Vegetarian

Vegetarians eat a diet of vegetables, nuts, fruit and other plant based and non-animal foods. They do not eat meat or slaughter-derived products such as gelatin. Some vegetarians eat foods produced by animals like dairy goods, eggs, and honey, while others do not.

The ideology or belief system for human vegetarians is known as vegetarianism. The practice may be based on a moral and ethical choice, religious values, or health considerations. Concerns about the humane treatment of animals, environmental considerations, and opposition to factory farming are examples of the considerations that can motivate the decision to become vegetarian.

Herbivores like elephants, sheep, moose and sloths that subsist on plants are types of vegetarian eaters in the animal kingdom. Animals that are not vegetarian are carnivores (subsisting mostly on meat) and omnivores (eat meating and plant based foods). There are also sub-groups of herbivores like frugivores, that subsist on fruit, and grazers that eat grasses.

Etymology

The word was first coined by the founders of the British Vegetarian Society in 1842. The word is derived from the latin word vegetus.

Vegetaraian foods

Main article: Vegetarian cuisine

A vegetarian diet often includes fruits, vegetables (including root vegetables and leaf vegetables), legumes, grains, tubers, nuts, berries, mushrooms, and beans. Seasonings include salt and peper, herbs, various spices, and extracts like vanilla. Some vegetarians consume dairy, eggs, and honey. Maple syrup, grasses (such as sugarcane), seaweed, foods made with yeast (such as beer and bread), and more unusual foods such as edible flowers and ferns are also consumed.

Vegetarian dishes

There are also many dishes that do not normally include meat and many vegetarian dishes are simply variants of familiar dishes without the meat. Vegetarian dishes can also include soy based foods, tempeh, and ingredient combinations that imitate or are analogs for meaty foods, such garden burgers and veggie dogs.

Publications

Publications on a vegetarian diet include Vegetarian Times and numerous books.

See also

• List of diets
• Vegetarian cuisine
• List of vegetarians
• Veganism
• Animal Rights
• Vegetarian Diet Pyramid
• Christian vegetarianism
• Veganarchism

Further reading

• Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet‎ 2003
• Nava Atlas Vegetarian celebrations: festive menus for holidays and other special occasions‎ 1996 -
• Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis The new becoming vegetarian: the essential guide to a healthy vegetarian diet‎ 2003
• Deborah Madison Vegetarian cooking for everyone‎ 1997
• Didi Emmons Vegetarian planet: 350 big-flavor recipes for out-of-this-world food every day‎ 1997
• Reed Mangels, Virginia Messina, Mark Messina The dietitian's guide to vegetarian diets: issues and applications‎ 2004
• Jack Bishop, Richard Jung A year in a vegetarian kitchen: easy seasonal suppers for family and friends‎ 2004
• Nicola Graimes Vegetarian‎ 2004