Vegetarianism

If you are a vegetarian, do you experience a lot of this?

What are some reasons people may choose to become a vegetarian?

Reasons people choose vegetarianism  Health benefits  Avoid fat and cholesterol  Avoid hormones and chemicals  Concerned about illnesses that can be transmitted by animal foods  Religious reasons  Buddhists, Hindus, and Seventh-Day Adventists  Humanitarian reasons  Sacrificing an animals life for food is wrong  Some oppose the conditions in which animals are raised

 Socioeconomic reasons  Some people believe eating meat is wasteful  90% of soybeans, corn, oats, and barley grown in the U.S. are fed to livestock  This food could instead be fed to people, and the farmland used to grow these crops could be diversified to grow other food items  Environmental reasons  Grazing is hard on the land  People say that meat processing uses a tremendous amount of water and energy  It has been stated that animals produce a lot of methane gas, causing global warming

We are going to cover 7 different types of vegetarianism. Can you name them?

We are going to create a table to more easily identify what each vegetarian group eats, and does not eat.

Create a table that is 8 columns down and 10 rows across.

Vegans  Very strict  No foods from animal sources  Diet is limited to foods from plant sources

Lacto-vegetarians  Eat animal protein in the form of milk, cheese, and other dairy products  Do not eat meat, fish, poultry or eggs

Ovo-vegetarians  Do not eat meat or dairy products  Do eat eggs  Many people are ovo- vegetarians because they are lactose intolerant

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians  Eat animal protein in the form of dairy and eggs  Do not eat meat, fish or poultry

Pollotarian  Do not eat meat, or meat by products  Do not eat fish or seafood  Do eat, dairy, poultry, and poultry products

Pescetarians  Do not eat animal or poultry food products  Do eat fish or seafood

Fruitarians  Eat a vegan diet based upon fruits, nuts, and seeds.  Do not eat vegetables, grains, beans, or animal products

Each group has a different article to read. As a group, write down the main points in the article and be ready to share that information with the class.

What are some of the nutritional considerations that vegetarians need to pay attention to?

Things to be aware of nutritionally if following a vegan or vegetarian diet  Vitamin B12  Iron  Protein  Calcium  Zinc  Omega 3 Fatty Acids  Iodine

Protein

Iron  Plant foods contain only nonheme iron  Vitamin C enhances iron absorption  Calcium and dairy foods decrease iron absorption  Take calcium supplements between meals not with  Iron intake of vegans typically higher than lacto- ovo; lacto-ovo higher iron than nonvegetarians  Iron deficiency anemia among vegetarians similar to that of nonvegetarians

Good sources of Iron Vitamin C Enriched bread and cereal Whole wheat bread and other whole grains Dried apricots, figs, prunes Leafy green vegetables Tomato juice Beans Nuts Soybeans and tofu Melons Citrus fruits Pineapple Strawberries Kiwi fruit Broccoli Peppers Tomatoes

Zinc  Animal protein believed to enhance zinc absorption, though deficiency not seen in Western vegetarians

Good sources of Zinc  Soybeans and other beans  Whole grains (refined grains don't have it unless they are fortified) and foods like nuts, seeds, fortified ready-to-eat cereals, and nut and seed butters  Breads are better sources of zinc than crackers or muffins because yeast makes zinc more absorbable

Calcium  Present in many plant foods and fortified foods  Adequate vitamin D and protein enhance calcium absorption  Calcium intake in lacto-ovo comparable to nonvegetarians though vegans can be below recommended intake  Most people don't get enough calcium unless they use fortified foods or supplements  Calcium is well-absorbed from some leafy greens, soy products, dairy foods, fortified foods, and from supplements

Good sources of Calcium  Dairy products  Green leafy vegetables such as Bok choy, Broccoli, Chinese/ Napa cabbage, Collards, Kale, Okra, Turnip greens  Calcium fortified orange juice  Calcium-fortified soymilk and calcium-set tofu

Vitamin B12  Unless fortified, no plant foods contain significant vitamin B12  Lacto-ovo can get enough from dairy/ eggs; unsupplemented vegans at fairly high risk for B12 deficiency  Diets low in B12 can raise risk for heart disease  All vegetarians should use supplements, fortified foods, dairy products or eggs to meet recommended amount  Absorption most efficient in small amounts at frequent intervals, should be chewable or dissolvable under tongue

Sources for B12  Fortified breakfast cereals and some brands of soymilk  Some brands of nutritional yeast are rich in vitamin B12 (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula)  Cow’s milk  Eggs

Omega 3 Fatty Acids  Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil  Canola oil  Soybeans and soybean oil  Tofu  Walnuts and walnut oil

Iodine  Iodine is needed for healthy thyroid function which regulates metabolism  Vegans in Europe (where salt is either not iodized or not iodized at high enough levels) who do not supplement have indications of abnormal thyroid function  Iodine inconsistent in plant products, found in dairy and seafood  Most vegan multivitamins contain iodine  If salt is used, use iodized salt; 1/2 teaspoon of iodized salt/ day in U.S. is sufficient  Salt found in packaged foods is usually not iodized  Sea salt does not necessarily contain iodine

Stocking the vegan pantry  Beans - black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans  Instant vegetable broth  Nuts and nut butters – almonds, walnuts, almond or cashew butter, peanut butter  Oils - olive, peanut or canola  Soyfoods – soymilk, aseptic-packed tofu  Vegetables - Onions, garlic, carrots, salad greens  Whole grains – brown rice, basmati rice, pearl barley  Others – brewer’s yeast, herbs and spices, soy sauce, vinegar and citrus juices