Are vegetarians healthier than normal ppl?

Question

Are vegetarians healthier than normal ppl?

Answer 1

I think it's all about balance. I believe in eating whole foods, whole grains, and a balance of fresh fruits/veggies. I don't eat red meat, but do eat chicken and fish. I have found that I have more energy, no stomach problems, etc.

Answer 2

I dont think so..cos Protein in vegetarian diet can be obtained from soya,and legumes, but still, its quality is not as good as those from animals..in fact, high bilogic value Proteins are obtained from animals, not protein..

Answer 3

Healthy Eating:

5 A Day Fruit and Vegetables  

Eating the recommended 5 a day servings of fruit and vegetables is the most important element of any healthy eating plan

The Health Benefits

For the last eight years the Dept. of Health has been trying to drive home the "5-A-Day" message. Research proves that eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day has very real health benefits. It can help to prevent heart diseases and some cancers. Evidence shows however, that many of us are not listening to this healthy eating advice. Recent research shows that only 1 in 7 of us achieve the 5 a day quota.

Dept. of Health to issue 5-A-Day Logo

To further drive home the healthy eating message, the Dept. of Health is introducing a new 5-A-Day logo initiative in Spring 2003. The Dept. of Health's logo will clearly indicate the fruits and vegetables that contribute towards the 5 portions it recommends you to eat each day. The logo will appear on fresh, frozen, tinned or dried fruit and vegetables and will indicate how many portions the food will count as. The criteria to use the logo is strict and aims to encourage you to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

In an effort to encourage healthy eating more research is being done by the Dept. of Health to help clear up confusion about what counts towards 5 a day and what doesn't - several processed foods with added salt, sugar and fat, despite containing fruit or vegetables will not at present qualify for the logo.

What stops you from getting 5 a day - Time, Money, Dislike All Fruit and Vegetables?  

Lack of time for healthy shopping

Look out for canned, frozen and juiced fruit and vegetables. They are just as nutritious. Buying your fruit and vegetables in this way also means you have plenty to hand when you need it without having to spend time stocking up with fresh produce every few days. Healthy eating doesn't mean you can't make use of convenience foods.

5 a day is too expensive

Don't be fooled, you could find healthy eating better for your budget. Fruit and vegetables (excluding exotic / imported ones) are surprisingly cheap. An average banana costs 20p - less than most bars of chocolate / crisps from the vending machine - and provides more in the way of nourishment for less calories.  

Choose fresh fruit and vegetables in season, not only are they cheaper they will also be most flavoursome and at their best.  

Markets also tend to be cheaper than supermarkets, particularly if you catch them when they packing up for the day.  

Alternatively opt for supermarket branded tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables.  

Dislike All Fruit and Vegetables

With such variety of tastes, it's hard to believe anyone can dislike them all. Also remember that tastes change as you age and therefore things you detested in your youth (like brussel sprouts...) may be a lot more palatable now! Try a different fruit / vegetable each week until you find some you enjoy.  

Working Your Way to Five A Day

Make it a mission to start working to your five a day quota. Remember you don't have to include all five portions overnight - your body probably won't thank you for it! (A sudden change can cause uncomfortable bloating and gas). Also don't rush out and buy a heap of fresh fruit and vegetables - to watch it rot in the fridge / fruit bowl over the coming week! Build up gradually, make it a habit and remember each extra serving is a step in the right direction. Try these healthy eating tips for including more fruit and vegetables:

Healthy Breakfast

Have a glass of 100% pure, unsweetened fruit juice

Slice some fresh fruit over your breakfast cereal or toss in a handful of dried apricots / raisins

Try a banana sandwich made with wholemeal / granary bread for extra fibre too

Make a delicious fruit smoothie from fresh fruit. Or add some skimmed milk / low fat yoghurt for a more creamy consistency

Healthy Snacks

Look out individual portions of carrot batons, dried apricots, raisins and grapes at the supermarket - grab these instead of chocolate / crisps

Make some crudites - carrots batons, celery sticks, baby sweetcorn, asparagus tips - to enjoy with a low calorie dip

Keep a piece of fresh fruit on hand - and ensure you eat it before you reach for high sugar / calorie snacks

Healthy Lunch

Add tomatoes, cucumber, mixed salad leaves to your sandwiches

Toss a selection of fruit / vegetables and salad leaves together for a delicious alternative - drizzle with a low calorie dressing and enjoy with a crusty wholemeal roll

Make your own vegetable soup for colder weather

Healthy Evening Meal

Try to include at least one vegetable with your evening meal

Add sliced vegetables to stir fries and disguise grated carrot in homemade dishes  

Make a fresh fruit salad for dessert

Healthy Eating Out

Order a pure, unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice

Request a side salad or vegetables instead of chips

Order a fresh fruit salad for dessert

What is a Portion of Fruit and Veg?

1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit

2 plums, satsumas, kiwi fruit or other similar sized fruit

1⁄2 a grapefruit or avocado

1 large slice of melon or fresh pineapple

3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables, beans or pulses

3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad or stewed fruit

1 heaped tablespoon of raisins or sultanas

3 dried apricots

1 cupful of grapes, cherries or berries

1 dessert bowl of salad

1 small glass (150ml) of pure fruit juice

Healthy Eating with Weight Loss Resources

Your Weight Loss Resources Food Diary keeps a tally of your fruit and vegetable servings each day. Our calculation is based on the principle that 80g fruit or vegetables = one serving. Whilst, for simplicity, this is an approximation, it proves to be a good indication of your fruit and vegetable intake, and will help get to 5 a day.

Hope This Helps?

Answer 4

A friend who is member of Seventh day Adventist church says Yes.

The church is a major promoter of health and it keeps records of people and does surveys to learn eating habits and follows up on people.

He says the average SDA who grows up vegetarian lives seven years longer than the average American. That doesn't compensate for accidents and such. He says he knows many vegetarians in their seventies who are healthy and do many physically strenuous activities.

Vegetarian means a wide variety of veggies and fruit so you get your minerals and vitamins.

I reckon Eskimos who depend mostly on seal and whale blubber don't count!!!

Answer 5

First off, vegetarians ARE normal people.

Some are healthier, some are not healthier than people on non-vegetarian diets. No matter what the diet designation is, it still comes down to the exact foods and the exact amounts consumed, along with exercise, environment and genetics.

Answer 6

vegetarians are normal people.

Answer 7

"Normal?"

While vegetarians might have a lower risk of certain diseases, there is no guarantee that refraining from meat will automatically make the person healthier. There are too many variables; amount of exercise, smoking, alcohol, heredity, infectious diseases, injuries, etc.

The American Dietetic Association actually recommends that a vegetarian diet can be a very healthy choice as long there is a variety of food from all categories, but it recommends the same thing for people who eat meat. It's not true that the ADA recommends vegetarianism only for people with diabetes. (My wife is a dietitian and former member of the ADA).

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada...

Answer 8

It depends. If non-vegetarians eat a lot of greasy, processed, and bad fatty meats, then they can be very unhealthy. But if vegetarians don't know exactly what to eat, then they can also be very unhealthy. It goes both ways really. Just have a balanced diet and you'll be fine.

Answer 9

No, not really. Most people that start out as vegetarians think they can eat all the cheese and bread they want, they don't eat enough veggies and grains.  There are healthy responsible vegetarians just as there are other healthy people with different dietary needs.

Answer 10

Well they can be, depends on what else they eat.

Like you could still drink coke everyday and be a vegetarian and not be healthy. Like mabey a coke once a month, might be ok.

Answer 11

why cant a vegetarian be a normal person in the first place people who eat meat are the abnormal ones were never supposed to eat meat it rots doesnt digest

Answer 12

Usually, yes.  

From experience, since becoming vegan, I've lost 10 lbs, gotten a clearer complexion, and felt just better all-around.

Being a vegetarian is an easy way to control your weight for life.

Answer 13

in some ways yes but there are a few negative things about being a vegetarian due to the amount of pesticides and hormones put on these plants to make them grow better. i would suggest going to a place full of organic food with out the use of chemicals.

Answer 14

First off, vegetarians ARE normal people.

Some are healthier, some are not healthier than people on non-vegetarian diets. No matter what the diet designation is, it still comes down to the exact foods and the exact amounts consumed, along with exercise, environment and genetics.

I'm neither a vegetarian or normal. My OCD forces me to answer questions I know little about.

Answer 15

For the most part.....but u need to keep in mind that being healthy is haveing a balance meal.....what kind of vegeterian are you no meat at all? no fish?

I found that i cut out red meat out of my diet.....meaning not hamburgers etc......but i do eat chicken and fish....I;ve felt a change. i feel more fresh when i eat....dont get that sleepy feeling..

Answer 16

yup, and they live longer : )

Answer 17

not necessarily, vegetarians can still eat alot of junk food or takeaways just the same as meat eaters. Everybody should follow a healthy balanced diet whether vegetarian or not.

Answer 18

No. No diet is automatically healthy. It still depends on the individual approach/practice to make it healthy or otherwise. An unbalanced vegetarian diet can easily miss out on certain essential nutrients while a well balanced omnivorous diet will be very healthy.  ven if a vegetarian does not eat junk food, an unbalancved diet or a diet that relies heavily on certain foods while missing out on tohers can lead to a lot of health problems later on. Of course, the same is true fornon-vegetarian diets. My grandad who ate 6 eggs a day minimum and who absoultely refuses to eat most vegetables or fruits, outlived his sister, a vegetarian.

The American Diabetic Association, while supporting a vegetarian diet for existing diabetics, also recommends a healthy diet that includes meat/seafood.for all.