By Mariah Stewart, Loch Raven High School, Baltimore, MD

People all over the world are gravitating toward vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, but withthis new lifestyle comes one major concern—health. To start, strict vegetarians and/or vegans are people who do not consume any product made from or by an animal. There are different types of vegetarianism in which people do consume certain animal products like dairy and eggs. Now, some are hesitant about going veg because of health issues, which leads us to…

• Myth number one: “Vegetarians don’t get enough protein!”
  The truth is that more people are at risk for consuming too much protein than they are at risk for having too little. According to PCRM.org, Americans eat about twice the amount of the daily recommended protein, which can lead to heart disease! Still some may wonder where exactly can vegans and vegetarians get their protein.Well protein is in just about everything. English teacher and known vegetarian Mrs.McQuillan recommends combining complimentary proteins together like Quinoa or rice with beans.

• Myth number two: “Every vegan or vegetarian is healthy!”
  No matter what a person’s diet is, if done incorrectly it can and will become unhealthy. For example, a vegetarian or vegan does not eat meat, but if instead they just eat bunchesof junk food like candy, pizza, and soda they are not healthy. This rule applies for all kinds of diets. Our principle, Mrs. Lambert, recommended following“G-bomb: Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds/nuts.” She believes following this will lead to a healthier lifestyle, vegetarian or not.

• Myth number three: “Being vegetarian is expensive!!”
  The money issue is yet another reason why people are hesitant about changing diets and lifestyles; however, being veg is actually cheaper than having a diet that includes eating meat—being an omnivore. The reason people assume this is because faux meat products like faux meat Chik’n patties and Veggie Dogs can be pricey but it’srecommended not to over eat those products anyway because of sodium. The ideal veg diet includes mostly vegetables and proteins coming from grains and beans; so if done correctly, being veg is less expensive. “Meat accounts for 10 percent of Americans food spending. Eating vegetables, grains and fruits inplace of the 200 pounds of beef, chicken and fish each non-vegetarian eats annually would cut individual food bills by an average of $4,000 a year”, according to Vegetariantimes.com.

With these veg myths busted, going vegan or vegetarian may or may seem more appealing. Just remember that no matter what a person’s diet is, incorporating more vegetables and less junk can lead to a healthy lifestyle overall.