The Kind Diet: What the Experts Say

There is no question about the healthfulness of a vegetarian lifestyle.
An American Dietetic Association position paper says that a vegan or vegetarian diet, if properly planned, can be safe. It notes that a meat-free meal plan may lower rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Studies show that vegetarians not only eat less saturated fat and cholesterol but also get more of certain nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and fiber.
"The power of plant foods is amazing, and food really can be your medicine," says Kate Geagan, RD, author of Go Green, Get Lean.  "Vegans tend to live longer, have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and weigh less than meat eaters.
"If we could encourage Americans to cut back on animal products, we can improve their diets by reducing the amount of artery-clogging saturated fat that comes from high-fat meats and cheeses -- and also reduce our carbon footprint."
Indeed, a study in the May 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a non-vegetarian diet required 2.9 times more water, 2.5 times more primary energy, 13 times more fertilizer and 1.4 times more pesticides than a vegetarian diet.
Geagan says you can lose weight and eat healthier following The Kind Diet, but the other benefits ascribed to it, such as clearer skin, are anecdotal.
"At the end of the day, a vegan diet is a super-healthy, lower-fat and -calorie diet with some nutrient limitations that can be corrected as long as you are aware of getting enough calcium, vitamins D and B12."  (She suggests taking a daily multivitamin for nutritional insurance.)
One thing Geagan would have liked to see added to the book: A nutrient analysis of each recipe. She says that readers might be more encouraged to try new foods by seeing how high in protein and fiber - and low in fat, sodium and calories -- they can be.