Plant Power Revolution
Gone are the days when brands claiming “Low-Fat,” “Fat-Free,” and “Low Sodium” products dominated the grocery store shelves. Today, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options seem to be the craze. But how many of the people who buy vegetarian and vegan foods actually follow that lifestyle? And, how many consumers who buy gluten-free products actually cannot process gluten?
Studies show that 7.3 million Americans (3.2% of the population) are vegetarians. While many people become vegetarians due to environmental concerns, food-safety concerns, animal welfare or for weight loss, the majority of vegetarians claim that they follow this diet in order to improve their overall health.
So what is a vegetarian? Though there are many sub-categories, the umbrella definition for a vegetarian is somebody who follows a plant-based diet and does not consume meat.
Jenna McAllister, a Mascoutah High School junior, was raised in a vegetarian household. “My mom grew up in a family that was very meat and potatoes,” she says, “and now when my grandpa comes to visit, he always brings sausage and makes it for himself because he knows my mom won’t make it for him.”
Jenna says that she has tried sausage and steak, “but the taste just isn’t appealing.” She also states that she will be raising her future children in a vegetarian household as well because it is the healthier choice. “And if my husband wants meat, he can make it himself,” she laughs.
One of the growing lifestyle changes in America is that of veganism. Vegans are a large sub-category of vegetarians who do not consume meat or dairy. Of the 7.3 million Americans who are vegetarians, roughly one million are vegans.
Nikki Siebe, a Mascoutah senior, recently made the switch from vegetarianism to veganism and couldn’t be happier. “Originally I decided to go vegan because it’s the healthier choice,” she says, “but after I realized all of the cruelty and abuse that animals go through in the meat and dairy industries, I decided to stick with it. I just couldn’t live with the fact that I was part of the reason for their suffering.”
Contrary to widespread belief, many popular restaurants do serve vegetarian and vegan options. Apple slices and oatmeal without cream from McDonald’s, a fruit cup from Chick-Fil-A, different burritos from Taco Bell, and the veggie burger from Red Robin are only some of these alternatives that Nikki lists.
Although interest in both vegetarianism and veganism have recently peaked, some people are hesitant to make the switch.
MHS sophomore Danielle Hernandez says, “I have seriously considered becoming a vegetarian, but it is too much of a hassle to prepare my meals separate from my family’s, especially with all of my schoolwork.” Fellow sophomore Morgan Campbell quickly agreed, saying, “Yeah, I was a vegetarian for two years, but it was hard for me to keep making my own meals when my parents wouldn’t make mine meat-free.”
The third sophomore in the group, Brianne Baldwin, summed it up by stating, “I know that it’s the healthier choice, but I just don’t have the time or the money.”
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. People with Celiac disease do not have the ability to process gluten, and many make the switch to a completely gluten-free diet.
Taylor Zarbano, an MHS senior, is one of the growing number of people who are unable to process gluten. While she does not suffer from Celiac disease, the enzymes in her stomach have stopped working, hindering her body’s ability to process gluten.
When she found out about her body’s inability to process gluten at the beginning of summer 2014, she did not realize how drastic her diet would change. “I had to change how I’d eat things because, like, I’d maybe eat it because I wanted it, thinking it’s only one stomachache, but then I couldn’t breathe,” she says.
Taylor explains that because of the increase in genetically modified wheat, more people are becoming allergic to gluten. However, she says that the diet switch is not as bad as it seems: “You can get gluten-free noodles and they don’t taste that different. A lot of people do it because they want to be healthier and there’s a lot of gluten-free cookies that people eat because they’re on diets…. it’s just more expensive.”
The number of Americans who are on a gluten-free diet even though they do not need to be is 1.6 million people, and growing. That said, the sales for gluten-free products are rising as well, and are expected to exceed more than 5 million dollars by the end of the year.
Additionally, 5.2% of Americans show interest in following a vegetarian or vegan based diet. These numbers come from the 54% of adults and 90% of teenagers who follow a diet plan.
It seems as though these numbers will only rise, as some change their diets by choice, and some by necessity. Will you make the switch?