The dietary status of "new" vegetarians

A study of fifty well educated young adults, average age twenty-eight years, living in a metropolitan area of New England, who were followers of Zen macrobiotics, revealed that none was below his/her desirable weight although all were at the limit of the normal range. Average triceps skinfold thickness of the men and women fell in the 15th percentile, while arm circumference for members of both sexes was in the 5th percentile (24). Their ten-day dietary records indicated that the base of their diet was grains interspersed with a wide variety of vegetables, fish, cheese, and eggs and that nutrient intakes of the adults were limiting in energy, calcium, and riboflavin--and additionally in iron for the women. Improvement in the nutritional value could be achieved by greater consumption of foods common to macrobiotic dietary practices. Calcium and energy intakes of ten young children were low, especially for a period of rapid growth and development. Because of the bulk necessary to achieve nutritional adequacy with respect to calcium, increasing the children's consumption of macrobiotic food would not be advisable. Consequently, it is suggested that milk be included in their diets.