2 ounces smoked seitan (A chewy, protein-rich food made from wheat gluten and
used as a meat substitute)
1/2 cup green and wax bean salad with
2 teaspoons sesame seeds and
2 Tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing
8 ounces enriched soymilk
Afternoon
Snack: 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate pudding
(You may create this at home with a sugar-free mix
like Sorbee or Estee and any nondairy milk.)
Dinner: 1 cup chili with
lentils with
1/4 cup prepared Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
over 1/3 cup white rice
1/2 cup steamed or roasted carrots
1/2 cup fresh pineapple slices
Evening
Snack: 1/2 cup pretzels
8 ounces enriched soymilk
Day two
Breakfast: 1/3 cup cranberry juice or
sugar free cranberry juice cocktail
3/4 cup cooked oatmeal with 1/2 banana and
1 teaspoon vegan margarine
8 ounces enriched soymilk
Morning
Snack: 3 cups low fat popped popcorn with
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup orange juice
Lunch: 6" pita stuffed with 2 ounces meat substitute (equivalent to 2
lettuce, radishes, and cucumbers
1 cup shredded cabbage with
1-1/2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
8 ounces enriched soymilk
Afternoon
Snack: Fruit smoothie made with
8 ounces soymilk, 2 ounces silken tofu, and
1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries, blended together
3 sugar-free ginger snaps
Dinner: Baked eggplant (1/2 cup) with
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup black beans with 1/3 cup brown rice
one medium baked apple
Evening
Snack: 2 Tablespoons peanut butter on 6 crackers
34. The Special Needs of the Pregnant Vegetarian
It’s apparent that your nutritional needs increase when you
are pregnant. However, you only need approximately 300 more calories than
normal during this time, so it’s imperative that you make wise food choices and
eat nutrient-dense food.
A good start is to ensure that you’re eating plenty of
protein. Your need for protein increases about 30 percent during pregnancy, but
most vegetarian women eat more than enough protein in their regular diets. Soy proteins, beans and legumes are wonderful
vegetarian sources of protein.
You need to also step up your calcium intake. Each day you need to be eating at least four
servings of calcium-rich foods like broccoli, calcium-fortified soy milk, tofu,
and dark green leafy vegetables.
Sunlight stimulates your body to naturally produce vitamin
D, and it’s probably the easiest way to ensure you get an adequate amount each
day. You only need about 20 minutes
directly on your face and hands two to three times per week, when the sun is
weakest. If you aren’t able to get out
into the sun, be sure to incorporate vitamin-D rich foods into your daily diet
by choosing fortified cereals, or using a supplement.
Take a look at your iron intake, as it’s a vital mineral
during your pregnancy, especially the last half. Choose beans, dark green leafy
vegetables, nuts and seeds, or fortified breads and cereals. You might also
want to consider supplementing to ensure you get the required amount.
Vitamin B-12 is also an important nutrient during your
pregnancy, but it’s difficult to find in most plant-based foods. Select fortified cereals or soy milk,
brewer’s yeast, and consider a multivitamin with an adequate level to ensure
your body gets the amount it needs.
And though zinc is difficult to come by in a strict vegan or
vegetarian diet, the need for it increases during pregnancy. Whole grains and legumes are wise choices to
obtain this nutrient, but you again may need to supplement to make sure you’re
getting what you need.
As long as you eat a good variety of nutritious foods that
provide the right amount of calories for a healthy weight gain, you should have
no problem getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs at this marvelous
time. And though many women do choose to take a prenatal vitamin daily, they
should not be a substitute for good nutrition.
Develop a cooperative relationship with your healthcare provider who
supports your vegetarian lifestyle, and consider consulting a nutritionist when
necessary.
35. Sample Daily Menu for Pregnant Vegetarians
Though your nutritional needs increase now that you’re
pregnant, your pregnancy vegetarian diet shouldn’t have to change all that
much. With some careful planning to
ensure your caloric, vitamin, and mineral needs are met, you can still enjoy a
rich variety of nutrient-dense delicious foods and help give your baby a
nutritious jump-start. Consider the following daily menu for ideas and
inspiration.
Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal with maple syrup
1 slice whole wheat toast with fruit spread
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup calcium and vitamin D fortified orange juice
Snack:
1/2 whole wheat bagel with margarine
Banana
Lunch:
Veggie burger on whole wheat bun with mustard and catsup
1 cup steamed collard greens
Medium apple
1 cup soy milk
Snack:
3/4 cup ready-to-eat cereal with 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup soy milk
Dinner:
3/4 cup tofu stir-fried with 1 cup vegetables
1 cup brown rice
Medium orange
Snack:
Whole grain crackers with 2 Tbsp peanut butter
4 ounces apple juice
If morning sickness is giving you fits during your
pregnancy, try eating low fat, high carbohydrate nutrient-dense foods. These
are digested more quickly and stay in the stomach for less time giving less
time for queasiness. Remember to eat often. Sometimes nausea is really hunger
in disguise.
Be sure to drink juice, water, or soy milk if you can't eat
solid food. Keep trying to eat whatever you can. If you’re unable to eat or drink the
appropriate amounts of foods or fluids for 24 hours or more, get in touch with
your healthcare provider.
36. Going Vegetarian during your Pregnancy
Now that you’re
pregnant, you’re wondering if your decision to become vegetarian can still be
carried out successfully during your pregnancy.
And while it is possible for you to obtain all the nutrients your body
will need during pregnancy through a well-planned, nutrient-dense vegetarian
diet, careful planning and observation will be crucial to your overall success
transitioning to vegetarianism during your pregnancy. In other words: take it slow and be smart!
A good vegetarian diet
has a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, and
nuts and some eggs and dairy or their equivalent if you so choose. Fast food,
highly processed junk foods, and canned fruits and vegetables are eaten rarely
if at all. It’s imperative that you make
wise food choices at this crucial time, since a pregnant woman only needs
approximately 300 more calories per day and about 10-16 extra grams of protein;
however, the body's need for certain nutrients increases significantly. Every
bite you take is important when you're pregnant. While the RDAs (recommended
daily allowances) for almost all nutrients increase, especially important are
folic acid, iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12. Attention to adequate amounts of
vitamin B-12 is crucial for vegetarians who choose not to eat eggs and dairy.
Work closely with your healthcare professional during this
transition. The changeover from a
meat-eating to a vegetarian diet can be rough on your body as it actually goes
through a detoxification process during the transition. So, you want to ensure
your baby is getting all the nutrients it needs at this time, and is growing
and developing at a healthy rate. Start
very slowly; perhaps only one or two days per week eating a vegetarian
diet. Gradually work in soy- and
plant-based proteins into your diet, and little by little use them to replace
proteins obtained from eating meat products.
Be sure to adequately supplement your diet with a quality prenatal
supplement, and get adequate amounts of exercise and exposure to sunlight to
promote your body to naturally produce vitamin D.
With careful planning, observation, and your healthcare
professional’s guidance, the transition to vegetarianism during your pregnancy
can be a cleansing and healthy start for both you and your baby to a lifetime
of optimal health.
37. The Healing Effects a Vegetarian Diet has on your Post-Baby Body
The breastfeeding vegetarian diet doesn’t vary all that
much from the pregnancy vegetarian diet. Protein recommendations are the same,
vitamin B-12 recommendations are higher, and the recommendations for iron and
calories are lower than during pregnancy.
But the key in ensuring your healthy vegetarian diet is also helping you
recover from the stresses of giving birth and taking care of your newborn is
healthy fats. Healthy fats and oils play active roles in every stage of the
body’s healing, building, and maintenance processes. In fact, they are as
important to an active individual’s body as amino acids, minerals, and
vitamins. Healthy fats and oils help convert light and sound into electrical
nerve impulses, remove potentially toxic substances from sensitive tissue, and
provide strength to cell membranes.
The key is in balancing fats from a variety of foods. All
foods that contain dietary fat contain a combination of fatty acids-the chemical
building blocks of fat. Learning about the mixture of fatty acids in your diet
will help you figure out how to choose foods with the good fats and avoid those
foods that contain the bad fats.
For healthy fats, look to
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These can readily be found in
a variety of vegetables, oils, and nuts, such as avocados, almonds, and olive
oil. These help your body to resist attack from free radicals, which are specially
formed types of atoms that can damage your body’s cells when they react with
DNA or cell membranes-better than other fats and thus are less prone to stick
to your arteries.
Polyunsaturated fats occur in food either as omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. The
key to eating healthy polyunsaturated fats is to maintain the right balance of
omega-3 acids-found abundantly in flax, walnuts and canola oil-with omega-6
acids, found in vegetable oils such as corn, safflower and sesame.
38. Sample Vegetarian Diet Including Essential Fatty Acids to Promote Healing
Fats are an essential part of any well-balanced diet,
including a vegetarian diet. Fats are made of smaller units - called fatty
acids. These fatty acids may be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats are not necessary in a vegetarian diet as
they can be made in the human body. However, two polyunsaturated fatty acids -
linoleic acid (omega 6) and linolenic acid (omega 3) - cannot be manufactured by the body and must be provided in the
diet.
Fortunately, they are widely available in vegetarian/vegan
plant foods. Evidence is increasing that
omega 6 (found in foods like vegetable oils such as corn, safflower and sesame)
and especially omega 3 (found in flax, walnuts,
avocados, almonds and olive and canola oil) fats are beneficial for a
range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, immune system
deficiencies and arthritis.
Healthy fats and oils play active roles in every stage of
the body’s healing, building, and maintenance processes. In fact, they are as
important to an active individual’s body as amino acids, minerals, and
vitamins. Healthy fats and oils help convert light and sound into electrical
nerve impulses, remove potentially toxic substances from sensitive tissue, and
provide strength to cell membranes.
The following vegetarian menu sample shows how easy it is
for essential fatty acids to be a part of your every day vegetarian diet.
Breakfast:
1 bagel with 2 tsp vegan margarine, 1 medium orange, 1 cup
Cheerios cereal, and 1 cup soymilk
Lunch:
Dinner:
1 cup of cooked pasta with 1/4 cup marinara sauce, 1/3 cup
carrot sticks, 1 cup cooked broccoli (frozen or fresh), and 1 whole wheat roll
Snack:
1/2 cup almonds, and 1 cup soymilk
39. What to Feed your Vegetarian Baby
It goes without saying that the earliest food for any baby,
including a vegan baby, is breast milk. It benefits your baby’s immune system,
offers protection against infection, and reduces the risk of allergies. Be especially
careful that you are getting enough vitamin B-12 when breastfeeding. Also,
ensure your infant receives at least 30 minutes of sunlight exposure per week
to stimulate the body to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D, since human
milk contains very low levels.
The iron content of breast milk is also generally low, no
matter how good the mother's diet is. The iron which is in breast milk is
readily absorbed by the infant, however. The iron in breast milk is adequate
for the first 4 to 6 months or longer. After the age of six months, it is recommended
iron supplements are introduced.
Soy milk, rice milk, and homemade formulas should not be
used to replace breast milk or commercial infant formula during the first year.
These foods do not contain the proper ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrate,
nor do they have enough of many vitamins and minerals to be used as a
significant part of the diet in the first year.
Many people use iron-fortified infant rice cereal as the
first food. Cereal can be mixed with expressed breast milk or soy formula so
the consistency is fairly thin. Formula or breast milk feedings should continue
as usual. Start with one cereal feeding daily and work up to 2 meals daily or
1/3 to 1/2 cup. Oats, barley, corn, and other grains can be ground in a blender
and then cooked until very soft and smooth. These cereals can be introduced one
at a time. However, they do not contain much iron, so iron supplements should
be continued.
When baby becomes used to cereals, fruit, fruit juice, and
vegetables can be introduced. Fruits and vegetables should be well mashed or
puréed. Mashed banana or avocado, applesauce, and puréed canned peaches or
pears are all good choices. Mild vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, peas,
sweet potatoes, and green beans should be cooked well and mashed. Grain foods
such as soft, cooked pasta or rice, soft breads, dry cereals, and crackers can
be added when baby becomes better at chewing.
40. Variety is the Spice of your Vegetarian Child’s Diet
Eating habits are set in early childhood. Choosing a
vegetarian diet can give your child—and your whole family—the opportunity to
learn to enjoy a variety of wonderful, nutritious foods. Offer your child a
wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and soy products, keep
it simple and make it fun, and they’ll learn good eating habits that will last
them a lifetime.
Children raised on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
legumes grow up to be slimmer and healthier and even live longer than their
meat-eating friends. It is much easier to build a nutritious diet from plant
foods than from animal products, which contain saturated fat, cholesterol, and
other substances that growing children can do without. As for essential
nutrients, plant foods are the preferred source because they provide sufficient
energy and protein packaged with other health-promoting nutrients such as
fiber, antioxidant vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.
The complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, beans, and
vegetables provide the ideal energy to fuel a child’s busy life. Encouraging
the consumption of brown rice, whole wheat breads and pastas, rolled oats, and
corn, as well as the less common grains barley, quinoa, millet, and others,
will boost the fiber and nutrient content of a child’s diet. In addition, it
will help steer children away from desiring sugary sweet drinks and treats.
And though children need protein to grown, they don’t need
high-protein, animal-based foods. Different varieties of grains, beans,
vegetables, and fruits supplies plenty of protein, making protein deficiency
very unlikely.
Very young children need a bit more healthy fats in their
diets than their parents. Healthier fat sources include soybean products,
avocados, and nut butters. Parents will want to make sure their child’s diet
includes a regular source of vitamin B-12, which is needed for healthy nerve
function and blood. Vitamin B-12 is abundant in many commercial cereals, fortified
soy and rice milks, and nutritional yeast. Growing children also need iron
found in a variety of beans and green, leafy vegetables and when coupled with
the vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, iron absorption is enhanced.
41. Putting your Vegetarian Toddler on the Fast Track to Health
Though many people have the idea that feeding a toddler a
vegetarian diet isn’t safe, so long as parents take care to make sure that all
the appropriate nutrients are met, it’s actually quite healthy. Some benefits
to a lifelong, proper vegetarian diet include a lower risk of heart disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
The main problem with vegetarianism and toddler nutrition
is making sure your child gets enough nutrients and calories. Calorie
consumption is important for ensuring your toddler has the energy he needs to
play hard and grow.
It can be challenging to develop a well-rounded vegetarian
toddler menu that provides enough protein and iron. Since toddlers already have
such a small appetite, it can be difficult to get them to eat enough vegetables
or beans to receive all of their nutrients. Therefore, it is important that
vegetarian children are served nutrient-dense foods.
Soybeans and tofu are a great source of protein for adults
and children over four. For toddlers, though, it shouldn’t be used as their
main source of protein. In this instance, compliment the tofu or soybeans that
you serve with soymilk that has been fortified with vitamins and minerals. Not
only will this help provide some protein, it will also help your toddler’s
nutrition by providing calcium, and vitamins A and D, which can often be hard
to get in a vegan diet.
Iron can be found in many vegetarian-friendly foods. Kidney
beans, lima beans, green beans, and spinach are all excellent sources of iron.
However, unlike iron derived from animal sources, iron from vegetables can be
hard for your body to absorb properly. But serving a vitamin C rich food with
those beans or spinach can make the iron easier for your toddler to absorb.
Some great sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, oranges, broccoli, red
peppers, and cantaloupe.
While it is possible to raise a healthy vegan, it can take
a bit more work. You may need to supplement your toddler’s diet to ensure they
get all the nutrition that they need. Vitamin B-12 can be especially difficult
for vegans to get enough of. While vegetables contain some B-12 vitamins, the
body does not easily absorb these. Your toddler’s healthcare provider can help
you decide on a B-12 suitable for toddlers.
A diet that does not allow for calcium can also be
detrimental to your child’s health. Calcium helps to make bones stronger and
aids in proper growth and development. Choose soymilk that is calcium-fortified,
but be sure it’s also fortified with other nutrients that your toddler needs
for good nutrition.
42. Sample Menu Items for your Growing Vegetarian Toddler
Vegetarian
child. The term almost sounds like an oxymoron we’ve joked about through the
years, like jumbo shrimp. The words just don’t seem to go together! It's not as unnatural as it may sound.
Actually, kids are almost natural vegetarians. It’s imperative that you offer
your growing vegetarian child a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains,
nuts, seeds, and soy based proteins to ensure they have the energy and
nutrients needed to grow up strong, healthy, and happy. Consider including items in your daily menu
planning for a well-rounded, nutrient-dense healthy diet:
2.5-3 cups fortified soymilk
1/4-1/2 cup iron-fortified cereal
2-5 servings grains (1/2 slice
bread, 1/4 cup cooked rice, pasta, quinoa, etc)
2-3 servings veggies (1/2 cup salad or raw veggies, 1/4 cup cooked veggies—bear
in mind that the younger your child is, cooked vegetables might be easier for
them to chew and digest, then introduce raw veggies as they grow older.)
2-3 servings fruit (1/2 fresh fruit, 1/4 cup cooked fruit, 1/4 cup juice)
2 servings protein foods (1/4 -1/3 cup cooked beans/lentils, a slice or so of
calcium-fortified tofu, or peanut or almond butter – be sure that nut butters
are fed to children who’ve been tested and shown not to have nut allergies; if
you’re unsure, wait until your child’s healthcare provider has had the
opportunity to test for such allergies in your child before trying them)
Vitamin B-12 source - nutritional yeast, breast milk, formula, fortified soy
milks and cheeses
Vitamin D - sunlight, breast milk, formula, fortified soy milk
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids - flaxseed oil, freshly ground flaxseed
And here’s some finger-food
friendly options for your growing vegetarian toddler:
Fresh or frozen mango
Fresh or frozen peaches/nectarines/plums
Cubed avocado
Tofu (put in microwave or steam for 10-30 seconds
Fresh or frozen peas
Pasta that is slightly overcooked
Cubed soy or rice cheeses
Canned beans- black, garbanzo,
black eyed peas, or kidney
Toast, cut into little pieces
43. Ideas for Adding some Variety to your Vegetarian Lifestyle
When
you’re planning a healthy vegetarian diet, you’re only limited by your
imagination. It’s important to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains,
legumes, vegetables and fruits in different meals, including seeds and nuts. Variety is the spice of life, and it will help ensure your
vegetarian diet is nutrient-dense, interesting, and fun! Aim for variety, even when you serve
favorite entrees over and over again, by serving different side dishes, snacks
and desserts.
Be creative in planning meals. Boost your consumption of beans and vegetables by eating
these foods at lunch time rather than just for dinner. Make it a goal to serve
a vegetable every day for lunch and two for dinner. Plan a
meal around a vegetable. A baked potato can be a hearty entree; serve it
with baked beans, a sauce of stewed tomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or
make a simple meal of sautéed vegetables and pasta.
Try new foods often. Experiment with a variety of grains such as quinoa,
couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries. Try fruits and vegetables that are
popular in different international cuisines, such as bok choy. Accentuate
the positive. Focus more on healthy foods that fit into a vegetarian
plan instead of foods to avoid. If you’re unsure how to include a new food into
your vegetarian diet, ask the produce manager at your local grocer or health
food store for ideas on how to prepare it. The internet can be a great resource
for new recipe and preparation ideas.
But be sure that you’re building your menu on a strong plant food
base. Make them the core of your diet.
Don’t stress about getting
enough protein. As long as calories are
sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarians easily meet protein needs. Grains,
beans, vegetables, and nuts all provide protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat
special combinations of foods to meet protein needs. However, it is important
to be aware of fat. Even
vegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains large amounts of nuts,
oils, processed foods, or sweets.
44. Tips for
a Vibrant Vegetarian Holiday Filled with
Variety
Planning a
beautiful yet nutrient-dense, delicious holiday meal for both your meat eating
and vegetarian guests can be a little daunting at first, but it can also bring
out your creativity! Many side
dishes you make can be easily made vegetarian, with little difference in taste.
The first step in planning accordingly
would be to find out which of your guests are vegetarian, and what kind of
vegetarian they are. Do they eat eggs or cheese? If so, you’ll have a few more
possibilities. If they don’t, that’s okay, you’ll still have plenty of options
to work with. If you’re new to the
vegetarian lifestyle and aren’t quite sure where to start, ask for some input
or help from your vegetarian guests. They may have some great recipe ideas,
shortcuts, or simple tricks of the trade they can share with you to make your
holiday meal preparation go smoothly.
For instance, you can substitute
vegetable broth for chicken broth, or simply leave the meat or meat drippings
out of vegetables and soups. This will also cut down on the fat content. It’s
also very simple to divide some of the dishes, making one portion meatless,
using the same vegetarian ingredients just mentioned.
Most importantly, keep in mind that the
holidays are about peace, love, and understanding. With this in mind, please
try not to be judgmental of what people you love choose to eat if you are not
vegetarian yourself. Support your family member or friend’s choice to eat
vegetarian. Seize the opportunity to
learn from them. Incorporate ideas from
a vegetarian lifestyle into your own to ensure your family is eating a variety nutrient-dense,
delicious fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts at every meal.
45. Veggies Take Center
State
Your
annual 4th of July cookout is quickly approaching. Whether you’re
expecting vegetarian guests, you’ve newly transitioned to vegetarianism
yourself, or you’d just like to incorporate more meatless recipes to give some
variety to your cookout menu, there are all kind of ways to prepare meatless
options.
Before beginning, remember that
most vegetarian foods are more fragile than meat, and do not contain as much
fat. Therefore, clean and well-lubricated grill is essential to successfully
grilling vegetables. It’d be a shame for those beautifully grilled peppers to
stick to the grill!
Traditionally, vegetables have
been considered a side dish in most meals, but at a cookout they can take
center stage as the entrée. Almost any kind of vegetable is great for grilling.
Complement your meal by serving them over pasta, rice or polenta. You can also
make them into extraordinary sandwiches with a soy-based cheese and some
freshly baked rolls or bread. Cut the vegetables lengthwise into thin slices in
the case of zucchini and eggplant, or into thick rings, in the case of onions,
tomatoes and peppers. If you'd rather have your veggies in handy bite-size
pieces for serving with pasta and the like, try using a special pan for the
grill with small holes that keep the veggies from falling through the grill and
being lost. And probably the easiest way to grill vegetables on the grill is
shish-ka-bob style!
Don’t forget to balance out those
grilled vegetables with some fresh fruit salads, perfectly chilled and juicy.
Watermelon, strawberries, grapes, and citrus fruits all complement one another
well in a delightful fruit salad prepared with non-dairy whipped cream. Also use fruits to experiment with some fun
smoothies and slushies for the kids – they’re fun and better for them than
sugary sodas.
46. Tips for a Tasty Vegetarian Thanksgiving
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving at your house and are
expecting vegetarian guests this year, don’t worry about preparing one large
meat eating meal, and another separate vegetarian meal. Most vegetarians do not
require a ‘meat equivalent’ at Thanksgiving. Yes, traditionally Thanksgiving
has largely about the food. But more importantly it’s about family,
togetherness, happiness and peace. And if this is your first Thanksgiving after
transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle, try some of these ideas to incorporate
healthy food preparation into your meal that your vegetarian guests, and you as
host, will be thankful for this Thanksgiving:
- Bake some stuffing outside of the turkey.
- Make a small portion of vegetarian gravy.
- Keep cooking utensils separate to prevent "cross-contamination"
between meat foods and vegetarian foods.
- When recipes are adaptable, use substitutions like vegetarian broth, soy
margarine (the formulations without whey are suitable for vegans), soy milk,
and kosher marshmallows which are made without gelatin.
- Use vegetable oils instead of animal fats for frying, and vegetable
shortening like Crisco for pie crust.
- Read ingredients lists carefully on pre-packaged foods, being aware of terms
like gelatin, whey, and "natural flavors" that can be animal-derived.
- Prepare plenty of vegetable and fruit side dishes, but leave them plain.
- Offer plenty of breads, beverages, fresh fruits, and non-gelatin desserts,
which are suitable without modification for most vegetarians.
- Invite your vegetarian guest to prepare a “Tofurky” or vegetarian ‘turkey
equivalent’ entrée to share with you the rest of your guests, or if you’re
hosting Thanksgiving, prepare a small one. Your meat-eating guests might just
be curious enough to want to try it!
- Ask your vegetarian guest for help, tips, or recipes that
would complement their vegetarian choice. You may find that your guest offers
to help out in the kitchen or bring a dish from home. Please don't take a dish
from home as an insult to your cooking; take it as a desire to share traditions
at Thanksgiving. Even meat-eating homes can benefit from a healthy,
nutrient-dense vegetarian recipe idea any time of the year!
- Most importantly – make TONS of new, delicious (not overly
cooked) vegetables that are perfectly in season like squashes, sweet potatoes,
and green beans, etc.
47. Remembering the Reasons for a Vegetarian Season
Christmas is a season of peace, love and harmony. It’s a time that brings families and friends
together to reconnect and find comfort and happiness being together. It’s also about respect for fellow man,
appreciating and embracing one another’s differences. Take some time over the
holiday season to reflect on the reasons for your choice to become vegetarian,
and enforce your commitment and dedication to the vegetarian lifestyle. What reason, or reasons, helped you decide
that vegetarianism was the right choice for you?
Was it Economic? A meat-based diet can be very
expensive. Fresh produce bought in
season can be very affordable, and can be prepared (dried, canned, frozen) so
that it can be enjoyed later in the season.
Was it Ethical? Did you choose not to eat meat because of
the meat processing techniques are incredibly cruel to animals? Do some
research on the internet or the library, visit the PETA website, and you’re
very likely to find more credible reasoning that affirms your choice.
Was it Environmental? A vegetarian lifestyle is more
environmentally friendly – large ranching operations cause topsoil erosion,
coyotes and other natural predators are destroyed routinely to protect herds of
cows which are only slaughtered anyway later on, and commercial fishing
operations are damaging the ocean’s ecosystems.
Was it to Improve Your Health? Eating a vegetarian diet has
been shown to be a very healthy lifestyle, as it helps fight heart disease,
reduces cancer risks, lowers cholesterol, helps lower blood sugar and reverse
the effects of diabetes, lowers the obesity risk, and reduces the risk of
osteoporosis, as meat consumption has been shown to promote bone loss.
And remember: just because it’s Christmas, it doesn’t mean
you can’t enjoy many of the same wonderful holiday treats you’ve become
accustomed to, as long as they are prepared with your vegetarian lifestyle in
mind. Breads, cookies prepared with vegetable shortening, egg substitutes, whole
grain flours and soymilks, numerous choices for vegetable dishes and salads can
all be enjoyed by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike during the
holiday! So remember the reason for the season, reaffirm your reasoning for
your life choice, and be proud of it, and of yourself.
48. Variety in your New Vegetarian Diet
You’ve weighed your options carefully, studied the pros and
the cons, and decided that the vegetarian lifestyle is right for you. But where
do you start making the changes? Do you go ‘cold turkey?’ Do you adopt a more
gradual approach to transitioning to vegetarianism? However you choose to make
the change, you can begin to achieve the health benefits of vegetarianism by
significantly cutting down on the amount of meats consumed, and making
vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains the focus of your meals.
Choose whole-grain products like whole wheat bread and
flour, instead of refined or white grains.
Eat a wide variety of foods, and don’t be afraid to try vegetables,
fruits, grains, breads, nuts, or seeds that you’ve never tried before.
Experiment and explore! You may discover a new favorite or two, and learn fresh
new ways to liven up more traditional vegetarian dishes. Many vegetarian foods
can be found in any grocery store. Specialty food stores may carry some of the
more uncommon items, as well as many vegetarian convenience foods.
When shopping for food, plan ahead, shop with a list and read food labels. And
if you decide to eat dairy products, choose non-fat or low-fat varieties, and
limit your egg intake to 3-4 yolks per week.
Becoming a vegetarian can be as easy as you choose to make
it. Whether you enjoy preparing delectable, delicious meals or choose quick and
easy ones, vegetarian meals can be very satisfying. If you get in the habit of
keeping the following on hand, meal preparation time will become a snap:
-Ready-to-eat, whole-grain breakfast cereals, and
quick-cooking whole-grain cereals such as oatmeal, whole-grain breads and
crackers, such as rye, whole wheat, and mixed grain and other grains such as
barley and bulgur wheat
-Canned beans, such as pinto, black beans, and garbanzo
beans
-Rice (including brown, wild, etc.) and pasta (now
available in whole wheat, spinach, and other flavors) with tomato sauce and
canned beans and/or chopped veggies
-Vegetarian soups like lentil, navy bean, or minestrone
-A wide variety of plain frozen vegetables, and canned and
frozen fruit
-Fortified soymilks and soy cheeses, should you choose to
not eat dairy
-A wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, which should
be the core of any diet
As you learn to experiment with foods and learn that a
meatless diet doesn’t have to lack variety, you’ll find your decision for
vegetarianism was not only wise, but easy and fun come mealtime.
49 – The Environmental Costs of Factory Farming and
Ranching
Long ago, eating meat was a good source of nutrition, since
the use of hormones, pesticides and mass production methods was as yet unheard
of. A family raised and processed their own livestock. Every morning the large
golden eggs were plucked from the chicken’s nests, which were lovingly cared
for and fed healthy pesticide-free grains..
Today's factory farms use everything, but in the process
they leave behind an environmental toll that generations to come will be forced
to pay. Raising animals for food requires more that half the water used in the
Of
all agricultural land in the
Methane
is one of four greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The world's
1.3 billion cows produce one-fifth of all methane emitted into the atmosphere.
Raising
animals for food causes more water pollution in the
Of
all raw materials and fossil fuels used in the
Rain
forests are being destroyed at a rate of 125,000 square miles per year. The
primary cause of deforestation is raising animals for food.
Coupled with the inhumane treatments of animals that are
raised for human consumption, the costs of raising and processing these animals
for human consumption is becoming too high.
Make a commitment to reduce or eliminate meats from your diet, and learn
to live from the plant foods the environment naturally provides. The animals and your conscience will be
better for it.
50 – Nourishing our Body, Nourishing our Spirit
Many times our choice to become vegetarian isn’t only for
health, environmental, or economical reasons, but also spiritual. There is a
heartfelt connection between vegetarianism and the deeper side of nourishment.
We must learn to nourish ourselves not only physically, but also spiritually.
The subject of nutrition is not simply a question of the
food we eat at meals. Besides nutrients, foods contain scents, colors and
invisible particles that attract pure light, light that is so essential for our
joyful life and well-being. The choice we make is therefore always of
consequential significance.
Grains, fruits and vegetables naturally grow and flourish
in sunlight, and you could deduce they are actually their own form of light. In
order to develop the qualities of the heart, we must eat not only peacefully,
but consciously. Therefore it makes sense to consume food that is nourished by
sunlight. As a result, our emotions and our essence are illuminated and nourished
as well.
It’s long been said that your body is your temple and
everything that enters that temple has a direct result in who we become. Therefore,
when we choose to nourish our bodies with healthful, nutrient-dense plant foods
from the earth, we are in turn nourishing our souls, our spirit, and our being.
The quality of your food and its physical properties not only transforms our emotions
and mind, but can actually change your appearance and personality.
By focusing our diet on fresh fruits and vegetables that
are in season and organically produced, we are in turn connecting with nature
and learning to live in harmony with it.
By committing and devoting ourselves to a vegetarian lifestyle, we’ve
also committed to nourishing our souls and our inner well-being. You can’t ask for a more perfect health food
than that!
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