Food guides in general are useful in teaching, but the average person will not pay much heed to them unless he can be educated to do so. The vegetarian tribes of the world also do extremely well without the use of dietary charts and lists of recommended daily allowances (RDA). The diets that have been established in these tribes have, however, arisen over time and have been practised for generations, whereas Western societies must rediscover simple wholesome eating practices. Moreover, there are so many so-called health foods and metaphysically inspired health notions, that the health-food industry has become a veritable minefield of misinformation. Under these circumstances it is prudent to make a thorough investigation of the issue, and not to avoid the voice of science.
In general the Western societies adhere to the Basic-Four nutritional guide which correlates adequate nutrition with regular intake of the four basic food types: Dairy products, breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables and meat. It is interesting that even this Basic-Four Food Guide was found to be lacking in vitamin E, vitamin B-6, magnesium, zinc and iron.10 In the past, these four food groups were depicted as of equal importance, and the plate was divided into four quarters each with one of these food groups. This Basic-Four diet has recently come under attack from health circles, but intensive lobbying by the meat and dairy industry have managed to keep it at least partially afloat in the minds of the general public. In the past American school children were taught that a healthy diet included meat every day, but now the US government has recognised that a vegetarian diet can be healthy. In 1992 the USDA issued a revised recommendation in which the “food pyramid” was used for the first time. It was now suggested that grains and cereals form the bulk of the diet, vegetables and fruits were suggested as next in importance followed by animal product and finally fats, oils and sugars which were to be used sparingly. The 1996 guidelines are a further advance on this, and the
inclusion of vegetarianism as a healthy alternative may almost be considered bold. The 1996 guidelines state “ Most vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs and, as a group, these lacto-ovo-vegetarians enjoy excellent health”. The guidelines, however still warn against a strict vegan diet and supplementation of iron, zinc, and B-vitamins is suggested.11 The change of heart comes from an overwhelming body of evidence that the consumption of animal products is a health risk, and it can be expected that more changes in lifestyle will be recommended in the future. Already, Michael Jacobson, executive director of the “Centre for Science in the Public Interest” criticized the US government for not coming out more strongly against meat in the 1996 guidelines.11 Vegan vegetarians need different guidelines to those commonly accepted in Western societies, and they need to plan their eating regimes carefully, nevertheless a balanced vegan lifestyle is not only possible, but can indeed be desirable in terms of health.
Ovo-lacto- and lacto-vegetarians have less of a problem in meeting caloric needs than do vegan vegetarians, and that is why the safety of lacto-ovo-vegetarian eating patterns is normally emphasized in dietetic recommendations, whilst specialized dietary planning is recommended for vegan type diets.6,12 The energy component of ovo-lacto-vegetarian diets is boosted by the animal fats included in these diets and are therefore not to be regarded as a positive aspect of these diets. Vegan vegetarians must plan diets that will compensate for the omission of dairy products, by ensuring that they include adequate quantities of high energy foods in their diets, which must also meet all the other basic needs of the body. Provided this is done, it has been shown that a vegan diet can provide all the body’s needs and can be followed without fear. A number of suggested vegan diet patterns have been analysed, and it was found that the diet suggested by Selma Chaij-Rhys came closest to satisfying daily nutritional needs of adults.7,16 In addition this diet uses a simple numerical formula and starts off by using grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables, and adds vegetable-protein foods fortified with vitamin B-12, such as fortified soy milk or simply a B-12 supplement. The numerical formula used in this diet guide is the 1-2-3-4-5 pattern, to help the user remember the number of servings to be used in each food category per day (Table 5.1).
Table 5.1. Chaij-Rhys diet plan for adult vegans. (From ref. 6 and 13)
This eating pattern will supply more than double the RDA of iron, particularly as the high vitamin C content will enhance the utilization and absorption of non-haem iron.14 Riboflavin and niacin needs are also met. The pattern, however, falls short in protein and energy, particularly in men, but the use of a larger serving size would help to bridge the energy gap. In women the Chaij-Rhys diet plan will supply adequate nutrition in all the nutrients with the exception of calories. Again a somewhat larger serving will cater for all the needs, including energy needs.
To satisfy protein needs, correct food combinations are essential, as various plant-protein sources complement one another. This issue will be discussed more fully in chapter 7, but an example can be given here to illustrate the point. Legumes are high in lysine but low in the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine, and the combination of legumes with grains, which are high in methionine and threonine and low in lysine, will provide an excellent protein.15 To achieve a proper amino-acid balance is thus not nearly as complicated as it sounds, and the ordinary peanut butter sandwich will supply complete proteins as it is a combination of a grain (wheat) and a legume (peanuts).