5 Questions Vegetarian Should Ask Themselves

I’ve never met a vegetarian (myself included) who hasn’t been asked a hundred times, “Are you getting enough protein?” But this isn’t the only thing vegetarians need to watch out for. Avoiding meat means you need to pay special attention to your diet to make sure you’re getting other essential nutrients as well. You also need to be careful about overdoing it with meat alternatives and dairy products, since this may prompt other health issues. If you don’t eat beef, poultry, or fish, ask yourself these five questions.

1. Am I getting enough protein? There’s no black and white number that’s right for everyone since your protein intake depends on body weight and activity level; the number ranges between 40 and 90 grams. Check out this handy chart showing how much protein you need each day. Good sources of vegetarian protein include beans, soy products like tofu and soy milk, nuts, and whole grains.
2. Does my diet offer enough vitamin B12? Women need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 each day, and since it’s found in animal products, be sure you eat enough milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs if you’re a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Vitamin B12 is also found in nutritional yeast, so sprinkle some on your popcorn or make this Vegan Mac and Cheese.

Continue reading for three more questions vegetarians should ask themselves.

3. Am I at risk for anemia? Meat is a great source of iron, so if you’re not eating any, it makes sense to ask this question. A woman needs 18 milligrams of iron a day, and as long as you’re eating beans, dark green veggies, whole grains like barley and oats, and potatoes, you’re probably getting enough. If you’re not sure or you’re experiencing fatigue, pale skin, weakness, headaches, dizziness, cold hands and feet, or brittle nails, make an appointment with your doc to get a blood test to check your iron levels.
4. Am I overdoing it on sodium? Canned bean and veggie soup, salted nuts, pizza, cheese, meat alternatives like marinated tofu and veggie burgers, and premade vegetarian frozen entrées are commonly part of a vegetarian’s diet. The problem is they tend to be high in sodium. If you’re healthy and under 50 years old, you should aim to consume less than 2,300 milligrams of salt a day — about one teaspoon of the white stuff. Since that number doesn’t just come from the salt shaker, you need to be mindful of the sodium content in your food. Be a label reader, and if you’re worried about getting too much salt, talk to your doctor and have your blood pressure checked.
5. Do I have high cholesterol? Since you don’t get your protein from meat, there’s a chance you fill up on dairy products like cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, and eggs, which can add up to a lot of cholesterol. Be mindful of how much dairy you’re eating, and if you’re worried about your cholesterol, get it tested by your doctor. Your LDL levels should be between 100 and 129 mg/dL, HDL levels at 60 mg/dL or above, and triglycerides should be below 150 mg/dL.

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A’viands offers vegan and vegetarian options

The month of October rolls in and most students can dwell on is the beginning of fall and Halloween festivities. However, an event that takes place this month that most people don’t consider is Vegetarian Awareness Month.

According to Patrick Niles, food service director at UW-Green Bay, Oct. 1 marked World Vegetarian Day. The day was established as an annual celebration to promote the possibilities of vegetarianism and also to mark the annual kick-off day for Vegetarian Awareness Month.

World Vegetarian Day was originated by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and was endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978.

UWGB’s food service, A’viands, offers students many options for meal plans. For anyone who follows a vegan or vegetarian diet, there are meal plans available. The vegan meal plan doesn’t include any animal byproducts whereas the vegetarian meal plan can include some animal byproducts like eggs and dairy.

Also, the Leona Cloud Commons offers many options for protein alternatives. Vegetarians can have a meal made with beans, lentils, nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables, which are all rotated throughout the menu cycle. Many of the entrees and soups are available without meat and/or dairy in them. Other choices are available, such as yogurt parfaits, tofu stir fry and a fresh salad bar.

“I think having options available to students on campus that contain a variety of nutrients is important for a well-balanced diet,” Niles said. “By eliminating animal protein in your diet, you could be at risk for becoming deficient in some nutrients like iron, zinc or protein. Other nutrients of possible concern in a vegan diet include vitamin B-12, vitamin D and calcium.”

A’viands does its best to accommodate all students’ wants and needs.

“Because there are varying degrees of vegetarian, it is important to determine which group or groups of food are acceptable to an individual so nutrition needs can be met,” Niles said. “The primary objective of vegetarian meal planning is to provide adequate energy, micronutrients and macronutrients for growth and health maintenance at any stage of the life cycle.”

For more information on what A’viands has to offer the vegetarian and the meal plan options, check out their website at www.uwgb.edu/dining.

 

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The Dogwood Café: Pleasing the Vegetarian Palate

The Dogwood Café near the Forest Hills station is an attractive restaurant and bar that serves pub fare, American and Italian comfort food and specializes in brick oven pizzas. 

“There are lots of ways to make meatless pizzas,” said manager Matt Fay.  “People around here have discerning palates. At some restaurants, the vegetarian dishes are just a consortium of side dishes.”

Not so at The Dogwood, which I visited for lunch on several occasions. Sure, there’s really excellent pizza, but there’s also a large selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrées for vegetarian diners to choose from the lengthy menu.

For starters, there’s the Spinach Artichoke Dip ($8.99), made with goat cheese and cream cheese and served with homemade pita chips. The Vegetable Pot Stickers ($8.99) are pan-fried and complemented by a spicy soy dipping sauce. Potato Skins ($7.99) and Mozzarella Sticks ($7.99) are classic bar food accompaniments to one of the Dogwood’s many draft and bottled beers, or specialty cocktails.

Healthier appetizers include the restaurant’s many salads such as the Mixed Green ($5.99), Arugula ($8.99) or Apple Gorgonzola ($8.99).  For something a little different, my dining companion and I shared the Warm Tomato Salad ($8.99) comprised of slightly sautéed tomatoes, fresh basil, romaine, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and a garlicky toasted baguette. The original salad’s combination of hot and cold flavors was a fresh and delicious prelude to one of the restaurant’s pizzas.

The pizzas are cooked before your eyes in the brick oven, which burns a mixture of hardwoods, and there are indeed many meatless pizzas available. The specialties of the house are all named after trees in the neighboring Arnold Arboretum, like the Chestnut, ($10.99 small or $15.99 large) made with spinach, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, feta, garlic and basil, or the Naughty Pine ($8.99 small or $13.99 large) containing portobello mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, red onions and mozzarella. Of course, you can also customize your pizza by selecting from the Dogwood’s long list of pizza toppings.

With so many choices, we settled on the namesake Dogwood Pizza ($11.99 small or $15.99 large), electing to eliminate the prosciutto, and could not have been happier with the thin crust pizza topped with artichoke hearts, green peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella.

The restaurant also offers a selection of meatless sandwiches, all served with the vegetable of the day, your choice of potatoes (fried, baked or garlic mash), rice pilaf or a salad. We bypassed the Dogwood Veggie Burger ($7.99), made with a Morningstar patty, in favor of the more unique Portobello Burger ($7.99) and Eggplant Panini ($8.99). Both are tasty ways to eat your veggies. 

Even carnivores would likely be satisfied with the Portobello Burger. The grilled beefy mushrooms were dressed for success with the addition of roasted eggplant, red peppers, fresh mozzarella and basil pesto. The Eggplant Panini was a delicious pressed sandwich of breaded eggplant, melted cheese, tomato sauce and baby greens. 

The Dogwood Café is spacious, attractively furnished and moderately priced. Our server, Mike, sought to please at every turn. Other reasons to return include the restaurant’s veggie-friendly brunch, served on weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and some of its entrées, like Vegetable Lasagna ($12.99), Vegetable Stir Fry ($12.99), Pasta a la Vodka ($14.99), Stuffed Eggplant ($13.99) and Mac-n-Cheese ($11.99).

The Dogwood has long been a neighborhood favorite for diners on that end of JP. Unfortunately, I live at the opposite end of town and until now had only visited infrequently. With its emphasis on fresh, homemade foods, friendly service, and an expansive menu of vegetarian dishes, I wish that I lived closer.

Located at 3712 Washington Street, The Dogwood Café (617-522-7997) is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and serves a weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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The Lamplighter: Being Vegetarian: A Healthier Choice

“That’s impossible.”

“I could never do that.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

    These are just a few of the most popular responses I receive when I first tell people that I do not eat meat. Ever since the fourth grade I have maintained a completely vegetarian diet.
    Despite popular belief, choosing tofu instead of ground beef is not the most difficult decision in the world, especially when considering the positive effects that vegetarianism can have on your overall well-being.
    Junior Venecia Proctor has maintained a vegetarian diet for the past nine months.
    “I first became a vegetarian because I didn’t like the idea of eating animals,” said Proctor.
    Although she did not originally become a vegetarian to improve her well-being or health,  ever since she has began her new diet she has noticed some positive  changes  in her mental health.
    “I can last longer without sleeping and I’m in a better mood most of the time,” said Proctor.
    Along with improving your mood and energy levels, vegetarianism also significantly reduces your chances of getting heart disease, some types of cancer, high cholesterol and more.
    Most high school students do not consider these problems to be important in their life now, but being a vegetarian may help prevent these health issues in the future.
    Everyone wants to have a low chance for life threatening health concerns, but many people could never imagine giving up their favorite meat.
    However, there are multiple ways that you can be some form of a vegetarian and still incorporate your favorite foods into your diet.
    There are four main types of vegetarians; vegans, lacto-vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians and flexitarians.
    Vegans follow the strictest form of vegetarianism by eliminating all animal products from their diet, which includes all meat and dairy products. They exclude anyfoof prouduct that comes from an animal.
    The second strictest form of vegetarianism is lacto-vegetarianism. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products like milk and cheese. However, they do not include eggs or any meats into their diet.
    Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is the most common form of vegetarianism. It is also the type of vegetarian that I classify myself as. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are fundamentally the same as lacto-vegetarians with the addition of eggs into their diet.
    Flexiterians follow the most flexible form of vegetarianism. They are considered semi-vegetarians who consume only a limited amount or certain types of meat. Flexiterians have the ability to customly create their vegetarian diet.
    A popular form of Flexiteriamism is pescetarianism. Pescetarians eat fish but exclude all other meats from their diet.
    With so many forms of vegetarian to choose from, it is easy to custom create a diet that will be perfect for you.
    Although following a vegetarian diet is usually beneficial, it can entail some health problems if it is poorly planned.Vegetarians often neglect to incorporate calcium, omega 3, iron and the vitamin B12 into their diet.
    However, these nutrients can be found in plenty of vegetarian friendly foods such as nuts, beans, soy, tofu and supplements. All of these nutritious substitutes can be found can be found at most grocery stores.
    As long as you remember to include these healthful ingredients into your diet, any form of vegetarianism will more than likely be beneficial to your life.

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What Kind of Vegetarian Are You?

When we think of vegetarians, I think most of us simply associate that with people who do not eat meat. However, there are different types of vegetarianism and varying degrees in which people follow the meatless diet.

• Vegans do not eat any meat products, including dairy and eggs. In addition, they do not use any animal products in their clothing, soap, or consumer products.
• Lacto-vegetarians eat plant foods and dairy products, but not eggs.
• Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat plant food, dairy products and include eggs in their diet.
• Partial vegetarians or semi-vegetarians eat plant food, dairy and eggs, but my also include small portions of poultry, fish or other types of seafood.

According to myplate.gov, the vegetarian diet can be a healthy choice for people as long as they eat a variety of food to make up for not getting some of the protein and nutrients from eating meat products. For example, we know we get protein from eating various types of meat, but you can also get protein from nuts, beans and soy products such as tofu. For the lacto-vegetarians, they can get protein from milk products.

Another common mineral often missing from a vegetarian diet is iron, but iron can be found in iron fortified cereal, peas, beans, and some dried fruit. The same is true for calcium. You can get calcium from dark leafy greens, orange juice, tofu made with calcium sulfate, milk products and supplements. Even though we can get these essential vitamins and minerals from eating meat, the point is there are other resources with which to maintain a healthy balanced diet.

There is no one reason why people chose to follow a vegetarian diet. Some do it for health reasons, religious beliefs, limited financial resources or food availability. Many vegetarians, especially vegans, follow this diet because of their belief in animal rights and humane treatment of animals. Regardless of the reason for eating a vegetarian diet, they key to success is to complement your diet with the necessary vitamins and minerals omitted by not eating meat.

For those of us who are vegetarian who choose to eat meat, let’s take a challenge to eat for two days without any meat. Plan ahead and see what kind of recipes and meals you can serve. Who knows, you might discover a new family favorite meal.

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by Holly Leber
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Going vegetarian takes work, but it can be worthwhile

Being a vegetarian, experts say, is not unhealthy, boring or overpriced.

It also isn’t easy.

“It takes a firm commitment to be vegetarian,” said Chattanooga registered dietitian Pamela Kelle. “A lot of times, consumers are under the impression that vegetarian simply means they stop eating meat, and that’s not what it is.”

While reducing animal product intake can cut down on saturated fats and cholesterols, which can reduce risk of heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes, plenty of other products contain these items. “You can mess it up by eating too many high fat sweets and pastries,” said Sharon Hopper, a dietitian at the Memorial Hospital Cancer Resource Center.

“There are some people who dub themselves vegan or vegetarian who aren’t healthy, because they live off of soy isolates and procesed foods, soy cheese and white pasta,” said Ruth Kerr, healthy eating liaison for Whole Foods.

With some effort and commitment, a healthful vegetarian diet is well within reach.

How can I keep my diet interesting?

“Do some great research on the internet. Really try to work on recipes,” said Kelle, “and be creative with foods.” Like burgers and fries? Try a portobello mushroom, brushed with olive oil and rosemary, grilled and served on a toasted whole wheat bun accompanied by spinach, tomato, avocado and roasted red pepper. Slice a sweet potato, sprinkle with spices and bake, rather than deep fry. A quick online search for vegetarian recipes brings up more than 10 million results.

Will I get enough nutrients, especially protein?

Having a complete diet is very possible without meat, but not without concerted effort.

Kelle suggested looking for complementary proteins, a combining of two foods, each of which contain some, but not all types of protein. Great examples, she said, would be brown rice and beans, or a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread. And add a side of broccoli. One cup of broccoli combines five percent of daily protein.

For plant-eaters who are concerned about not getting enough vitamin B-12, a supplement is advisable, said Indi Maharaj, registered dietitian at the Chattanooga Lifestyle Center.

Doesn’t tofu taste like foam rubber?

“(Tofu) is awful,” said Kelle. “You have to know how to cook it.

Fortunately, outside of its raw, natural state, tofu can be quite tasty. “Tofu will take the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with.”

A marinade used for chicken or beef can also be used for tofu, or other soy products, such as tempeh or tofu. Tofu also can be added to fruit smoothies for additional protein.

Meat alternative products are not essential to a vegetarian diet. There are other ways to get proteins, such as beans, legumes, nuts and dark, leafy greens, said Maharaj. These foods also contain iron, which is sometimes a concern for people who eliminate meat.

What if my family does not want to be vegetarian?

Kelle advocates a flexitarian diet, which focuses on vegetarian choices, but doesn’t entirely restrict meat. Such a method, she said, can be beneficial in families, where not everyone might not want to follow a vegetarian lifestyle, especially for young people.

“It’s frankly not recommended for people under 18 unless the family is supporting that lifestyle choice,” she said. This means cooking lentils as an alternative to the pork chops, not just eschewing protein and eating more salad.

Is it more expensive to go vegetarian?

Simply put, no. More realistically, no, if you are already eating a complete, healthy diet that just happens to include meat. Eating healthier can be more expensive, but not buying meat shouldn’t affect a budget, unless, Kelle said, families are finding themselves needing to buy food to make separate meals for a vegetarian member. This is another reason she advocates being flexible, or reducing, but not fully cutting out, animal proteins. Ideally, experts say, one’s diet already consists of plenty of plant based fruits, vegetables and whole grains, so making the change to a meatless diet shouldn’t add too much cost.

“Beans are really cheap,” said Maharaj, giving an example. “It’s just that we have become accustomed to quick fixes. We’re used to driving up and getting dinner.”

Is it harder to eat out?

“Generally, it’s not an advantage to eat out,” said Maharaj. “When you eat out, you have no control of portion size, no control of fat, no control of salt and total number of calories.”

With selective choices, however, i.e. not a steak house or fast food restaurant, a vegetarian often can find a fulfilling meal, even if it has to be cobbled together. Don’t be shy about mentioning your dietary needs to a server and asking if the chef can accommodate them.

“A lot of times, you come up with really healthy meals,” said Maharaj.

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