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Why People Choose Vegetarianism
Interviewer: Reasons people choose to be a vegetarian. I'm with Kary Woodruff, a registered dietitian at the University of Health Care. Kary, what are some reasons that people choose to be a vegetarian?
Kary: We see a lot of reasons. Some people would do it for ethical reasons, for the humane treatment of animals. They feel that the way that animals—and the food industry, the way that animal products are processed is unethical, and so they'll decide not to consume animal foods for that reason.
We see it for environmental reasons. We know that the carbon footprint for producing and transporting animal products is much higher than that of a vegetarian diet, so people will choose that lifestyle for that reason.
Some people choose it for health benefits as we talked about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. So there are a lot of very different reasons, and just personal tastes, and preferences. Some people don't like meat, so they choose not to eat it just for taste reasons. There are a lot of different reasons that people choose that.
Flexitarian: A Balanced Middle Ground
Interviewer: What if I don't like meat very much, and so I don't eat it very often maybe once or twice a month or maybe someone doesn't like red meat, so they don't eat red meat very often or at all. Is that considered vegetarian? Is that maybe not quite vegetarian, but still a healthy choice to make?
Kary: Yeah, there's a term that I've heard that's called Flexitarian. And what that means is that someone who consumes mostly plant foods, maybe they consume some animal products in small amounts, and so that could be considered more of a flexitarian approach. And again, someone who, as long as they are following a vegetarian diet intentionally, and making sure that they're still getting protein resources, and other nutrient-rich foods like fruits, and vegetables, whole grains. They'll still be getting all the health benefits, and all the nutrients that they need, so even a small consumption of meat can be very healthy.
And keep in mind lean animal products like white meat chicken, and white meat turkey can be very healthful part of the diet, so it doesn't mean that we need to follow a vegetarian diet to be healthy. We just know that there are lots of health benefits of a vegetarian diet.
Is Vegetarianism Always Healthy?
Interviewer: So can you be a vegetarian, and still be unhealthy?
Kary: Oh, absolutely. You'll see some people who'll say I'm going to go a vegetarian, and I'm going to cut out all meat, and that's okay. But then they don't replace it with other good sources of protein, right? So, they don't necessarily increase their intake of beans, nuts, seeds, and soy. And instead, they eat lots of processed foods, lots of potentially refined carbohydrates like breads, pastas, rices, and cereals, and chips, and snack crackers. In moderation those foods are fine, but if that becomes the main substances of your diet then that would not be very healthy.
Interviewer: Right. So would you recommend a vegetarian diet?
Kary: I think if it's something that you want to do for health reasons or for ethical reasons or for environmental reasons, any of the reasons that we've mentioned, sure. It can be a very healthy approach. I just wouldn't want to give the message that because you're not vegetarian means that you're unhealthy. So you can be healthy by consuming some animal products or you can be healthy as a vegetarian. It depends on why you want to do it, and what's going to be the most sustainable approach for you.
I think it's just finding what works for you and for your family, if that's relevant and finding ways that you can increase your intake of fruits, and vegetables, and whole grains, lean sources of protein whether that comes from animal proteins or plant proteins both can be very healthy.
updated: January 21, 2025
originally published: January 14, 2015
