Title:

Vegetarian Diets

Publish Date:

September 2011

ISBN:

978 1 86168 594 0

Covering Ages:

16 to 18 years

Issue Description

It is estimated that there are around three million vegetarians in the United Kingdom: people who have chosen to exclude meat from their diet for religious, ethical, environmental or animal welfare reasons, or simply as a personal preference. But what are the health and nutritional implications of a meat-free diet? Are vegetarian and vegan diets suitable for young people? And can reducing meat intake really slow the rate of global climate change? Vegetarian Diets looks at the debate surrounding these issues.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper articles, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.

Price:

£7.95

Quantity:

Key Facts

• A vegan diet is perhaps the most restricting diet, and excludes all meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Vegans also avoid any food or products derived from animals, including honey, soap, leather, fur, wool or silk. (page 2)
  
  
• The first usage of the term ‘vegetarian’ noted in the Oxford English Dictionary was as recently as 1839 – the practice and philosophy of vegetarianism, however, is far older than that. (page 4)
  
  
• Three in five UK adults now eat meat-free food, according to consumer research for a report. However, only six per cent of adults identify themselves as vegetarians. (page 8)
  
  
• A new study of just under 6,000 UK consumers by MMR Research Worldwide reveals that the majority of vegetarians supplement their diet – 25% are ‘not satisfied’ with vegetarian food ranges in supermarkets, while 76% are unimpressed with fast food restaurants. (page 10)
  
  
• Meat and dairy production – now responsible for a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions – is predicted to double by 2050. (page 16)
  
  
• A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change, a UN report has said. (page 24)
  
  
• A study by Cranfield University, commissioned by WWF, the environmental group, found a substantial number of meat substitutes – such as soy, chickpeas and lentils – were more harmful to the environment than meat because they were imported into Britain from overseas. (page 26)
  
  
• Vegetarians can lack vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron and zinc, which are mainly found in meat. However, by eating a balanced and varied vegetarian diet you don’t need to take supplements. (page 29)
  
  
• Studies have suggested that following a vegetarian diet can be associated with reduced risk of certain diseases. (page 39)

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Going Meat Free

What is a vegetarian?, Understanding different types of vegetarianism, Veganism in a nutshell, Vegetarianism: a brief history, Why vegetarian?, Vegetarianism: ethics and religion, Don’t call it vegetarian, it is ‘meat free’, Meat-free foods, The health benefits of eating Quorn products, Vegetarians are ‘not happy’ with food, says new research, Appearance matters more than taste for meat substitutes, Being veggie: frequently asked questions, Why I stopped being a vegetarian.

Chapter 2 Vegetarianism and the Environment

Healthy planet eating, Going veggie... for the environment, The case for eating meat, Will eating less meat save the planet?, I was wrong about veganism. Let them eat meat – but farm it properly, You don’t have to be vegetarian to save the planet, UN urges global move to meat- and dairy-free diet, Industrial fishing is destroying our planet, Becoming vegetarian ‘can harm the environment’, The ‘Meat Free Monday’ campaign.

Chapter 3 Vegetarian Nutrition

Vegetarian health Q&A, Can some nutrients be missing from, or at low levels in, the vegetarian diet?, Vegetarians ‘have lower heart risk’, Meat myths, Why is red meat good for you?, Is a vegetarian diet suitable for children and teenagers?, My vegan diet mistakes made me ill, Are vegetarians less prone to cancer?.

Key Facts
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgements
Assignments

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