---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ADA takes a conservative stand…"
description: "\"“The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many well-documented health benefits attributable to reducing the consumption of animal products. Here..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg"
---

#  The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many…

![“The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many well-documented health benefits attributable to reducing the consumption of animal products. Here are the three key sentences from the summary of their summary of the relevant scientific literature. One: Well-planned vegetarian diets are…” quote by Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg)

> ““The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many well-documented health benefits attributable to reducing the consumption of animal products. Here are the three key sentences from the summary of their summary of the relevant scientific literature. One: Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for all individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. TWO: Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals. Elsewhere the paper notes that vegetarians and vegans (including athletes) “meet and exceed requirements” for protein. And, to render the whole we-should-worry-about-getting-enough-protein-and-therefore-eat-meat idea even more useless, other data suggests that excess animal protein intake is linked with osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stones in the urinary tract, and some cancers.””

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage critiques the ADA’s narrow view on diet, highlighting extensive health benefits of well‑planned vegetarian and vegan diets across life stages.

**In simple terms:** Vegetarian diets are health‑ful and suitable for everyone.

Key Takeaway

Consider adopting more plant‑based meals for health.

Themes

nutrition health policy environment ethics

Mood

informative critical

Type

educational advocational

When to use this quote

- meal planning
- educational workshops
- clinical counseling
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

dietary science public health food policy

Questions to Reflect On

- What barriers prevent you from eating more plant‑based foods?
- How can policy better reflect scientific evidence?

A Different Perspective

Nutrient needs vary; supplementation may be required.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dietary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dietary/) [Diets Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diets-appropriate-3268267/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-benefits/) [Kidney disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kidney-disease/) [Levels Dietary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels-dietary-5027834/) [Life Cycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-cycle/) [Planned Vegetarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planned-vegetarian-3268266/) [Vegetarian Diets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegetarian-diets-1050606/)

## Related quotes

> [“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-vinding/it-is-the-position-of-the-american-dietetic-association-that/)

[Magnus Vinding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-vinding/)

> [“Many women, worried about breast cancer, have adopted vegetarian diets in an attempt to reduce their risk. Unfortunately, it may be that these grain-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-cordain/many-women-worried-about-breast-cancer-have-adopted-vegetarian-diets/)

[Loren Cordain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-cordain/)

> [Elsewhere the paper notes that vegetarians and vegans (including athletes) 'meet and exceed requirements' for protein. And, to render the whole we-should-worry-about-getting-enough-protein-and-therefore-eat-meat idea even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/elsewhere-the-paper-notes-that-vegetarians-and-vegans-including/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [We need to take vegetables out of the role of side dish, even in low-fat, vegetarian diets, whose calories are generally derived mainly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/we-need-to-take-vegetables-out-of-the-role-of-side-dish-even-in-low/)

[Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/)

> [“Are vegetarian diets an effective alternative, or complement, to drugs and surgery? Although studies designed to answer this question are limited in number and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vesanto-melina/are-vegetarian-diets-an-effective-alternative-or-complement-to-drugs/)

[Vesanto Melina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vesanto-melina/)

> [“a 2014 meta-analysis (a compilation of many similar studies) showing that vegetarian diets may be particularly good at lowering blood pressure.110 And the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/a-2014-meta-analysis-a-compilation-of-many-similar-studies-showing/)

[Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/)

> [“People who once ate vegetarian diets but then started to eat meat at least once a week experienced a 146 percent increase in odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/people-who-once-ate-vegetarian-diets-but-then-started-to-eat-meat-at/)

[Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/)

> [An important fact to remember is that all natural diets, including purely vegetarian diets without a hint of dairy products, contain amounts of calcium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-mcdougall/an-important-fact-to-remember-is-that-all-natural-diets-including/)

[John A. McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-mcdougall/)

> [For me, it's about optimizing health. It's about lifestyle and longevity. Then you think about what vegetarian diets can do for the mass population,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-jurek/for-me-it-s-about-optimizing-health-it-s-about-lifestyle-and/)

[Scott Jurek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-jurek/)

> [“The main finding was that vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets were associated with a nearly one-half reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-tonstad/the-main-finding-was-that-vegan-and-lacto-ovo-vegetarian-diets-were-2/)

[Serena Tonstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-tonstad/)

> [“Carefully planned vegetarian and vegan diets can provide adequate nutrients for optimum health(11). Evidence suggests that infants and children can be successfully reared on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-t-mcevoy/carefully-planned-vegetarian-and-vegan-diets-can-provide-adequate/)

[Claire T. McEvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-t-mcevoy/)

> [“The main finding was that vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets were associated with a nearly one-half reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-tonstad/the-main-finding-was-that-vegan-and-lacto-ovo-vegetarian-diets-were/)

[Serena Tonstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-tonstad/)

> [There's no question that largely vegetarian diets are as healthy as you can get. The evidence is so strong and overwhelming and produced over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/there-s-no-question-that-largely-vegetarian-diets-are-as-healthy-as/)

[Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/)

> [Studies indicate that vegetarians often have lower morbidity and mortality rates. . . . Not only is mortality from coronary artery disease lower in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-robbins/studies-indicate-that-vegetarians-often-have-lower-morbidity-and/)

[John Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-robbins/)

> [We need radical dietary improvement, and the earlier in life that change is made, the better. Just following a vegan diet or eating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/we-need-radical-dietary-improvement-and-the-earlier-in-life-that/)

[Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/)

## More by Jonathan Safran Foer

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I try not to remember the life that I didn’t want to lose but lost and have to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-try-not-to-remember-the-life-that-i-didn-t-want-to-lose-but-lost/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I have an aristocratic smile and like to punch people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-an-aristocratic-smile-and-like-to-punch-people/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I would have done anything for him. Maybe that was my sickness. We made love in nothing places and turned the lights off. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-would-have-done-anything-for-him-maybe-that-was-my-sickness-we-made/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“One day I wandered away from her and hid. I liked the way it felt to have someone look for me, to hear my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/one-day-i-wandered-away-from-her-and-hid-i-liked-the-way-it-felt-to/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [If nothing matters, there's nothing to save.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/if-nothing-matters-there-s-nothing-to-save/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“It was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn't think about it at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-was-one-of-the-best-days-of-my-life-a-day-during-which-i-lived-my/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“The appearance was misleading- human dreams; rubbish heaps abundant yet ephemeral sudden and splendid, only to wilt and perish”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-appearance-was-misleading-human-dreams-rubbish-heaps-abundant-yet/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“the entirety of human society and moral progress represents an explicit transcendence of what’s “natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-entirety-of-human-society-and-moral-progress-represents-an/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Food is not so much a symbol of freedom as the first requirement of freedom. We eat foods that are native to America on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/food-is-not-so-much-a-symbol-of-freedom-as-the-first-requirement-of/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Rationally, factory farming is so obviously wrong, in so many ways. In all of my reading and conversations, I’ve yet to find a credible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/rationally-factory-farming-is-so-obviously-wrong-in-so-many-ways-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Just because you're an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn't love for things to have reasons for why they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/just-because-you-re-an-atheist-that-doesn-t-mean-you-wouldn-t-love/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Do you think I'm wonderful? she asked him one day as they leaned against the trunk of a petrified maple. No, he said. Why?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/do-you-think-i-m-wonderful-she-asked-him-one-day-as-they-leaned/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [My insides don't match up with my outsides. -Do anyone's inside and outsides match up? -I don't know. I'm only me. -Maybe that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/my-insides-don-t-match-up-with-my-outsides-do-anyone-s-inside-and/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

[Explore all 1,117 Jonathan Safran Foer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More Dietary quotes

> [“Many women, worried about breast cancer, have adopted vegetarian diets in an attempt to reduce their risk. Unfortunately, it may be that these grain-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-cordain/many-women-worried-about-breast-cancer-have-adopted-vegetarian-diets/)

[Loren Cordain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-cordain/)

> [We need radical dietary improvement, and the earlier in life that change is made, the better. Just following a vegan diet or eating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/we-need-radical-dietary-improvement-and-the-earlier-in-life-that/)

[Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/)

> [“Vegans following a whole food diet had a borderline supply of vitamin B12. Folic acid, vitamin B6, TSH, iron metabolism, and the blood count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joachim-schwarz/vegans-following-a-whole-food-diet-had-a-borderline-supply-of-vitamin/)

[Joachim Schwarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joachim-schwarz/)

> [“The US dietary guidelines were the first ever to inform the general public about what should not be eaten. Specifically, we were told to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-noakes/the-us-dietary-guidelines-were-the-first-ever-to-inform-the-general/)

[Tim Noakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-noakes/)

> [“THE MOST EFFECTIVE agent of dietary change is the adulated eater—the king who embraces whelks, the revolutionary hero with a passion for skewered hearts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/the-most-effective-agent-of-dietary-change-is-the-adulated-eater-the/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [“We are failing our populations if we do not look at the association between obesity and diabetes and the introduction of those dietary guidelines,’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-noakes/we-are-failing-our-populations-if-we-do-not-look-at-the-association/)

[Tim Noakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-noakes/)

> [“Appetite is governed by our thoughts, but hunger is governed by the body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-g-martin/appetite-is-governed-by-our-thoughts-but-hunger-is-governed-by-the/)

[Clement G. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-g-martin/)

> [The key dietary messages are stunningly simple: Eat less, move more, eat more fruits and vegetables, and don't eat too much junk food. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-nestle/the-key-dietary-messages-are-stunningly-simple-eat-less-move-more-eat/)

[Marion Nestle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-nestle/)

> [“These epidemiological and experimental studies have provided evidence for a dietary pattern that is associated with reduced risk of developing cancer, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bender/these-epidemiological-and-experimental-studies-have-provided-evidence/)

[David Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bender/)

> [“CHART 11.2: NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL-BASED FOODS (PER 500 CALORIES OF ENERGY) Nutrient Plant-Based Foods\* Animal-Based Foods\*\* Cholesterol (mg) — 137 Fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-colin-campbell/chart-11-2-nutrient-composition-of-plant-and-animal-based-foods-per/)

[T. Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-colin-campbell/)

> [“In contrast to the positive associations for total and dietary calcium, there was no association with intake of nondairy calcium. This result might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dagfinn-aune/in-contrast-to-the-positive-associations-for-total-and-dietary/)

[Dagfinn Aune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dagfinn-aune/)

> [“At the end of his visit, Mr. Peterson's doctor wrote out a complicated list of dietary recommendations for Bett, which included meat, meat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-rasmussen/at-the-end-of-his-visit-mr-peterson-s-doctor-wrote-out-a-complicated/)

[Rebecca Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-rasmussen/)

> [Rarely, Type 2 diabetes develops without any readily identifiable predisposing factor. But in the great majority of cases, it is brought on by lifestyle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/rarely-type-2-diabetes-develops-without-any-readily-identifiable/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [Everyone's dietary needs are different, and it has taken me decades to develop nutritional habits that work for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/everyone-s-dietary-needs-are-different-and-it-has-taken-me-decades-to/)

[Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/)

> [“Our dietary problems arise from a mismatch between the tastes evolved for Stone Age conditions and their likely effects today. Fat, sugar, and salt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-m-nesse/our-dietary-problems-arise-from-a-mismatch-between-the-tastes-evolved/)

[Randolph M. Nesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-m-nesse/)

[Browse all 33 Dietary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dietary/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many well-documented health benefits attributable to reducing the consumption of animal products. Here are the three key sentences from the summary of their summary of the relevant scientific literature. One: Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for all individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. TWO: Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals. Elsewhere the paper notes that vegetarians and vegans (including athletes) “meet and exceed requirements” for protein. And, to render the whole we-should-worry-about-getting-enough-protein-and-therefore-eat-meat idea even more useless, other data suggests that excess animal protein intake is linked with osteoporosis, kidney disease, calcium stones in the urinary tract, and some cancers.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Safran Foer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leaving-out-many-well-documented/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dietary"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leaving-out-many-well-documented/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/jonathan-safran-foer-136_dietary_the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leavi_3043392.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The ADA takes a conservative stand, leaving out many well-documented health benefits attributable to…” — Jonathan Safran Foer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jonathan Safran Foer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The ADA takes a conservative stand,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leaving-out-many-well-documented/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-ada-takes-a-conservative-stand-leaving-out-many-well-documented/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
