Are all veggies tree-huggers? And other questions answered

You've probably heard, or spouted, at least one 'fact' about vegetarians in your time. Tree-hugging is a dramatic one, but there's probably a good few more, less outlandish claims that you wouldn't consider fictional. 4Food busts those veggie myths

All vegetarians don't eat meat because they think it's cruel

Verdict: Wrong

The number one reason for people adopting a vegetarian diet is actually for health reasons. Following that is not eating meat on moral grounds such as animal cruelty, but also due to religious beliefs or concerns about the environment. This spans lots of different cultures, communities and individuals from Einstein to Pamela Anderson, and Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis. Vegetarians aren't all tree-huggers.

Humans weren't designed to eat meat

Verdict: Wrong

In evolutionary terms humans can safely be classed as omnivores, the definition of which is, 'An animal or person that eats a variety of food of both plant and animal origin.' * True herbivores eating only plant based material are able to digest cellulose, something we humans cannot (unless you find yourself chewing the cud of a Sunday afternoon). Like true carnivores we do have simple digestive systems capable of processing meat. However, humans are somewhere in between. We've been afforded a set of teeth perfect for chomping on both meats and veg, and have digestive systems that have been happily digesting the two for millions of years. We're omnivores - we're designed to eat both, but the choice is down to you.

Vegetarians are weak, pale and don't grow very tall

Verdict: Wrong

Try telling that to Brad Pitt. Contrary to popular belief, a balanced vegetarian diet gives you everything you need to sustain energy, grow and glow. Research suggests excluding meat from the diet can be done with little or no effect on the amount of iron you take in. In fact, most iron in the diet comes from plant-based foods, and again contrary to popular belief, recent research suggests we can get all the protein we need from simply eating a variety of vegetables, grains and legumes. It's actually thought that almost everyone eats more protein than is essential, including vegetarians.

Humans need to eat meat or the animals would multiply and eat us

Verdict: Wrong

Firstly, humans breed masses of animals so they can be eaten. If left to their own devices, animals would naturally breed much less. If animals were to multiply, it's still unlikely we'd ever be battling bambi for our lunch. Nature evolves slowly over time, and that means we do to. Nature has a way of balancing things out, and by the time any animal posed a threat to us, we'd have evolved some way of dealing with it.

Veggie food is less filling

Verdict: Wrong

Plant-based foods are higher in fibre and can therefore be more filling. However since lots of vegetables are low in fats and calories, this means that a vegetarian can feel full before they've eaten enough calories to sustain their body's activity. The good news is protein-rich veggie stuff such as lentils and beans, nuts, wholegrains and milk will keep you really full and satisfied, not least due to the protein and fibre, but because they're low GI and release energy slowly.

Vegetarians are windy

Verdict: Wrong

It's true that a large proportion of wind comes from what we eat. Sulphorous veg such as broccoli and cabbage, beans and eggs are the main culprits, but also meat too. Another major cause of wind though is swallowing air when you're downing a drink or having a good munch. It also varies from person to person too, so unfortunately 'vegetarians are windy' is too general a statement. Some vegetarians may get windy, but you may too. It's not pleasant but it's actually healthy – your gut is alive and kicking.

Vegetarians just eat cheese and chips

Verdict: Wrong

For some vegetarians it can be tempting to replace meat with extra carbs, cheese and junk-food instead of legumes, wholegrains and pulses. However for every meat-eater consuming a balanced and nutritious dinner, there's many more eating McDonalds - and it's no different in the world of veggie. Although research suggests vegetarians are more likely to eat their recommended five-a-day, they must give eating a balanced diet just as much consideration as any meat-eater.

*Oxford Dictionaries