I’m not a regular viewer of the Oprah show as I’m usually working at that time of day.  But after hearing that Oprah was dedicating her entire show yesterday to veganism, I did set the DVR to record it, and watched it later last night.

Yesterday’s episode featured the Vegan Challenge, where 378 Harpo employees agreed to eat no meat, no animal products, nothing that remotely comes from an animal for a week.  Michael Pollan, author of books The Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food and Kathy Freston, author of Veganist, were guests on the show.  Cargill opened the doors to one of their slaughter houses to show all viewers the process of how a cow becomes a steak. 

There are many reasons to choose vegetarian (think no to meat, poultry, but yes to products from animals like milk and eggs) and vegan (think nothing from an animal crosses your lips, no milk, no cheese, etc) – potential health benefits, issues related to ethical treatment of animals, ensuring there is enough food to feed all people on the planet, care of the earth.  But what struck me most as I reflected on this Oprah episode is being a vegan or a vegetarian doesn’t automatically guarantee that you’re going to have overall healthy eating habits and feel better or live longer.

Yes, the show profiled a Harpo staff member who lost 11 pounds in a week.  But he admitted that prior to the challenge he ate complete crap.  Another staffer admitted to being addicted to fast food, and felt better on the vegan diet.  No kidding?  And don’t forget that Kathy Freston, self-proclaimed as The Veganist, was around to provide vegan snacks and grocery shop and cook with the staff.  Both Freston and Pollan admitted that you can go vegan by eating a lot of processed food made from white, refined flour.  Vegan ice cream isn’t necessarily a healthier choice, right?

The real take home message from the show is that whether you choose to eat meat or to avoid anything that comes from an animal, it’s still about choosing healthy foods – lots of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean protein, more fiber.  The message hasn’t changed.  While Oprah has the power to turn veganism into the latest fad diet, this is what it’s really about. 

Visit www.nuval.com to choose high scoring vegetables and fruits and find foods with plenty of fiber and lean protein.