There are many traditional meals that can be made completely vegetarian, like this vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizard10979/4134195787/
With Christmas coming soon, many people are breaking out the ham and turkey for their celebrations. However, those who don't eat meat have to eat too, and not just the side dishes. There are many options for vegetarians including different forms of imitation meat from soy beef to Tofurky, a turkey-like imitation meat made from tofu.
Vegetarianism in its varying degrees is becoming more and more popular in today's society. There are several different types of vegetarians, which include vegan, lacto, lacto-ovo, pescatarian, pollotarian, and the newer term flexitarian. Vegans stay away from all meat, animal products such as milk and eggs, and other animal goods like wool and leather. Lacto vegetarians are allowed dairy products, and lacto-ovos can have dairy products and eggs. Pescatarians can eat fish and seafood, and pollotarians eat poultry but not red meat, according to MSU's "The Healthy Vegetarian" website. Flexitarians eat primarily vegetarian but can have meat or poultry from time to time. This type of vegetarianism is for those who want to eat less meat for health reasons, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Along with the many types of vegetarian come the many reasons people choose to become vegetarians. There are a few main reasons, and animal rights is one of them.
Angi Becker, an EMU student and a lacto-ovo vegetarian of 19 years said that she was 9 when she decided that she wanted to be a vegetarian based on animal rights, though she added that she is not involved in any activist groups.
Kassey David, another EMU student and a 3-year vegan also became a vegetarian because of animal rights and environmental issues. David is an active member of Students for Animal Rights, an on-campus organization.
"We do public outreach and volunteering at animal sanctuaries," David said.
Patrick Barry Jr., a speech professor at EMU and a pescatarian since 1998, said that his decision to become a vegetarian happened over time but was put into effect when his family got a dog.
"Within 2 months I made that decision that I could not kill a living thing that thought and felt," he said.
Barry added that he had been feeling bad about eating meat for a while after listening to his students' speeches.
"For 25+ years I have had speeches presented by students in which they discussed 'factory' farming methods by which food is now grown," he said. "In the early years of those speeches, I listened and understood and even felt badly about how animals were being raised. Pictures and 'hidden camera' videos confirmed my negative feelings."
Another reason people choose vegetarianism is for health reasons. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, causing 50 percent of deaths. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, saturated fat coming from meat, poultry, and dairy is a big contributor to heart disease. This decision to become healthier was a smaller part of why Barry chose vegetarianism.
"So much of the coronary artery disease in our country is caused by the eating of fatty meats." said Barry. "That reinforces my decision but honestly it was not the initial reason I began."
There are some common misconception about vegetarianism, a lot of them health-related. One is that it is not healthy because vegetarians don't get all of their nutrients, such as protein. Those who eat fish and/or poultry get plenty of protein, but what about the others? There are numerous protein-packed foods that don't involve meat at all, such as dairy products.
"There is lots of protein in soy, cottage cheese, and yogurt," Becker said.
There are other plant-based foods that contain just as much protein for vegans who can't have dairy or eggs.
"I eat things like nuts, beans, lentils, and fruits for protein." said David.
Barry said that vegetarianism can be unhealthy if the wrong foods are consumed.
"If a vegetarian doesn't attend to ensuring they get protein and essential vitamins and instead bulk up on carbohydrates only, they can be undernourished and can even be overweight," he said.
Barry also gets people telling him that vegetarians can look sick.
"Look at me," he says to them. "Do I look sick or undernourished?"
Another misconception about vegetarianism is that it is difficult to do both personally and socially. On a personal level, Barry said that it isn't as difficult as people would think.
"It stopped being hard to be a vegetarian once I was committed to it," he said.
He also said that the desire for meat goes away fairly quickly. He compared it people who stop drinking soda.
"It doesn't take long drinking water before they don't miss the carbonation and sweet taste," Barry said. "After not too long when they have a soda they actually find they don't like it."
Becker said that it is much easier being a vegetarian now than it used to be in the suburbs, and that it is especially easy around EMU as far as food options go.
As a growing trend, vegetarianism is opening up more food options at restaurants and food stands. A poster outside of dining services in Downing Hall advertises that there are over 25 dining options at EMU, and each of them has vegetarian options.
In social situations, non-vegetarians often make assumptions when cooking for a vegetarian based on other experiences they have had, according to The Veggie Table. At first it does require some adaptation on both sides.
"The holidays are different at first," said David. "It's hard telling someone 'I know I had turkey with you last year, but I don't do that anymore.'"
Barry said that his wife has learned to adapt by doing things like making two pots of spaghetti sauce so that she can add meat to hers but keep his vegetarian. He also said that for the holidays he sometimes brings a veggie burger with him to make it more convenient, as he has not tried Tofurky yet.
"Change is a process, remember?" Barry said.
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