Vegetarianism is a term that most people know about in this time and age. The fact is that vegetarianism seems to have become a part of the mainstream. The growing popularity of this diet leaves us with one question: true lifestyle change or a fad gone bad?
Sargent School of Rehabilitation nutrition professor Joan Salge Blake said she thinks the growing interest in vegetarianism is the result of awareness.
“People are becoming more attuned to the word ‘vegetarianism’ and the importance of nutrition in their life,” she said.
Americans have been stereotyped as hamburger-eating, hotdog-grilling people. Could it be that we’re moving toward a cuisine of squash and leafy green vegetables?
The basis of the food pyramid encourages people to eat six to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice and pasta, three to five servings of vegetables, as well as two to four servings of fruit. Is it a coincidence that dairy and meat products are needed less frequently to maintain a healthy diet?
“The food pyramid is based on the fact that we should have these foods [breads, vegetables, and fruits]. Being a vegetarian isn’t that far of a leap,” Salge Blake said.
American cuisine has changed over the past decades. A vegetarian-friendly society seems more and more the norm. Even if a person isn’t able to find a strictly vegan or vegetarian restaurant, vegetarian options are often offered.
“If you look at the diet when you were growing up and compare it what it is now, we see that the cuisine has shifted to more plant foods,” Salge Blake said.
WHY GO GREEN?
Even if vegetarianism isn’t an off-the-wall idea anymore, what possesses one to become a vegetarian? Most vegetarians list anything from health to ethical reasons. And some simply don’t want to eat animals for the mere sake of not eating them.
“I decided to stop eating red meat in middle school for moral reasons. I stopped eating all meat in freshman year of high school because it simply seemed wrong,” said Jane Schwartz, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Whenever I thought of eating meat, I thought of all the research I did on animals and how mistreated they were in the meat industry.”
Devika Wickremesinghe, a freshman in CAS, was raised in a pasta- and vegetable-oriented family since she was a child. For her, as for many other meat eaters turned vegetarianism, the transition was natural.
“I stopped eating meat in sixth grade, she said. “But I never really ate meat before in my family.”
VEGGIES GET DIFFICULT
Vegetarianism is not always an easy lifestyle. While many consider it to be healthy, vegetarianism does have its unhealthy aspects. According to Salge Blake calcium, iron, protein and vitamin B12 deficiencies can occur if these sources are depleted without replenishment.
“Dairy is such a potent source of calcium,” Salge Blake said. “If the person is going to eliminate dairy, he/she needs enough to replace the potent source. There is a big difference between broccoli and milk.”
Wickremesinghe said she experienced similar complications as a vegetarian.
“When I became a vegetarian, I had a protein deficiency and wasn’t getting all of my nutrients,” she said.
According to the Vegetarian Resource Group website, vegetarians can find these nutrients in many non-meat sources, including broccoli and fortified soy milk to obtain calcium; dried beans and dried fruit to obtain iron; lentils, tofu and greens to obtain protein; and animal-derived foods, such as dairy products or eggs, to obtain vitamin B12. A wide variety of soy products are on the market, from soy burgers to soy chicken nuggets to tofu chunks at salad bars.
With all of these options, vegetarianism can often lead to veganism. Veganism is a form of vegetarian diet that includes only plants, and excludes all dairy and animal products.
“Plants have wonderful, wonderful compounds in them that are helping us now and in the future,” Salge Blake said.
But is a transition to a plant-only vegetable as easy as it seems?
“It’s really hard to get vegetarian food as it is,” Schwartz said. “It takes a lot of time to be a vegan. I’d like to be a vegan someday, but I just can’t right now.”
Finding vegan, or even vegetarian food, can seem like a task in itself. The city of Boston, itself, may provide a vast array of diverse dietary selections. However, what about within the confines of Boston University? Dining halls, such as Warren Towers, do come equipped with a packed salad bar and soy products galore under the direction of campus dietitian Royletta Romain, who oversees the cafeterias for Boston University’s Food Service Department.
“I don’t find it hard in Warren Towers to find what I need to eat to stay healthy, Wickremesinghe said. “A good salad bar, sandwiches, wraps and soups — there are a lot of options. There should be more vegetarian options at late night though.”
Because of the major changes to a person’s lifestyle involved with becoming a vegetarian, it is not a decision to be taken lightly and heavy thought and research.
“The problem comes when people say ‘I’m going to be a vegetarian tomorrow!'” Salge Blake said. “If someone is considering to be a vegetarian, he or she should meet with a dietician first. Don’t shortchange yourself the nutrients that you need. Some good nutritional guidance is absolutely important.”
