is concept, which eliminates meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, was presented in an April 1991 report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group of 2,000 doctors. At the heart of this report was the belief that the American diet should shift away from animal products and high fat foods and toward the New Four Food Groups, which are high in fiber and complex carbohydrates (Gelles, 1992).
The New Four Food Groups diet does not necessarily require that an individual eliminate all dairy products and all forms of animal protein from a diet (Downey, 2003). However, true vegetarian diets do eliminate meat in the form of pork, beef, veal, and all poultry. Some vegetarians, known as vegans, also eliminate dairy products and eggs (Protein picks forà , 1999). In either case, vegetarian diets substitute legumes and nuts for the protein normally obtained from animal flesh. The diet that is recommended for a vegetarian contains enough fats and includes fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. It should also include many sources of calcium obtained from such products as soy milk and orange juice or high-calcium vegetables such as kale and broccoli (Protein picks forà , 1999).
The New Four Food Groups are described by Gelles (1992) as calling for five servings of grains, three servings of beans, three servings of fruit, and three to four servings of vegetables every day. For vegetarians who do not wish to eliminate all sources of animal protein or dairy products from their lives, the New Four Food Groups diet plan can be expanded to include up to 3.5 ounces of animal products daily. Thus, as Barnard (1993) has suggested, there is a great deal of latitude available within the New Four Food Groups approach to dietary regulation and food selection.
According to Rynk (2002), vegetarian diets, whether lacto, ovo-lacto, or vegan can easily supply all of the nutr...