Dear Future Veggie,

It's a great idea to plan consciously when switching over to a vegetarian diet. Cutting out meat can offer many health benefits, as well as addressing environmental and ethical concerns that you mention. But people who make the change without learning about proper nutrition can very easily become deficient in certain nutrients, experience undesired weight gain or loss, and fall into the famous trap of becoming a "pasta" vegetarian who lives on carbs and sweets and not much else.

If you're a Columbia student you can discuss your new diet in detail with a nutritionist. To make an appointment call Health Services at x4-2284, or use Open Communicator to make an appointment online. In addition to meeting with a professional, it's a good idea to get somewhat of an education yourself, so you'll know what kinds of details to pay attention to and which questions to ask.

Both veteran and newly-converted vegetarians should plan their diets to include a wide variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and of course leave room for some decadent delights (think: vegan triple chocolate cake). Because a vegetarian diet omits some foods, it is crucial that you eat a full spectrum of nutrient-rich, whole, unprocessed foods to ensure you are getting the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body requires.

Vegetarians need to pay special attention to getting adequate amounts of protein, as it is an essential macronutrient (the others are fat and carbohydrates) used to provide long-term sustained energy, and to repair and replace worn-out body cells. Complete proteins are those that contain all of the amino acids our bodies require from food in order to synthesize human proteins.

Animal products contain complete proteins, but most plant foods do not. To create a complete protein from amino-acid-lacking plant foods you can combine them together, either at the same meal or within a few hours of each other, and they complement and complete each other just fine. It takes a little learning, but there are natural combinations of vegetarian foods that amount to complete proteins. For example, rice eaten with beans, nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter) spread on whole grain bread, and whole grain cereal eaten with milk are all common vegetarian combos that take two incomplete proteins and make them deliciously complete. The combinations are often popular and somewhat intuitive, and once you learn a few you can rest assured your protein intake will be up to par.

Vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, iron, and zinc are other nutrients important to pay attention to, as they are abundantly found in meat, but not as easy to find in plant foods. Some strategizing with a nutritionist or educating yourself about vegetarian sources for these nutrients will help you make sure you're getting enough of these important nutrients.

Because vegetarian diets are often high in fiber, remember to drink lots of water to ensure all that roughage moving through and out of your system efficiently. And since high fiber foods tend to be low in calories, eat enough to meet your energy needs.

There are many variations on the vegetarian diet, including lacto-ovo vegetarians who avoid all meat but eat milk and eggs, pescatarians who eat fish, vegans who avoid animal products of all kinds, including milk, eggs, and even honey (produced by bees), raw foodists who eat only raw fruits, veggies, sprouted nuts and grains, fruititarians by whose name you can figure out the rest, and even the nearly impossible sounding breathatarians (not recommended!) who live on air and sunlight alone.

Consider the reasons that you became a vegetarian. Do the same ethical concerns you have about meat apply to other animal products? Some people have ethical concerns related to inhumane conditions for animals and the environmental impact of meat production. These concerns could also apply to dairy or egg production. If these are concerns for you, you can consider which animal products you will eat, and whether an acceptable option would be to buy "cage-free" eggs or milk from farmers who guarantee their cows aren't packed tightly in factories. You can also consider whether buying local and/or organic foods fit within your new eating regimen for environmental reasons. Check out Switch to organic foods? for more information.

In planning a vegetarian diet, specific recommendations depend upon a number of variables, such as body size, activity level, health status, food preferences, and even your blood type and ancestry. Standing behind your ethical beliefs with the food you take in is an admirable undertaking. With the right guidance, education, and support you could enjoy great health, a clean conscience, and the joy of being an inspiration for others who wish to join you!

Alice

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