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Vegging out

Treasure Coast vegetarians talk turkey and tofu about their beef with meat

By Rachel Harris staff writer, July 12, 2003

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It's not as though Tiffany Gibert opposes fake meat. A lot of it is really quite good, she concedes.

"But some of it -- it almost tastes too real," says the 17-year-old Gibert, her eyes narrowed as she picks at a tofu sushi roll.

Suddenly her cheeks flush and a tiny giggle escapes her mouth as her sister jumps at the chance to tease.

"How would you know?" says Jasmine, 19. "You've never had real meat."

For the Vero Beach sisters and daughters of vegetarians Jose and Trudi Gibert, it's hardly a matter worth mention.

"Mom and Dad just said, 'We don't eat animals,'" explains Tiffany of growing up vegetarian.

No McDonald's.

No pepperoni pizza.

No big deal?

"Not really," Tiffany Gibert says. "And once I started reading more about vegetarianism, it just made sense."

According to the American Dietetic Association, she's not alone: More than 30 million Americans have tried some form of vegetarianism, whether it's cutting out meat and fish (lacto-ovo) or forsaking anything made from animal parts (vegan).

And many of those who have forsaken steak for spinach are under 30. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, one in four teens now considers vegetarianism cool. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says that one in five college students follows a vegetarian diet.

But the ranks are swelling to include some unlikely vegetarians, too -- like Port St. Lucie resident Marillyn George, 62, who didn't ditch meat until she was middle-aged, and 38-year-old Bobby Guttridge, a self-confessed "meat and potatoes guy."

"I don't even like vegetables," says Guttridge, a Vero Beach resident. But he hasn't had beef in 15 years.

"I eat nothing with a face," he says. "It's just something I don't feel comfortable doing."

Making the switch

When her niece ditched meat more than 20 years ago, Marillyn George thought she was nuts. Then she saw the book "Diet for a New America."

In the ubiquitous "vegetarian bible," author John Robbins writes that Americans consume only 10 percent of the country's grain and soybeans. Cattle consume the rest -- enough to feed "over five times the entire human population of the country."

"When I heard that, I was shocked," George says. Suddenly, becoming a lacto-ovo vegetarian wasn't so hard.

Bobby Guttridge's wife, Laura, agrees.

"Think about all the land used for grazing cattle, and erosion, and all kinds of problems that come with it," she says. "If you used the land for growing vegetables instead of just feeding cattle, you'd eliminate a step right there. You could solve world hunger."

And end animal suffering, says Palm City resident Susan Beattie. For her, the decision was a no-brainer.

"If you take care of animals, you don't want to eat them," says the director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Refuge Center, in Palm City.

Lou Shlaufman, 75, took a bit longer to make the switch. The Vero Beach resident watched all five of his daughters become vegetarians in their teens. Reading books on farming practices sealed the deal about 20 years ago.

These days Schlaufman eats no chicken, no turkey. No beef or pork. He won't have dairy, except cheese in a Greek salad. For cereal he uses soy milk, but at breakfast he usually eats oatmeal, or sometimes an egg, but only once or twice a week.

"Now that we're into the factory farm method of processing our pork and beef and chicken . . the animals sometimes don't even see the sunlight," says Schlaufman. "There's no pasture anymore, no farmyard. That's just a mythology of our imagination."

A matter of might

Another myth is that cutting out meat is all there is to being vegetarian. But for many meat-chomping converts, going vegetarian means going the extra mile -- finding other sources of protein and avoiding carbohydrate-overload, which can lead to weight gain.

"Vegetarians want to stick with complex carbohydrates, found in fresh fruits and vegetables," says Jennifer Licata, chief clinical dietitian for St. Lucie Medical Center. "If they're cutting out dairy, there are lots of calcium-fortified products, like calcium-fortified orange juice and TUMS."

Increasingly, doctors and dietitians acknowledge that calcium and other nutrients can come from foods outside the traditional American diet.

"People in Asia, where there are few cows, have virtually no osteoporosis," says Licata. "They rely on dark, leafy vegetables."

But it may be the continued popularity of the high-protein Atkins diet that raises the most daunting dilemma of a vegetarian diet: finding protein without meat.

"Really, it's not that hard," says Tampa-based dietitian Cynthia Sass, who specializes in vegetarian diets. "There is nothing in meat and dairy that...we can't find in another food."

Soy, for instance, is a complete protein, boasting a high amount of all high-level amino acids, which help distribute energy. But unlike meat, soy has no cholesterol and little, if any, fat.

When it comes to health, Sass says, cutting down on meat seems to have a bevy of benefits. The American Council on Health and Science found that rates of death and chronic disease among vegetarians are considerably lower than among meat-eaters.

But whether diet is the sole factor is debatable: Researchers point out that many vegetarians are health-conscious in general, exercising more than the average person, keeping their weight down and choosing not to smoke. And vegetarianism is not without its critics.

Although the American Council on Health and Science cites certain benefits, it stops short of advocating a meat-free diet and dismisses claims that vegetarianism can significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer or osteoporosis.

Clinical nutritionist Nancy Leonard of Jensen Beach goes so far as to say vegetarianism might actually be unhealthy for certain people.

"All food is good," says Leonard, who believes blood and hair samples are the most accurate diet directives for individuals. "It depends on your blood type to know if it's good for you."

Licata offers a simple solution to those thinking of going vegetarian: Talk to a dietitian.

Life without meat

But doesn't cutting out meat and dairy mean cutting out good food?

"Ten years ago, we were really limited," Bobby Guttridge concedes. "But the food over the years has gotten substantially better."

And finding vegetarian selections at restaurants has become easier: Already, Burger King has added to its menu the "BK Veggie Burger," and McDonald's is testing its own version in California markets.

Grocery stores are increasingly stocking meat substitutes, most notably the Morningstar Farms brand, maker of 25 all-veggie foods such as "Chik Patties," vegetarian corn dogs and several types of veggie burgers.

"The (imitation) hot dogs are wonderful," says Jose Gibert, 43. "I realized that what I loved about hot dogs was the condiments anyway: the mustard, the relish."

After a while, you don't even miss meat and dairy products, says Schlaufman.

Ice cream?

"It doesn't even taste good to me," he says. "You lose your perspective, I think. Your taste buds adapt."

- rachel.harris~scripps.com

Very Veggie Glossary:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: This diet includes eggs, milk and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, but no red meat, fish or poultry.

• Lacto-vegetarian: Milk and dairy products are allowed, but not eggs, meat, fish or poultry.

• Vegan: This diet includes only plant sources. Foods made with animal sources, such as honey, are not allowed.

• Pesco-vegetarian: Fish is a part of this diet, but not red meat or poultry.

• Pollo-vegetarian: Chicken is included in this diet, but no red meat or fish.

• Semi- or demi-vegetarian: Meat is avoided for the most part, but may be eaten on rare occasion.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic

Famous Vegetarians:

• Alicia Silverstone
• Alec Baldwin
• Brigitte Bardot
• Bill Maher
• Chelsea Clinton
• G. Gordon Liddy
• Kelly Osbourne
• Little Richard
• Mary Tyler Moore
• Richard Gere
• Shania Twain

For more information: On a healthy vegetarian diet, visit the Web page of the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

On vegetarian recipes, visit at www.foodnetwork.com.