Is a Vegetarian Diet Safe for My Child?

Written by admin
on May 17th, 2009

If you are a vegetarian parent you have probably considered putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would it save you time and make meal planning easier, but for dietary reasons or ethical reasons you may believe it is the best choice for your child.

Conversely, you may not be a vegetarian but you may have a child who is at a vegetarian phase where he or she is rejecting meat but doesn’t eat enough healthy foods to compensate for the nutritional gap.

Whatever the case may be, you may be wondering if a vegetarian diet is a sustainable, healthy choice for your child. Or, perhaps you have heard that a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt the growth of your child.

These concerns probably prevented you from putting your child on a vegetarian diet up to this point.

You should be aware that these concerns are in-fact legitimate issues and that if a vegetarian diet is poorly planned, it can cause serious long term and short term deficiencies especially in children who do not have sufficient stores of vitamins and minerals in their bodies as yet.

If you have not done sufficient research and are not well-prepared for the task of putting your child on a vegetarian diet, then you probably should not. However, if you’ve done your research and are aware of the kind of nutrients that vegetarian diets lack, then you know that these problems can easily be over-come with some meal planning.

You will probably be aware that putting your child on a vegetarian diet can greatly improve his or her health and limit the exposure to animal products that are often linked to hormones and preservatives.

To begin your child on a vegetarian diet you should make sure that you your meal-planning ensures enough of the following elements that vegetarian diets lack:

1) Protein - make sure that your child is getting enough protein from additional sources such as nuts and soybeans.

2) Calcium - ensure that your child is getting enough calcium in his diet by including lots of green leafy vegetables to his diet.

3) Iron - add more iron to your child’s diet by increasing beans, soybeans, tofu and cereals.

4) Zinc - enhance your child’s Zinc intake by increasing, nuts, peanut butter, and mushrooms.

If you concentrate on compensating for all of these common deficiencies that vegetarian diets lack, then, you can absolutely put your child on a vegetarian diet without any negative consequences.

Nicky Pilkington
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/is-a-vegetarian-diet-safe-for-my-child-11246.html

36 Years as a Vegetarian in the Midwest

Written by admin
on May 13th, 2009

In 1971, a friend of mine invited me to supper. He fixed brown rice with vegetables that were sauteed in a wok using soy sauce. All of this was pretty exotic to me because I had grown up in a working class family in Illinois. During the meal my friend mentioned there were people who ate like this all the time. In fact, there were people who did not eat any meat at all, they were vegetarians. That sounded pretty cool to me and I decided to live that way.

I really do not know why the idea of being a vegetarian resonated with me. I was certainly attracted to anything that, at the time, was labeled “counter-culture.” But really changing something as basic as what and how you eat is pretty drastic. My mother was aghast and figured I would probably die of malnutrition. Looking back at how hard it was to purchase foods that were whole grain and sufficiently nourishing, it is a wonder I was not malnourished, perhaps I was.

To obtain something as simple as whole wheat flour or brown rice we had to drive into St. Louis. There were a couple of places that were then called “Health Food Stores” where you could buy these and other products. I do not recall seeing anything like Tofu, Tempeh, or the array of products that one can find in a Whole Foods Store or the small locally owned food store where we now purchase nearly all of our food. It was several years before a commercially produced whole wheat bread began to be sold in the regular supermarkets in the area.

I did some traveling during the early 1970’s and spent some time in Colorado and California. In Colorado there was a store that sold all the stuff we wanted at the time plus a lot more. They even had a bakery and made the most wonderful little pies. We thought we were in heaven. You could just go in an buy what ever you wanted. Our wants were fairly simple at the time. Mostly we purchased brown rice, some beans, flour, maybe some nuts and seeds, yogurt, cold pressed oil, soy sauce to put on everything.

Whole wheat flour sold for 5 cents a pound. I think brown rice was around 10 or 11 cents a pound. Medium grain brown rice now costs us $1.29 per pound. Beans of various types are about $1.25 a pound. So we bought the raw materials and made meals out of it. For a while I made bread that was just whole wheat flour, water, and sea salt. You had to knead it for a long time, bake it, and slice it. It was substantial and very chewy.

Slowly, over the past 36 years, good simple food has become more readily available. I have spent the last 30 years in a rural area of Illinois. We have done most all of our grocery shopping at a food co-op and then, for the last 10 years or more, at a locally owned store that sells a wide array of products the I would have never dreamed of in 1971. Also, during that same time period, I have become a Vegan, thus no longer eating eggs or cheese or any type of animal products. But, now, if I wanted to, I could go into the local grocery store and purchase a package of Tofu, some organically grown whole wheat flour, and organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Today it is easy to find good food to eat. Lots of restaurants in large metro areas offer some type of vegetarian dishes. But, these dishes may often times not be vegan. I generally seek out ethnic restaurants. Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern fare always includes some type of vegetarian choices. The major metro areas have not just little health food stores but medium sized super markets offering products of all types. There are a lot of people who may not be vegetarians but see no need to consume meat at every meal.

Being a vegetarian was quite weird 30 years ago. There were lots of people who simply did not understand what the term even meant. Today the idea of a vegetarian diet is not so exotic or misunderstood and it is a lifestyle that is easy to practice.

Michael Dappert
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/36-years-as-a-vegetarian-in-the-midwest-138854.html

How To Make Your Vegetarian Menu Irresistible

Written by admin
on May 9th, 2009

When you first think about changing your diet from a traditional diet to a vegetarian diet, it may be confusing. You are changing the dietary habits that have been with you your entire life.

When you start your research, you will find the fundamentals of being a vegetarian and the foods may not seem all that appealing. But as you research further, you will find that a vegetarian menu can be filled with delicious, colorful foods that are rich in nutrients.

Planning your vegetarian menus is probably the most challenging part of your change. When you cut meat out of your diet, it is not only the taste, but also the texture that you may have a hard time adjusting to. To assist yourself in adapting to a vegetarian diet, there are substitutions that you can use.

Substituting beans for meat is an excellent source of nutrition for a vegetarian menu and there are such a variety of beans that you can make virtually a different meal everyday and not duplicate it for months.

If you want to keep the texture that meat offers, you can use a soybean based Tempeh, it offers the texture of meat without any of the animal byproducts. Tofu is also another option you can use in place of meat. Health food stores sell these products in abundance.

If you are also cutting dairy products out of your diet, there are soy-based products that are pleasing to the palate. Milk, margarine and yogurt are now available in soy. They have the same nutritional value as dairy products.

When you have made the decision to switch to a vegetarian menu, you are committing yourself to healthier eating habits. This goes for snacks too.

Virtually all nuts are excellent snacks for a vegetarian menu. They can add tremendous flavor to any dish as well. Cashews, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds can accentuate any dish.

A vegetarian menu does not mean that you have to give up the foods you love. It is merely modifying the menu. There are so any variations to the vegetarian menu. By visiting your local health food store, you will find thousands of menu items. You will find yourself creating your vegetarian menu as you walk through the store.

You will be amazed at how many different products there are on the market today for a vegetarian menu.

When you decide to adapt a vegetarian menu, you are taking steps to improve your lifestyle. With the choices that are available today in vegetarian menus, you are limited only by your imagination.

Heather Colman
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-to-make-your-vegetarian-menu-irresistible-69443.html

Differences Between Vegetarian and Raw Food Diets

Written by admin
on May 6th, 2009

There are a few distinct differences between vegetarian and raw food diets. Basically, a vegetarian is someone who is committed to not eat meat, fish, poultry or any animal products, but only consumes vegetables, pasta, and rice. On the other hand, a raw foodist is a vegetarian, but one who eats unprocessed, uncooked, organic, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts seeds, legumes, dried fruits, seaweeds, etc. It denotes a diet that is at least 75% uncooked! Raw foodist cooks very little and definitely doesn’t cook or process fruits and vegetables. Raw foodist simply eats them raw.

Raw foodist, vegans and frutarians are some of the different categories of vegetarians. Yes, raw foodist is a category of vegetarianism as mentioned earlier. However, to be a raw food purist, you should eat raw vegetables like raw broccoli, not steamed. To a vegetarian, who doesn’t eat meat or fish or any animal products, steamed vegetables are just as good, though every person would concur that steaming can take out nutrients from foods and turn them into less nutritious. A vegetarian might consume dairy or egg products but a vegan will not consume any animal products at all. The raw foodist then is a vegan who consumes only uncooked, unprocessed raw foods.

Enzymes are the life force of a food and that every food has its own perfect combination as believed by raw food diet advocates. These enzymes help us digest foods completely, without relying on our body to produce its own cocktail of digestive enzymes.

The cooking process is thought to destroy food enzymes. It can take so much of the basic nutritional value away. Other than that, cooked foods not only take any longer to digest, but they also let the partially digested fats, proteins and carbohydrates to block our gut and arteries.

Below are some health benefits cited by the raw diet followers:

• Improved digestion

• Increased energy levels

• Reduced risk of heart diseased

• Improved appearance of skin

• Weight loss

For more information about vegetarian and raw food diets, visit EatRawFood.com.

Jane Gaynor
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/differences-between-vegetarian-and-raw-food-diets-81967.html

Vegan Diet Secrets: Becoming a Vegetarian

Written by admin
on May 2nd, 2009

A lot of vegans do not even know why they wanted to become vegans in the first place. Why are you a vegan? If you cannot answer this question in depth, then there’s really no reason to become a vegan diet fan.
You have to do some soul searching and find some answers from deep inside you. Find out exactly why you want to become a vegan. If you don’t find any reasons behind your decision then it’s just a phase you’re going through.

So first of all, you have to educate yourself about being a vegan.

1. Know the facts of the vegan diet.
2. Know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
3. Know exactly why you are doing it.
4. Start reading books, newspapers, magazines about vegan diets.
5. Search the internet for articles or other information concerning vegan diets.

To sum up you have to know the pros and cons of becoming a vegan.

Here are some secret tips to get you started if you’re really desperate about becoming e vegetarian.

1. Start the easy way.
Did you have any favorite dish before becoming a vegetarian? Maybe that dish was a vegetarian dish or could become one easily. So start with that favorite dish. You may not even know that some dishes are vegetarian.
For example you can start with vegetable pasta or lasagne or pasta primavera. There are thousands of choices.

2. Buy a Vegan Recipe CookBook
Being a vegetarian means that you have to learn to prepare your food sometimes. So why not follow some proven tips and recipes from a good vegetarian cookbook?

3. Don’t Push Yourself
So you decide to switch to a vegan diet but you find yourself so tired and really hungry. Well, you may not be eating enough!
Don’t pressure your body. Try to stay balanced and get enough calories and nutrients to keep you going. Don’t just stick to only a few different types of food.

4. Get support from your friends
Make your friends understand the fact that you’re vegetarian. Make them respect your choices. A good example would be to get them to try some of your food and taste what you eat.

5. Do not compare yourself with other vegetarians.
If you’re reading vegan magazines or articles or talking to longtime vegetarians then you will notice that everyone has something to say. And they claim they have the best solution for you. Well, ignore them. Do not compare yourself and your body with anyone else’s! You want to be a vegetarian for your own reasons. So find out what’s right for you and be comfortable with your decisions.

6. Timing matters
Feel free to start on a vegan diet at any time of the year. But be wise. Remember that if you start during the summer you’ll have the chance to try a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Moreover, people have the tendency to eat lighter during summer months. During the winter there’s the advantage of eating soups or baked food.

Maria Markella
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/vegan-diet-secrets-becoming-a-vegetarian-68215.html