With all the hype surrounding the idea of a meatless (or mostly meatless) diet, there are a lot of ideas floating around about vegetarians that may need to be clarified. Many people think that vegetarians are unhealthy, or outspoken, or even plain crazy! It may surprise you to learn that vegetarians are not as sickly, violently moralistic, or nutty as you might think. Read on to learn why some of the most common stereotypes about vegetarians are completely untrue!
1) Vegetarians can't get enough protein without meat.
This one I hear all the time. The number one question I get as a vegetarian would have to be "Where do you get your protein?" The answer is simple! There are actually many sources of protein that don't require you to eat any animal products, including tofu, meat-substitutes (such as soyburgers, soy hot dogs, etc), beans, and nuts and seeds.
There is actually a measurement scale for protein quality, called the PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score), and believe it or not, soy is rated higher than beef! It has a score of 1.0 (the highest ranking), above that of beef which scored a .92. Soy, which is a complete protein source, contains all of the basic building blocks (the 8 essential amino acids) necessary for the growth and recuperation of muscle tissue. Building a strong, muscular body is not a problem as a vegetarian.
2) Vegetarians can't get enough calcium without milk.
I'm sorry to disappoint dairy farmers everywhere, but there is plenty of calcium to be had without cow's milk! While many vegetarians do consume dairy products, they aren't a necessary part of the vegetarian diet. Here's a list of places where you can get plenty of calcium:
- Tofu
- Rhubarb
- Collard Greens, Spinach, Turnip Greens
- Okra
- White Beans
- Baked Beans
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Brussel Sprouts
- Sesame Seeds
- Bok Choy
- Almonds
- You can also find plenty of calcium in fortified cereals, orange juice, and soy.
3) Vegetarians are all thin and sickly.
If you truly believe this is the case, you need to hear a bit about the story of vegetarian bodybuilder Roy Hilligenn. Hilligen was a lifelong vegetarian, and was a very successful bodybuilder, winning the "Mr. South Africa" title in 1943, 1944, 1946, as well as in 1976 at the age of 54! He also won the "Mr. America" title in 1951. Hilligen once unofficially set a record by lifting 405 pounds over his head. Claiming never to have eaten fish, fowl, or red meat in his life, Hilligenn clearly did not need meat to build an amazing physique.
4) Vegetarians are all pushy jerks that try to convert you to their cult.
Yep, there are definitely vegetarians who go absolutely bonkers at the site of a grilled steak, and will tell you all about how wrong you are for eating it. But they are not the majority. The fact of the matter is that there are probably more vegetarians lurking around you then you realize... and they're not all out to brainwash you. Statistics from the "Food Standards Agency - Public Attitudes to Food survey 2009" conducted in the UK suggest as many as 3% of the population there are vegetarian. Other polls have suggested the United States has about 1 to 3 vegetarians out of every one hundred US citizens.
I think most of us vegetarians are not that intent on beating people over the head with our ideas about our lifestyle, as we've all got our own reasons for doing it, and we do our best to respect those who might eat differently than us. In fact, I used to eat meat when I was younger - I've been there and done that, and I'm not about to give someone a hard time about it just because they haven't taken the plunge. I think Drew Barrymore sums up my views on the whole idea pretty well:
"I've been a vegetarian for years and years. I'm not judgemental about others who aren't, I just feel I cannot eat or wear living creatures."
5) Vegetarians don't eat tasty food.
If you believe this, you've never met my mother-in-law. She makes the most amazing vegetarian/vegan pasta, mouth-watering fajitas... and did I mention her chocolate cake? You name it, she can make it "veggie", and even the meat-eaters at her table find themselves hungry for seconds!
There are no shortage of recipes and cookbooks out there that give amazing recipes that do not require any meat, and yet still provide a filling and delicious meal. Vegetarians make use of legumes, tofu, and soy in such creative (and did I mention delicious?) ways, meat has become obsolete!
6) Vegetarians suck at sports/can't do sports.
I think I've already proven this wrong by mentioning Pro Bodybuilder Roy Hilligen above. Want some more evidence that a veggie can do great in athletics? Okay, here's a few other names:
- Bill Goldberg, Professional wrestler: anyone who is or was a fan of professional wrestling in the last 10 or 15 years knows Bill Goldberg. Having wrestled in both WCW and WWE, Goldberg is easily one of the most popular wrestling superstars in the last two decades. His physique is built and sustained with the power of veggies.
- Brendan Brazier, International Triathlon Athlete: in 2003 and 2006, Brendan won the Canadian National 50km Ultra Marathon Championships. Brazier, an advocate of an all plant-based diet, also created his own successful product line of raw energy bars, based on the recipe he used for his own homemade bars during his races.
- Tony LaRussa, Major League Baseball coach and former MLB player: I'm sure most baseball fans have heard of Tony Larussa; as a Major League Baseball coach, he is ranked third all-time for the total number of Managerial Wins. I'm sure many fans also know he used to play in the Major Leagues. But I'll bet most fans didn't realize he's a vegetarian! A true lover of animals, Larussa also founded an animal rescue foundation with his wife.
There have been plenty of other vegetarian athletes who have excelled on a professional level, including Edwin Moses (Hurdles, Two time Olympic Gold Medalist), Carl Lewis (Track Athlete, USA Olympic Medalist), and Desmond Howard (Football, Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP)
7) Vegetarians can't eat at the same dinner table as non-vegetarians.
I can tell you that is a complete myth. Aside from the occasional questions about where I get protein, or whether or not I would eat a certain meal, the meals I have with family or with friends are exactly the same as they were when I wasn't a vegetarian.
In fact, every once and a while, someone at the table will start describing to me some delicious meal they had that had meat in it, forgetting I'm a vegetarian. We usually have a good laugh about this. What you put on your plate doesn't have to determine how you treat your dinner guests.
8) Vegetarians, having chosen a vegetarian diet, can't be smart/rational thinkers.
Allow me to introduce you to Albert Einstein. A Nobel prize winning scientist, Einstein rocked the world of physics with his Theory of Relativity, changing the face of modern science forever. The man was a genius. And guess what? He was also a vegetarian! That's right, no beefsteaks for that big brain.
In the words of Einstein himself: "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
If a man that smart thinks I should stick to my veggies, I think I'm going to listen!
9) Vegetarians are hypocrites because they eat meat-substitutes that taste like meat.
While I could make the obvious point that not all vegetarians eat meat-substitutes like the soy-burgers and soy-hot dogs you find in just about any grocery store these days, I think there's a valid argument to be made for eating meat-substitutes.
For some, making the transition to vegetarianism can be a bit of a shock, and so having the option of eating vegetarian meals that look and taste very much like a "normal" meat-based meal is an appealing one. I believe that those of us who were raised on meat have become accustomed not to the taste of meat itself, but rather the way it is prepared, whether it's the spices and herbs used for cooking, the oils used in frying, or what have you.
Makers of products like soy-burgers and tofu-dogs have taken notice of traditional meat-preparing methods, and have used these ideas in their own products. The result is a delicious product that can be made into a meal, not unlike the lunches and dinners some of us grew up with - but it's a meal much better for the body and for the environment!
10) Vegetarians are on to something.
Nope, I'd agree with that one :)
Thomas_Scott
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