Plant
foods provide all necessary proteins, vitamins & minerals,
are low in fat, high in fiber and contain no cholesterol.
Conversely, meat and dairy products are high in fat and
cholesterol, and often lack the necessary vitamins, minerals,
and fiber provided through adequate servings of fresh
fruit and vegetables.
Fruits
and vegetables provide important nutrients including antioxidants
such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene and lycopene.
Antioxidants help keep the immune system healthy and reduce
the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
According
to The American Dietetic Association those who eat diets
low in animal products "have a lower risk of obesity,
coronary heart disease (which causes heart attacks), high
blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and some forms of cancer."
The
ADA further states that, "One of the largest studies
to date showed that if participants' diets were high in
animal protein and contained fewer foods of vegetable
origin, there was a higher risk for heart disease and
some cancers. In another study, researchers concluded
that substituting some soy protein for animal protein
can significantly lower both the total serum cholesterol
and LDL-cholesterol levels."
"Additional
research found that if soy fiber is added to the diet,
a more consistent blood glucose (blood sugar) level may
be achieved. Also, studies indicate that if women eat
1 1/2 ounces of soy foods daily such as tofu daily, they
may experience fewer hot flashes during menopause. Similarly,
women lowered their risk of breast cancer when they consumed
3 to 4 ounces of tofu or 8 ounces of soy milk each day."
Plant-based
Meals Are Approved
Plant-based
meals readily satisfy USDA Nutrient Standard, or NuMenu
requirements. In fact, the flexibility of Nutrient Standard
planning was intended to provide the means for offering
healthier, more diversified menus that feature a greater
proportion of plant foods and decrease proportions of
meat and dairy.
Plant-based
menus have long been know to be a healthier option; but
the former food group system made it practically impossible
to access alternative protein and calcium sources or to
adequately identify the actual nutrient quality of food
being served.
Because
Nutrient Analysis allows schools to specifically ascertain
the nutrient quality of the foods served it should be
the preferred method of menu planning. While there is
some initial effort required to review meals, once you
have become accustomed to the nutrient standard system,
you can be assured that you are providing healthy meals
to your students and giving their health the top priority
it deserves. Along with menus and recipes offered by CHOICE
both Team Nutrition, and 5 a Day offer Plant-based Nutrient
Standard approved menus and recipes that are kid-tested
and nutritionally sound.
Plant-based
Meals Are Safer
Government
figures show that over the past decade there have been
300 outbreaks of food illness in schools, affecting 16,000
students — and that such incidents are rising by
10 percent a year.
In
an effort to better understand food safety issues and
how they impact our children's lunch, ABC's Primetime
did an investigative report that focused initially on
the processing plants that supply meat to schools.
For
the Primetime segment, a safety inspector agreed to take
a hidden camera to a plant that processes more than a
million pounds of chicken for schools each year. The inspector,
who requested anonymity, found several chickens with yellow
sores indicating an infection under the skin, as well
as potentially hazardous fecal matter. The inspector also
found filth in machines that box chicken and in processing
equipment dripping with chicken fat. Documents obtained
by Primetime showed that the plant had repeatedly
failed tests for salmonella and inspectors said they had
demanded improvements, but, they also said, the plant
kept selling chicken for consumption at schools.
Similarly,
between June 2000 and February 2001, the Sierra Club examined
12 companies that supply meat for the National School
Lunch program. Five of the 12 companies, including Gold
Kist and Tyson, have had to recall large quantities of
their product due to known or suspected contamination.
As
you know, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers
the National School Lunch Program which feeds 27 million
children every day. A good portion of the food is purchased
in the form of govenment commodities which are then distributed
for minimal prices to schools. Simply stated, the USDA's
massive commodities purchase program is buying meat and
poultry from some processing plants with the highest number
of food safety violation records in the country. Those
records are maintained and are available to the public
but are never revealed by the USDA to the schools that
participate in the National School Lunch Program.
Caroline Smith Dewaal, food safety director for the Center
for Science in the Public Interest, concurs."The
plants that want to sell to the school lunch program are
frequently the plants with some of the worst records,
because they're the ones who can keep the meat cheap."
While
food poisoning often results in undetected illness, some
cases have lead to more serious consequences. In 1998,
12 children at Finley Elementary School in Washington
state became infected with E. coli bacteria that health
officials linked to beef tacos served on the lunch line.
One, a two-year-old girl who doctors believe contracted
the infection from a sibling or playmate, was so seriously
ill that doctors say she will need kidney transplants
before she turns eight.
Of
course, not all food-bourne illness originates through
meat. Food must be prepared in sanitized conditions, and
kept at proper temperatures. However, by decreasing the
amount of food you serve that originates from slaughterhouses
and packaging plants where there will always be blood
and other unsanitary conditions, and serving more plant
foods, which can be eaten raw, lightly cooked, or heavily
cooked, you are subtantially decreasing your chances of
serving tainted food.
Plant-based
Meals Have Protein
The
ADA and AHA state that,
"Whole
grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds, and nuts all contain
both essential and non-essential amino acids."
"Plant
proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and
non-essential amino acids."
"Soy
protein has been shown to be equal to proteins of animal
origin. It can be the sole protein source if desired."
The common question surrounding plant-based meals has
been, 'will there be enough protein?' All whole foods,
including grains, vegetables, and fruit, contain protein,
more than enough to satisfy the body's protein requirements.
Interestingly, the average Western diet often contains
too much protein - which may increase the
risk of kidney stones, osteoporosis, and cancer.
Because
soy is the only plant food that singularly provides all
amino acids, there is sometimes a concern that plant menus
must be 'combined' with other foods to ensure all essential
and non-essential amino acids in a single meal. While
it is true that this is readily achieved through simple
food combinations (like rice and beans), it has been proven
not to be necessary. As long as sources of dietary protein
are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy
needs, you don't need to consciously combine these foods
("complementary proteins") within a given meal.
In
conclusion, plant-based meals provide all necessary protiens,
vitamins, and minerals. As long as one maintains a healthy
diet, it is no more necessary to provide all amino acids
in a single meal, than it is necessary to provide all
vitamins and minerals in a single meal.
Plant-based
Meals Are Quick, Easy to Prepare, and Cost Effective
Plant
foods are in fact less expensive to grow and distribute.
However, because the USDA purchases massive commodities
of meat and dairy and distributes them so inexpensively
to schools, there is a false impression created regarding
the genuine cost of these foods.
The
USDA should be encouraged to provide vegetable, fruit,
bean, and increased grain commodities, allowing for their
increased consumption by students. For foods which the
schools purchase outright, fruits and vegetables are less
expensive than processed foods.
Plant
foods are also quick and easy to prepare. Most require
only minimal cooking time. Others require only minimal
effort: baked potatos simply require washing and baking;
pasta, rice, and beans only boiling.
Perhaps
the biggest concern surrounding plant food preparation
is cut up preparation and storage. When put into proper
perspective, the time or cost involved in storage, the
washing, peeling and slicing of vegetables cut-up or the
preparation of fresh breads becomes minimal compared to
the benefits and time involved in similar meat-based dishes.
Most of the change required is simply a change of habit.
Plant-based
Meals Are Delicious, Time Honored
and Served Around the World
Many
diets around the world have been plant-based for generations.
For
example the Mexican diet, a favorite among children, features
beans,rice, vegetables, and a tortilla [often the shape
of a taco shell] a meal that readily meets nutrient standards.
Indian meals, also highly nutritious, are based upon rice,
lentils or chickpeas, vegetables, a 'chapati' (a whole-wheat
tortilla) and spices (interestingly, spices also have
nutrient, health-giving components that are accounted
for in food preparation).
Another
favorite, the soy / grain / vegetable combination, is
found most commonly in Chinese cooking. While this healthful
balance has proved invigorating since before Marco Polo
traveled the silk route, more recent renditions of 'fake-meat'
products have proved equally popular and healthy.
Other
diets that are plant-based include Italian, Middle Eastern
(chick peas, tahini, bread, rice and vegetables), African
(cornmeal, greens, and peanuts) and Native American (potatoes,
corn, beans, and vegetables)
Less
than 15% of American children eat the minimum
Some
say children don't like healthy foods. But children like
oranges, apple slices, and watermelon. They like carrots
with dip, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and salads. They'll
even go for spicy foods like Tobasco, salsa, chili with
rice, and ethnic menus like pasta, stir-fry, and Mexican
food. In essence, there are many healthy alternatives that
children will eat when we take the time to introduce them
properly.
