Have you ever considered being a vegetarian? Well, 5-8% of the U.S. population has followed through with that idea. In fact, a large percentage of students at Morton West High School have joined the vegetarian society as well. This fact riddles the Morton population, filling their heads with the question, “Should Morton have more vegetarian options at lunch?”
Vegetarianism has grown immensely over the past half-century and continues to grow today. Many people become a vegetarian because plant-based eating is still nutritionally enough while also a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, (colorectal cancer, breast cancer, or prostate cancer). Daniel Fordney, Freshman Math teacher at Morton West High School, has been vegan for eight years. Fordney explains that his health was a big reason for why he cut meat out of his diet. “My family has a history of cardiovascular issues, like my grandfather died of a heart attack, and my uncle had to get crazy bypass surgery.” Becoming a vegan has decreased Fordney’s blood pressure and made him a healthier person.
Although having a no-meat diet can come with many benefits, vegetarianism also comes with several risks. Nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, and Vitamin D can be harder to obtain from some types of vegetarian diets. In order to continue vegetarianism, individuals must eat a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now, returning to the point: Is Morton West providing the nutrients in meals that are needed for a healthy vegetarian?
Maya Miller, Senior at Morton West became a vegetarian in kindergarten. Miller provides her lunch to school every day, because of the lack of options without meat. “They have these sandwiches every day, but I have to ask for it without the meat, and then it’s just lettuce and cheese,” Miller explained. On average, the recommended amount of protein eaten per day is 46 grams for teenage girls and 52 grams for teenage boys. Since vegetarians cannot get their protein intake from meat, they need a substitute option. Usually, the food options at Morton West High School consist of a chicken patty sandwich or a slice of pepperoni pizza. Miller states that if there were better options at lunch, she would purchase school lunch instead of packing a lunch every morning.
Additionally, becoming a vegetarian isn’t always a choice. Cases in which people suffer from meat allergies do exist, such as Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). According to Medicalnewstoday.com, “Alpha-gal allergy is a condition more commonly known as red meat allergy. An alpha-gal allergy can cause a person to have anaphylactic and hypersensitivity reactions when they eat meat.” Also, plant-based eating is deeply rooted in several religions like Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. So, does Morton West High School want to be the type of school that rids students of their essentials? Probably not.
