Is vegetarianism really viable or is it a fad?

More and more people are moving toward a vegetarian diet. Many national and international groups – heart associations, diabetic associations, cancer groups – are recommending that we eat more whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

They also suggest that we should cut down on meals, particularly red meals. Some are recommending poultry and fish as alternatives to red meat. Fish have wholly polyunsaturated fat whereas red meats have highly toward more vegetarianism.

Is it possible to get the necessary nutrients and the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat as a vegetarian?

For carbohydrates, a vegetarian diet is the best, especially for fiber – the neglected nutrient, as some call it. You can’t get fiber in any animal products. As for fat, any animal products generally have too much, and of the wrong type. The vegetarian diet has less fat and of a better kind.

Vitamins and mineral generally are considerably more abundant in fruits, whole grains and vegetables than in meats. And if you’re eating grains and legumes, the protein quality is as good as from animal sources. In fact, it’s difficult not to get sufficient protein in the diet unless you’re on a weight reducing program.

Health experts used to say a vegetarian child couldn’t get adequate protein. Has there been a shift in understanding?

At the turn of the century the daily protein requirement was believed to be about 120 grams. The recommendation now is about 60 grams for women and 70 grams for men. But you actually can get by with as little as 25 or 30 grams of high-quality protein.

I’ve heard about several positive aspects of vegetarianism. Are there any major cautions about a vegetarian diet?

If you suddenly start eating a lot of beans, for example, you may develop gas and cramping. Also, studies show that meat-eaters, when put onto a high-fiber vegetarian diet for two or three weeks, may develop a temporary imbalance of several minerals. However, long-term vegetarians don’t show such an imbalance. This implies that it takes some months for the body to adjust to a high-fiber vegetarian diet.

Some people say that vegetarians tend to eat more sugar. Have you found that to be so?

We seem to have an appetite for sweet things. But you can do two things.

First, you can train your palate. You can invoke what is called “cerebral override.” Actually, you can easily get by with only one half or one third the amount of sugar called for in recipes. Once you’re used to less sugar, the original recipe will be nauseating.

Second, there are sweet foods that are healthful. At our cooking schools we occasionally use concentrated apple juice, pineapple juice, dates and various dried fruit. They’re sweet, but used sensibly there’s no problem. It’s only when we eat such foods in large quantities or between meals that we run into problems.