I was reading the dietician section of 'ask the experts', where Linda Cumines is the dietician that answers peoples questions. I found her responses to vegetarian eating ti be quite negative and discouraging, and often pointing out how limited it can be. So I decided to ask the expert a question:
I just want to know why you seem to discourage vegan/vegetarian eating. I have been vegan for 4 years, and I am perfectly healthy. I have a supportive doctor who checks me for my B12 stores. Instead of talking about how "limited" a veg diet is, and how much "more difficult" it is to obtain nutrients, why don't you offer food lists with plant foods that can be used as replacements for animal foods, and offer information such as 'vitamin c aids the absorbtion of iron, so eat tomato salad with your lentil soup, or drink orange juice with your dried apricots'. I feel like you are giving off the wrong impression, and that we vegies are malnourished, emaciated and 'limited'.
I also want to point out that a vegetarian wrote to you with low iron and b12 stores, and said she couldn't eat nuts because of the high fat content. She didn't specify whether this was a gall bladder problem where she couldn't have fats, but I was disappointed that you did not point out that nuts have healthy fats that are essential for body health, and fat soluble vitamin absorbtion, and you also failed to reassure her that nuts, in moderation do not make people fat.
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