Low Cost of Plant-based diet (article)

[Guest guest]

A little while ago there was a discussion on the *cost* of being veg*n. I didn't

get into it at

that time - sorry - cuz it's ages since I priced a typical non-veg shopping

list. But I

thought this article timely. It came yesterday, but your intrepid mod is just a

little

behindtimes with almost everything this last couple of weeks!

 

Note: The author of the article is US-based, so it may not be of much use to

non-American

members as far as actual costs are concerned; relative costs may however still

apply.

 

Best love, Pat

 

[uS] Low cost of plant-based diet

 

[From IVY-VegNews #1350 30 December 2005]

 

Asheville Citizen-Times

December 29, 2005

A plant-based diet promotes social justice,

improves health and is easier on the earth

by Amy Jou Lanou

 

Food fights between vegetarians and meat eaters

are clearly counterproductive, as Adrienne

Langlois ably points out in her local column,

" Vegetarians and meat eaters alike face dietary challenges,

but should learn to coexist, " (AC-T, Dec. 1). But

while I appreciate Langlois' sense of humor, I

wish she had not felt the need to promote some

inaccurate notions about vegetarian diets.

As a nutritionist, I know that being a vegetarian

can be easy and cheap — and has some important

health benefits that Langlois did not explain.

 

All over the world, people with limited incomes

avoid animal products because of their high cost.

That's because the least expensive energy- and

nutrient-dense foods are grains, starchy vegetables

and legumes — all foods from plant sources.

 

You can see that locally. This week at Ingles,

frozen salmon is $3.99/lb, chicken breast is

$3.48/lb, flank steak is $7.99/lb and cheddar cheese is

$3.48/lb. Compare that to the cost of rice at

$0.78/lb, dried black beans at $0.78/lb (canned are

$0.73/per 15-ounce can) and sweet potatoes at

$0.88/lb. Even tofu and organic brown rice are only

about $2/lb.

 

Add to that the fact that one pound of dry beans

makes eight to 10 generous one-cup servings,

whereas one pound of meat can be split into four

modest portions — making the cost per serving of

beans about 8 cents compared to the cost per serving

of salmon about $1 and steak about $2.

 

And the cheaper foods also have a strikingly

better nutrient profile than meat. Plant foods

contain zero cholesterol, very little fat and hearty

doses of cancer-fighting fiber and phytochemicals.

That's a key reason why vegetarian diets

significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

and cancer, the two most common causes of death in

the United States.

 

Of course, it's always more challenging to eat

healthfully on a limited income — whatever your

dietary choices — than when one's food budget is

plentiful. And it is true that some organic

vegetarian convenience foods are more expensive than

conventional convenience food equivalents.

 

But the price difference is often slight: For

example, LightLife Brand Veggie Turkey slices are

$2.50 for a six-ounce package, while the store

brand turkey deli slices are $2 for the same size

package.

 

And the health advantages are clear: The veggie

foods have little or no artery-clogging saturated

fat and cholesterol.

 

The same cannot be said about conventional

luncheon meats, which were tied to an increased risk of

colon cancer in a major study published last year

in the Journal of the American Medical

Association.

 

While vitamin and mineral deficiencies are most

widespread when food availability is insufficient

to meet energy needs or when food variety is

severely limited, they are every bit as common among

meat eaters as vegetarians. And vegetarians are

often actually better off. For example, a 2002

study in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent

Medicine found that even teen vegetarians consume more

fiber, iron, folate, vitamin A and vitamin C than

their omnivorous peers.

 

Vegetarians and vegans also shouldn't have much

trouble eating out, especially near downtown

Asheville, which has been repeatedly named one of the

most vegetarian-friendly cities in the country by

various groups.

 

For those with less-ready access to veg-friendly

eateries, some polite inquiries mixed with good

humor and appreciativeness will usually result in

a healthy and delicious meal to suit your needs.

 

Above all, let's heed Langlois' advice this

holiday season and treat each other with compassion

and respect. We can take that choice a step further

by working to improve the lives of those less

privileged than ourselves, including both our fellow

human beings and the animals who often suffer

miserably on modern factory farms.

 

Simply noticing or being conscious of the sources

of our food and the effects our food choices have

on other beings and the earth often results in

more compassionate choices.

 

Working for social justice and finding ways to

reduce poverty and to increase access to healthy

plant foods for the world's population will go a

long way towards promoting peace on earth.

 

Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D., is an assistant professor

in the Department of Health and Wellness at UNC

Asheville and senior nutrition scientist for the

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She

received her doctorate in human nutrition from

Cornell University. She lives in Asheville.

 

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