’m always so tired,” says “Melissa,” a student at The College of Saint Rose.  “Everyone wants to go out at night, but when I get home from work all I want to do is sleep.”  Living on the typical college student salary, “Melissa” goes to school part-time, works the rest of the time, and eats what and when she can.  “Melissa” is a vegetarian.  She is also anemic.

Whether people choose this diet because they are animal-loving members of PETA or they simply dislike the taste of meat, they enter into the lifestyle believing that their choice is a healthy and sustainable one.  This belief is also fact…but only when practiced correctly.

When a person cuts out all meats from his or her diet, he or she is, in a sense, rearranging the food pyramid.  The daily diet can then no longer be considered well-rounded until it is also rearranged.  Not eating meat evokes serious dietary consequences by eliminating essential vitamins and other nutrients, which can lead to other health problems.

As “Melissa” soon realized, anemia is a major problem for many vegetarians.  Anemia is a condition in which red blood cells can’t provide adequate oxygen to body tissues, causing fatigue.  There are many types and causes of anemia, but iron deficiency anemia is the most common type.  Iron is an essential part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells.  If there is little or no hemoglobin, there will be more difficulty carrying oxygen.  Many who wave goodbye to meat also wave goodbye to iron. 

What they don’t know is that while iron can be found in red meat, it can also be found in dark leafy green vegetables like spinach, chard, kale, watercress, and escarole.  Other sources of iron include certain beans and lentils, whole-grain breads, and, surprisingly enough, sweet blackstrap molasses.  Daily vitamin supplements can assist those in need of a little extra iron in their diets; but there’s no total replacement for the real thing, so try to still eat as much iron-rich food as possible.

 Another issue that comes up is the lack of protein and B vitamins, which help metabolize protein.  Proteins are large, complex molecules that are needed by the body to build muscle tissue as well as hair and nails.  They provide energy.  They’re also required to build anti-bodies, hormones, and enzymes.  In essence, proteins help people grow.  Protein is not a problem for religious vegetarians, or those who include fish in their diet.  Fish, chicken, or any kind of meat is easy protein.  But look a little closer at the food pyramid.  The meat group also includes nuts.  What’s easier than a peanut butter sandwich?  Peanuts are also rich in B vitamins like folate, which helps prevent heart disease.  Eggs share the meat food group too and also contain good amounts of B vitamins.  Eggs and dairy, another good source of protein, contain vitamin B12, which aids in cell function and are otherwise only found in meat.  Bodies short of B12, or folic acid, may also find themselves faced with megaloblastic, or vitamin deficiency, anemia.  Whole grains and pastas also contain a decent amount of protein plus vitamin B6, which helps metabolize amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and fats.

While not necessarily lacking in a vegetarian diet, it is also important to get enough good fats.  Fats are needed as an auxiliary energy source, for healthy skin, and for the construction of cell membranes.  In addition, fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D, E, and K are carried from the food in which they are found into your body by fats.  Fats also make you feel full.  Mono-unsaturated fats are one type of good fat. 

This type of fat can actually lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise your good (HDL) cholesterol.  Olive, canola, and nut oils are high in mono-unsaturated fats.  Poly-unsaturated fats are another type of good fat.  Omega-3 fatty acids fall under this category.  These types of fats help lower bad cholesterol and are found in safflower and sunflower oils, with which many snack foods are now made.  Vegetarians who choose to eat fish will find that fish like salmon is also full of omega-3 acids.  So try eating or cooking with these types of fats.  They’re both healthy and filling.  With fats, a little goes a long way.

All things considered, vegetarianism is not just about eating anything that doesn’t have meat in it. (A person who lives on junk food could also live by a similar philosophy).  It is about variety, balance, and nutrition.  Be creative with your food!  It may take a few more minutes, but the benefits reaped are well worth the wait (and taste great too).  Here are a few easy recipes that will keep any vegetarian satisfied and healthy:

Escarole & Bean Soup

Prep Time: 12-15 min  | Start to Finish: 25 min | Makes: 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound escarole, chopped
Salt
4 cups low-salt vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Loaf of crusty bread

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle some more olive oil over each.  Serve with crusty bread.

Impossibly Easy Spinach Pie

Prep Time: 15 min | Start to Finish: 1 hr  | Makes: 4-6 servings

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

4 medium green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

½ cup small curd creamed cottage cheese

½ cup Bisquick® mix

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon pepper

3 eggs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in butter 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in spinach; spread mixture in pie plate. Spread with cottage cheese.

2. Stir Bisquick mix, milk, lemon juice, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.

3. Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Spinach & Arugula Pesto

Prep Time: 15 min  | Start to Finish: 30 min  | Makes: 2 cups

1 pound fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1 bunch fresh arugula, washed and trimmed
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, combine spinach, arugula, garlic, salt, walnuts, cheese, lemon juice (to taste), and water. Process until they form a paste. Gradually blend in olive oil, taste-adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve over your favorite pasta.  Can also refrigerate or freeze for later.

 

Pear & Pecan Salad w/ Blue Cheese

Prep Time: 10 min  | Start to Finish: 15-20 min  | Makes: 4 servings

½ cup shelled pecan halves (can substitute walnuts)

3 crisp pears (such as Bartlett, Anjou, Comice, or Packham)

6 oz. young spinach, stems removed (can substitute watercress and/or arugula)

1 head escarole or Boston lettuce

1 head radicchio

2 tablespoons blue cheese dressing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Loaf of crusty bread

1. Toast the pecans under a moderate broiler to bring out their flavor, about 5 minutes.

2. Cut the pears into even slices, leaving the skin intact and discarding the cores.

3. Wash the salad greens and spin dry.  Add the pecans, then toss with the dressing.  Distribute among plates and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with warm crusty bread.

Sources

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: United States National Library of Medicine — http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

Genetics Home Reference Handbook: United States National Library of Medicine — http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook

Healthlink: Medical College of Wisconsin — http://healthlink.mcw.edu

The Food Network — http://www.foodnetwork.com

Betty Crocker Recipes — http://www.bettycrocker.com

The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook (Anness Publishing Ltd., 2005)