Becoming Vegetarian: How to, Pros and Cons, What to Eat

Many adherents of vegetarianism and veganism – former Beatle Paul McCartney and actor Alec Baldwin are two celebrities who happily promote the cause — regard a flesh-free diet not only as more healthful, but as a more ethical way to live. They point to the cruel practices and the high environmental cost of raising animals for food as reasons for excluding meat from the diet. Ovo-lacto (or lacto-ovo) vegetarians do not eat meat, but do eat dairy products and eggs.

Pro 3: A vegetarian diet is better for the environment.

After the emergence of agricultural practices (about 13,000 years ago), there is no evidence that humans were essentially vegetarian, and the domestication of animals, including for consumption, became a routine activity by that time. However, it is speculated that many farmers lived primarily as vegetarians due to the wider availability of crops 19. A meatless diet can be healthy, but vegetarians — especially vegans — need to make sure they’re getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. At thirteen years old, Mayor had eschewed all animal products for a whole Lent. He did, however, experiment with rationing foods, and researched the problems with tea drinking. Approximately two decades later, he listed several reasons, which he would repeat to friends, upon his changing to a strictly vegetable diet.

• Although it’s often enjoyed as a treat or special occasion dish, it can be made healthier using whole wheat flour and baking the bhature instead of frying.
• According to a report from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, both vegetarian and vegan diets can be considered appropriate for all stages of life, as long as the diet is planned well.
• But the characterization of vegetarians as hypocritical ignores the reality that there are many different reasons why some people choose to be vegetarian, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group.

Certain Protestant groups came to adopt a fleshless diet as part of the goal of leading a perfectly sinless life. Persons of diverse philosophical views advocated vegetarianism; for example, Voltaire praised it, and Percy Bysshe Shelley and Henry David Thoreau practiced the diet. In the late 18th century the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham asserted that the suffering of animals, like the suffering of humans, was worthy of moral consideration, and he regarded cruelty to animals as analogous to racism. West of the Indus the great monotheistic traditions were less favorable to vegetarianism. The Hebrew Bible, however, records the belief that in paradise the earliest human beings had not eaten flesh. Ascetic Jewish groups and some early Christian leaders disapproved of flesh eating as gluttonous, cruel, and expensive.

What Foods Do Vegetarians Not Eat?

Ovolactovegetarian diets have a greater environmental impact than vegan diets, and it has been shown that 40 percent of greenhouse gases from ovolactovegetarian diets are attributed to the consumption of dairy products 118. Moreover, gender differences may also influence one’s choice of eating or avoiding animal products. Meat consumption is usually seen as a symbol of masculinity and dominance over other species in several cultures where meat is considered a proper food for men 23,97. In addition, men tend to eat less fruits and vegetables; care less about the nutritional properties of the food they eat; and agree more with the belief that a healthy diet needs to include meat 7,112.

A study with Chinese elderly people also found a positive association between adopting a plant-based diet and depression compared to a meat-based diet. Seeking health improvement is one of the reasons why people chose to adopt a vegetarian diet 7. According to Hopwood et al. 79, health was the most common reason why nonvegetarians considered adhering to a vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism is currently being more widely studied, and a growing number of scientific papers about No Meat May the topic have been published over the past few years 80. Consequently, the topic has received more attention from the media, and more information is reaching the general population.

Participants from Brazil and Argentina, considering the entire sample, demonstrated more positive attitudes toward beef consumption, followed by participants from France and, finally, from the United States 116. The social domain related to QoL includes personal relationships and social support 28. In fact, having good social connections is essential for mental health and well-being, positively influencing one’s QoL. In this case, the consequences of adopting a vegetarian diet have to be analyzed based on the social and cultural group in which an individual is inserted, as well as the attitudes of close people towards vegetarianism. Bone health should also be addressed when considering the potential negative effects of a vegetarian diet.

They also tend to contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy plant compounds. As a result, they seek to avoid all animal by-products, regardless of the conditions in which animals are bred or housed. Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media.