Reasons for vegetarianism vary

GBHS senior Aarya Venkat has never tasted meat in his life.
“It’s hard to avoid,” Venkat said, “in the sense that I see people eating meat everywhere, but it doesn’t really bother me too much.”
Venkat, a vegetarian, isn’t allowed to eat anything that needs food to survive, which includes domestic livestock as well as fish. He still consumes eggs and milk products, though, as long as the animal they come from has been fed a vegetarian diet.
“People often ask me why I can’t take off the pieces of meat on a pizza or some other type of food,” Venkat said. “(I can’t) because the oils and ingredients must be vegetarian as well.”
Instead, Venkat requests meatless versions of common cafeteria fare, such as beef-free taco salad.
Venkat is one of over 7.3 million vegetarians living in the United States, and that number is steadily increasing. As the health benefits of vegetarianism are becoming clearer, many Americans are choosing to forgo flesh in favor of plant-based fare.
Though Venkat is what is commonly known as a “vegetarian,” there is an entire spectrum of vegetarian diets. The most common of these include lacto-vegetarians (milk but no eggs), ovo-vegetarian (egg but no milk), pescetarians (vegetarians who also eat fish) and vegans (who will not consume any product of animal origin).
Some varieties of vegetarian – vegan, in particular – can be quite restrictive, eliminating much of the typical American diet. So why go veg?
“All of us would be much better off if we eliminated all animal products from our diet,” said GBHS teacher Kathie Sinor, who researched low-meat diets before becoming a pescetarian.
In an effort to lower his cholesterol, Sinor’s husband has recently taken up veganism. Since animal products are a major source of cholesterol, removing them completely could be an alternative to taking cholesterol-lowering medication, Sinor said.
Laura Ryan, a product consultant at Sunrise Natural Foods, said that factory-farmed beef products – common in burgers, steaks and ground meat– are substantially higher in fat than organic, grass-fed beef.
“Milk and meat used to be considered diet products,” Ryan said. “Now, if you’re on a diet, you shouldn’t have those products – way too much fat.”
What’s worse, many factory-farms treat their cattle with growth hormones and antibiotics, which are then ingested by beef consumers, Ryan said.
But factory-farming itself can be a reason to go vegetarian, as sophomore Jessica Sheeketski said she believes.
“I have been for animal rights my entire life,” she said, which drove her to cut out meat from her diet.
Factory-farming has been a notorious target of animal rights groups such as PETA, who encourage vegetarianism as a boycott of the meat industry.
But Sheeketski, like many ex-meat-eaters, still occasionally faces temptation.
“It’s mostly the smell,” she said. “I can walk past a barbecue or grill and (think) ‘ That smells good’, but then I’ll see it, and (think), ‘Eww, nevermind.’”
But, aside from withstanding meat cravings, the only thing a person needs to become vegetarian is dietary know-how.
“If a teen eliminated meat and simply continued to eat the other foods in their diet, they would definitely be nutrient deficient,” Sinor said.
“(A student should) educate (themselves) about diet and nutrition. Make sure (they) know how to get the necessary protein … and what foods to combine to get the necessary amino acids.”
Vegetarians-to-be should also avoid processed food, and should wean themselves off of meat, Sinor said.
“For the (non-vegetarian), I’d recommend … just cutting down on red meat, (rather) than becoming a full vegetarian,” Venkat said. “It would probably be a healthy alternative that’s not as difficult.”
Vegetarianism is worth the sacrifice, according to those who have made it.
“I have much more energy,” Sheeketski said. “I love exercising and going to the gym. I’ve lost weight, and it feels great.”