The Vegan Diet

Paper Requirements:
Length: 6-7 total pages double spaced (3-4 pages of that must be written paragraph content), 12 point font, typed. **The title page, references page, and sample meal plan do NOT count toward the written paragraph content length.** Example: if you have 1 title page, 3-4 pages of written paragraph content, 1 page of sample meal plan, and 1 references page, your total paper would be 6-7 numbered pages long. The actual paragraph content length should be between 3-4 pages and enough for you to thoroughly respond to all parts of the prompt. Points will not be deducted if your content/body paragraphs exceed the length (within reason), but please try to stay focused only on the prompts. Points will be deducted if your content is too short and the prompts are not addressed thoroughly.
Format: APA style for title page, headings, citations, references, margins. Except, for this paper you do NOT need the standard APA sections such as “abstract,” method,” and “results”. Your paper should start with a title page, then an untitled introductory paragraph, followed by body paragraphs, a conclusion paragraph, a sample 1-day meal plan page, and then a references page at the end. See the FSW Writing Center for technical assistance, or ask the instructor. This site may be helpful for APA info but does not replace valuable assistance of the Writing Center: https://www.easybib.com/guides/apa-paper-formatting/
No pictures nor graphs of any kind. You can add a table for the one day meal plan, but this will not count toward length of paper.
References (in text/parenthetical citations and references page): Use APA citations (ask writing center for help if needed) and these do not count toward the length of the paper. References should be cited in parentheses within text (called in text/parenthetical citations) AND you should include a separate page at the end that is titled *References* with a list of all the corresponding citation references you cited in your paper.
*** PAPERS THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY IN TEXT/PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS AND/OR A REFERENCES LIST WILL NOT BE GRADED***
Title page: APA format
Do NOT need an abstract
File format: Word (.docx) or PDF. Google Docs will not be accepted.
Do not use first person perspective…EVER. This includes “I”, “you”, “we”, “us”, “our”, etc.. It is just not appropriate for most college-level Science/research papers. First person is informal. Unless you are using a direct quote from a healthcare professional or organization, do not use first person.
Do not declare what you are writing about. Example: do not say “I chose to write about the Ketogenic diet”. Not only is this first person, this unnecessary. Just introduce the diet you are writing about. good Example: “The ketogenic diet is ___________.” And there you go, no need to declare or acknowledge that you, as a student, are writing a paper.
Avoid questions. This includes rhetorical questions or any questions at all! Example of what not to write “What is a Ketogenic diet”? “how does this diet affect the body”. Just answer the prompts. Do not waste space with writing the questions or prompts.
Do not include bullet points or numbered lists. Do not include the prompts in your written content/body paragraphs, unless you are restating the prompt it in a way that naturally fits into the sentence/paragraph.
Do not include any headings for your content/body paragraphs
Organize your written content/body paragraphs in a way that makes sense and that demonstrates you have taken the time to do this assignment thoughtfully. You do not need a separate paragraph for each of the prompts. Several of the prompts can be addressed within the same paragraph. There should be a flow to it, and it is your job to figure that out and seek guidance of the FSW Writing Center to help.
Do not use personal anecdotes (e.g., your personal experience with this diet or people you know who have tried this diet, etc.). This is not research, and these are not acceptable resources for a research paper.
You will have to do some digging. Some of the prompts might be hard to find, but you must provide sufficient answers to each prompt- even if that means going through academic journals or contacting professionals.
You are welcome to interview/contact Registered Dietitians (make sure this is their credential) or contact professional organizations for their statements of expert opinions and patient experiences. If you do this, make sure you include them as a reference and cite appropriately.
Be objective. You must answer each prompt completely and without bias. Do not just present the “good” of the diet. It is your job to look at the prompts with a critical eye that reflects a deep understanding of what we’ve covered in class.
How to start? If you are feeling overwhelmed, I would like to offer the following strategy as a starting point. Keep it simple and stay focused on the prompts. First, Copy and paste all the prompts from the guidelines into a Word document. Go through each prompt one at a time, and answer it THOROUGHLY. Treat each prompt individually to make sure you stay focused and don’t miss any prompts. Add in your parenthetical (in-text) citations next to each prompt as you complete it. Add the source to your References page after you complete each prompt and it’s citation. Next, start forming your prompt answers into paragraphs and remove bullet points. And from there, work on flow, formatting, style, grammar, flow, etc. Then, complete the meal plan.
Avoid discussing topics not related to the prompts because it is probably not necessary. If you feel the need to add “fluff” (information not found in the prompts) make sure it is relevant. You would not want to lose points for failing to address the prompts thoroughly. You will not necessarily get credit for information outside of the prompts, especially if you do not address all of the prompts adequately and in detail. Just because your paper meets the length requirements, does not mean it is good quality.
Please make sure you address every single prompt sufficiently. Demonstrate and justify that you understand the information and how it relates to concepts we’ve covered in class so far. If you can’t find the exact answer to a prompt, then try your best to answer it based on what you know about the diet and what you’ve learned in class (the textbook is also a great resource)… I’m not saying to “guess” the answer, I mean put concepts together that you justify with a source. For example: you may not be able to find on Google the exact deficiencies or nutrient imbalances that might occur on your diet, but if you understand the diet well, you can write about which foods are commonly avoided on that diet and which nutrients those avoided foods tend to contain that the person is missing out on (whether that’s a good or bad thing); likewise you can write about what things (good or bad) they would get too much of. Example: On a Keto diet, people would avoid grains, starches, fruits, and dairy…. Think: what important macro and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) are in these avoided foods and what does that mean for someone on the diet? You don’t need a scholarly article to answer this specific question necessarily, but you need to know the diet, and the information we’ve covered so far in our textbook.
Use reliable and professional resources such as our textbook, module power point slides, peer-reviewed journals, academic text books, and professional organization websites. DO NOT USE BLOGS, “nutrition enthusiast” sites, or .COM websites unless it is a database which contains accredited peer-reviewed journals (e.g, Ebsco, Medline). . In general, you should avoid .com sites. Usually .edu, .org, and .gov sites are the most reputable. Some personal sites or articles by Registered Dietitians (different than a “nutritionist” or blogger) are usually okay. If you are wondering about a site, please reach out to me and I will guide you. Points will be deducted if you use inappropriate references.
The following will be helpful references, but you may use others:
Our class textbook!
Class Power Point slides
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (eatright.org)
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (https://jandonline.org/)
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
Mayo Clinic
National Institutes of Health
FSW Library Database
The following prompts MUST be thoroughly and adequately addressed in your paper:
In the introduction paragraph, include: What is the diet? Provide a thorough explanation. What are the diet’s health claims? Why do people typically choose this diet (specific health conditions, weight, blood glucose, culture, ethics)?
Benefits (if any) and risks of being on the diet- both short term and long term.
What kinds of health conditions would the diet be good for (if any) or bad for (think: demographics, age, underlying health conditions. At minimum, you must address each of the following populations: children, pregnant women, elderly, people with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc…
Identify the ways and reasons why this diet might cause health problems, nutrient imbalances, or issues with blood chemistry. At minimum, you must address how this diet provides too much or not enough of: the three macronutrients (carbs, protein, lipids), vitamins (B12, C, folate, A, D, E, K), minerals (calcium, iron, sodium), fiber, how this diet affects: laboratory values (blood glucose, blood cholesterol), cardiovascular health, weight, diabetes. Be specific in explaining which foods are avoided/allowed and what nutrients they contain that the person would either get not enough of or too much. Explain exactly how/why the diet can cause the imbalance (e.g., if a vegan avoids all animal products- what nutrients above are they likely missing out on. Can they get too much sodium? Why… ). Does this diet allow or promote unhealthy fats (e.g., butter, coconut, palm oil, bacon, cheese, etc.) and what could this mean for cardiovascular health.
How exactly should someone on this diet go out of their way to prevent the problems, deficiencies, imbalances as mentioned above? Is it possible to obtain a total balance of all the macro and micronutrients on this diet? You can include the importance of supplements, but you need to focus on foods. Think what foods are avoided or allowed and how they should choose wisely. Provide several specific examples of healthy options and tools allowed on the diet that would address each the problems above.
Do most people actually achieve a full balance in practice of this diet or just in theory?
How can problems be identified and prevented on this diet? Is there any routine bloodwork or testing (home or at doctor) that people on this diet should do (consider the problems you identified above)?
Could being on this diet interfere/interact or be contraindicated with any common medications or supplements?
Is this diet reasonable for every day use and sustainable to stay on long-term?
Do registered dietitians (RDN or RD) recommend the diet? If so, for which types of people/medical conditions do they recommend it? If not, why do they not recommend it? You must address this, and you can definitely find some information if you look for it.
Is this diet THE BEST strategy to achieve what the diet claims to achieve? Or, are there other, more reasonable means to achieving the goal? (example: would someone need to go as extreme as a Keto diet to lose weight or manage blood glucose when the Plate Method or Mediterranean plan could be a better/less restrictive eating plan to follow for portion control and macronutrient balance). If someone is trying to lose weight, is following a vegan diet really the most appropriate strategy? Culture/ethics is obviously another story.
In your conclusion paragraph at the end, summarize why you would or wouldn’t recommend this diet to a family member. Justify your position with a summary of your research. You must avoid using the first-person perspective “I, my, we, you, us, etc.” even though you are taking a position.
Sample one-day meal plan of this diet (three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Be specific, and include portion sizes, condiments, beverages, how the food is prepared (e.g., grilled or fried chicken), sides and snacks (if applicable). The sample meal plan should be on its own separate page located between the content/body paragraphs and the References page.

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