Eulalee ThompsonWITH THE spread of Mad Cow disease and the Foot-and-Mouth plague in England and other parts of Europe, more meat lovers here and overseas are thinking that a vegetarian diet cannot be as unappetising as it seemed.
In fact, British newspapers are already reporting that many citizens were so shocked by the culling of 400,000 animals that more than 1.5 million of them have turned vegetarian since the Foot-and-Mouth plague started about six weeks ago. But, will the switch-off of meat to only vegetables mean that individuals will be deprived of important nutrients? Dr. Joy Callender, nutrition specialist, said not necessarily.
"They can eliminate beef without any risk of nutritional deficiencies because they can get the nutrients from other animal products such as fish, chicken and dairy products," she said.
If individuals decide to completely eliminate meat and other animal products, then they risk nutritional deficiencies and will require guidance from trained nutritionists, Dr. Callender said.
She believes that beef and pork have been sidelined not only because of the current plagues but because of their fat content. She says, however, that it is the best steaks which are usually high in saturated fat and a piece of pork tenderloin is usually lower in fat than some parts of the chicken.
Meat and other animal products are important sources of protein, vitamin B12, iron, zinc and calcium. Even moderate amounts of meat, chicken, fish and dairy products will give the average individual enough protein in their diet but there are also plant-based proteins falling into these three groups - nuts and seeds, legumes and grains. However, plant protein is usually described as "incomplete" because they do not have the nine essential amino acids. But nutritionists say that the protein can be made "complete" when the meal contains at least two of the three groups of plant protein. For instance, rice and peas, a Jamaican favourite is a complete protein - rice is from the grain group and peas are from the legume group.
Vitamin B12 is essential for the production of red blood cells and to maintain the nervous system, but it is found only in animal products. Strict vegetarians will therefore have to make sure that they choose foods fortified with this mineral. Some soy products and cereals, for instance, are fortified with vitamin B12.
Iron is important for the transport of oxygen in the blood. Good plant sources of iron are nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, tofu and nuts. However, the form of iron available in plants is not as readily absorbed in the body as the iron found in animal foods (meat, poultry and fish).
Nutritionists therefore advise their vegetarian clients to boost the body's absorption capacity by eating foods rich in vitamin C when they have their iron-rich foods. A glass of orange juice for instance is rich in vitamin C and will boost iron absorption.
Zinc is another important nutrient that is not readily absorbed from plant sources, but vegetarians can get their supply of zinc from peanuts and legumes.
Calcium is important to build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Milk, cheese and yogurt are good sources of this critical nutrient but other sources are fortified juices (check the labels) and dark-green leafy vegetables.
Soy products are not naturally high in calcium so check the labels to ensure that they are fortified with calcium and with vitamin D which supports calcium in building strong bones.
