Okay, so I’ve noticed lately a huge influx of posts asking things like “I want to be vegetarian, how do I do it?” or “What do I need if I’ve stopped eating meat?” I figured maybe I could compile a few answers in one post, so people might be able to look in one place. If anybody has anything else to add, or any questions to ask, post them in here and we can hopefully help you answer them!

First off, the what and why of vegetarianism.

Why do people become vegetarian or vegan?
Lots of reasons. Some religions promote vegetarianism (such as Buddhism) for any one of hundreds of reasons. I won’t get into the seriously religious content, but suffice to say that it often involves the sanctity of life and/or kindness towards other creatures. Some people don’t like the taste of meat. Some people have been raised vegetarian from birth and now just don’t eat meat out of habit. Some people become vegetarian because it offers numerous health benefits, which I explain below. Finally, quite a few people are vegetarian or vegan because of the extreme cruelty meat animals suffer from during their often short lives. Again, I won’t get into too much detail, but the vast majority of animals we consume are grown on factory farms, lead disgusting, inhumane lives and then are killed cruelly and with no consideration for the fact that animals feel pain, fear and sadness. If other members feel like going into more detail, then feel free, and I’m sure several might.

So what are these amazing health benefits that vegetarianism offers?
First off, I would like to emphasize that just because you’re not eating meat, it doesn’t mean that you’re automatically healthier. A meal of french fries and ice cream, while meat-free, isn’t exactly nutritious. That being said, a balanced vegetarian diet does offer some benefits that an omnivorous diet does not. Some examples include:
- a 40% lower chance of developing cancer compared to meat-eaters (1-3)
- a vegetarian diet, with other lifestyle changes, can help reduce or eliminate atherosclerosis (4, 5)
- it can help significantly reduce blood pressure (6)
- with exercise, it can help control or even eliminate type-2 diabetes (7)
- vegetarians are less likely to develop kidney stones (8)
- in women, vegetarians are much less likely to develop gallstones (9)
- in nations with mainly vegetable diets, osteoporosis is less common than in the US (10)
- a Swedish study concluded that asthma sufferers who followed a vegan diet for a year needed less medication and suffered fewer attacks (11)
(note: the numbers refer to exactly which source I got this information from, listed at the end of this article)




What kinds of vegetarians are there?
There are several varieties of vegetarians.
1. Lacto-ovo vegetarians: eat dairy and eggs, but no meat, fish, poultry or by-products – lacto means milk, ovo means egg. Most vegetarians are this kind.
2. Lacto vegetarians: eat dairy, but no eggs or meat.
3. Ovo vegetarians: you guessed it – eggs but no dairy or meat.
4. Vegans: No dairy, no eggs, no meat, poultry or fish or by-products. The most restrictive kind of vegetarian.
Please keep in mind that vegetarians do not eat fish. Fish is an animal. Vegans also may not consume honey (a by-product of bees). Most vegetarians don’t eat gelatin or dairy products made with rennet, either. However, while the majority follow these guidelines, vegetarianism is a personal decision and what restrictions you place are up to you. Even if you choose to simply eliminate red meat and continue eating chicken and fish, that’s a step in the right direction, and one day you might choose to eliminate those two.

What sorts of nutrients do vegetarians need to keep a close watch on?
Meat is rich in certain nutrients that, while they are readily available from plant sources, may take a little extra looking around for outside of meat. They, and their plant sources include:
- Protein: available in dairy products, eggs, beans, tofu, lentils
- Iron: dried fruits, whole grains, nuts, leafy green vegetables
- Calcium: tofu prepared with calcium sulphate, green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts, fortified soy milk or orange juice
And especially for vegans:
- Vitamin D: sunlight, dairy products (non-vegan), fortified soy milk, breakfast cereals, foods containing yeast or other fungi
- Vitamin B12: dairy products and eggs (non-vegan), fortified soy milk, fortified cereals, supplements
Generally, lacto-ovo, lacto and ovo vegetarians will have no difficulty getting these nutrients without having to take supplements. Vegans may find they need to take a multi-vitamin daily in order to ensure an adequate supply of vitamins D and B12. It might be useful to consult a nutritionist or dietician if you’re considering going vegan. They’ll help you formulate a meal plan that will definitely have enough of all the nutrients you need.

But I really like my meat… how can I give it up?
It’s actually so easy to give up meat, it’s ridiculous. Meat analogs (substitutes like fake chicken nuggets, ground beef, veggie burgers, tofu dogs, “chicken” burgers, fake lunch meat, fake bacon, the list could go on forever) are very easily found in large supermarkets. In fact, Schneider’s (ironically) makes some of the best fake meats I’ve ever tried. I gave my little sister (a hardcore meat-eater) some of their chicken nuggets and she couldn’t even tell the difference. Tofu will absorb the flavours of absolutely anything you add it to – it goes great in stir fries, pasta sauces, soups, or just marinated and cooked somehow. You can even put it in desserts! Just whip a little silken tofu and add some melted chocolate and you’ve got some awesome chocolate mousse (I’m completely serious, it’s amazing). Vegan gelatin is pretty easy to find, as are tofu-based “dairy” products, like soy cheese, ice cream and milk. Basically what I’m saying is that you can give up meat without giving up meat! Just go have a look around your local supermarket and you’ll find that it’s SO easy to make the switch.

But… what will I eat? Give me a couple healthy sample menus!
Gladly. Here’s a vegan one:
Breakfast:
½ multigrain bagel
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice
1 apple
Snack:
2 tbsp chopped almonds, mixed with
¼ cup dried fruits (like raisins or apricots) and
1 cup soy milk
Lunch:
1 ½ cup vegetable soup
1 medium orange
8 whole wheat crackers
8 small slices soy cheese
Water/tea/coffee/whatever
Snack:
2 cups air-popped popcorn
Dinner:
½ cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup diced vegetables, stir fried in
2 tsp olive oil and
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup cubed extra-firm tofu, marinated in the soy sauce
See how easy that is? You can add or remove whatever snacks you want, add in some dairy if you’re going lacto-ovo, mess around with it however you want. Add more or less food. It’s really easy.

Okay, but my parents think I’ll die if I don’t eat meat! What do I do?
First of all, refer them to some of the resources at the bottom of this post. Do some research yourself, as well. Let them know how easy it is to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. Not only that, but plant-based diets are generally less expensive and pose less of a strain on the environment! If your parents don’t want to make a whole separate meal for you, just learn some new ways to adapt the meals they’re making. If they’re making… I don’t know, tacos for example? Just don’t eat the beef and throw in a little tofu. Spaghetti? Have your mom cook the meat first, remove it from the pan, continue as usual with the tomatoes, and then take a bit of the meat-free sauce out for you and throw the rest of the meat in! It’s really very easy. You might also convince them to try a few vegetarian dishes of their own. Some things, like pasta with tomato sauce, you wouldn’t even notice meat missing from.

Alright, I hope that helped some people. If there are other questions, please post them here and someone (either I or another member) would be happy to answer them, I’m sure. Happy vegetarianism!

Sources:
1. Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Br Med J 1994;308:1667-70.
2. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality patterns of German vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology 1992;3:395-401.
3. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R. Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mortality among German vegetarians. Int J Epidemiol 1993;22:228-36.
4. Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet 1990;336:129-33.
5. Esselstyn CB Jr, Ellis SG, Medendorp SV, Crowe TD. A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician’s practice. J Fam Pract. 1995;41:560-8.
6. Donaldson AN. The relation of protein foods to hypertension. Calif West Med 1926;24:328-31.
7. Nicholson AS, Sklar M, Barnard ND, et al. Toward improved management of NIDDM: A randomized, controlled, pilot intervention using a low-fat, vegetarian diet. Prev Med 1999;29:87-91.
8. Robertson WG, Peacock M, Heyburn PJ. Should recurrent calcium oxalate stone formers become vegetarians? Br J Urol 1979;51:427-31.
9. Pixley F, Wilson D, McPherson K, Mann J. Effect of vegetarianism on development of gall stones in women. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:11-2.
10. Hegsted DM. Calcium and osteoporosis. J Nutr 1986;116:2316-9.
11. Lindahl O, Lindwall L, Spangberg A, Stenram A, Ockerman PA. Vegan regimen with reduced medication in the treatment of bronchial asthma. J Asthma 1985;22:45-55.

Other resources:
www.pcrm.org . . .
www.vegansociety.com . . .
www.goveg.com
www.vrg.org . . .