Many students on campus believe three food groups is better than four.

Vegetarians choose to cut meat out of their diets for a number of different reasons.

Some students feel that it is healthier because it forces them to eat more wholesome foods such as fruits, breads and vegetables, but this isn’t necessarily the case for everyone.

“Being a vegetarian doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re living a healthy lifestyle. A vegetarian diet can be just as high in fat as a non-vegetarian,” Heidi Petersen, dietitian at the Wellness Center, said. “This is because some vegetarians substitute cheese for meat items, getting a higher fat intake than if they were choosing a lean turkey sandwich.”

Vegetarians also run the risk of developing an iron deficiency or falling short of other essential vitamins and minerals that are needed to meet the requirements of the daily intake of the four food groups, Petersen said.

“Usually what vegetarians are lacking is iron because it’s in meat sources. They should have two to three servings of meat substitutes a day, possibly dried beans. One-fourth of a cup can count as a serving. Peanut butter, nuts and seeds fall into this group too. However, the fat intake must be watched,” she said.

Being “more health conscious” led Leatha Stemberg, a sophomore in dietetics, to becoming a vegetarian, she said.

“I’ve been a vegetarian for about three years now,” Stemberg said. “I have read a lot of magazines about being a vegetarian. By not eating meat, I concentrate on eating more fruits, vegetables and grains. There are studies that show that eating meat can lead to heart problems. By cutting meat out of my diet, I have started to eat more fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Stemberg’s diet also consists of plenty of pasta and rice. She bakes her own bread and loves fruit too, she said. “I definitely feel healthy as a vegetarian,” Stemberg said.

“I would recommend being a vegetarian to others. There are many options as far as food goes,” Stemberg said.

Food service offers a variety of dishes everyday, catering to the diets of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

“We try to have vegetarian offers,” Karen Otto, a cook at Maple-Willow-Larch dining hall, said. “The managers in charge of menu planning try to have at least one vegetarian dish on the menu for each meal time. They constantly try to come up with new ideas that are popular with the students.”

Meat dishes are sometimes substituted with vegetables.

“In some cases with items having a chicken or beef base, we have switched to a vegetable base,” Erica Beirman, assistant manager of food services for Maple-Willow-Larch, said.

Otto said the registered dietitian on campus can also be called to make special requests depending upon the diet of the vegetarian. Anyone with questions or concerns about their diet should contact the Wellness Center or talk to a dietitian.