A meatless diet does not include animal flesh, like beef, ham or lamb, and likely doesn't include poultry or fish either. It is a form of vegetarian diet that some people embrace for religious reasons, some out of health concerns and some as an environmental and ethical choice. Whatever the motivation, it is possible to eat nutritiously and deliciously on a meatless diet.
Types of Meatless Diets
There are several versions of meatless diets that range from entirely plant-based to a diet that actually includes occasional meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. Their diet has no meat, fish, poultry, dairy or eggs, and they don't eat any foods that contain any of those products. Lacto-vegetarians do consume milk, butter, yogurt and cheese. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products. Flexitarians are semi-vegetarians who consume a plant-based diet but eat some dairy, eggs, fish, poultry and meat in very modest and infrequent amounts.
Sound Nutrition
The American Dietetic Association has a vegetarian food pyramid created to help people on a plant-based or modified vegetarian diet plan for adequate nutrition. The base of the pyramid is whole grains, followed by legumes, nuts and other protein-rich plant foods, vegetables, fruits and small amounts of unsaturated fats. The Mayo Clinic cautions non-meat eaters to get adequate amounts of calcium, iodine, iron, protein, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and zinc through supplements or other dietary sources.
Health Benefits
Meatless diets have higher concentrations of fiber, which aids in efficient digestion, lowers colon cancer risks and helps with weight control. People who avoid meat and limit their dairy to certified organic products avoid the growth hormones, antibiotics and stimulants animals are fed to increase their food value. Without meat, a diet contains less fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and, almost invariably, fewer calories. A menu without meat leaves more room for the healthy grains and vegetables recommended as the basis for a nutritionally sound diet.
Disease Prevention
Numerous studies of vegetarian health complied by the health psychology department of Vanderbilt University have amassed an impressive roster of health benefits to following a meatless diet. Vegetarians have lower risks for obesity, alcoholism, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and other serious diseases. In the Oxford Vegetarian Study, after adjusting for lifestyle variables, female non-meat eaters had a body mass index 31 percent lower than meat eaters. For males, the difference was 36 percent. Eating a balanced diet, without meat, proved to be a significant factor in overall good health.
Environmental Effects
A meatless diet represents substantial savings for the planet. Johns Hopkins University's Center for a Livable Future says the meat industry is responsible for one-fifth of greenhouse gases, more than the entire transportation industry. To produce one 5.2-oz. hamburger requires 634 gallons of fresh water. The same amount of tofu takes 143 gallons of water. U.S. feedlot beef require 40 calories of fossil fuel energy per single meat calorie. Scientists believe lowering meat consumption will help to control climate change, save water and decrease fossil fuel dependence.
References
- Vanderbilt University Health Psychology Department: Vegetarianism, the Pros and Cons of a Meatless Diet
- Mayo Clinic: Vegetarian Diet --- How to Get the Best Nutrition
- Johns Hopkins University Center for a Livable Future: Obama Urged to Revive National Meatless Program
- City University of New York/Borough of Manhattan Community College: Healthnotes --- Why Are Not All Health Professionals Promoting Vegetarian Diets?
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