Are Vegetarian Diets OK for Students?

November is National Vegetarian Awareness Month. For much of the world, vegetarianism is largely a matter of economics: Meat costs a lot more than, say, beans or rice, so meat becomes a special-occasion dish (if it's eaten at all). Even where meat is more plentiful, it's still used in moderation, often providing a side note to a meal rather than taking center stage.

In countries like the United States where meat is not as expensive, though, people choose to be vegetarians for reasons other than cost. Parental preferences, religious or other beliefs, and health issues are among the most common reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian. In the past, choosing not to eat meat or animal-based foods was considered unusual in the United States.

Times and attitudes have changed dramatically, however. Vegetarians are still a minority in the United States, but a large and growing one. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has officially endorsed vegetarianism, stating "appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."

If you're thinking about choosing a vegetarian diet, the most important thing you can do is to educate yourself. That's why the ADA says that a vegetarian diet needs to be "appropriately planned."

For instance, keep in mind that "vegetarians" are people who simply do not eat the meat of any animal. Plus, there are actually four distinct types of vegetarians:

• Ovo -- Vegetarians who eat eggs, but no dairy products.
• Lacto -- Vegetarians who consume dairy products, but no eggs.
• Ovo-Lacto -- Vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products.
• Vegan -- Those who eat no eggs, dairy products, animal meat, or animal by-products.

The vegan form of vegetarianism is the least common type, and those who choose this form must be careful to be sure they consume the proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein daily.

Choosing an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet is a smart way to reduce cancer risks, maintain overall health, bolster energy levels, and build strong muscles and bones.

Assign students to learn more about the many benefits and few potential pitfalls of choosing each type of vegetarian life style. Students should create a report of at least 100 words or a presentation of at least five slides that cites at least two resources.

Students should address the following examples of essential questions for critical thinking in their reports (you may want to create others):

• What are the benefits of a vegetarian diet (pick one) and why are they possible?
• Do vegetarians need to include certain foods or supplements in their diet?
• What type of foods need to be included on a regular basis in the vegetarian diet?
• How does a vegetarian diet benefit the environment and animals? How does each type of diet help the environment?

Pathfinder: Click the HEALTH & HUMAN BODY icon > Food, Drink & Nutrition > Vegetarian diet (yields 25 articles)

Oral and PowerPoint reports provide an opportunity for students to develop standards-based lifetime presentation skills and to share their new knowledge with their peers. Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.

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