2. Define ‘vegetarian’
Vegetarian is when a person chooses to not eat any meat or fish
substances and just live off of fruit, vegetables and other things that
don’t contain meat. Some also say that a vegetarian is someone who
doesn’t eat anything living.
Some people often think that vegetarian means you can live off of
chips, tofu, fake meat alternatives and other things but in reality it is
a fruit and veg based diet, giving the name vegetarian. Sure, you can
eat chips, tofu and meat replacements but there should be
vegetables in there.
Some people also make their pets follow a vegetarian diet, mainly
dog owners. This is because normal pet food is seen as ‘damaging’
and ‘unnatural’. An example of this is in the Will Smith film Seven
Pounds. One of the people he choses to help is a woman with a heart
condition who raises her dog vegetarian.
3. Why people become vegetarians
People become vegetarians for a number of different reasons. These
include:
• Religion.
• Health reasons.
• Ethical reasons. (Animal right issues).
• To help the planet (‘Global food shortage’).
• To challenge yourself. (Becoming vegetarian is seen as hard).
• To lose weight. (Vegetarianism can be a very healthy life style).
• Food safety. (People die from disease passed on from meat to
people).
• People like to think it will reduce the number of deaths they are
responsible for.
• Or simply just because they don’t like meat.
4. Vegetarian Demographics
• 59% of vegetarians are female. (This could be because
it can gradually help you lose weight.)
• The majority of vegetarians are age 18 – 34 (42%).
• The top vegetarian city in America (based on number
of vegetarian restaurants) is Portland, Oregon.
• 2% of adults in Britain are vegetarian, equating to over
1.2 million. This has decreased since 2000 when 5% of
UK residents were reported to be vegetarian.
• In India about 30% of the people there are vegetarian
due to their religion.
• Over half the worlds population is vegetarian.
5. Vegetarian companies
• Quorn – Creates imitation meat for vegetarian use or for a healthier
life style. Vegetarian approved once they started using free ranged
eggs.
• PETA – Charity to promote vegetarianism, heavily advertises with
many celebrities appearing in them. It also promotes animal rights.
• Vegsoc – Encourages vegetarianism and has a website full of
vegetarian recipes and lifestyle tips.
• Pack Lite Foods - Makes vegetarian and vegan compact,
lightweight, one pot breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals for camping
and backpacking. Also has hot drink mixes. Foods are freeze-dried
or dehydrated.
• Innocent Drinks – This company makes fresh fruit based drinks such
as smoothies and juice. They are totally environmentally friendly.
6. Foods vegetarians cannot eat
• The flesh from any animal.
• Meat by-products (kidney, liver etc.).
• Jello, marshmallows, and sweets made from gelatine
(gummy sweets such as Haribo).
• Cheese made with rennet (Parmesan, cottage cheese,
goat cheeses and more) .
• Lard.
• Eggs that aren’t free ranged.
• Some vegetarians, the stricter ones (such as vegans),
don’t eat honey or any dairy product. They eat nothing
that comes from an animal or any sort.
7. Vegetarian history
• Started off in India and Greece in the days of Pythagoras but the idea
didn’t really gain much until the mid nineteenth century.
• It connected with the idea of nonviolence towards animals and was
promoted by religious groups and philosophers.
• The International Vegetarian Union was formed in 1908 and remains
active today.
• In Asia the vegetarian tradition can be traced much further back to
religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
• The term vegetarian was coined in the mid 1800’s by the British
Vegetarian Society. The Latin root of the word refers to the source of life.
• Vegetarianism wasn’t very popular in the US until 1971 when Frances
Moore Lappé's bestseller Diet for a Small Planet was published.
• In 1975 the PETA was founded as animal consumption rocketed.
• Later on in the 1970’s, Vegetarian Times is first published.
• In the 1990’s it was released that a vegetarian/vegan diet helped peoples
health majorly.
8. Famous vegetarians
• Kate Bush – Singer/Songwriter
• Alexa Chung – TV presenter
• Mike Dirnt – Musician
• Christofer Drew-Ingle – Musician
• Gandhi – Nationalism leader
• Anne Hathaway – Actress
• Frank Iero – Musician
• Joan Jett – Musician
• Matt Kean - Musician
• Kesha – Singer
• Leona Lewis – Singer
• Benji Madden – Musician
• Matt Nichols - Musician
• Kelly Osbourne – Singer
• Oli Sykes – Musician
• Serj Tanken – Musician
• Leonardo Da Vinci – Artist
• Natalie Portman – Actress
• Mike Tyson – Athlete
