Health Education: vegetarian

Does vegetarian = low calorie?

If you are considering a meat free diet specifically to reduce the number of calories you consume, this post is for you.    There are several reasons why national dietary guidelines, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association recommend that  <ol><li>red meat be limited(this includes pork no matter what you tell yourself), </li><li>processed meat be avoided or extremely restricted (this includes all lunch meats, bacon, sausage) and </li><li>a plant based diet be chosen (lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains).</li></ol>    Two words in the start of that sentence explain the dietary advice, heart and cancer.  Evidence suggests that saturated fat in red meats may lead to high blood cholesterol and thickening or hardening of the arteries, and that processed meat increases the risk of colon cancer.  Fruits, vegetables and the fiber from whole grains has been shown to reduce the same problems or diseases.   Meats also have more calories per gram than plant based items and limiting them can make it easier to consume fewer calories. However, this is only true when all things are equal- (and they never are - equal). Look at the table below, which I created using Jimmy John's gourmet sandwiches - this is a list of the seven 8" sub sandwiches on their menu.  I put them in order from least to most calories per sandwich. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLdiZkwXiApn9fhmd6ICK1cuFhmlEd0_C9MGGbs8lZg_O6ZHb7IKLbYtz6OE7gRtquzN1HvA-si4eAAEpl-RlBbooeBiPIcuM_ivN6ggioPL6rfkdBdK0C8hi-K9-q4W_Je57ZRkIqWDL/s1600/JJs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLdiZkwXiApn9fhmd6ICK1cuFhmlEd0_C9MGGbs8lZg_O6ZHb7IKLbYtz6OE7gRtquzN1HvA-si4eAAEpl-RlBbooeBiPIcuM_ivN6ggioPL6rfkdBdK0C8hi-K9-q4W_Je57ZRkIqWDL/s400/JJs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.jimmyjohns.com/menu/#/subs/" target="_blank">JJs 8" sub sandwiches </a></td></tr></tbody></table> As you can see, the vegetarian sandwich has the most saturated fat and nearly the most calories.  All of the sandwiches, with the exception of the Vito, which is made with Italian lunch meats and an oil and vinegar, contain MAYONNAISE.  I can tell you how the vegetarian sandwich ended up to be so high in calories, but first note that all the sandwiches are a significant source of calories because of the bread - a salad would be a better choice (if not loaded with a mayonnaise based dressing).  The vegetarian option is described on the menu as having 'layers of provolone cheese and an avocado spread,' plus the mayonnaise and a few veggies for a grand total of 640 calories! The cheese, avocado and mayonnaise are the main source of calories, followed by the bread - I suspect.  A more reasonable lunch would have 400 calories, and mine usually have 100 or 200 because I eat small meals often. All food has the potential to be high in calories and nutrients that are harmful in excess (i.e., saturated fat, sugar, sodium). In order to make sure that when you intend to eat a low calorie meal you actually do, read the menu labels, ask the restaurant staff to hold things like mayo, ask if butter is used on the 'steamed' vegetables and consider skipping butters, breading and sauces when preparing food for yourself. BTW, this post was inspired by a meeting I am going to next week.  We were given these 7 options to choose from for our lunch.  I replied to the host that I would be bringing my own lunch.   (That's right.  It doesn't matter that the lunch is free - it doesn't matter if everyone else is going to order from that menu - what matters it what I need for my body and my health.  Surely you feel as interested in your health as I do mine.  Be brave and remember not to eat to please others but to fuel your body - while enjoying the choices you make.)

Does vegetarian = low calorie?

If you are considering a meat free diet specifically to reduce the number of calories you consume, this post is for you. There are sev...

7:34 PM

Red Meat Afoul Again?

The recent research suggesting a link between a chemical found in red meat and adverse health is important.  It should be considered in much the same way as research that suggests saturated fat is a health risk.  Something is going on and it makes sense to eat less red meat if you are currently eating it more than say... 3x a week.  Some, like me, may choose to not eat it at all.   I am a vegetarian, so to speak, as I eat fish.      When studying red meat consumption and health, the comparison group is often vegetarians or vegans.  Therefore, what science has not concluded is if there is something else about people who are vegetarians, or something else about the vegetarian diet that is protective for health.    For example, if a vegetarian and a meat eater are both eating 1600 calories a day, meat eaters have to be eating less of something that vegetarians are eating more of.  Current theory is that the fiber rich diet of vegetarians may be a key factor.    In addition, studies often look at dose.  Vegetarians who eat no red meat at all are at one end of the continuum and heavy meat eaters who consume 3 or more servings each day are at the other.  In either case, as the red meat consumption goes up, so does the chemical and the sat fat content, but something also goes down.  It is likely that both conditions - too much of one thing and too little of the other(whatever the other is) is causing the health risk.  With that thought, there will surely be a difference in outcome based on what replaces the red meat in a person's diet.  These are things we have to study more.   Bottom line.  There is reason to believe that we can eat too much red meat and "too much" depends on who you ask.  It is reasonable to replace some of your red meat with lean proteins and some types of fish, like salmon.  On an individual level, meaning your diet, direction should come from a licensed dietician.

Red Meat Afoul Again?

The recent research suggesti ng a link between a chem ical found in red meat and adverse health is important. It should be considered ...

7:14 PM

all produce is not equal

For this post I want to share with you the calorie count of some fruits and vegetables. The information was obtained from the USDA nutrient data base. <a href="http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/">http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/</a> Each item is of the same weight, 100 grams, which is below the usual serving size for most of these items and far below the size many people actually consume. So this is not a list of calories for a piece of fruit or a serving of broccoli but a comparison of energy density. You can determine the amount of calories in a serving of food by using the above link. This is also NOT a tool to denote a food as good or bad. This is an exercise in awareness. Be aware that not all fruits and vegetables are equal. Remember too, that Dr. Walter Willett encourages more vegetables per day than fruits. A variety of foods is best, and yes, it would be wise to not always choose the highest calorie ones. All of these foods are fresh and do not have anything added to them. The amount is 100 grams. All foods are uncooked except the black beans and lentils. Remember this is the amount of calories for that food at the 100 g serving size. Most of these items are eaten at 150 to 200 gram sizes. I did list them from least to most calorie dense. Do remember though, this is by weight and some things are heavy, i.e. watermelon and some are very light, i.e. mushrooms. The veggie list should give you good ideas for volumetric meals. Also, today I uploaded a full day food diary on You Tube... which shows you all the food I ate on a recent Saturday. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760kHgpLUL4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760kHgpLUL4</a> Fruits Watermelon 30 Strawberry 32 Cantaloupe 34 Honey dew 36 Peach 40 Orange 46 Plum 46 Apricot 48 Pineapple 50 Apple 52 Raspberry 52 Blueberry 57 Pear 58 Kiwi 61 Sweet cherry 63 Mango 65 Grapes 69 Banana 89 Vegetables Summer squash 16 Tomato 18 Bell Peppers 20-30 Mushroom 22 Eggplant 24 Greens 26 Broccoli 30 Spaghetti squash 31 Green beans 31 Carrots 41 Butternut squash 45 Onion 40 Potato 69 Peas 81 Corn 86 Sweet potato 86 Lentils (cooked) 116 Black beans (cooked) 132

all produce is not equal

For this post I want to share with you the calorie count of some fruits and vegetables. The information was obtained from the USDA nutrient...

5:48 PM

Health Education

Does vegetarian = low calorie?

Red Meat Afoul Again?

all produce is not equal

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