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Vegetarian Diets

The American Dietetic Association believes appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases (American Dietetic Association). Well planned vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for people of all ages, from young children to the elderly, for pregnant mothers, and for lactating mothers. In the year 2000, approximately 2.5 percent of the adult population of the United States consistently followed a vegetarian diet. Another 20 to 25 percent of adults reported eating four or more meatless meals a week. The National Restaurant Association reports that 80 percent of restaurants now offer vegetarian entrees. Even fast-food restaurants are beginning to offer vegetarian options. Professional interest has grown and more concern is with how the diets can help prevent disease. Dietary guidelines developed by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend a diet based on a variety of plant foods to reduce the risk of major disease.

The U.S. market for vegetarian products is increasing dramatically, and fortified foods such as soymilks, meat analogs, juices, and breakfast cereals add substantially to the intake of vegetarians of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and riboflavin (American Dietetic Association). Vegetarian convenience foods are increasing in number and they are available in regular supermarkets as well as in natural food stores. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans gives recommendations on how vegetarians can meet nutritional requirements even though avoiding all animal products. Foods commonly eaten by vegetarians are included in a table accompanying the Food Guide pyramid.

There is no one specific vegetarian diet, and there are several different types of vegetarian eating patterns (American Heart Associa...

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Vegetarian Diets. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 15:38, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1701859.html