"Meat is essential to provide people with a healthy diet.”
1. Nutritional standard
An online article ‘The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating’ based on recent research in nutrition is found that a healthy diet requires eating from five food groups every day. It provides information about the kind of foods to choose in your diet each day; the type and amount of food varies according to age and sex. The main five food groups in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating are:
1. Bread, Cereals, Rice, Pasta, Noodles
2. Vegetables, Legumes
3. Fruit
4. Milk, Yoghurt, Cheese
5. Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs, Nuts, Legumes
These foods provide the important nutrients the body needs, the recommended nutritional amount from each of the five food groups (for each age group) to eat a healthy diet include:
1. Eat enough food every day from the five food groups.
2. Choose different varieties of foods, day to day at different times of the year.
3. Eat plenty of plant foods; moderate amounts of animal foods and small amounts of the extra foods, and margarines and oils in the proportions shown by the Guide.
4. Drink plenty of water.
In order to avoid any health problems related to an in adequate amount of nutrition. Healthy eating habits reduce the risk of health problems in later life such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Also increasing the level of physical activity will make person fitter and healthier, Thirty minutes of moderate activity every day [like walking] is sufficient.[1]
On an online video ‘Essential Nutrients for a Balanced and Healthy Vegetarian Diet’ I found out about essential nutrients necessary to a healthy diet which gave a clearer idea on how this works and what things a vegetarian may need to keep in mind (Calcium, Protein, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Zinc) so that there is balance in the nutritional intake. By eating a variety of foods, a vegetarian’s diet will keep his/her on the right track. [2]
2. Vegetarianism as ethical belief
This online article ‘The factors associated with the belief that vegetarian diets provide health benefits’ puts forward the ethical belief that vegetarian diets have less effect on the environment, help to decrease world hunger and preserve natural resources. Most moral or religious beliefs encourage people to be vegetarian like Buddhism (some group’s lacto-vegetarian, other group’s vegan), Hinduism (generally lacto vegetarian but mutton or pork eaten occasionally) and Seventh-Day Adventists (lacto-ovo vegetarian focusing on whole- grain foods. Also avoid alcohol, tobacco and caffeine).
This online article argues that the factors associated with the belief that vegetarian diets provide health benefits, Prevent diseases and live healthier lives to help reduce diseases in later life. Some also reduce intakes of fat and calories in their diet, which leads to a decrease in body weight. Still vegetarians require more information on the preparation of quick and easy plant- based meals to have a completed nutritional diet. The table below describes of the Health Benefits of Vegetarianism by a dietary group from School of Health Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia. [3]
Table 1. Description of the Health Benefits of Vegetarianism factor and percentage of agreement with items by dietary group |
FACTOR & ITEMS Factor loading Non vegetarian Semi vegetarian Vegetarian P value Agree (% Unsure) |
Health benefits of vegetarianism |
Eigen value: 1.65 |
Cronbach Alpha: 0.95 |
Percent of Variance: 6.9% |
Prevent disease in general (e.g. heart disease, cancer) 74 31 (41) 85 (11) 89 (10) *** |
Decrease saturated fat intake in my diet 74 64 (22) 81 (9) 89 (9) *** |
Control my weight 71 38 (30) 53 (21) 56 (23) ** |
Stay healthy 67 25 (38) 72 (17) 94 (6) ** |
Live longer 67 15 (49) 46 (46) 73 (25) *** |
Increase my control over my own health 61 19 (39) 59 (34) 89 (8) *** |
Be fit 58 17 (33) 60 (26) 72 (21) *** |
Have a better quality of life 57 12 (38) 56 (30) 88 (11) *** |
Have plenty of energy 57 16 (47) 52 (35) 80 (19) *** |
Eat more fruit and vegetables 54 73 (11) 85 (7) 94 (2) *** |
Eat a greater variety of interesting foods 48 22 (33) 63 (24) 88 (8) *** |
Be healthier by decreasing my intake of chemicals, steroids and antibiotics which are found in meat 46 27 (44) 78 (17) 93 (6) *** |
Have a tastier diet 45 7 (34) 51 (25) 90 (8) *** |
Be more content with myself 41 8 (36) 43 (33) 85 (12) *** |
Lower my chances of getting food poisoning 36 16 (34) 59 (20) 76 (17) *** |
F Factor loadings are in one-hundredth units and are based on the rotated solution. P < 0.001, ** P < 0.0 1 |
In another online article ‘Why choose to become a Vegetarian?’ from Consume Health Complete Database. The argument is concentrated on studies beyond both the known and the changeable health advantages. The study found that meat is costly in financial term; Meat based diets are full of unhealthy fats, too much protein, and full with calories, pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 1 billion tons of pesticides are used just in the United States every year and the use of pesticides in meat production has increased all over the world and cost more money to provide chemicals. study has shown that excessive animal protein can cause kidney damage, especially in older people. Unnecessary dietary protein has also been related to diabetes and osteoporosis, people at high risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer, should be encouraged to eat more and more vegetarian diets.[4]
3. Vegetarian is ok only if planned effectively
The Third argument based on the article ‘vegetarianism’ It is important to educate vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and vegan about the actual benefits of a vegetarian diet and about the risks nutrient deficiencies related with low or nil meat eating if the diet is poorly planned. This article shows that a vegetarian diet must be well planned to replace the protein and other nutrients provided by meat, have more information to prepare quick and easy meal full of nutrition needed to have complete vegetarian diet. Most lacto-ovovegetarians and lacto-vegetarians can easily plan a healthy diet because milk and eggs are good sources of high-quality protein, both contain vitamin B12 which forms a part of red blood cells and helps nerves function properly but vegan need well planned diet because no single fruit or vegetable or grain contain complete protein found in
meat. [5]
meat. [5]
Another article from a text book ‘Nutrition’ argued that poorly planned vegetarian diets can cause health risks. The more Limite in a vegetarian diet will increase more lack of nutritional available which case health problem; vegetarian must choose low – fat milk because may iron content will be lower if the diet have large amount of milk products. Also need to limit eggs to avoid excess saturated fat and cholesterol. Higher protein taken may lead to lose of bone calcium, overweight, heart disease and some type of cancer. [6]
Conclusion
Becoming vegetarian is not only a diet, it is a change in lifestyle to promote healthy eating every day by eating foods that are low in fat but high in fibre. A lot of people believe that eating plant foods help lower the number of animals killed for food, Also there are a personal, health or religious reasons to be a vegetarian.
To get all the nutrition required from vegetarian food you need to have a recommended supplement to complete a healthy vegetarian diet. There is numerous evidence and reasons as to why people go on a vegetarian diet: vegetarians come in different kinds, vegans who eat on just plant food and restrict all meat and animal products, lacto vegetarians who eat plant foods and dairy products and the lacto-ovo vegetarians which feed on plant foods as
well as dairy products and eggs. There are certain nutrients that vegetarians get such as calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin B12 only if they eat meat. People must be aware to learn how to eat a wide variety of food in order to meet the essential nutrient that our body needs and does not get it if meat is absent from their diet. If these essential nutrition’s are eaten regularly having a good vegetarian healthy diet every day, will reduce the risk of certain diseases.
Reflection
My initial research topic was ‘Vegetarianism is a Complete Diet’ and my second modifying research was ‘meat is Essential to provide people with a Healthy Diet’. While using different resources in my research I found that the information from my initial research and what actual worked in my second research is similar in a lot of ways. In relation to a healthy diet recommended to people, they both covered nutrition and the amount and type of food needed by people every day. They both consider different kind of food to provide enough nutrition to keep healthy, fit and reduce the risk of getting diseases.
Some research stated well planned vegetarian diets contained all the nutrients that people need in daily life but other studies and researchers found that there is still some essential nutritional requirement they can’t get from plants, as they are only in meat and are easy to absorb in to the body. Finally, a supplement is recommended being very important to complete a healthy vegetarian diet.
Researching for useful resources I found that Website, YouTube (Video), Google Scholar(Online research) and Text book more useful with information about my topic, when I researched online database (Consumer Health Complete Database), World Book encyclopaedia for related information about the topic, I found they had some information but not as much.
Annotated Bibliography
1. Website [1]
This online article is about Australian guide to a healthy diet to increase the amount of a variety of foods eaten from each of the five food groups every day in proportions that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Australians.
Department of Health and Ageing (2011) The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating [Internet]. Available at
<http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/E384CFA588B74377CA256F190004059B/$File/fd-cons.pdf > accessed 10 October 2011.
This article on the video show, how to get a healthy diet by eating a variety of foods from different five groups of food every day and get the essential nutrition from fruit, vegetable and meat to have a balanced diet
Healthy balanced diet (2011) Healthy Vegetarian Diet: Essential Nutrients [Video]. Available at < http://youtu.be/JQ7rpiADKts > accessed 20 October 2011.
This article provide information about getting benefit from eating from five food groups, why more people becoming vegetarian and the effect of moral and ethical belief to become vegetarian, also how to protect animal welfare and how to reduce the risk of getting diseases if diet is poorly planned.
E Lea and T Worsley (2003) The factors associated with the belief that vegetarian diets provide health benefits [Internet]. Available at
The article from online database provide information about how to be vegetarian in effective way and getting all nutrition needed from different kind of food. Then the effective of chemicals and pesticides found in the meat to our health.
Horsman, Jennifer and Flowers, Jaime (2007) ‘Why choose to become a Vegetarian?’ Consume Health Complete Database [Internet]. Available at
< http://0-web.ebscohost.com.library.sl.nsw.gov.au/chc/pdf?vid=3&hid=110&sid=24c07b87-0ed3-4269-adec-e396244e0bcc%40sessionmgr113 >accessed 15August 2011
This vegetarianism article defines vegetarianism, vegetarian groups, essential nutrition in food necessary to have completed vegetarian diet and what lead to an adequate efficiency in vegetarian diet.
Jane E. Brody (2007) vegetarianism. The World Book encyclopaedia. World Book Inc., Chicago, USA, vol.20, P294-295.
This book contains information about nutrition and science of nutrition written in easy way to understand with easily understood of science concepts of nutrition. Also poorly planned vegetarian diets, risks involved and avoid lack or exceed level of protein in vegetarian diet to reduce risk of getting different health problems.
Paul M. Insel, R. Elaine Turner, Don Ross. (c2001) Nutrition: The Pros and Cons of Vegetarianism. Boston, Jones and Bartlett, pp204 - 211.
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