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Milestone Article in the Press
by John Darmanin
John is the Chairperson for the Vegetarian Society of Malta.
Last October, I was invited to write an article about the vegetarian diet, to be published in The Times Weekender. In fact the Weekender of the 25th October carried a full two-page centre spread about vegetarians, but besides my article, sliced down to half, there appeared for the first time in Malta an article on the vegetarian diet by a nutrition officer from the Health Department. As we consider this something unprecedented, we are reproducing it in our website for the benefit of those who did not read it:
Pick of the Crop
A vegetarian diet can be a healthy way of eating if it is well planned. Vegetarianism has increased considerably in recent years, mainly for ethical reasons and concern over animal welfare or because meat is believed to be unsafe or unhealthy. There are many variations of vegetarian diets and each variation has its nutritional implications. It may mean avoiding meat when possible, and eating it only occasionally, such as out of politeness. It may involve avoiding red meat completely or even avoiding both meat and fish. Vegetarianism is often considered to have significant health benefits but these depend on the way it is practiced.
Nevertheless, most vegetarians consume a diet that is closer to healthy eating guidelines than that consumed by most of the population. The avoidance of animal foods results in a low intake of saturated fats, and a high consumption of fruits, vegetables and cereal food results in a high intake of antioxidant nutrients and fiber. This will be beneficial in the prevention of disease such as heart disease and cancer. Notwithstanding, it is crucial that a vegetarian replaces meat (as a source of protein) appropriately in the diet. Mixtures of plant food are valuable sources of protein. When eaten together, pulses (beans, peas, soybeans and lentils) and cereals (wheat, rice, rye, barley) provide a protein source as good as animal protein. In addition eggs, milk and dairy products have proteins of high nutritional quality. However a heavy reliance on cheese as a main meal substitute may result in a diet that is rich in saturated fats and low in iron. Nuts and seeds are also useful sources of protein. Thus it is not difficult for a vegetarian to have a satisfactory protein intake and it is not difficult for a vegan, though the latter has to eat a bulkier meal.
Whatever the type of vegetarian diet practiced, it is important that a wide variety of foods are consumed and that the meals are well-planned to include all the food groups. The more limited the consumption of foods, the higher the risk of nutritional deficiencies, especially in vulnerable groups such as children, teenagers and young women.
The Health Promotion Department advocates the World Health Organization’s Twelve Steps to Healthy Eating. The first two recommendations are to eat a nutritious diet based on a variety of foods originating form plants, rather than animals, and to eat bread, grains, pasta, rice or potatoes several times per day. These recommendations also form the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which has been widely promoted by the department as healthy way of eating. The Mediterranean diet is based on an abundance of plant foods such as grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, and includes only small quantities of foods from animal sources, such as meat poultry fish and dairy products.
Signed Yvette Azzopardi,
Nutrition Scientific Officer,
Health Promotion Department
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