Dr. Michael Greger, an author and advocate for public health issues, spoke in the Student Union Monday on how college students can lead a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
A graduate of the Cornell University School of Agriculture, Greger has written numerous books regarding vegetarianism and veganism.
"Dr. Greger is a qualified professional who can speak knowledgeably about the vegetarian nutrition and lifestyle," said Janice Cochran, a dietician and staff member of the Wellness Education Services and Health Services. "Many young people are choosing to be vegetarian, and it's best to understand how to eat a balanced vegetarian diet, not just french fries and breadsticks."
College living is sometimes not conducive to a meatless lifestyle, but going vegetarian is not impossible, said Greger.
"I love talking to college students. It's the perfect time in one's life," Greger said. "Many people are, for the first time, getting away from the family, and you kind of find out what you believe in and what you want to do with your life. What a great time to be exposed to life-long eating patterns that will make you healthier."
He displayed a few easy-to-prepare vegetarian meals, including boxed rice pilaf, couscous, frozen veggie burgers and even a chicken-friendly version of meatless chicken wings.
Even people who eat meat can decrease their chance of having a stroke or cancer by 20 percent and the risk of heart disease by 15 percent if they add at least five servings of fruit and vegetables to their diet everyday, according to Greger.
Jeremy Hoffman, a sophomore and founder of the Organic Gardeners Club, said Greger's expertise the field of nutrition is important because new studies and reports on nutrition and health related issues are released frequently.
"He's a doctor," Hoffman said. "He knows what he's talking about with the brand new studies coming out continuously about all the benefits for your body and the environment."
Greger presented a step-by-step program for making the transition to a vegetarian diet. The plan consisted of attempting to eat three meatless meals per week, then gradually increasing the amount of vegetarian meals until meat is eliminated.
Beginners should explore new meatless options, but should not necessarily attempt to cut meat out of their diets completely, said Greger.
"He wasn't bashing people over the head with it saying, 'you have to eliminate this (from your diet),'" said Nan Simpson, RN and co-founder of Animal Rights Advocates of WNY, who helped sponsor Greger's presentation.
According to Greger, vegetarians need to emphasize certain nutrients and minerals in their diets, including vitamin D, vitamin B-12, zinc, iron and calcium. These nutrients can be found in fortified cereals, dark leafy greens and supplements, he said.
Greger said students should sign out vegetarian cookbooks from the university libraries, and try ethnic cuisine restaurants, as they often tend to have a wide variety of vegetarian foods.
"Your diet should be a celebration, a new time of exploration," said Greger.
Joe Menichino, president of the Buffalo Animal Rights Coalition, said Greger's advice " was really practical" and he "made it seem easy to be vegetarian or vegan."
"He was very informative and the program was very interesting because he used a lot of audience input," said Menichino. "It seemed as though all that attended got a lot out of the program and hopefully it isn't just a passing interest."
According to Greger, his best advice for college students who are thinking of trying a vegetarian diet is to get out and find other vegetarians, whether they are in student clubs or local chapters of vegetarian societies.
"If you're interested in not only supporting each other, but actually doing vegetarian outreach, college is the place to do it," said Greger. "You can make an amazing effect on people's lives, the animals, and the earth."
