If this question were asked to me 3 years ago “Would you consider being a vegetarian?”, I would have said, “No”. I would have also included, “It’s all too hard, I couldn’t be bothered planning my meals to make sure I am getting enough protein, and I like being spontaneous in what I eat.”

Back to the present day…. don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy eating a variety of meat and to be honest I don’t think I could entirely ever give it up. But with time and my grown children already embracing the idea of vegetarianism, it has inspired me to welcome the thought. I am making a conscious decision to consume less meat, be more mindful when eating meat and create a variety of vegetarian dishes that I can really enjoy.

Food for thought!

Why would I personally want to do this?

There are a few reasons that come to mind such as the environment, food sustainability and for health and wellbeing.

Let us look at environment for a minute. It is reported that raising livestock has a vast environmental footprint contributing to land and water degradation, biodiversity loss and deforestation (Rojas-Downing et al, 2017). And then there is climate change to think about that contributes to extreme weather patterns of draughts, floods and heat waves, which livestock in Australia alone contributes to 10% of the Green House Gas emissions (Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, 2019).

Decoding Vegetarianism:

There are many labels out there for vegetarians that I will briefly define, but I do not believe in wearing a label and I do not think you should put pressure on yourselves, to fit under a certain category. However, it does not mean that we cannot educate ourselves on some new terminology that you may see in the media or in a book.

Vegetarianism is the practice of consuming a heavy based plant and grain diet and not consuming meat, meat products and any by-products of an animal, such as milk or eggs.

Different types of vegetarian diets may vary and are named according to what foods are included. Below is a list of examples.

Lacto-vegetarian: is a diet which excludes meat, fish, poultry, and eggs but includes dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt etc)

Ovo vegetarian: The diet excludes meat, fish, poultry and dairy but allows eggs.

Lacto-Ovo vegetarian: Excludes meat, fish and poultry but includes dairy and eggs.

Pescatarian: People that do not eat meat but still consume some seafood, dairy, and eggs.

Flexitarian aka semi vegetarian: People who mainly consume a plant-based diet but sometimes do consume small portions of meat & or seafood for nutritional needs.

Reducitarian: People who reduce the amount of meat and dairy products they consume without becoming fully vegetarian or vegan.

Vegan: A Vegan diet is another form of vegetarianism where only plants are consumed and all animal sources are abstained, including meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, and gelatine.

Beegan: Is a Vegan diet with honey included

Vegan before 6pm: Follow a vegan diet until 6pm daily.

Why do people consider being a vegetarian?

Like mentioned above, vegetarianism is considered for many reasons such as concern for animal welfare, environmental impact on meat production, for religious or culture beliefs and or for health considerations.

What are the health benefits of being vegetarian?

There are many health benefits in changing your diet to a vegetarian/ vegan diet, such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, some types of cancers and obesity.

In addition, being more mindful of eating a plant-based diet will increase your fruit and vegetable intake which is a recommendation of The Australian Dietary Guidelines.

The Challenges of being a Vegetarian/ Vegan.

Being a Vegetarian/ Vegan does come with its challenges. For example, you must ensure you are receiving adequate protein and a range of vitamins and minerals that you would usually obtain for animal sources, such as calcium from milk. So, for this reason, you must plan your diet accordingly to make sure you are including all the nutrients and minerals essential for human health. These include omega 3 fatty acids, complete proteins, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.

Why is protein important?

Protein is essential for the growth and repair of every cell in our body, including lean muscle tissue. Protein helps regulate metabolism, the production of hormones and strengthens our immune system.

Protein rich sources, (no animals here) include:

Grains: Oats, rice, barley, seitan
Pseudo cereals: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat
Dairy: Milk, cheese, yoghurt (animal by product)
Eggs (animal by product)
Soy: Tofu, Tempeh, edamame.
Beans and Pulses: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, haricot beans.
Nuts and Seeds: Cashews, almonds, peanuts, macadamias, pistachios, pepitas, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds.
Vegetables: Spinach, peas, broccoli, asparagus, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, artichokes.

What is a complete protein?

A complete protein contains all your essential and non-essential amino acids; hence this is why it is called a complete protein. Complete proteins are found in animal products like beef, fish, dairy, and eggs. In addition, quinoa, soy, amaranth, buckwheat and hemp are also complete proteins.

An incomplete protein is one that lacks some of the amino acids, such as proteins found in beans, grains, pulses, and vegetables. Rice for example, is low in lysine (amino acid) but high in methionine (amino acid). In contrast, beans are high in lysine and low in methionine. The idea then is to combine these foods which allows you access to all the nutrients you require.

What are, omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids. Their roles play an important function at the cellular level and in maintaining heart health, brain health, kidney function, eye health, and skin health.

Plant Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids include, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, edamame, seaweed, and algae. Other green leafy vegetables and beans also contain small amounts.

Why is Iron important?

Iron is an important mineral involved in many various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood. Whilst vegetarian and vegan diets are generally high in iron from plant foods, this type of iron called non-haem iron, is not absorbed as well in the body as the iron in meat (haem iron). Combining non-haem iron-containing foods with foods high in vitamin C, such as in capsicum and food acids (such as in lemons) helps your body absorb the iron. In addition, not consuming calcium (in the form of dairy) with your iron rich foods as these two minerals compete with each other in the absorption pathways.

Good vegetarian food sources of iron includes:

cereal products fortified with iron (such as breakfast cereals and bread)
wholegrains
legumes
tofu
green leafy vegetables
dried fruits.

Calcium found in plants other than dairy.

Calcium is key for strong bones and teeth. It also plays a crucial role in other systems of the body, such as the health and functioning of nerves and muscle tissue.

Good vegetarian food sources of calcium include:

plant-based milk drinks fortified with calcium (check the label).
cereals and fruit juices fortified with calcium (check the label).
tahini (sesame seed paste)
some brands of tofu (check the label)
leafy dark green vegetables (especially Asian greens).
Some fruit and vegetables, like broccoli, edamame, oranges, and dried figs.
Legumes like white beans.
Nuts and seeds, like almonds, brazil nuts, chia seeds and sunflower seeds

What is zinc?

Zinc performs numerous essential functions in the body, including the development of immune system cells.

Good vegetarian food sources of zinc include:

Nuts
Tofu
Miso
Legumes
Wheatgerm
Wholegrain foods.

Why is vitamin B12 important and where to source?

Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell production – it also provides maintenance to healthy nerves and a healthy brain. People on a vegan/ vegetarian diet need to ensure they are receiving enough Vitamin B12 by other means as to avoid a deficiency. This is because Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products.

Vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 includes

Dairy products
Eggs
Some soy beverages (check the label).
Some vegetarian sausages and burgers (check the label).
Nutritional Yeast Flakes (fortified)
Fortified cereals
Vegemite/ salt reduced. Has the orange label and lid.

The importance of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, muscles, immunity, and general wellbeing. Although small amounts of vitamin D is present in food, ‘Vitamin D’ is not a true vitamin, because it can also be produced by the body after exposure to UV radiation in sunlight.

The main source of Vitamin D for most is sunlight. There are few foods that contain Vitamin D, so for this reason, there is little Vitamin D in most people’s diets. Unless they eat fatty fish, eggs, liver, or foods fortified with vitamin D (such as margarine). Fortified low-fat and skim milk is another source of vitamin D, but it is present in low amounts.

Vegetarian sources of vitamin D include:

Eggs
Mushrooms
Some margarines (check the label)
Some cereals (check the label)
Some dairy and plant-based milk drinks (check the label).
Some orange juice (fortified)

The sun is a major source of vitamin D, so dietary intake is only important when exposure to UV light from the sun is inadequate – such as people who are naturally dark skinned and need more exposure, housebound, elderly, or whose clothing covers almost all of their skin.

A few minutes a day is recommended with exposure to either the arms, legs, abdomen and back. This could be done either by going for a brisk walk or doing some gardening (Cancer Council, 2021.)

References:

Australian dietary guidelines, 2013. National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines

Better Health Channel (2020). Vegetarian and vegan eating. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vegetarian-and-vegan-eating

Cancer Council, (n.d) Vitamin D. How much sun do we need? Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/vitamin-d

Department of Water, Agriculture and Environment. (2019). Livestock emissions. Retrieved fromhttps://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/climatechange/australias-farming-future/livestock-emissions

Marengo, K. (2018). Calcium rich foods that vegans can eat. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322585

Rojas-Downings, M., Nejadhashemi, A, P., Harrigan, T., & Woznicki, S, A. (2017) Climate change and livestock: impacts, adaption, and mitigation. Climate Risk Management. Volume 16, p145-163 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2017.02.001

Decoding Vegetarianism.