Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

First of all, thanks for creating the Savvy Vegetarian web site!

A little story about myself: I have struggled with weight issues most of my adult life. Recently I decided (educated myself) that there are tremendous flaws in the western diet.

When I first met my wife in college she was nearly a vegetarian, and used to have many militant vegan friends. These militants really turned me off about this style of eating. Their closed minded anger fueled rants about people and food had a tremendous negative effect on me.

Now I’m staring 40 in the face and have never been in worse shape and very overweight, bordering on obese. I have watched a couple of independent documentaries “Food Inc” and “Forks over Knives” as well as reading a few books on nutrition by doctors and scientists. They all come to the same conclusion; a whole foods plant based diet is the healthiest way for human beings to live.

So, I decided about a month ago to live as near a vegan diet as possible. No sugars, no white flour, no processed foods, no soda pop, no caffeine, no alcohol, no meat, and no dairy, no artificial dyes and flavorings. More whole grains and plant based foods minus all the bad stuff has already helped me to lose 10 pounds in the last month and a half. Internally I am feeling so much better.

I have already cooked several recipes from your web site and have enjoyed them very much. I am quickly winning my wife over, and even my 12- year old son, but am having a difficult time weaning my 7-year old son off of the sugar, and still have battles with him when it comes to eating my cooking.

Anyway thanks for making your vegetarian & vegan recipes available to those who want to make lifestyle changes in their eating habits. – Michael H.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi Michael. You’re welcome. Thanks for your inspiring story! Three cheers for you!

I have a few comments about your sugar-addicted 7 year old reluctant vegan son.

Remember, a short while ago, before your conversion, that reluctant 7 year old was you! You didn’t want to know the truth until you were ready to figure it out for yourself. And he probably isn’t ready either.

Plus, it’s a lot to ask kids that age to make such major dietary changes, because their brains haven’t matured enough to follow the logic. Lecturing and forbidding just seems to make them dig in their heels.

So I suggest using the carrot instead of the stick approach, and weaning him gradually. First offer homemade treats that aren’t so full of sugar and other bad things, in exchange for his usual treats. If he’ll agree to that, check out Savvy Veg dessert recipes with him, or get a copy of the healthy dessert cookbook, Sweet Freedom. Get him involved in making the treats.

The only problem I can see with that idea is that you might be tempted to eat them! Or he might want to eat them all! So give some of the goodies to disgustingly skinny people you know. It’s the best revenge! Or a homeless shelter or something like that.

Then offer him rewards. E.G. My grandkids get a lot of candy given out to them at school (I know, it’s criminal!). My daughter has them put their candy in a quart jar, then when the jar is full, they get $5. Great motivator!

Give him a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice a day instead of pop. Real fruit juice in flavors he likes. Offer it as a reward for abstaining outside the home. It’s still sugary, but will satisfy his sweet tooth without all the horrible effects of all the bad things in pop. And it’s something special just for him. And of course, don’t buy pop or let him buy it. You have some control there.

Once he’s moved over that far from his present intractible position, it’ll be easier to nudge him along further toward eating your cooking. Try to make more kid friendly foods for him, and give him some healthy choices. Try my daughter’s weekly menu plan for kid friendly meals, and tips for getting your kids to eat more veggies.

All the best, Judith Kingsbury

Message for Savvy Vegetarian

Hi, i am a 15 year old pescetarian.

I originally wanted to become a vegetarian after doing an animal cruelty project in my school. But when I told my parents, they were against it.

After a long argument, they only allowed me to be a pescetarian, because i was a “growing boy”.

My friends have mocked me for “discrimminating” against fishes, and this has made me feel guilty. Furthermore, I volunteer at a local animal shelter, and I have to fix the dogs a meaty meal every time I go there. This duty is very uncomfortable for me.

So I ask, is my pescetarian diet actually right for me? Because I have already gone too far to back out of it now, and so I do not know what to do.

The consequences of my decisions are that I am now a great deal shorter than many of the other boys in my class. is there any advice you can offer me when it comes to getting protein in a pescetarian diet?

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this letter! L. Wolfe

Savvy Vegetarian Advice

Hi L.

As far as protein, and nutrition in general is concerned,, you should eat a wide variety of veggies, fresh fruit, whole grains, beans & lentils, tofu, nuts & seeds, and being a growing boy, eat lots of all that so you get the vitamins and minerals you need. That’s in addition to fish, which has plenty of protein. I don’t know if you eat eggs and dairy, but if you do, continue for now.

Before you consider further dietary changes, read up on veg nutrition. I recommend the books, Becoming Vegan, or Becoming Vegetarian by Vesanto and Davis, long time veg dietitians. They have good info on teen veg nutrition. Vegan for Life, by Davis and Messina is another good one that was recently published.

Personally I feel that guilt doesn’t serve you well. It just makes you worry and obsess about your food, and that’s not good for anyone.

As far as I can see, you need to eat this way right now to keep your parents from worrying about nutritional deficiencies, and you are doing everything positive that you can with your diet in the circumstances.

As you grow older, you’ll have more choices. Right now is the time to prepare so when you are able to be 100% responsible for feeding yourself, you’ll know how to do it right.

Don’t pay any attention to your friends, who are just yanking your chain. And I’m sure the dogs are just happy to be eating regularly, and don’t care what. There’s not much you can do there so don’t take it on needlessly. If it makes you uncomfortable, you could leave, but that wouldn’t help the dogs, would it? And isn’t that the point of volunteering?

As far as being shorter than many other boys in your class, that may or may not have anything to do with your diet. It could just be that you have not yet hit your growth spurt. That’s a very individual thing. Some guys are full grown at 14 and some are still growing in college. And vegetarians can grow just as tall as anyone else – if they are well nourished.

Get blood tests to see if you have nutritional deficiencies like iron or Vitamin B12. and make improvements to your general nutrition, exchanging empty snack calories (e.g. pop, chips, candy) for nutrient dense calories (e.g. fruit, nuts, whole grains etc). and eating 3 squares a day. Don’t skip breakfast! The protein will take care of itself if your diet is healthy and you’re getting enough calories.

That’s about all the advice I can think of. And I’m sure it’s more than you bargained for! :-)

All the best, Judith Kingsbury

Message for Savvy Vegetarian:

I have been vegetarian, in various stages, for 35 years. I have 2 reasons for writing.

1) I have been out of work for 3 years. I have a cupboard full of dhals, beans and split beans that I have had for years – I don’t even know how long and some them I don’t know what they are. Can I still use them? Maybe with longer soaking time? I would use them in soup or stew.

2) For 2 of my years out of work, I went back to college (I am now 57; graduated in May). Due to a blog I read yesterday I came to realize that I have not been eating quality protein – possibly for all the last 3 years. The blogger mentioned that it took quite some time to notice an increase in energy (my main problem). I would like to use a supplement to boost my energy until I get my diet back on track. Can you suggest a supplement and an initial diet? I would be much beholden. – P.W.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi P. W. Congratulations on graduating at age 57! I’m sorry you’ve been unemployed for 3 years, and I hope that changes soon. More energy would definitely help.

Regarding the legumes that you’ve had for years: I also have had some legumes for years, stored in glass jars in a cool cupboard. As long as they don’t look or smell bad, I would use them. They could need extra soaking (probably double) and cooking. If it’s hot in your kitchen, try soaking in the fridge. If you don’t know what they are, go to a natural food store that sells bulk beans, and do a bit of detective work. Or search online for a site with pictures of beans. Like Athena Foods.

Regarding your lack of energy: it’s could be that a lack of quality protein isn’t actually the culprit. It could be not enough calories, or poor nutrition in general, which means there could be several possible deficiencies. Nutrition is holistic and synergistic – all the nutrients work together for good health and energy.

My advice is to get tested for Vit D, Vit B12, and iron deficiencies. Any of those would affect your energy levels dramatically. It’s a good idea for anyone over 50 whether vegetarian or not to supplement with Vit D & Vit B12. Calcium & Vit C deficiencies are possible, but those are plentiful in a healthy varied diet with plenty of fruit and green veg. While you’re getting those deficiency tests, get a few other routine tests if you can: cholesterol, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, hormones for example, just to rule out other problems.

Protein: Many people I know boost their protein intake by adding protein powder to smoothies, along with other ingredients such as non-dairy milk or yogurt, green veg, fruit, ground chia seeds, nut butters. You could also add nuts & seeds & non-dairy milks to grains or breakfast cereals. Hummus is a great energy booster to have in your fridge, with a good balance of fat, carbs & protein. . Yummy in a sandwich or wrap, or with chips or crackers.

It’s easy for a vegetarian to get enough quality protein, by eating enough calories from a good variety of whole foods: whole grains, legumes, nuts & seeds, a little added oil, lots and lots of fruit and veggies, very little sugar and processed foods. Please read the article “How to Get Enough Protein in Your Vegetarian Diet”.

I repeat:It’s important to eat a high quality whole foods diet with a big variety of fresh foods, for optimum vegetarian health, with minimal supplementation, e.g. Vit D and B12 separately and possibly a one-a-day multi-vitamin. That’s according to the veg nutrition bible, Becoming Vegetarian, by Melina and Davis, and I also cover those basics in my Vegetarian Nutrition Report.

If possible, please consider consulting a veg-friendly dietitian or nutritionist for help designing the best diet for you. That’s a job that’s far beyond my qualifications!

Dr. Mirkin clearly connects exercise, sugar, insulin, diet and the development, progression and prevention of diabetes

Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates in Your Diet, from Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health E-Zine April 17, 2011

Exercise Helps to Prevent Diabetes

Sugar cannot enter resting muscles unless insulin is there to drive the sugar into muscles. However actively contacting muscles can draw sugar from the bloodstream without needing insulin. So during exercise, muscles can remove sugar from the bloodstream to prevent the extra sugar from damaging cells and being converted to fat. It also helps make insulin receptors on cells respond to insulin and push sugar into cells.

You Need to Exercise Every Day

Muscles draw sugar from the bloodstream without insulin only when they are actively contracting or lack oxygen and they can continue drawing sugar without insulin maximally for up to an hour after you finish exercising. They lose all ability to remove sugar without insulin 17 hours after you finish exercising. Since the sugar-lowering benefit of exercise lasts in muscles no more than 17 hours, you must exercise every day to retain this benefit.

The Highest Rises in Blood Sugar Come from Sugar in Drinks

All sugared drinks cause very high rises in blood sugar levels. Orange juice will cause the same high rise in blood sugar as sugared soft drinks. When food enters your stomach, the pyloric sphincter at the end of the stomach closes. Then solid food is converted to a liquid soup that is pumped into the intestines by stomach muscle contractions. An orange can stay in your stomach up to five hours, while orange juice passes immediately into your intestines where it is absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar.

Foods Made from Flour Also Cause High Rises in Blood Sugar

Grains are seeds of grasses. They have a thick capsule that is so tough that you have to cook them for at least an hour just to make them palatable. Blood sugar barely rises after you eat WHOLE grains. However when you grind whole grains into a powder, the flour that is formed can enter the bloodstream immediately to cause a high rise in blood sugar. So pastas and breads can cause high rises in blood sugar, even if they are made from whole grains.

Diabeteics Should Eat Fruits and Whole Grains, and So Should You

Fruits are full of sugar. However,diabetics who do not eat fruits do very poorly. Everyone should eat fruits and whole grains, even those who are overweight, diabetic, or have high cholesterol levels. Everyone should restrict sugared drinks and flour, particularly if they are overweight, diabetic or have heart problems.

Where Does Meat Fit into This Picture?

The saturated fat in red meat has been shown to block insulin receptors and raise blood sugar levels. The monounsaturated fats in fruits, whole grains and vegetables have been shown to unblock insulin receptor.

What’s the Best Way to Lower High Cholesterol?

The best way to lower cholesterol is to restrict calories. It is far more effective than restricting dietary fat and dietary cholesterol. If you ate nothing but fatty meat and reduced your calories by a third, your cholesterol would drop significantly. The cholesterol that you eat in meat, fish and chicken goes to your liver where it is broken down into 2-carbon units. If you do not have enough calories, these 2-carbon units are burned for energy. On the other hand, if you have lots of extra calories, the 2-carbon units are converted to cholesterol to raise your blood cholesterol level.

What is a Healthful Diet?

You can eat all the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts you want. You should restrict all refined carbohydrates made from flour and avoid sugared drinks, except when you are exercising. I believe that you should also avoid red meat.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

15 Satisfying Ways to Increase Calories & Nutrients at the Same Time:

• Add a small amount of flax or hemp seed oil to salad dressings or cooked cereals
• Add nuts and seeds - toasted or raw - to salads, stir fries, sauces, dips, and spreads
• Eat soaked nuts and seeds as snacks (a small handful a day)
• Add hemp milk or almond milk to cooked cereal, puddings or cream soups
• Saute your veggies in a little olive oil, or add a sauce or dressing to steamed veggies
• Eat avocados, bananas, yams, potatoes, and other high cal but healthy foods
• Eat bigger servings of whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, barley etc, bean dishes, hearty soups, sprouted breads & tortillas
• Eat dried fruit, soaked or in cereal or with stewed pears or apples or in puddings such as rice pudding
• Add a little coconut milk and curry powder to stir fried veggies (has saturated fat, but a little is actually good for you – if you’re trying to gain weight) or sauces
• Eat ground chia seeds or flax seeds in smoothies or cereals or sprinkled on or in things
• Add nutritional yeast to sauces, salad dressings, popcorn
• Eat hummus and nut butters with snacks or lunches
• Eat what feels good and satisfies your hunger
• Continue to eat 6 – 8 servings of fresh fruit and veggies daily along with the above foods
• Drink at least 2 quarts of water, and plenty of other fluids daily

A vegetarian diet is much healthier; it’s rich in fiber, vitamins, lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Surely, if we’re not distracted by meat dishes, we’ll be more likely to eat fresh fruits and veggies, right?

This is logical- but ‘logical’ doesn’t always mean ‘true’. Take my diet yesterday, for example:

BREAKFAST: Cookie Crisp cereal and soy milk
SNACK: 3 Quorn cocktail sausages
LUNCH: Cheese sandwich made with white bread (no salad), 3 more Quorn cocktail sausages (I swear they’ve got cocaine or something in them, they’re so addictive), 2 plain crackers
DINNER: 2 Quorn sausages (full size ones this time), 2 frozen potato waffles, small can of baked beans
LATE EVENING: Half a large bag of cheese puffs, half a bottle of vegetarian white wine and more milk chocolate than I want to admit to

Pretty terrible, huh? Everything I ate was vegetarian – but was there any fresh produce in there? No. Fiber? Not as much as there could have been.

According to Fitday, a website with a huge database of nutritional information for all kinds of foods, white bread contains 0.58g of fiber per ounce, compared with 2.2g per ounce in wholewheat bread.

Quorn is lean protein, as are beans, but cheese certainly isn’t. And white bread and potatoes just don’t do that lovely slow-release thing that whole grains do. And their vitamin content is inferior.

On top of that, I consumed more alcohol than the recommended daily amount for a woman, a load of saturated fat and sugar from the evening junk food binge, and I only had one snack (the late evening intake hardly qualifies as a snack!).

The wisdom of eating three snacks a day was given to me by a hospital dietitian and I know I function better when I follow this advice. So why do I, from time to time, have ‘bad nutrition days’ when even the thought of peeling a banana seems like too much effort?

For the same reasons as many meat-eaters: Tiredness, laziness, the inner rebel coming out to play, lack of time, a bad day at work…and the fact that processed, refined foods and alcohol taste good and can give us a short-term boost in mood.

Just because we’re veggies doesn’t mean we’re immune from making bad food choices – and just because it says ‘suitable for vegetarians’ on the label doesn’t mean it’s a healthy food.

This morning I find myself looking back at yesterday through the haze of my hangover and wondering if I’ve blown it.

Will that 7lb I lost since going vegetarian pile back on? Will any future fresh produce simply pass straight through me and leave behind no benefits at all in its rush to exit my cholesterol-clogged obese body?

Or was yesterday just one day – an anomaly that will be corrected through continued good nutrition for at least the majority of the time? For the sake of my own peace of mind, I’m going to assume that the answer is ‘yes’. Many nutritionists and health fanatics might disagree with me.

They might point out that one should NEVER eat chocolate or drink wine, and that a pure and perfect diet is the only way to achieve that nebulous goal of ‘good health’.

I say that ideally people would never put these things into their bodies, but humans aren’t just machines using food for fuel. We are sensuous, hedonistic, unpredictable, whimsy-driven souls, free-thinking and strong-willed beings. On being told that we ‘must’ do this or that, we encounter a sometimes irresistible urge to do the exact opposite.

In my case, there are no pre-existing health conditions that could be aggravated by certain foods , and I don’t eat like this most of the time (this was one day in maybe 20 for me).

Why not just accept that rules are being relaxed for a time, enjoy the food and drink, chalk it up to experience and then get back on course as soon as possible?

Why would we NOT want to look after ourselves by choosing to eat healthy? It’s simply not sensible. And yet, I’m nowhere near accepting it without question.

Correct thinking, like correct nutrition and good health, is a journey rather than a destination. For those of you on the same path, I hope that my experience will encourage you to take heart, and continue on your vegetarian journey without feeling guilty about occasional lapses.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author Vicki (Vix) Chamberlain lives in the vegetarian mecca of Brighton, England, with her husband and two home schooled children. She studies English at the Open University and works part-time.  Vix has been both meat free and dairy free – but never at the same time! Her most recent post is Pro-Choice Vegetarian: I Don’t Care What’s On Your Plate

Vicki has just self-published her first novel for Amazon Kindle -  a confessional-style novel about a young woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Question for Savvy Vegetarian:

Hi – I have been a vegetarian all my life. Recently I have been to my naturopath who has put me on my blood type diet. Thankfully this wasn’t a huge change in my diet as I’m type A, however I’m not doing so well as I’m constantly craving sugar and finding I need more energy.

About a year ago my blood test results indicated that I’m B12 deficient so i have been taking supplements and increasing fish and green veg in my diet I was having shots but haven’t had one for quite some time.

I find myself having coffee every morning and ready for a sleep at midday then at around 2pm I’m reaching for sugar and chocolate. For brekky I’m having a bowl of muesli with nuts etc and soy milk and I’m not finding that I’m hungry until 1pm but because I’m so tired at midday i eat my lunch tuna and salad or left over dinner.

My Naturopath has advised that I should eat more protein and include snacking on nuts. However I did this for a while and it appeared to work but now I cant stand to eat any nuts.

Can you suggest anything that I can do to stop the sugar cravings and increase my energy levels?

Kind regards, C. B.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

I’m far from expert on blood type diets, but from everything I’ve read, I get the impression that they aren’t really meant for vegetarians. I wondered if that’s why you’re eating fish, when you’ve been vegetarian all your life.

I’m not a nutritionist or dietitian, and I don’t want to contradict your doctor. But I’m happy to share a few thoughts on vegetarian nutrition -to follow up or not - as you think best.

It could be a good idea to have your B12 levels re-tested, along with iron, folate, Vit D & blood sugar levels. It can take quite a while – a year or more – to recover from a B12 deficiency, and it needs to be monitored regularly. And you could have some other undiagnosed deficiency or condition. So get yourself thoroughly checked out.

It’s not normal for your energy levels to be so low, and I know from personal experience, sugar and chocolate don’t help. You get a temporary boost, but then you crash, weakening your immune system & digestion, messing up your blood sugar levels, getting headaches, digestive upsets etc.

Maybe you need a wider range of foods to satisfy your nutritional needs. I recommend reading the excellent book, Becoming Vegetarian by Melina & Davis, for sound information on vegetarian nutrition.

It could be that you need more calories in your diet to maintain your body and your daily activities. I’m not saying you need 2000 calories a day, as recommended in the standard nutrition guidelines. But you could keep a calorie count for a week or two to see if you’re getting a reasonable amount. If it seems low, eat more and see if that helps your energy.

I understand getting tired of eating one kind of food a lot. BUT – nuts are packed with nutrition – good fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, and a little goes a long way. Eat a variety of nuts in small amounts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, hazelnuts etc - and seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame. Try creative ways to eat them: ground up in sauces,  puddings, or smoothies, in salads and stir fries, spreads, on or in cereal or breakfast cookies.

According to Ayurveda, digestion is at it’s peak at mid-day, and lunch should be your main large meal for maximum nutritional benefits. Include lots of veg, whole grains and legumes and other foods (like nuts) to give you all 6 tastes - sweet (grains), salty, pungent (e.g. ginger, pepper), sour, (e.g. lemon or yogurt), bitter (greens) and astringent (legumes).

Eat lunch or any meal when you’re hungry, but before your energy level is down around your ankles, maybe have your meals a bit closer together, to help keep your energy up.

If you need a snack, whole grain + protein is a good bet. Fresh fruit and a handful of nuts will give you energy, plus vital nutrients, without the blood sugar crash. If you’re sick of nuts, try sprouted grain bread or crackers with pesto or hummus.

Carbs from whole grains are important energy sources, because they digest slowly, maintaining even blood sugar levels over a number of hours. That’s why your breakfast sustains you so well. Give lunch & supper the same opportunity.

I don’t know if legumes are an option on your diet, but for vegetarians, they are a major source of protein, vitamins & minerals, such as iron, and should be eaten every day, with whole grains.

More information on vegetarian nutrition:

Getting Enough Vitamin B12

Healthy Vegetarian Protein Foods

Iron and Vegetarian Diet

Minerals Nutrition

 Q & A on Vitamin D

Savvy Vegetarian Nutrition Report

All the best, Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables – From Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s Fitness and Health E-Zine February 6, 2011

“Increasing fruit and vegetable intake from five to eight servings a day prevents heart attacks and prolongs life. For every additional serving above two per day, there is a four percent decrease in the rate of heart disease deaths (European Heart Journal, January 18, 2011).

Not eating enough fruits and vegetables is a major risk factor, in itself, for heart attacks and premature death. Eight servings a day of fruits and vegetables will weigh approximately one and a half pounds.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture have just released a report recommending that Americans eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free milk, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, nuts and seeds; restrict salt, refined sugars, fats, and refined grains.”

The above quote from Dr. Mirkin rang a lot of Savvy Vegetarian bells and a few sirens went off too:

It was mind boggling to me that anyone could eat only TWO servings of fruits and vegetables per day. In many cases that would be a side of fries and burger fixings, which I’m not sure even counts as 2 servings. So I looked at some facts and figures on the cost of food, and it’s not surprising that most people don’t eat much fruit and veg.

1.  What would 1 1/2 lb, or 8 servings, of fruit and veg look like? And cost? Here’s a rough estimate, based on our grocery bills for the last month: 1 organic banana: $0.50,  1 organic apple: $0.75, handful of raisins:  $0.25, 1 carrot: $0.25, 1 cup chopped organic broccoli: $0.50, 1/2 cup frozen peas: $0.25, 1 cup chopped kale: $0.25, 1 cup chopped butternut squash: $0.50

2. 1 1/2 lb of fruit and vegetables per day for each adult in our house averages around $3.25 . That’s $97.50 per month to reduce your heart attack risk by 24%.  Some people might think that’s a lot of money to spend on vegetables and fruit, but to me it looks like cheap health insurance, especially if you also substitute less expensive legumes for meat.

3. What effect could reducing your meat intake have on your heart attack risk? The answer came from a long-term study of 85,000 female nurses at Harvard School of Public Health: swapping one serving of red meat per day for one serving of beans lowers a woman’s long-term heart-disease risk by about 33%.

4. Replacing a daily serving of red meat with one of several other foods — including nuts (30 percent), fish (24 percent), chicken or other poultry (19 percent), and low-fat dairy (13 percent) — will also reduce heart-disease risk, the study found.

5.  For our household of vegetarians and vegans, fruit and vegetables are our single biggest food expense, at least 1/2 of our monthly food budget. According to the USDA, an average family of four could expect to spend $954.50 per month on groceries. The USDA assumes that the family cooks all their own food, which isn’t that common. Anyway, if that pretend family ate 8 servings of fruit & veg a day, at a cost of $390 per month, that leaves $560 to spend on the rest of their food.

6. According to the USDA, 1 1/2 lb of meat, poultry or fish costs about 50% more than 1 1/2 lb of fruit and vegetables, so if the family of four ate that much every day, it would cost them $585 per month. Chances are good that they can’t afford to eat 8 servings a day of fruit and vegetables, organic or otherwise – not even if they never eat out, never eat expensive processed food, and budget extremely carefully. I wonder how many families with 2 working parents and a couple of kids do all that on a regular basis?

Here’s my conclusion: Eating much less expensive legumes and whole grains instead of animal products will save you enough money to eat 8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, with enough cash left over for a handful of nuts and seeds. It will also significantly improve your nutrition, overall well-being, and lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other health problems, so you’ll save on health costs too. Of course, if you can cook at home, and pack homemade lunches – all the better.

More About Eating Vegetables:

Get Your Kids to Eat More Vegetables and Love It

Eight Ways to Get Your Family to Eat Vegetables

Savvy Vegetarian Vegetable Recipes

Vegetable Nutrition Facts

Questions About Vitamin B12:

I see that the Vitamin B-12 RDA is 2.4 mcg and the Daily Value for B- 12  is  6 mcg, and some vegan sources say take 10 mcg in a supplement.

Then I see the NIH site has this information regarding B-12: “… only about 10 mcg of a 500 mcg oral supplement is actually absorbed in healthy people…”.  I do not want to take a mega dose that I find in supplements, but I wonder, do you have to in order to absorb the small amount needed?

Centrum brand multivitamins has 25 mcg of B -12. Is  that enough to get absorbed?

What about eating actual food that has 3.4 mcg to 6 mcg, can you assume you are absorbing the RDA amount?

I saw on a vegan site you could take 10 mcg as a supplement . Is that enough to be absorbed? – A.J.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Hi A.J. It’s all a bit murky what dosage of B12 is best, and there are a few factors which come into play. Probably you’d be fine with the 25 mcg Centrum supplement if that’s the one you want to take, but of course, I can’t guarantee that.

To clear up any confusion, and set your mind at rest about B12, here are the facts according to my limited understanding (see medical disclaimer below):

10 Vitamin B12 Basics:

1. Your body will harmlessly excrete whatever Vitamin B12 it doesn’t use from supplements. And you pay about as much for a high dose as for a low dose. So the exact dosage isn’t so important.

2. Our bodies can store Vitamin B12, for various lengths of time, depending on age, physical condition and other factors. But it’s best not to rely on that. At times of high stress, illness, pregnancy etc, the body’s stores of B12 can be used up very quickly.

3. I’m not sure why almost all of the Vitamin B12 supplements have huge doses. It could be that it’s difficult to package tiny doses which aren’t enough to fit on the head of a pin, but I doubt that.

4. It’s possible that massive doses of Vitamin B12 are meant as insurance that you’ll absorb what you need, but I’m sceptical about that too.

5. The RDA’s for all vitamins and minerals are set high for safety’s sake. 10 mcg of B12 is about 4 times what your body actually needs to use on average, per day.

6. Critical factors in B12 absorption are the presence of an enzyme called intrinsic factor in the intestines, and villi, tiny hairs in the intestinal walls. Even if you take in large amounts of B12 in your food, or supplements, if you can’t absorb it well, you may still become deficient. That’s more common in people over 50, but it’s a good idea for everybody, not just vegetarians or vegans, to get B12 levels tested with every physical checkup.

7. One of the best ways to get B12 is in animal products where it comes with the food (grows on it, actually). Other good sources for vegans, are B12 enriched foods such as non-dairy milk and yogurt, and nutritional yeast. Read labels before you buy to make sure that Vitamin B12 is included in enriched foods.

8. If you feel you need to take a separate B12 supplement, or your health professional recommends it, the best form is sublinglual tabs or spray of Methylcobalamin B12 (better absorbed than Cobalamin, which the body must first convert to Methylcobalamin).

9. Take a B12 supplement at least several times a week in addition to the other sources in your diet, preferably with food.

10. It’s better to be safe than sorry, because a Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, nerve damage and so on. Experts on vegan nutrition, such as Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis (co-authors of the nutrition reference book Becoming Vegetarian), recommend regular B12 supplements for vegetarians and vegans.

Medical Disclaimer: Any changes that you make to your diet, and the results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. I do not claim to be a health care professional, dietitian, or nutritionist. Savvy Vegetarian does not treat, or recommend treatment, for any illness or health condition – Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

More Vitamin B12 Facts:

Vegetarians & Vegans, Are You Getting Enough Vitamin B12?
Is Your Brain B12 Deficient?

Deep down, everybody knows that vegetables are healthy, and we should eat them. But many people just don’t like veggies, or eat them much. That’s often as true for vegetarians as for meat eaters.

Why? We’ve thought about it a lot, and here’s how we see it:

7 Reasons Why People Don’t Eat Their Veggies

1. People grow up eating overcooked, tasteless, frozen or canned vegetables - mostly potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, maybe an anemic salad once in a while, or just lettuce & tomato on burgers with a side of fries. It’s not surprising that they don’t love their veggies!

2. People often don’t know how to prepare or cook vegetables so that they look and taste delicious. They haven’t ever eaten a majority of vegetables in the grocery store, and often don’t even know the names.

3. We aren’t taught nutrition in school, and very few of us know exactly how nutritious vegetables are, how essential they are to every bodily function, and how much they contribute to glowing good health.

4. Vegetable nutrition has declined dramatically, because of industrial agriculture, and shipping food 2000 miles or more to market. Veggies often don’t look or taste very appealing – unless they’re organic and even better, local and in season. It’s hard to imagine, but less than 100 years ago, all vegetables in the US were local & grown organically by default.

5. Veggies are expensive, especially organic veggies. The government heavily subsidizes industrialized commodity crops like corn and soy for animal feeds and the production of cheap junk food. The most nutritious foods – fruit and vegetables – aren’t subsidized and we pay full price for them. If veggies were subsidized instead of meat, a lot more people would eat vegetables!

6. If you have a tight food budget, you tend to go for calories first and nutrition last, even though it’s a false economy in the long run. Fortunately there are ways around that problem, especially if you go vegetarian. Bottom line – you get a lot more nutrition for your buck from veggies, grains and beans – and they fill you up nicely.

7. We’ve been brainwashed into believing that meat and dairy are the most nutritionally essential foods. Even after going vegetarian, we still want to believe that. We feel nervous about our protein intake on a vegetarian diet, and want to focus on eating high protein foods like tofu, and other forms of soy protein.

10 Ways to Love Your Veggies and Eat Them Too:

 
Clever Moms have lots of tricks to get kids to eat their veggies. Amazingly, most of those tricks work just as well for grown-ups! Pretend you’re a kid and try these tips from super-veggie-moms Cathe Olsen and Sarah Kingsbury:

1. Start with familiar vegetables you know you like, and work up to those you rejected forever in childhood – like Brussels sprouts and parsnips.

2. Dip or Top Your Veggies: Which would you rather eat? Plain steamed broccoli or broccoli covered with melted cheese? Plain raw cauliflower or cauliflower dipped in ranch dressing? Use hummus, salad dressing, cream cheese, peanut or almond butter, tahini, yogurt, mayonnaise, or ricotta cheese, for dipping veggies.

3. Can’t face chunks of vegetables in your soup? Puree it in a blender or food processor. Try blending your favorite vegetable or bean soups. Try some of Savvy Vegetarian’s easy cream of vegetable soups – delicious, comforting, and you can drink them from a cup!

4. Camouflage Them: Add veggies to breads, cakes, muffins, lasagna, rice, pizza, quiche, scrambled egg or tofu.

5. Vegetables in Smoothies? You won’t even taste them. Try this combination – I call it the Everything Smoothie: Place 1 1/2 cups apple juice, 1/2 apple (cored and sliced), 1/2 orange (peeled), 1/2 raw sweet potato or 1 carrot (sliced), 1/4 cup chopped kale or cabbage, 1 banana. Puree together. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

6. Salad Them: A good way to get leafy greens into your diet is to add the milder baby versions of spinach, kale, or chard to a salad. Experiment with shredded carrots, beets, green and purple cabbage, chopped cucumbers, avocados, radish, tomatoes, basil, parsley. Add olives, feta cheese, raisins, dried cranberries, apples, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, or toasted sesame seeds for extra crunch & taste sensations.

7. Juice Your Veggies. Ever had carrot juice? Yummo! Add a little cucumber, celery, apple, pear, ginger, or kale for a taste twist. Sky’s the limit on juicing!

8. Buy a good sharp chef’s knife, learn to use it. Chopping veggies is only a chore when you take all day to do it using a dull paring knife. With a chef’s knife, chopping veggies is fun, fast, and sure to impress your friends and family.

9. Buy frozen veggies and add them to anything. Not 100% ideal, but far preferable to NOT eating your veggies. Beside, veggies are frozen fresh from the fields at their nutritional peak, so often they are more nutritious than week old veggies shipped 2000+ miles. Be sure not to overcook – frozen veg take 2 – 5 minutes to cook.

10. Go on a Veggie Adventure: Once a week, or once a month, whatever works for you – buy a vegetable you’ve never eaten, and maybe don’t even know the name, look for recipes you’ve never made, which include that veggie, and try it out. Farmers markets are a great place to encounter new vegetables, and the vendors often can give you cooking tips.

Find Out What Veggies Can Do For Your Body – Get Your Vegetable Nutrition Facts

Check out Savvy Vegetarian’s vegetable recipes, veggie rich soup recipes, grain recipes, and salad recipes for delicious, easy ways to eat your veggies