Vegetarianism -How, Where, and Why People Do It

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Amanda Dlugopolski

Contrary to popular belief, living a vegetarian lifestyle is not much of a challenge, even on a college campus. This is just one of the many misconceptions surrounding vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. No, tofu isn't their daily option or choice, nor do they hold up the dining line while obnoxiously questioning about what to get off the menu. For those on-the-fence students contemplating a vegetarian diet, understand what's really involved in being a healthy vegetarian.Vegetarians have various reasons for choosing that type of diet, and in turn, benefit from several advantages. A 2006 poll run by the Vegetarian Resource Group showed that about 7%, or 12.5 million adults, in the United States do not consume any meat. For 20 years, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's own chancellor, Joe Gow, has been a vegan, a term used to explain a diet completely free of animal byproducts, including dairy. Gow stated in a previous interview with The Racquet that

his motivation for becoming a vegan was to feel healthier and to not feel guilty. Basically, vegans do not eat anything with a face. It can be more of a challenge to live as a vegan than a vegetarian. Yet, The Business Network states that this lifestyle has actually become increasingly popular among college students today. There is clearly a high interest in the vegetarian way of dieting.The typical misconceptions and assumptions still exist about the challenges and obstacles of being a vegetarian. Improved health is usually the main reason one becomes a vegetarian. Vegetarians gain immense health advantages over non-vegetarians. Primarily, risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are dramatically less with vegetarian diets than meat diets. Because vegetarian diets are higher in fiber and lower in fat than meat-based diets, the cancer rates of vegetarians are much lower, according to www.vegetariantimes.com.Another reason people may choose

to become vegetarian is to prevent their participation in animal cruelty. The majority of college students choose the vegetarian lifestyle because of the inhumane cruelty done to animals slaughtered for meat. They are aware that factory farms provide no legal protection from cruelty to animals. Although not many realize that the mutilation, genetic manipulations, and unnatural drugs used on animals in slaughterhouses would be illegal if inflicted on dogs or cats. These ethics play key components in the decision to wipe out meat from their diets.

As any other diet however, there can be obstacles. For instance, vegetarians may have a more difficult time finding a balanced meal while traveling. It can also be challenging to find variety in their menu options, prompting a search for the essential nutrients elsewhere. Most vegetarians simply pop a multivitamin, and daily supplements to help fulfill their daily protein requirements. Tofu, beans, whole grains, and fresh fruit and vegetables are all protein sources and offer essential nutrients. Simply looking a bit further at the salad bar for instance, one can find a huge assortment of nourishing foods.While it still may seem impossible to maintain a healthy vegetarian diet while in college, in reality, there is no better time to begin. There are many menu alternatives offered, specifically at UW-L. Chartwells offers a very wide variety of vegetarian and vegan items. Chars and The Cellar both have a vegan burger on the menu, and there are a

vast variety of fresh foods in both the Whitney Center and Cartwright. Tofu and fresh vegetables are in almost every dining center and the UW-L Vegetarian/Vegan Committee is continuously trying to introduce new alternatives on campus as well. Take an extra minute to glance over the menu next time you're in line and choose a vegetarian meal every once in awhile. This healthy decision can create more variety and appeal to your diet and more importantly, your lifestyle.COMMENT

 

Stephen L

posted 2/04/09 @ 11:24 PM CST

Nice gentle description of the vegan lifestyle. There are many main stream and famous vegans, as you pointed out. Yes it is difficult on the road, or just eating out with non-vegan friends. On the road is the worst because you may miss multiple complete meals in a row. You can only eat salad and french fries so many times in a row before it begins to take a toll on you. So, I eat the vast majority of meals at home, carry essential items when I visit my folks and plan travel a little more carefully. The benefits make it worth it. Health concerns were number one on my list. But it's more than just the unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol content of meat I reject. It's also about eating low on the food chain and minimizing your exposure to environmental toxins, pesticides, herbicides, hormone and growth enhancers and pathogens like salmonella. And, lets not forget the gross energy inefficiencies and huge water consumption

associated with animal products. One steak dinner takes more water to produce than nearly 6 months of 10 minute showers. It's huge in water, refrigeration energy and transportation energy consumption. And, there is the destruction of thousands of acres of rain forest every day, cleared for grazing and cultivation of feed crops for livestock. In 20 years, I am willing to bet that most of your readers will be vegans like me. It may turn out that unless they are extremely rich, they won't have a choice.

 

Peter vv