Skip to main content

Why (and How) More Americans are Going Meatless?

why vegetarian?Vegetarianism is increasing in popularity in the United States, according to a recently published position paper in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Among adults, 2.3% of the population is vegetarian and 3% of 8- to 18-year-olds follow a vegetarian diet. That doesn’t sound like much, but—compared with just a few decades ago—there is a definite movement from Americans to give up their beloved burgers, at least some of the time.

According to the American Dietetic Association’s new position paper, released in July, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

In summary, vegetarian diets offer health advantages and are appropriate for all ages and stages of life—from pregnancy to old age. In fact, some of the significant health benefits of eating a vegetarian diet include lower rates of:

  • Overweight and obesity

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Certain cancers

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • High blood pressure

  • High cholesterol

Now it’s up to the USDA to see if the many benefits of eating a plant-based diet are addressed in the next edition of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, to be issued next year.

Until then, it certainly can’t hurt—and will most likely help your health—to try going meatless at least a few days a week. Here’s how to make sure you get the nutrients you need, and here are plenty of tasty recipes to get you started.

Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 28, 2012 at 1:14 PM

    Actually I know no one who goes meatless nor are more and more doing so. Everyone I know and everyone my friends and family knows don't even do a meatless day. A meal isn't a meal without meat.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Do People Become Vegetarians

Most non vegetarians wonder what drives people to convert to vegetarians and give up their daily meat intake in order to adopt an entirely different way of lifestyle. There is no single answer to this question. Non vegetarians become vegetarians for a lot of different reasons - some even for multiple reasons. Most vegetarians claim that they became a vegetarian for one of three main reasons. The first reason , which most vegetarians claim, is that they have serious ethical problems with eating meat. Most disagree with how chickens are debeaked, forced to live in small cages, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce eggs fast enough. Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and stressful environments that animals are forced into; and the hormone-laden daily feed used to make them grow faster and produce more. People who become vegetarians for this purpose often draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on their indept personal beliefs. For instance, some...
4 comments
Read more

10 Tips for Following a Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients. The key is to consume a variety of foods and the right amount of foods to meet your calories needs. Follow the Dietary Guideline for Americans food group recommendations for your age, sex and activity level to get the right amount and the variety for nutrient adequacy. Nutrients that vegetarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12. 1. Think about protein Your protein needs can easily be met by eating a variety of plant-based foods. Sources of proteins for vegetarians include beans, nuts, peas, and soy products (tofu, tempe, veggie burgers). Build meals around protein source that are naturally low in fat, such as beans, lentils, and rice. 2. Bone up on source of calcium Calcium is used for building bones and teeth. Sources of calcium for vegetarian include fortified breakfast cereals*(this is generally refer to USA residents only), soy products (tofu, soy-based beverages), calcium-fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Start The Vegetarian Lifestyle For The First Time

Having a vegetarian lifestyle has been a popular alternative for healthy living in today's generation. Most people do not understand about a vegetarian diet by several aspects. One major concern for a beginner is the source of protein with the absence of animal products in a vegetarian menu. The fact is there are many plant sources that contain a high amount of protein such as soybeans and soybean products, grains, vegetables and fruits. They are rich sources of good protein without having to eat meat and animal products. Here are major steps to start a vegetarian lifestyle: *Step 1 - Identifying Your Motives You start this lifestyle by several factors. Most obviously, people go with this diet for health reasons. There are also those that are concerned of how animals are treated during the slaughtering process that would consume plant products instead to show their protest against animal cruelty. *Step 2 - Educate Yourself Individuals need to be properly informed before emba...
Post a Comment
Read more