Vegetarianism : An ethical, healthy and conscious alternative

Becoming a Vegetarian is easy and one of the most positive decisions any of us can make. Vegetarian food is delicious, exciting, healthy and ethical. By adopting a diet free of meat and meat by-products we can lead a life of compassion that respects and values the lives of all animals.

And there are many reason people decide to become vegetarian or even adopt a semi-vegetarian diet. But the best reason, is your own reason, because it means you are making the switch out of a true desire to have some form of positive impact on your own life and the lives of others.

Whether it is for ethical, health, religious or a philosophical reason, vegetarianism is a way of life that has many social, personal and environmental benefits for us all.

Being vegetarian does not simply mean taking the meat out of your diet; it is about discovering new healthy and exciting ingredients and recipes and reveals a whole new positive approach to the way we maintain our health and well being. Vegetarian cooking is fun and exciting and not any more difficult than typical cooking. Most popular meat dishes can be adapted into authentic tasting vegetarian meals that often taste better and are better for you; coming up with new ideas and recipes is half the fun : )

If you aren’t already vegetarian and would like to learn a little more, have a read of the information below and be sure to check out Veggie num num’s other pages for information, support, great veggie ideas and advice and of course delicious veggie recipes.

What is a Vegetarian?

A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat of any kind; whether beef, poultry, pork, lamb, fish or shellfish or any meat by-products.

There are three main types of vegetarians:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: Lacto for dairy and ovo for egg this is the most commonly adopted vegetarian diet and includes both dairy and free range eggs
• Lacto-vegetarian: A vegetarian diet that includes dairy but not eggs
• Vegan: A vegan diet omits all animal products and does not include either dairy, eggs or things such as honey.

There are also many people who are semi-vegetarian meaning they still eat some meat occasionally or only eat certain types of meat; like fish or poultry. While this is not a true vegetarian diet it has many benefits and is often a great introduction to vegetarianism.

And remember, to what degree you adopt vegetarianism, is entirely an individual decision and can be taken one step at a time. If you don’t feel comfortable with making the switch overnight, begin with a few dishes a week and you’ll soon discover the many advantages of a vegetarian diet.

Why become a Vegetarian?

Only you can truly answer this question; as mentioned before there are many reasons people adopt vegetarianism and it is often a very personal decision.

For many it is an acknowledgement of the moral and ethical issues associated with consuming meat and the trawling, hunting and industrial farming practices that inflict unnecessary harm and suffering on animals killed for food. Most people care for animals and animal welfare and for many of us this includes not contributing to the unnecessary suffering and harm caused by consuming meat.

There are also many health benefits to a vegetarian diet and people are adopting the lifestyle as a way to sustain a delicious diet low in saturated fat, high in fibre and full of a variety of foods and flavours.

Many people are also considering a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet to lower their environmental impact. Commercial farming and fishing have many negative environmental consequences that are of real concern and can be avoided by adopting a vegetarian diet.

If you would like detailed information on nutrition or different types of
vegetarian food and where to find them and also vegetarian recipes please visit my other site Veggie num num

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"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." ~Hellen Keller