In the wake of Eating Animals, East Campus is buzzing about vegetarianism.
Can you get the nutrients you need to survive via a meatless diet? How difficult is it to be a vegetarian, especially here, on campus? How can I live without Bojangles chicken and biscuits? These questions and many others come to mind for skeptics and veggie-wannabes alike.
While some doubt that herbivorous eating can provide the same nutrition as a diet with meat, science indicates the contrary. The Vegetarian Resource Group, a non-profit organization that promotes vegetarianism and produces resources such as recipes and literature, cites a simple practice instrumental in a successful vegetarian diet: variety. According to the Group, a healthy veggie diet should include “vegetables, fruits, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes.”
As for claims that vegetarians don’t eat enough protein, they’re all but mythical. There is non-meat protein to be had. Sufficient amounts can be obtained from cheese, cow and soy milk, nuts, vegetables, cereals and tofu. Other important vitamins such as calcium can be found in milk and other dairy products, as well also in unlikely places such as tahini, collard greens and fortified orange juice. Iron, another essential component in a healthy diet, exists in abundance in chickpeas, black-eyed peas, tofu and spinach.
"I do think that [concern about nutrition] is not a valid reason—many studies show that vegetarians suffer less from obesity and cancer, and generally speaking they have a longer life expectancy," said Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director at Duke's Diet and Fitness Center.
Being a vegetarian, however, does not necessarily indicate a well-balanced diet, Politi said.
"Be more careful about protein, but there's plenty in vegetables, beans, soy, and nuts," she said. "B-12 and iron are some other nutrients I reccomend vegetarians supplement their diet with. Special K is a cereal fortified with iron, and is a great cereal to eat in the morning."
Vegans should also supplement their diet with clacium and Vitamin D to make sure they stay healthy, Politi said.
Duke offers many choices for vegetarian dining. At the Marketplace, the “Earth’s Fare” station provides vegetarian and occasionally vegan cuisine. At the Great Hall, “Spice” offers similar options. The Loop offers tasty salads and soups, as well as meatless pizzas, mozzarella sticks and onion rings. Pauly Dogs’ veggie dogs, Panda Express’s eggplant tofu and the Dillo’s veggie tacos are delectable options at some of campus’s favorite restaurants.
“It’s very easy to be a vegetarian at Duke,” said freshman Eleanor Kenimer. “It’s even easy to be a vegan if you have the willpower.”
Kenimer cited several of her favorite entrees at Marketplace to back up the claim. Although she was a vegetarian before Eating Animals, other students are now choosing to avoid meat after reading the book. Issues raised in the novel, such as animal cruelty, unfair labor practices and sustainability struck a chord with many freshmen. Many, however, chose not to change their diet. When asked why, a common response was that change is hard and meat is good.
With nutritional vegetarian meals so readily available, the only reason for not dropping meat seems to be personal preference. Whether we choose to adopt a new diet, to care about the issues raised in the novel without changing our eating habits or to not care at all, we can no longer refute vegetarianism’s validity as a balanced alternative diet.
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