One of the first paragraph techniques I make sure my students in Level 1 learn is the Sandwich technique. They have to keep in mid that writing about a topic requires development of “delicious” ideas and “juicy” supporting details.


I asked the students to write about Vegetarians and Vegans. they could choose one of the topics and write a small paragraph about advantages or disadvantages of being one of them.

Sample paragraphs written by the students.

Sample 1

Should People Become Vegan?

              Nearly 2 million Americans follow some form of a vegan diet. Being vegan means not eating meat and any source of animal product, but keep in mind three disadvantages when you decide to follow that form of diet. First, you can have nutrient deficiencies, especially of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that is only naturally in animal-based foods, and it is necessary to keep the nervous and digestive system healthy. According to a study, two of three vegans were vitamin B12 deficient, but only one of twenty meat eaters were deficient of this vitamin. Second, eating out will be difficult. Most of the restaurant menus are made for meat eaters, for this reason, if you like to eat out frequently, it will be a challenge to try to find the proper restaurant with food that your diet contains. Also, going out with friends trying to find the “perfect” restaurant for you when you are the only one who has this dietary regimen will require persistence. Finally, when you do not follow a vegan diet appropriately, it might cause death. There are three well-known cases that children were affected for the lack of knowledge of their parents about a vegan diet. They were eleven, six and seven months old babies, and in their autopsies, doctors found that they were completely malnourished and without many essential nutrients. A vegan diet may be a good option, but definitely this is not the best one. You have to be careful because there are vital risks for your health. Maybe this is the reason why according to a study 84% of vegan people go back eating dairy and meat. Therefore, it is your decision to choose what you want for you, and your body.

Sample 2

Why I am not a vegan

                Vegan is a strict vegetarian, who consumes no food that comes from animals, such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Also, abstains from using animal products like leather. O.5% to 2.5% of the US population is vegan. Through time more and more people are becoming vegan around the world. However, there are three disadvantages of been vegan. First at all, veganism it is a dietary regimen that require supplements. This diet does not supply enough of the amount of nutrients that our body demands to function correctly. Vitamin B12, calcium, iron and zinc are example of nutritional deficiencies in vegans. For instance, 83% of vegans are B12 deficient, compared to 5% of omnivores, people who eat meat and vegetables. Fats from animals provide health benefits not founded in plants sources. Therefore, they need to take supplements for not developing certain diseases. The second downside of being a vegan is that it is not healthier than a balanced diet. How do you create meat without meat? Vegan processed foods are not healthy at all because of the chemicals added. They replace animal products, which contain proteins, minerals and vitamins for highly processed food loaded with sodium, sugar, preservatives and major quantities of calories. For example, soy meat contains lots of preservatives. Also, chronic soy consumption is related with hormone imbalances. As a result, they are exposed to get sick as much as meat eaters are exposed. The third disadvantage of vegans is the inconvenience of eating out. They have to read information label of the food before eat or buy it. Moreover, it is a challenge to find a vegan dish in a normal restaurant, even if the food is adequate for them, they should inform to the waiter about their alimentary preferences. Furthermore, in social activities with family, friends or coworkers, they are forced to carry their own food, because they do not eat the common cultural food. Given these points, it is clear that vegan diet has strong negative aspects and it will not improve your quality of life. Even though it is an each one decision, in my opinion an appropriate diet is the balanced one, minimizing processed food and instead cooks meal with natural food.

Sample 3

 On being vegetarian  

               Nowadays many people are vegetarian. According to the statistics 375 million of people are vegetarians worldwide. And in the USA, 7.3 million of people follow vegetarian based diet. People decide to become vegetarian because of four main reasons. First at all, health condition. Many people give up meat for health reasons, such as heart diseases and other illness. Therefore, vegetarians are healthier than non-vegetarians. For instance, some people do not cook well-done meat. As a result, they lower the risk of getting cancer. Another reason is ethic. Vegetarians know how animals are raised for food and how their life are threatened with death. For example, the slaughter process (kill animal for food) is violent and stressful. In addition, they are concerned about the environment, too. The third reason to be a vegetarian is cultural influence. Some people are vegetarian because they are influenced by their belief. For example, in India the cow is considered holy. Thus, they do not consume beef. Some people are convinced that when they eat meat, they take a lot from the earth. The last reason some people do not eat meat is because they are animal lovers. Those people consider a cruelty to kill animals. They are animal protectors and believe that animals should have the same right to life that humans have. All in all, vegetarians are less susceptible to get diseases. They are conscious of the animal brutality and some vegetarian are impacted by their culture.



Sample 4

Disadvantages of being vegetarian

         Vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of vegetables, seeds and grains. A person can become a vegetarian for choice or maybe influenced by family members. There are three main reasons why you should reconsider being a vegetarian. First of all, if you don’t eat meat, fish (salmon) you don’t get enough protein, omega 3. This is not healthy for your body and you can feel weak all the time. Second, your bones need some animal fats that you don’t find on vegetables. By consuming meat, your body gets natural fat. Finally, being a vegetarian affects your social life. For example, when your work place decides on eating out, they will pick a place they all can eat regular food. You will not fully appreciated if you go to a restaurant with friends or coworkers. All of them can order meat-based dishes and you will feel that you left out of the group. Going vegetarian excludes from essential health protein, body fat and social interaction.

Sample 5

Advantages of being a vegetarian

Some people want to a live long healthy life. Others want to preserve the Earth’s natural resources or to protect animals. Being a vegetarian helps balance both concepts. There are a lot of advantages of becoming a vegetarian. First of all, a vegetarian diet that is low in fiber and high in potassium lowers blood pressure, improves total cholesterol, and reduces the risk for both heart attack and stroke. Cutting meat from your diet may also lower your risk for heart disease, which is a leading cause of death. Second, a vegetarian diet reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and esophageal cancer. A third reason to adapt to a vegetarian diet is to build strong bones. It is possible to increase the dose of calcium for the body from dry beans, tofu, dark green vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, etc. In conclusion, it is very important that as people are getting older to adapt to a vegetarian diet that will keep them under in a good physical condition by eating healthy.