People’s Knowledge and Acceptance of the Vegetarian Lifestyle

I decided to cook a vegetarian meal for six meat eating adults. After the meal I had them answer a questionnaire about the meal and about their general knowledge of vegetarianism. The adults were one female 26 yrs old, and a dispatch communicator for the state patrol: a man 54 yrs old and a Pastor: a female 52 years old and an assistant pastor: another woman 55 yrs old and a nurses assistant; another male 26 yrs old and mentally handicapped, and the last male 34 yrs old which I don’t know what his occupation is.

There are several different types of vegetarians. There is the vegan, a strict vegetarian who doesn’t eat meat or any other animal products as well as not wearing or using any animal made products. There is the lacto-ovo vegetarian which means they don’t eat meat but do eat eggs and other animal products like milk, yogurt, and butter. Then there is the fruitarian who includes only row or dried fruits, seeds, and nuts in their diet.

The meal I made was a lacto-ovo vegetarian meal as it included butter, milk, and mayonnaise. However, for some reason the meat eating participants seemed to only know about the vegan lifestyle as they were really stumped as to what I would cook for the meal. They couldn’t imagine a meal without meat.

The meal I cooked consisted of rice casserole with enriched white rice, stewed tomatoes, onions, canned (and rinsed) mushrooms and green peppers. I also provided bean soup which contained two types of beans- red kidney beans and vegetarian baked beans. As well as onions and green peppers. Corn and dinner rolls as well as a side salad (carrots, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes) completed the meal. For dessert I had a Waldorf salad which has apples, walnuts, and celery. To drink the participants had the choice of coffee, water, tea, or juice.

Whether or not a vegetarian diet is better than a meat eating diet depends on balance. Vegetarians who eat more fruit and vegetables and whole grain products will benefit from a healthful diet from the extra vitamins and minerals, but those vegetarians who omit meat and all other animal products, and don’t substitute nutrient rich foods, don’t necessarily have a healthier diet. People who choose to be vegetarian normally choose a healthier lifestyle overall, like choosing not to smoke, exercising more and reducing the stress in their lives. So the healthful benefits may not all be in the food but in the chosen lifestyle as well. And what are these healthful benefits of vegetarianism. The FDA says that it can lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.