LookAtVietnam – It was not too long ago that vegetarianism was an exotic, almost incomprehensible dietary habit for most residents in HCM City, one practised by other cultures and austere Buddhist monks.

Food to soothe the soul: People enjoy a vegetarian meal at the Gia Restaurant in HCM City’s District 3.

Dang Minh Nhut, 35, says he often goes to pagodas on the fifteenth day of the lunar month to light incense and enjoy vegetarian fare served there. He feels vegetarian meals help his soul feel quiet and peaceful, and they are good for his health.

Nguyen Ngoc Minh, 25, feels vegetarianism will help prevent illness and make her skin more beautiful.

Many Buddhists have begun “fasting” or eating only vegetarian food for one, two or three days a month, typically the 15th an the 30th day of every lunar month.

However, Most Venerable Thich Nhat Tu of the Giac Ngo Pagoda in District 10, would like the habit taken even further. He decries the tendency for vegetarian restaurants to present their food with the names of meat dishes like roasted duck, dried beef and grilled shrimp.

According to him, vegetarians should refrain from such consumption although the dishes are not made from meat because it does not benefit their soul.

“Vegetarianism is one of the ways to express veneration and respect for life,” he adds.

A vegetarian meal with soya curd and a variety of vegetables, steamed or fried, is nutritious enough, he says.

Dr Nguyen Thi Kim Hung, former director of HCM City’s Food and Nutrition Association, says knowing the right way to eat vegetarian meals not only provides enough nutrition for children and adults, but also helps prevent and reduce illnesses.

She says vegetarians are generally healthier than meat-eaters.

Meat products are rich in fat, especially cholesterol and contain concentrations of chemicals up to 14 times more than what is found in plant foods.

Meat-eaters usually do not eat enough fiber compared to non-meat eaters, Hung adds.

“Vegetarians meet the body’s protein requirements with plant foods such as cereals, legumes and vegetables. Those foods are rich in fiber and keep our intestines healthy,” she says.

Vegetarians are less likely to suffer constipation and colon cancer than meat-eaters.

In general, vegetarians are less likely to develop certain diseases like kidney stones, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, gallstones, heart disease and some types of cancer including breast cancer.

A plant-based diet reaches the recommended daily allowances: high intake of fiber and low intake of saturated fats.

Additionally, some farmers use tranquilisers to keep animals calm, inject them with hormones to stimulate faster growth, and give them antibiotics to stave off infections.

“When you eat meat, you are eating those drugs,” Hung asserts.

Nguyen Tho Nhan of the National Atomic Energy Commission says scientific studies the world over have proved that vegetarianism helps protect the environment.

“When we eat meat we ignore that we are also harming the earth and its ecosystem in a way that is not reparable.”

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News