Chapter Review

BRING IT HOME

CHAPTER 9 BRING IT HOME

Adopting a vegetarian diet

Imagine your 15-year-old daughter Sophie has decided to avoid all animal foods. You are concerned about potential nutritional inadequacies and how Sophie’s diet will affect family food shopping, meals, and budget. Sophie shares that she and her closest friend decided to avoid all animal foods after watching a film on animal rights. Sophie’s weight is within a healthy range and she does not presently have any medical conditions that might affect her health or nutritional status. She is on her high school dance team and practices several afternoons a week. You ask Sophie to describe a recent day’s intake. Based on her 24-hour recall and what you’ve learned about vegetarian diets, address the following questions.

Sophie’s 24-hour recall:

BREAKFAST

1 cup oatmeal made with water

1 banana, sliced

LUNCH

1 bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 1⁄2 ounces potato chips

12 ounces soda

SNACK

2 ounces pretzels

1 apple

DINNER

2 cups pasta

1 cup plain marinara sauce

3 meatless (soy-based) meatballs

2-ounce slice sourdough bread

1 tablespoon olive oil (for bread)

2 cups tossed vegetable salad

2 tablespoons Italian dressing

SNACK

1 cup grape juice

1⁄4 cup soy nuts

Consider

  1. Based on Sophie’s present dietary choices, what type of vegetarian diet has she decided to follow?

  2. What is Sophie’s primary motivator for adopting this eating style? What are other reasons individuals decide to adopt predominantly plant-based diets?

  3. What are the best sources of protein in Sophie’s 24-hour recall? Discuss how individuals avoiding animal foods can obtain all the essential amino acids and provide specific examples.

  4. Did Sophie consume appropriate number of foods from each food group? Did she consume an adequate amount of calcium and fiber? Explain.

  5. What modifications would you make to this day of meals to maximize nutrient density?

  6. Considering Sophie’s age and life stage, should she visit a Registered Dietitian for further advice? Why or why not?

  7. Identify at least two resources to share with Sophie to assist with dietary planning and ideas for food products and recipes.

  8. Sophie expresses the hope that her parents might also consider reducing intake of animal foods in favor of a more plant-based diet. Sophie’s father asks if they have to give up all animal foods to adopt a vegetarian diet and if there are actual health benefits if they do so. Discuss.

Take It Further

Record your own 24-hour recall. Examine your day’s intake in relation to plant-based food choices. Would you consider your overall intake primarily plant-based? Why or why not? What changes might you make to boost intake of whole plant-based foods? Over the next week, plan to have at least three vegetarian (or vegan) lunches or dinners in place of meals that might contain meats, poultry, or other animal foods. What typical meals might you change and what plant foods would you substitute for animal foods? If you already follow a vegetarian eating style, identify the sources of complete or complementary proteins in several of your meals.

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KEY IDEAS

KEY IDEAS

  • Plant-based diets can vary significantly by including differing types and amounts of animal foods, and they can have varying degrees of healthfulness, depending on the quality and distribution of the nutrients being consumed and the types of food choices being made.

  • A vegan diet consists only of plant foods, while other types of vegetarian diet plans may include dairy foods and eggs; semi-vegetarian diets may include limited amounts of fish, poultry, and red meats.

  • Plant-based diets are associated with numerous health benefits. Research suggests that vegetarians have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and overall mortality.

  • Cancer is a disease that results from the uncontrolled growth or division of abnormal cells that invade a part or parts of the body. Cancer develops in a multistep process that includes initiation, promotion, and progression. Dietary choices can both increase and decrease risk of cancer.

  • Phytochemicals are chemical constituents in plants that have a wide array of effects in the body and are associated with many benefits to human health.

  • Vegetarian diets that exclude all or most animal foods require planning to meet nutrient needs. Nutrients of potential concern include protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and iodine.

  • Complementary protein foods are incomplete protein plant foods that when consumed together or during the course of a day provide all essential amino acids to help meet protein needs.

  • Organic is a labeling term that indicates that a food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods and follows USDA specifications for organic regulations.

  • The traditional Mediterranean diet has unique characteristics and multiple health benefits.

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NEED TO KNOW

NEED TO KNOW

Review Questions

Question 9.9

1. Marilyn follows a vegan diet, so which of the following foods would she avoid?

  1. butter

  2. coconut oil

  3. maple syrup

  4. peanut butter

  5. white rice

1. a

Question 9.10

2. Pete is a quasi-vegetarian, so he includes all of the following in his diet, EXCEPT:

  1. butter.

  2. eggs.

  3. lean beef.

  4. shrimp.

  5. turkey.

2. c

Question 9.11

3. Studies examining the benefits of vegetarianism cite all of the following, EXCEPT:

  1. a lower risk of cancer.

  2. a lower incidence of iron-deficiency anemia.

  3. a lower risk of obesity.

  4. a lower incidence of high blood pressure.

  5. lower rates of type 2 diabetes.

3. b

Question 9.12

4. Vegetarians that emphasize whole plant foods tend to have higher intakes of all of the following, EXCEPT:

  1. dietary fiber.

  2. magnesium.

  3. potassium.

  4. riboflavin.

  5. vitamin C.

4. d

Question 9.13

5. During which stage of cancer development does the body lose control over the mutated cells allowing metastasis to other tissues?

  1. initiation

  2. promotion

  3. progression

  4. proliferation

  5. termination

5. c

Question 9.14

6. Characteristics of the polyphenols include all of the following, EXCEPT:

  1. they are the most abundant and diverse category of phytochemicals.

  2. they are found in salmon and other cold water fish.

  3. they are found in coffee, tea, and red wine.

  4. they include flavonoids and isoflavones.

  5. many have anti-inflammatory effects.

6. b

Question 9.15

7. The type of phytochemicals responsible for the yellow, orange, and red colors of fruits and vegetables are:

  1. anthocyanins.

  2. carotenoids.

  3. isoflavones.

  4. lignans.

  5. resveratrol.

7. b

Question 9.16

8. All of the following are true about complementary protein foods, EXCEPT:

  1. they must be consumed at the same meal or snack to support protein synthesis.

  2. together they can improve overall protein quality.

  3. they have different amino acids that together provide all essential amino acids.

  4. that an example would be refried beans on a corn tortilla.

8. a

Question 9.17

9. Iron found in plant foods (non-heme iron) is lower in bioavailability than the heme iron found in animal foods. Thus, the U.S. Dietary Reference Intake of non-heme iron is _________ higher for vegetarians than the iron recommendation for nonvegetarians.

  1. no

  2. 20%

  3. 40%

  4. 60%

  5. 80%

9. e

Question 9.18

10. Jason follows a vegan diet and avoids all animal foods. He consumes a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and other whole plant-based foods. Despite his nutrient-rich diet, supplementation or use of foods fortified with ____________ is recommended.

  1. potassium

  2. protein

  3. extra fiber

  4. vitamin B12

  5. vitamin K

10. d

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Question 9.19

11. Based on several current studies, organic foods do not differ significantly from nonorganic in:

  1. cost.

  2. nutrient content.

  3. pesticide content.

  4. herbicide content.

11. b

Question 9.20

12. Characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean diet include all of the following, EXCEPT:

  1. an avoidance of alcohol.

  2. an emphasis on healthy fats.

  3. limited consumption of red meat.

  4. limited consumption of refined, processed foods.

  5. small portions of nuts.

12. a

Take It Further

Develop a daily menu that excludes all animal foods (vegan), but includes at least two types of complementary protein foods.

Dietary Analysis Using SuperTracker

Dietary Analysis Using SuperTracker

Evaluating the vegetarian diet

Research has demonstrated many health benefits associated with vegetarian diets, but careful diet planning is critical in maintaining adequate nutrient intake.

Question 9.21

1. Log on to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website at www.supertracker.usda.gov. If you have not done so already, you will need to create a profile to get a personalized diet plan. This profile will allow you to save your information and diet intake for future reference. Do not use the general plan.

Question 9.22

2. Click the Track Food and Activity option.

Question 9.23

3. Record your food and beverage intake for one day that most reflects your typical eating patterns. Enter each food and beverage you consumed into the food tracker. Note that there may not always be an exact match to the food or beverage that you consumed, so select the best match available.

Question 9.24

4. Once you have entered all of your food and beverage choices into the food tracker, on the right side of the page under the bar graph, you will see Related Links: View by Meal and Nutrient Intake Report. Print these reports and use them to answer the following questions:

  1. Evaluate your intake of dietary protein. Did you meet the targets for protein on this day?

  2. Identify the plant protein foods that you consumed on this day. Identify the animal sources of protein that you consumed on this day.

  3. Did you meet your dietary target for fiber for this day? How would consuming more plant foods, especially plant protein foods, affect fiber intake?

  4. Were you above the daily limits for saturated fat and cholesterol for this day? How could adopting a plant-based diet affect saturated fat and cholesterol intake?

  5. Did you meet your targets for vitamin D, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids for this day? How might your intake change if you consumed a plant-based diet?

  6. Identify three potential health benefits associated with consuming a plant-based diet.