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Special diets for religious and ethnic groups |
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The information in this article is correct at date of publication: 2002
Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the publisher or editiorial staff.
Rules are there to be broken. Remember to avoid assuming that any individual will conform to a particular cultural pattern. However, here is a quick view of differing cultures and the dietary possibilities that may exist within them.
Hindus - No beef; mostly vegetarian; fish rarely eaten and a period of fasting is common.
Jews - No pork; meat must be kosher; only fish with fins and scales eaten; meat and dairy foods must not be consumed together.
Muslims - No pork; meat must be halal; no shellfish; regular fasting including Ramadan.
Rastafarians - No animal products; food must be I-tal or alive; food should be organic except milk so no canned or processed food; no added salt, no coffee.
Sikhs - No beef, meat must be killed by one blow to the head.
Reference:
Local Authority Caterers Association www.laca.co.uk
Common ‘veggie’ diets
Demi-vegetarians or
semi-vegetarians eat little or no meat but may eat fish/poultry.
Piscatarians eat fish but exclude meat and poultry.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians exclude all meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and ingredients derived from them, but eat both dairy products and eggs and are the most common type of vegetarians.
Lacto-vegetarians as above, but do not eat eggs.
Vegans do not eat dairy products, eggs or any other animal products.
Fruitarians are similar to vegans but also usually avoid processed or cooked foods as well. Their diet consists mainly of raw fruit, grains and nuts.
Macrobiotic diets are based on the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, aims to balance food which contain these two opposing but complementary forces of nature. This diet has seven levels which become increasingly restricting, it starts from a vegan, in which fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and cereals are eaten. The higher orders of the diet avoid many fruits, vegetables, spices and flavourings and grains, i.e. only specific vegetables (mainly leafy greens) and white rice with limitations on the consumption of water.
References
Manual of Dietetic Practice. Thomas B et al. (2001) Blackwell Science. Sources of information on restricted diets
Vegetarian and Vegan Mother and Baby Guide. Rose Eliot. Published by Viva! and the Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation £1.90. To order a copy call Viva on 01273 777688.
Vegetarian Society www.vegsoc.org
Vegan Society www.vegansociety.com
Manual of Dietetic Practice. Thomas B et al. (2001) Blackwell Science
Culture, Religion and Childbearing in a Multiracial Society. A handbook for health professions Judith Schott and Alix Henley. [Eds]. Butterworth Heinemann Oxford 1996.
Celebrating cultural diversity www.nutrition.org.uk click on news, then key facts, then cultural diversity
A muslim educational site, with plenty to say www.eat-halal.com
Advice on kosher cooking, shopping and finding a husband www.jewish.co.uk
More of an adventure than a website www.hindu.org
Pictorial weaning and bottlefeeding guide Practical ways to help those with language difficulties. Available to order from the Items section on this site.
