Image Source: Isagenix Health
Vegetarians and vegans do tend to eat more fiber (good for digestive and heart health) than many meat-eaters. At least, that's an average tendency and not an automatic However, excluding meat can mean eating processed foods, including refined snack foods and baked goods, instead of [what you'd stereotype as] veggies, legumes, and other important whole foods(1). [A lot of demonization or overemphasis of different nutrients or food groups is a part of popular diet culture. Getting the whole picture of a healthy diet means paying attention to whatever is proven to be vital to optimal health and finding a balance of the best-quality source(s) to get all of them possible in you.] Many meal replacements focus mainly on calories and protein and not phytonutrients from fruits and veggies playing so many vital bodily roles(2). There can be nasty hexane/chemical extraction used to eke out protein for different products(3). Further on the fiber side, not enough water may be consumed as the flip side of digestive health, flushing any amount of fiber through(1).
Moderated calorie consumption provides energy for the body and vegetarians and vegans do tend to consume less(1) [though again, calories aren't an end-all health strategy]. As cheese is used as a protein source in place of meat for many vegetarians, "ounce-for-ounce, cheese contains only about 80% of the protein found in chicken, but [has] nearly 2.5 times the calories" and therefore is not as protein-efficient(1). Many plant-based proteins tend not to have all nine essential amino acids in them, so combining different sources tends to round out the profile more(2). [Having milk is a food-culture mandate and yet] a cup of almond milk tends to have a gram of protein and a bunch of added sugar compared to 8 grams of protein in cow's milk. Plant foods may include iron but also need Vitamin C to absorb; omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12 are also deficiencies vegetarians are prone to(1).
Vegetarian, vegan, or meat-inclusive diets can be healthy or not. It all depends on the whole context of what's in them. I actually like veggie curry better than a steak by itself so, getting in as good a mix of nutrients as possible can be fun. Culture teaches us that certain foods have to go together in a manner often arbitrary of healthiness, so letting go of cultural food mandates will need to happen at some point as well.
Personal Product Favorite:
Complete, complete plant-based meals
Sources:
1. Link, Rachael. "12 Mistakes to Avoid on a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet." Healthline. Healthline Media. 28 July 2017. Web. 21 Sept. 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetarian-and-vegan-mistakes.
2. "What To Look for When Choosing a Plant-Based Shake." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. 25 Aug. 2020. Web. 21 Sept. 2020.
3. "Plant-Based Protein Explained." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. 28 Jul. 2020. Web. 21 Sept. 2020.
Moderated calorie consumption provides energy for the body and vegetarians and vegans do tend to consume less(1) [though again, calories aren't an end-all health strategy]. As cheese is used as a protein source in place of meat for many vegetarians, "ounce-for-ounce, cheese contains only about 80% of the protein found in chicken, but [has] nearly 2.5 times the calories" and therefore is not as protein-efficient(1). Many plant-based proteins tend not to have all nine essential amino acids in them, so combining different sources tends to round out the profile more(2). [Having milk is a food-culture mandate and yet] a cup of almond milk tends to have a gram of protein and a bunch of added sugar compared to 8 grams of protein in cow's milk. Plant foods may include iron but also need Vitamin C to absorb; omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12 are also deficiencies vegetarians are prone to(1).
Vegetarian, vegan, or meat-inclusive diets can be healthy or not. It all depends on the whole context of what's in them. I actually like veggie curry better than a steak by itself so, getting in as good a mix of nutrients as possible can be fun. Culture teaches us that certain foods have to go together in a manner often arbitrary of healthiness, so letting go of cultural food mandates will need to happen at some point as well.
Personal Product Favorite:
Complete, complete plant-based meals
Sources:
1. Link, Rachael. "12 Mistakes to Avoid on a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet." Healthline. Healthline Media. 28 July 2017. Web. 21 Sept. 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetarian-and-vegan-mistakes.
2. "What To Look for When Choosing a Plant-Based Shake." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. 25 Aug. 2020. Web. 21 Sept. 2020.
3. "Plant-Based Protein Explained." Isagenix Health. Isagenix Worldwide, Inc. 28 Jul. 2020. Web. 21 Sept. 2020.
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