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Meat-Free Foods Market with Competitive Analysis, New Business Developments and Top Companies: Brecks, Gardein, VBites Foods, Beyond Meat, Marlow…

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Meat-Free Foods Market Scenario 2020-2025:

The Global Meat-Free Foods market exhibits comprehensive information that is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists during the decade 2014-2025. On the basis of historical data, Meat-Free Foods market report provides key segments and their sub-segments, revenue and demand & supply data. Considering technological breakthroughs of the market Meat-Free Foods industry is likely to appear as a commendable platform for emerging Meat-Free Foods market investors.

This Meat-Free Foods Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution, etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better.

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The complete value chain and downstream and upstream essentials are scrutinized in this report. Essential trends like globalization, growth progress boost fragmentation regulation & ecological concerns. This Market report covers technical data, manufacturing plants analysis, and raw material sources analysis of Meat-Free Foods Industry as well as explains which product has the highest penetration, their profit margins, and R&D status. The report makes future projections based on the analysis of the subdivision of the market which includes the global market size by product category, end-user application, and various regions.

Topmost Leading Manufacturer Covered in this report:Brecks, Gardein, VBites Foods, Beyond Meat, Marlow Foods, Clearspring, Lightlife Foods, BOCA, Aldi, Hain Celestial, Fry Group Foods, Cedar Lake Foods, Atlantic Natural Foods, Bean Supreme, Butler Foods, Fantastic World Foods, Field Roast, Dragonfly Foods

Product Segment Analysis: Veganism, Buddhist Vegetarianism, Lacto Vegetarianism, Ovo Vegetarianism, Others

Application Segment Analysis:Restaurant, Household, Others

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Regional Analysis For Meat-Free Foods Market

North America(the United States, Canada, and Mexico)Europe(Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)Asia-Pacific(China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)South America(Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)The Middle East and Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)

Market Synopsis:The market research report consists of extensive primary research, as well as an in-depth analysis of the qualitative and quantitative aspects by various industry specialists and professionals, to gain a deeper insight into the market and the overall landscape.

The objectives of the report are:

To analyze and forecast the market size of Meat-Free Foods Industry in theglobal market. To study the global key players, SWOT analysis, value and global market share for leading players. To determine, explain and forecast the market by type, end use, and region. To analyze the market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks of global key regions. To find out significant trends and factors driving or restraining the market growth. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To critically analyze each submarket in terms of individual growth trend and their contribution to the market. To understand competitive developments such as agreements, expansions, new product launches, and possessions in the market. To strategically outline the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

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At last, the study gives out details about the major challenges that are going to impact market growth. They also report provides comprehensive details about the business opportunities to key stakeholders to grow their business and raise revenues in the precise verticals. The report will aid the companys existing or intend to join in this market to analyze the various aspects of this domain before investing or expanding their business in the Meat-Free Foods markets.

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Meat-Free Foods Market with Competitive Analysis, New Business Developments and Top Companies: Brecks, Gardein, VBites Foods, Beyond Meat, Marlow...

When everything went green: 30 years of Mesa Verde – Delano.lu

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

As Lucien Elsen gears up to mark 30 years of his Mesa Verde restaurant, we look back at how the city has changed and the lost innocence of those pioneering times.

Lucien Elsens career in the catering business started rather modestly as a street vendor selling organic whole-wheat pasta. Bitten by the bug, he decided to get the best training available and spent four years learning his craft in speciality restaurants, doing everything from prep cooking to dishwashing, before finding his true calling--macro-biotic vegetarian and fish-based Japanese cuisine. He opened a restaurant, Shanti, catering to what was initially a very niche crowd in Brussels. The makeshift restaurant, which Lucien bought for a song, was small but cosy and furnished with upcycled chairs and tables. Lucien focused on local produce and while the restaurant was humming along nicely, a glowing review in the media suddenly propelled Shanti and Lucien into the spotlight and the venue became a hit.

That success allowed Lucien to fulfil another of his dreams--to study food design in San Francisco. But while there he became aware that a space was available in his home town, and he seized the opportunity to open Mesa Verde in the rue du St. Espirt in the government quarter of the capital city in November 1990.

The first meat-free restaurant in Luxembourg, Mesa Verde was initially shunned by many at the time--they called us rabbits, he says of the derision piled on the place by people who, years later, would rave about vegetarianism when it became trendy.

But a small and enthusiastic crowd were attracted to the restaurants innovative menu, cool dcor and relaxed atmosphere. It was even named best new restaurant in a poll conducted by the now defunct Luxembourg Business magazine in 1991. Lucien hasnt looked back since, and, indeed, the menu hasnt changed in 30 years. Vegetarian dishes such as Greek style crpes with ricotta, feta and spinach or an escalope of seitan with a mushroom sauce remain popular. Luciens grilled salmon in teriyaki sauce is divine and the Kyoto Dream menu, featuring salad, miso soup, scampi tempura and grilled fish is a winner every time.

But Mesa Verde has always been so much more than a good restaurant. Lucien is renowned for hosting brilliant parties, and in the early 90s he was responsible for bringing pioneering DJ Maxwell George to Luxembourg. The success of the parties led Lucien to open Subterranea in a location just 50 metres along the rue du Saint Esprit (the venue is now de Gudde Wllen) and that proved to be another success that attracted international and local DJs and world music stars.

In 1995, when Luxembourg was the European capital of culture, Lucien also launched the Holy Ghost Street Party to celebrate the eve of National Day. That event soon spread to take over the entire St. Esprit plateau (before the Cit judiciaire courts complex was built there) and was the focal point for the biggest party of the year. And even though that party was scaled down and moved to the corniche, where Tim Probyn and Henrik Jensen--who he counts as fellow pioneers--still put on the Elevator stage, Lucien misses the innocence of those days. He has also worked with the city authorities to put on concerts as part of the fte de la musique and he has usd his connections to bring over some excellent musicians for the MeYouZik word music festival.

But Lucien looks around sometimes and laments the slow erosion of what he calls the soul of society. To counter this, he and his partner Vanessa Buffone created a space under the tree of Mesa Verdes terrace for creative writing workshops--a project in collaboration with the cultural service of the Ville de Luxembourg and the Within association. The tree is now adorned with notes from the writers who took part and a beautifully bound anthology of their writing has also been published.

What form the celebration for Mesa Verdes 30th anniversary, which falls in 13 November, actually takes remains to be seen--much is dependent on what Covid restrictions will be in place. But as Lucien says, 30 years is far from the end, its just the beginning!

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When everything went green: 30 years of Mesa Verde - Delano.lu

Vegetarianism The Basic Facts

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

bhofack2/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

While some meat-eaters stereotype the motivations of vegetarians, the truth is the decision to adopt a meat-free diet is a complex, multi-faceted dietary choice.

People of all ages and backgrounds are vegetarians. People who follow a vegetarian diet never eat meat, fish or poultry. Instead, they rely on a variety of plant-based foods for good health and eating enjoyment.

There are many types of vegetarians. Some eat dairy foods, such as cheese or eggs, while others abstain entirely from any food product that comes from an animal.

A lacto-ovo vegetarian, for example, consumes milk and dairy foods, eggs, grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, but abstains from meat, fish and poultry. A lacto-vegetarian follows a similar diet, but does not eat eggs. Meanwhile, a vegan stays away from animal-based products entirely, which, in addition to meat, also includes milk and dairy products, lard, gelatin and foods with ingredients from animal sources. Some vegans also do not eat honey.

People choose vegetarian diets for many reasons, including personal preference, health concerns, dislike for meat or other food from animals, or they believe a plant-based diet is healthier.

Some adopt a vegetarian lifestyle for ethical reasons. Many vegetarians, for example, avoid meat because they do not want animals killed or harmed. These individuals may object to the treatment of animals raised on industrial farms.

The environment is an additional concern for some vegetarians. Issues have been cited concerning all aspects of the environment, such as animal waste from factory farms polluting the land and water or forests that are cut down to make room for grazing cattle.

Religious beliefs also can play an important role in vegetarianism. For instance, followers of Jainism practice nonviolence (also called ahimsa, meaning "do no harm"), and do not eat meat or certain vegetables, such as onions, potatoes and garlic. Hindus also believe in ahimsa and are the world's largest vegetarian population. They believe in the dietary customs of self-control and purity of mind and spirit. Seventh-day Adventists practice a vegetarian lifestyle, while Buddhists also support the concept of ahimsa (although some eat fish or meat).

Many people make the switch to a vegetarian diet because of the potential health benefits. Vegetarian eating patterns have been associated with improved health outcomes including lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of heart disease and lower blood pressure. Also, vegetarians tend to consume a lower proportion of calories from fat and fewer overall calories, and more fiber, potassium and vitamin C than non-vegetarians. These characteristics, plus lifestyle factors, may contribute to the health benefits among vegetarians.

Note: A healthy eating pattern is essential in order to obtain the health benefits of becoming a vegetarian. The Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate provide guidance for planning a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet.

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Vegetarianism The Basic Facts

Paul McCartney Keeps Tabs on The Simpsons to Make Sure Lisa Is Still Vegetarian – LIVEKINDLY

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Lisa Simpson is still vegetarian because of Paul McCartney.

According to The Simpsons creators, the former Beatle agreed to guest star in the popular animated sitcom under one condition: Lisa remained vegetarian for the duration of the shows run.

David Mirkina showrunner at the time and fellow vegetariantold the Radio Times that even now, McCartney still checks Lisa is meat-free when they bump into each other. He always checks,he said.And hes always surrounded by nine or ten lawyers so its quite frightening.

McCartney appeared on the show back in 1995, alongside his late wife Linda McCartney. The episode, titled Lisa the Vegetarian, saw the eldest Simpson daughter bond with a lamb at a petting zoo. She then decides to stop eating meat, helped along by Kwik-E-Mart shopkeeper Apu and the McCartneys.

Watched by 14.6 million viewers on its first airing, the episode received critical acclaim. It won an Environmental Media Award, for highlighting environmental issues, and the Humane Societys Genesis Award, for highlighting animal welfare issues.

Lindawho was passionate about animal rightstold Entertainment Weekly that the episode gave them a chance to talk about vegetarianism with a wider audience.

Yeardley Smiththe voice of Lisaexplained in the recent Radio Times interview: Lisa is a really effective way of getting a sophisticated and adult message across.

Smith believes her character has always been ahead of her time; she was raising awareness about climate change long before Greta Thunberg was even born. With that in mind, Smith says the show would love to get the 17-year-old vegan climate activist to guest star.

Itd be great if Greta plays herself,she said.Shed be passing through Springfield and find that she has so much in common with Lisa. But the heartbreaker would be when Greta moved on to her next stop.

She continued,Lisa would be with all those people in the town who wish shed just keep her trap shut. Shed have to carry the torch for the rest of the time on her own.

Summary

Article Name

Paul McCartney Keeps Tabs on 'The Simpsons' to Make Sure Lisa Is Still Vegetarian

Description

Paul McCartney is the reason Lisa Simpson has stayed vegetarian for so long. The musician starred in "The Simpsons" 1995 episode "Lisa the Vegetarian."

Author

Charlotte Pointing

Publisher Name

LIVEKINDLY

Publisher Logo

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Paul McCartney Keeps Tabs on The Simpsons to Make Sure Lisa Is Still Vegetarian - LIVEKINDLY

Going vegetarian for the love of god, and animals – The Star Online

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Making a change to our diet is never an easy thing, especially if our favourite foods and drinks are not exactly healthy ones.

While there will certainly be challenges and temptations along the way, these two individuals show us that it is not an impossible task.

A religious push

Dr Vigneshwaran Kandiahs journey to becoming a vegetarian first started as a religious duty.

In 2016, he decided to observe 10 days of vegetarianism for the Hindu festival of Navarathiri.

At that time, his meat consumption was pretty high, so becoming a vegetarian for even a short period of time was quite a big deal.

Those 10 days became two weeks, which became a month, then two months, and it just continued on from there, he says simply.Dr Vigneshwaran's vegetarian diet now mostly consists of fibrous vegetables and tofu. Dr Vigneshwaran Kandiah

The 34-year-old trainee paediatric surgeon shares that one stumbling block he experienced was that most of his friends consumed a lot of meat and there were limited options for him when they ate together.

Also, I was used to eating meat, so the first two months without it were really hard, he admits.

His busy work schedule didnt help either, as he had no time to cook or eat healthily.

When I became a full-time vegetarian, I had very bad dietary practices, because I ate very simple food like bread and biscuits most of the time, it was just something to fill my stomach, he says.

He adds that he actually put on a lot of weight despite being vegetarian, which he also attributes to a lack of exercise.

Eventually, Dr Vigneshwaran realised that he had to totally overhaul his diet as he wasnt eating well at all.

It helped a lot when his hospital began providing vegetarian meals.

Nowadays, I mostly eat a lot of fibrous vegetables and tofu, and my diet is not very carb-heavy, he says, adding that he doesnt even crave meat anymore.

The cravings I have are for things like sambal or curry, and there are various ways that can be incorporated, like with tofu (or mock meat once in a while), so I dont need to eat meat, he says.

He shares that since becoming a vegetarian, he generally feels healthier, less constipated, and even smells better!

However, he admits that he just cant live without eggs, and still eats them.

Dr Vigneshwaran also warns that just becoming a vegetarian doesnt automatically make a person healthier.

Ultimately, you cant expect that by eating green, youll be like 100% healthy it doesnt work that way, you still need to exercise, he says firmly.

I have never seen him eat a vegetable: With steak off the menu, officials scramble to feed fussy eater Trump in India – The Independent

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Donald Trumphasembarked on his first presidential visit to India, the worlds largest democracy and home to the worlds largest population of vegetarians. Since Mr Trump is a noted beef-eater, in particular a lover of steak and burgers, gastronomically speaking, the visit will prove one of his most challenging.

Its not all bad news for Mr Trump. Indias reputation for overwhelming vegetarianism is overstated, and its thought that more families eat beef at home than generally admit it.

Nonetheless, Indian president Narendra Modi has reportedly planned to serve Mr Trump an all-vegetarian menu. Will he succeed where others have failed?

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

A person close to the President told CNN: "I have never seen him eat a vegetable."

Mr Trump was once challenged to go vegan for a month by the campaign group Million Dollar Vegan, which said it would donate $1m to a veterans charity if the president swore off animal products just temporarily. The group even promoted the offer via a full-page ad in the New York Times. Mr Trump did not take them up on it.

Instead, the presidents reputation for eating a meat-heavy, vegetable-light diet precedes him to this day.

Mr Trumps steak preferences, for instance, are well-documented: well-done and slathered in ketchup. Its an order thats earned him much derision, and its now being used against him by Democratic candidate and fellow New Yorker Michael Bloomberg.

The Bloomberg campaign recently plastered the Las Vegas strip in billboards mocking Mr Trump for various of his habits and failings. Among these was one reading Donald Trump eats burnt steak, followed by the words Mike Bloomberg likes his medium rare.

Beyond steak, Mr Trumps diet has attracted both ridicule and bemusement before. During the 2016 Republican primary, he tweeted a now-notorious picture of himself tucking into a remarkably large bucket of KFC chicken with a knife and fork.

At the time, the Washington Posts Chris Cillizza did a very deep dive into the picture and deduced not only that the bucket was a $20 Fill Up featuring not only chicken but mashed potato, biscuits and gravy.

Mr Trump also doesnt confine himself to KFC: witness this video of him serving McDonalds burgers on silver platters during the government shutdown in January 2019.

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While the president is reputed to be a teetotaller, some worrisome drinking habits are well-established, chief among them that Mr Trump consumes roughly 12 cans of Diet Coke a day. Nutritionists have raised the alarm in response, pointing to the effects of over-consuming caffeine on such a scale.

Some might point out that the presidents diet is his business alone. But his administration is hardly putting healthy eating first.

Michelle Obama spentseveral painstaking years working to promote healthy eating among children, in particular poorer children who rely on school meals for nourishment. The Trump administration, however, has been rolling back the hard-won reforms she pushed through.

If American school meals start to look more like Mr Trumps own diet, American schoolchildren will be in trouble.

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I have never seen him eat a vegetable: With steak off the menu, officials scramble to feed fussy eater Trump in India - The Independent

India is Not a ‘Vegetarian Country’ Like the EAT-Lancet Report Would Have Us Believe – The Wire

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Vegetarians, far less vegans, let us be frank, would not like to be compelled to eat meat. Yet the reverse compulsion is what lurks in the current proposals for a new planetary diet. Nowhere is this more visible than in India.

The subcontinent is often stereotyped by the West as a vegetarian utopia, where transcendental wisdom, longevity, and asceticism go hand in hand.

Earlier this year, the EAT-Lancet Commission released its global report on nutrition and called for a global shift to a more plant based diet: The scientific targets set by this Commission provide guidance for the necessary shift, which consists of increasing consumption of plant-based foods and substantially reducing consumption of animal source foods.

In the specific Indian context, the call to consume less animal foods has a special significance because it could become a tool to aggravate an already vexing political situation and stress already under nourished Indians.

Worryingly, the EAT report feeds into the false premise that traditional diets in countries like India include little red meat which might be consumed only on special occasions or as minor ingredients of mixed dishes.

In India, however, there is a vast difference between what people would wish to consume and what they have to consume because of innumerable barriers around caste, religion, culture, cost, geography, etc. Policy makers in India have traditionally pushed for a cereal heavy vegetarian diet on a meat-eating population as a way of providing cheapest sources of food.

The report says that legume consumption has traditionally been high in many cultures, such as India. Legumes are also expensive, provide low protein quality, are limited by poor digestibility and long cooking time. Often people consume watery legume gruel and that too, if it is available through the public distribution system, which is often erratic. They neither provide best quality proteins nor are they consumed in sufficient amounts.

Currently, food politics in India spearheads an aggressive new Hindu nationalism that has led to many of Indias meat eating minority communities being treated as inferior. Muslims, Christians, Dalits and Adivasis are overtly and covertly coerced into giving up their traditional foods to fit into a vegetarian Hindu identity.

Also read:Despite Nutrition Benefits, Most BJP States Keep Eggs out of Mid-Day Meals

The last two years have seen bitter political battles over provision of eggs, known to increase both taste and nutritional value, in the government supported school mid-day meal scheme.

While the Right to Food campaign, nutritionists, public health professionals and activists have argued in favour of eggs, religious organisations have labelled it a religious imposition, inspite of a majority of children accessing government schools being malnourished and from communities that traditionally eat eggs.

None of these concerns seem to have been appreciated by the EAT-Lancet Commissions representative Brent Loken, during the launch event at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) headquarters in New Delhi on April 4,2019. At one point during the launch, Loken states:

Where should we be getting our protein from? Is it from animal source foods or is it from plant source foods? This is where I think India has got such a great example. A lot of the protein sources come from plants. So I think India has an example that they can show the world.

Likewise, EATs co-founder, professor Johan Rockstrom has insisted:

India can show the world how traditional diets high in seeds, nuts, vegetables, whole grains and legumes can provide sustainable nutrition without wrecking the planet.

But how much of a model for the world is Indias vegetarianism then? In the Global Hunger Index 2019, the country ranks102ndout of117, whereas data from the National Family Health Survey indicate that only 10% of the infants between 623 months are adequately fed.

As a result, no less than 38% of the children under five years are stunted. About one on five women and men are underweight, with a similar proportion being either overweight or obese, especially in urban settings.

Anaemia affects almost 60% of the children aged 6-59 months, more than half of the women between 15-49 years, and almost one on four men in that same age group. Subclinical vitamin A deficiency in preschool children is 62% and is closely associated with malnutrition and poor protein consumption. Hardly a model to be followed.

Children holding plates wait in a queue to receive food at an orphanage run by a non-governmental organisation on World Hunger Day, in Chennai May 28, 2014.Photo: Reuters/Babu/Files

So when EAT-Lancets food campaign islaunched in India, run by billionaires but claiming to speak for the worlds poor, it risks sanctioning and rationalising caste-based impositions that poor Indians reel under. In short, it offers another whip to beat already vulnerable communities.

A diet directed at the affluent West fails to recognise that in low-income countries undernourished children are known to benefit from the consumption of milk and other animal source foods, improving anthropometric indices and cognitive functions, whilst reducing the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies as well as morbidity and mortality.

Or that, in India, bone fracture and shorter heights in India have been associated with lower milk consumption. Importantly, traditional livestock gets people through difficult seasons, prevents malnutrition in impoverished communities, and provides economic security.

Also read:India Ranks 102 Out of 117 Countries in Global Hunger Index

EAT-Lancet claimed its intention was to spark conversations among all Indian stakeholders. The conversation, however, was far from being sparked and the stakeholders were carefully narrowed down to yea-sayers.

Vocal critics of the food processing industry and food fortification strategies, such as the Right to Food campaign, have been left out of the debate along with the National Institute of Nutrition, the 100-year old government nutrition research body whose research points in favour of animal source foods.

But the most blatant omission may as well be the fact that Indias farmers were conspicuously absent.

The alacrity with which FSSAI is ready to promote and project the EAT-Lancet approach seems to subvert democratic consultation processes and to prefer instead the route of unilateral decision making, with the usual multinational businesses as their favourite bed-mates.

Could it be that critical voices are too much of a nuisance when it comes to endorsement of certain industrial agendas by the EAT foundation and its Indian backers? The manufacturing of a plant-based lifestyle is a highly lucrative one, with cheap materials such as pea protein extracts, starches, and plant oils at its base.

As a result, various business solutions have been worked out by such companies as Deloitte, in support of the Great Food Transformation and its associated partners of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

FSSAI has been embroiled in similar controversies with its scientific panel being populated with experts from the food and beverage industry. The organisation also promotes fortification of foods to the benefit of international firms in alliance with the events co-host, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.

These schemes have been criticised, especially now that a Cochrane review has shown that fortification of rice makes little or no difference to addressing anaemia or vitamin A deficiency.

Rather than addressing chronic hunger and malnutrition through an improved access to wholesome and nutrient-dense foods, the government is thus opening the door for company-dependent solutions.

What is conveniently being ignored here are the environmental and economic cost of shifting tonnes of micronutrients from Western countries on a permanent basis, while at the same time destroying local food systems.

Dr. Sylvia Karpagam is a public health doctor and researcher working with the Right to Food and Right to Health campaigns in India.

Frdric Leroy is a professor of food science and technology, investigating the scientific and societal aspects of animal food products, writing in individual capacity.

Martin Cohen is a social scientist whose latest book I Think Therefore I Eat (2018) takes a philosophical and sociological look at food science and argues for a more holistic approach to food and health debates.

Continued here:
India is Not a 'Vegetarian Country' Like the EAT-Lancet Report Would Have Us Believe - The Wire

Does the Church have a stance on vegetarianism? – The Irish Catholic

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Questions of Faith

Now more than ever, people are freely opting for a plant-based lifestyle not only to improve their health but also for moral reasons. Its estimated that about 11% of the global population is vegetarian and this number is increasing daily given societys changing attitudes towards meat consumption.

For Catholics who are considering a meat-free life, does the Church have any instruction on this form of living?

Official Church teaching doesnt say much about vegetarianism but there is plenty of theology on the topic that can point us in the right direction.

While some people claim that Jesus was a vegetarian, this argument falls flat on its feet when you read the Bible. Jesus, for example, participated in the Passover meal which required a lamb to be slaughtered, which was then eaten. He also promoted fishing (Lk 5:2-7) and the miracle of the multiplying loaves and fish reinforce his acceptance of eating animals.

Others have pointed to the Book of Genesis where God gives Adam and Eve permission to eat plants alone (Gen 1:29). If they were instructed to only eat greenery, then we should abide by this injunction.

However, this teaching is supplanted with another after the Great Flood when God says: Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

This clearly shows Gods explicit go-ahead to consume meat.

A plausible counter-argument to this point is that permission was only granted after the Fall, but that ideally humans were only intended to eat plants.

Its a rich and thought-provoking discussion and the Church has made its voice clear on the morality of eating meat.

God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. (CCC 2417)

It is likewise unworthy to spend money on animals that should, as a priority, go to the relief of human misery

While the Church supports meat consumption in principle, this doesnt always mean that doing so is moral. Plenty of meat today is produced in an unethical fashion causing immense pain and suffering to the animals involved.

This activity is whole-heartedly condemned by the Church.

It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should, as a priority, go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons. (CCC 2418)

Although a Christian can argue that eating meat is both theologically and morally sound, its important to remember that animals still need to be treated with dignity.

Anything less than this disrespects a creation that God has deemed very good.

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Does the Church have a stance on vegetarianism? - The Irish Catholic

Vegetarianism – Wikipedia

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat

Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, and the flesh of any other animal), and may also include abstention from by-products of animals processed for food.[1][2]

Vegetarianism may be adopted for various reasons. Many people object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, as well as animal rights advocacy. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, economic, or personal preference. There are variations of the diet as well: an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products, an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, and a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs. A strict vegetarian diet referred to as vegan excludes all animal products, including eggs and dairy. Some vegans even eschew honey, believing that exploiting the labor of bees and harvesting their energy source is immoral, even feeling that beekeeping operations can harm and even kill bees.[3]Avoidance of animal products may require dietary supplements to prevent deficiencies such as vitamin B12 deficiency, which leads to pernicious anemia.[4][5]

Packaged and processed foods, such as cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt, and marshmallows, often contain unfamiliar animal ingredients, and so may be a special concern for vegetarians due to the likelihood of such additives.[2][6] Feelings among vegetarians may vary concerning these ingredients. Some vegetarians scrutinize product labels for animal-derived ingredients[6] while others do not object to consuming cheese made with animal-derived rennet.[2] Some vegetarians are unaware of animal-derived rennet being used in the production of cheese.[2][7][8]

Semi-vegetarian diets consist largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish or poultry, or sometimes other meats, on an infrequent basis. Those with diets containing fish or poultry may define meat only as mammalian flesh and may identify with vegetarianism.[9][10] A pescetarian diet has been described as "fish but no other meat".[11] The common-use association between such diets and vegetarianism has led vegetarian groups such as the Vegetarian Society to state that diets containing these ingredients are not vegetarian, because fish and birds are also animals.[12]

The first written use of the term "vegetarian" originated in the early 19th century, when authors referred to a vegetable regimen diet.[13] Modern dictionaries explain its origin as a compound of vegetable (adjective) and the suffix -arian (in the sense of agrarian).[14] The term was popularized with the foundation of the Vegetarian Society in Manchester in 1847,[15] although it may have appeared in print before 1847.[15][16][17] The earliest occurrences of the term seem to be related to Alcott Housea school on the north side of Ham Common, Londonwhich was opened in July 1838 by James Pierrepont Greaves.[16][17][18] From 1841, it was known as A Concordium, or Industry Harmony College, from which time the institution began to publish its own pamphlet entitled The Healthian, which provides some of the earliest appearances of the term "vegetarian".[16]

India is a strange country. People do not killany living creatures, do not keep pigs and fowl,and do not sell live cattle.

Faxian, 4th/5th century CEChinese pilgrim to India[19]

The earliest record of vegetarianism comes from the 7th century BCE,[20] inculcating tolerance towards all living beings.[21][22] Parshwanatha and Mahavira, the 23rd & 24th tirthankaras in Jainism respectively revived and advocated ahimsa and Jain vegetarianism in 8th to 6th century BC; the most comprehensive and strictest form of vegetarianism.[23][24][25] Vegetarianism was also practiced in ancient Greece and the earliest reliable evidence for vegetarian theory and practice in Greece dates from the 6th century BC. The Orphics, a religious movement spreading in Greece at that time, also practiced and promoted vegetarianism.[26] Greek teacher Pythagoras, who promoted the altruistic doctrine of metempsychosis, may have practiced vegetarianism,[27] but is also recorded as eating meat.[28] A fictionalized portrayal of Pythagoras appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which he advocates a form of strict vegetarianism.[29] It was through this portrayal that Pythagoras was best known to English-speakers throughout the early modern period and, prior to the coinage of the word "vegetarianism", vegetarians were referred to in English as "Pythagoreans".[29]

Vegetarianism was also practiced about six centuries later in another instance (30BCE50CE) in the northern Thracian region by the Moesi tribe (who inhabited present-day Serbia and Bulgaria), feeding themselves on honey, milk, and cheese.[30]

In Indian culture, vegetarianism has been closely connected with the attitude of nonviolence towards animals (called ahimsa in India) for millennia and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers.[31] The ancient Indian work of Tirukkural explicitly and unambiguously emphasizes shunning meat and non-killing.[32] Chapter 26 of the Tirukkural, particularly couplets 251260, deals exclusively on vegetarianism or veganism.[32] Among the Hellenes, Egyptians, and others, vegetarianism had medical or ritual purification purposes.

Following the Christianization of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, vegetarianism practically disappeared from Europe, as it did elsewhere, except in India.[34] Several orders of monks in medieval Europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them eschewed fish.[35] Moreover, the medieval definition of "fish" included such animals as seals, porpoises, dolphins, barnacle geese, puffins, and beavers.[36] Vegetarianism re-emerged during the Renaissance,[37] becoming more widespread in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1847, the first Vegetarian Society was founded in the United Kingdom;[38] Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries followed. In 1886, the vegetarian colony Nueva Germania was founded in Paraguay, though its vegetarian aspect would prove short-lived.[39]:345358 The International Vegetarian Union, an association of the national societies, was founded in 1908. In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, andmore recentlyenvironmental and economic concerns.

There are a number of vegetarian diets that exclude or include various foods:

Within the "ovo-" groups, there are many who refuse to consume fertilized eggs (with balut being an extreme example); however, such distinction is typically not specifically addressed.

Some vegetarians also avoid products that may use animal ingredients not included in their labels or which use animal products in their manufacturing. For example, sugars that are whitened with bone char, cheeses that use animal rennet (enzymes from animal stomach lining), gelatin (derived from the collagen inside animals' skin, bones, and connective tissue), some cane sugar (but not beet sugar) and beverages (such as apple juice and alcohol) clarified with gelatin or crushed shellfish and sturgeon, while other vegetarians are unaware of, or do not mind, such ingredients.[2][6][7] In the 21st century, 90% of rennet and chymosin used in cheesemaking are derived from industrial fermentation processes, which satisfy both kosher and halal requirements.[42]

Individuals sometimes label themselves "vegetarian" while practicing a semi-vegetarian diet,[10][43][44] as some dictionary definitions describe vegetarianism as sometimes including the consumption of fish,[9] or only include mammalian flesh as part of their definition of meat,[9][45] while other definitions exclude fish and all animal flesh.[12] In other cases, individuals may describe themselves as "flexitarian".[43][46]These diets may be followed by those who reduce animal flesh consumed as a way of transitioning to a complete vegetarian diet or for health, ethical, environmental, or other reasons. Semi-vegetarian diets include:

Semi-vegetarianism is contested by vegetarian groups, such as the Vegetarian Society, which states that vegetarianism excludes all animal flesh.[12]

On average, vegetarians consume a lower proportion of calories from fat (particularly saturated fatty acids), fewer overall calories, more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, than do non-vegetarians. Vegetarians generally have a lower body mass index. These characteristics and other lifestyle factors associated with a vegetarian diet may contribute to the positive health outcomes that have been identified among vegetarians.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 A report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services[47]

Studies on the health effects of vegetarian diets observe mixed effects on mortality. One review found a decreased overall risk of all cause mortality, cancer (except breast) and cardiovascular disease;[48] however, a meta-analysis found lower risk for ischemic heart disease and cancer but no effect on overall mortality or cerebrovascular disease.[49] Possible limitations include varying definitions used of vegetarianism, and the observation of increased risk of lung cancer mortality in those on a vegetarian diet for less than five years.[49] An analysis pooling two large studies found vegetarians in the UK have similar all cause mortality as meat eaters.[50]

The American Dietetic Association has stated that at all stages of life, a properly planned vegetarian diet can be "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."[51] Vegetarian diets offer lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals.[52][53]

Vegetarian diets have been studied to see whether they are of benefit in treating arthritis, but no good supporting evidence has been found.[54]

As of 2011[update] the relationship between vegetarian diet and bone health was unclear. According to some studies, a vegetarian lifestyle can be associated with vitamin B 12 deficiency and low bone mineral density.[55] However, a study of vegetarian and non-vegetarian adults in Taiwan found no significant difference in bone mineral density between the two groups.[56]

Vegetarian diets might reduce the risk of developing diabetes.[57] There is some evidence that a vegetarian diet may help people with type 2 diabetes achieve glycemic control.[58]

The American Dietetic Association discussed that vegetarian diets may be more common among adolescents with eating disorders, indicating that vegetarian diets do not cause eating disorders, but rather "vegetarian diets may be selected to camouflage an existing eating disorder".[59]

Vegetarian diets may lower the risk of heart disease, as well as reduce the need for medications prescribed for chronic illnesses.[60]

There have been many comparative and statistical studies of the relationship between diet and longevity, including vegetarianism and longevity.

A 1999 metastudy combined data from five studies from western countries.[61] The metastudy reported mortality ratios, where lower numbers indicated fewer deaths, for fish eaters to be 0.82, vegetarians to be 0.84, occasional meat eaters (eat meat less than once per week) to be 0.84. Regular meat eaters had the base mortality rate of 1.0, while the number for vegans was very uncertain (anywhere between 0.7 and 1.44) due to too few data points. The study reported the numbers of deaths in each category, and expected error ranges for each ratio, and adjustments made to the data. However, the "lower mortality was due largely to the relatively low prevalence of smoking in these [vegetarian] cohorts". Out of the major causes of death studied, only one difference in mortality rate was attributed to the difference in diet, as the conclusion states: "...vegetarians had a 24% lower mortality from ischaemic heart disease than non-vegetarians, but no associations of a vegetarian diet with other major causes of death were established".[61]

In Mortality in British vegetarians,[62] a similar conclusion is drawn:

British vegetarians have low mortality compared with the general population. Their death rates are similar to those of comparable non-vegetarians, suggesting that much of this benefit may be attributed to non-dietary lifestyle factors such as a low prevalence of smoking and a generally high socio-economic status, or to aspects of the diet other than the avoidance of meat and fish."[63]

The Adventist Health Studies is ongoing research that documents the life expectancy in Seventh-day Adventists. This is the only study among others with similar methodology which had favourable indication for vegetarianism. The researchers found that a combination of different lifestyle choices could influence life expectancy by as much as 10 years. Among the lifestyle choices investigated, a vegetarian diet was estimated to confer an extra 11/2 to 2 years of life. The researchers concluded that "the life expectancies of California Adventist men and women are higher than those of any other well-described natural population" at 78.5 years for men and 82.3 years for women. The life expectancy of California Adventists surviving to age 30 was 83.3 years for men and 85.7 years for women.[64]

The Adventist health study is again incorporated into a metastudy titled "Does low meat consumption increase life expectancy in humans?" published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which concluded that low meat eating (less than once per week) and other lifestyle choices significantly increase life expectancy, relative to a group with high meat intake. The study concluded that "The findings from one cohort of healthy adults raises the possibility that long-term ( 2 decades) adherence to a vegetarian diet can further produce a significant 3.6-y increase in life expectancy." However, the study also concluded that "Some of the variation in the survival advantage in vegetarians may have been due to marked differences between studies in adjustment for confounders, the definition of vegetarian, measurement error, age distribution, the healthy volunteer effect, and intake of specific plant foods by the vegetarians." It further states that "This raises the possibility that a low-meat, high plant-food dietary pattern may be the true causal protective factor rather than simply elimination of meat from the diet." In a recent review of studies relating low-meat diet patterns to all-cause mortality, Singh noted that "5 out of 5 studies indicated that adults who followed a low meat, high plant-food diet pattern experienced significant or marginally significant decreases in mortality risk relative to other patterns of intake."[65]

Statistical studies, such as comparing life expectancy with regional areas and local diets in Europe also have found life expectancy considerably greater in southern France, where a low meat, high plant Mediterranean diet is common, than northern France, where a diet with high meat content is more common.[66]

A study by the Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, and Institute of Physiological Chemistry looked at a group of 19 vegetarians (lacto-ovo) and used as a comparison a group of 19 omnivorous subjects recruited from the same region. The study found that this group of vegetarians (lacto-ovo) have a significantly higher amount of plasma carboxymethyllysine and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) compared to this group of non-vegetarians.[67] Carboxymethyllysine is a glycation product which represents "a general marker of oxidative stress and long-term damage of proteins in aging, atherosclerosis and diabetes" and "[a]dvanced glycation end products (AGEs) may play an important adverse role in process of atherosclerosis, diabetes, aging and chronic renal failure".[67]

A strict vegetarian diet avoiding consumption of all animal products risks vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to hyperhomocysteinemia, a risk factor for several health disorders, including anemia, neurological deficits, gastrointestinal problems, platelet disorders, and increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.[4][5] This risk may be offset by ensuring sufficient intake of vitamin B12 by consuming fortified foods with vitamin B12 added during manufacturing, or by using a dietary supplement product.[4][5][48]

Western vegetarian diets are typically high in carotenoids, but relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12.[68] Vegans can have particularly low intake of vitamin B and calcium if they do not eat enough items such as collard greens, leafy greens, tempeh and tofu (soy).[69] High levels of dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, and magnesium, and low consumption of saturated fat are all considered to be beneficial aspects of a vegetarian diet.[70] A well planned vegetarian diet will provide all nutrients in a meat-eater's diet to the same level for all stages of life.[71]

Protein intake in vegetarian diets is lower than in meat diets but can meet the daily requirements for most people.[72] Studies at Harvard University as well as other studies conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and various European countries,confirmed vegetarian diets provide sufficient protein intake as long as a variety of plant sources are available and consumed.[73]

Vegetarian diets typically contain similar levels of iron to non-vegetarian diets, but this has lower bioavailability than iron from meat sources, and its absorption can sometimes be inhibited by other dietary constituents.[74] According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, consuming food that contains vitamin C, such as citrus fruit or juices, tomatoes, or broccoli, is a good way to increase the amount of iron absorbed at a meal.[75] Vegetarian foods rich in iron include black beans, cashews, hempseed, kidney beans, broccoli, lentils, oatmeal, raisins, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, black-eyed peas, soybeans, many breakfast cereals, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, tomato juice, tempeh, molasses, thyme, and whole-wheat bread.[76] The related vegan diets can often be higher in iron than vegetarian diets, because dairy products are low in iron.[70] Iron stores often tend to be lower in vegetarians than non-vegetarians, and a few small studies report very high rates of iron deficiency (up to 40%,[77] and 58%[78] of the respective vegetarian or vegan groups). However, the American Dietetic Association states that iron deficiency is no more common in vegetarians than non-vegetarians (adult males are rarely iron deficient); iron deficiency anaemia is rare no matter the diet.[79]

Vitamin B12 is not generally present in plants but is naturally found in foods of animal origin.[4][80] Lacto-ovo vegetarians can obtain B12 from dairy products and eggs, and vegans can obtain it from manufactured fortified foods (including plant-based products and breakfast cereals) and dietary supplements.[4][81][82]

The recommended daily dietary intake of B12 in the United States and Canada is 0.4 mcg (ages 06 months), rising to 1.8 mcg (913 years), 2.4 mcg (14+ years), and 2.8 mcg (lactating female).[80] While the body's daily requirement for vitamin B12 is in microgram amounts, deficiency of the vitamin through strict practice of a vegetarian diet without supplementation can increase the risk of several chronic diseases.[4][5][80]

Plant-based, or vegetarian, sources of Omega 3 fatty acids include soy, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil, kiwifruit, hempseed, algae, chia seed, flaxseed, echium seed and leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage and purslane. Purslane contains more Omega 3 than any other known leafy green. Olives (and olive oil) are another important plant source of unsaturated fatty acids. Plant foods can provide alpha-linolenic acid which the human body uses to synthesize the long-chain n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA can be obtained directly in high amounts from oily fish or fish oils. Vegetarians, and particularly vegans, have lower levels of EPA and DHA than meat-eaters. While the health effects of low levels of EPA and DHA are unknown, it is unlikely that supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid will significantly increase levels.[83][clarification needed] Recently, some companies have begun to market vegetarian DHA supplements containing seaweed extracts. Whole seaweeds are not suitable for supplementation because their high iodine content limits the amount that may be safely consumed. However, certain algae such as spirulina are good sources of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA).[84][85]

Calcium intake in vegetarians and vegans can be similar to non-vegetarians, as long as the diet is properly planned.[86] Lacto-ovo vegetarians that include dairy products can still obtain calcium from dairy sources like milk, yogurt, and cheese.[87]

Non-dairy milks that are fortified with calcium, such as soymilk and almond milk can also contribute a significant amount of calcium in the diet.[88] The calcium found in broccoli, bok choy, and kale have also been found to have calcium that is well absorbed in the body.[86][87][89] Though the calcium content per serving is lower in these vegetables than a glass of milk, the absorption of the calcium into the body is higher.[87][89] Other foods that contain calcium include calcium-set tofu, blackstrap molasses, turnip greens, mustard greens, soybeans, tempeh, almonds, okra, dried figs, and tahini.[86][88] Though calcium can be found in Spinach, swiss chard, beans and beet greens, they are generally not considered to be a good source since the calcium binds to oxalic acid and is poorly absorbed into the body.[87] Phytic acid found in nuts, seeds, and beans may also impact calcium absorption rates.[87] See the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements for calcium needs for various ages,[87] the Vegetarian Resource Group[88] and the Vegetarian Nutrition Calcium Fact Sheet from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics[86] for more specifics on how to obtain adequate calcium intake on a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Vitamin D needs can be met via the human body's own generation upon sufficient and sensible exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light in sunlight.[90][91] Products including milk, soy milk and cereal grains may be fortified to provide a source of Vitamin D.[92] For those who do not get adequate sun exposure or food sources, Vitamin D supplementation may be necessary.

Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol is found in fungus (except alfalfa which is a plantae) and created from viosterol, which in turn is created when ultraviolet light activates ergosterol (which is found in fungi and named as a sterol from ergot). Any UV-irradiated fungus including yeast form vitamin D2.[95] Human bioavailability of vitamin D2 from vitamin D2-enhanced button mushrooms via UV-B irradiation is effective in improving vitamin D status and not different from a vitamin D2 supplement according to study.[96] For example, Vitamin D2 from UV-irradiated yeast baked into bread is bioavailable.[97]By visual assessment or using a chromometer, no significant discoloration of irradiated mushrooms, as measured by the degree of "whiteness", was observed[98] making it hard to discover if they have been treated without labeling. Claims have been made that a normal serving (approx. 3 oz or 1/2 cup, or 60 grams) of mushrooms treated with ultraviolet light increase their vitamin D content to levels up to 80 micrograms,[99] or 2700 IU if exposed to just 5 minutes of UV light after being harvested.[100]

Various ethical reasons have been suggested for choosing vegetarianism, usually predicated on the interests of non-human animals. In many societies, controversy and debate have arisen over the ethics of eating animals. Some people, while not vegetarians, refuse to eat the flesh of certain animals due to cultural taboo, such as cats, dogs, horses or rabbits. Others support meat eating for scientific, nutritional and cultural reasons, including religious ones. Some meat eaters abstain from the meat of animals reared in particular ways, such as factory farms, or avoid certain meats, such as veal or foie gras. Some people follow vegetarian or vegan diets not because of moral concerns involving the raising or consumption of animals in general, but because of concerns about the specific treatment and practices involved in the processing of animals for food. Others still avoid meat because meat production is claimed to place a greater burden on the environment than production of an equivalent amount of plant protein. Ethical objections based on consideration for animals are generally divided into opposition to the act of killing in general, and opposition to certain agricultural practices surrounding the production of meat.

Ethical vegetarians believe that killing an animal, like killing a human, especially one who has equal or lesser cognitive abilities than the animals in question, can only be justified in extreme circumstances and that consuming a living creature for its enjoyable taste, convenience, or nutrition value is not a sufficient cause.[101] Another common view is that humans are morally conscious of their behavior in a way other animals are not, and therefore subject to higher standards.[102] One author proposes that denying the right to life and humane treatment to animals with equal or greater cognitive abilities than mentally disabled humans is an arbitrary and discriminatory practice based on habit instead of logic.[103] Opponents of ethical vegetarianism argue that animals are not moral equals to humans and so consider the comparison of eating livestock with killing people to be fallacious. This view does not excuse cruelty, but maintains that animals do not possess the rights a human has.[104]

One of the main differences between a vegan and a typical vegetarian diet is the avoidance of both eggs and dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter and yogurt. Ethical vegans do not consume dairy or eggs because they state that their production causes the animal suffering or a premature death.[105]

To produce milk from dairy cattle, farmers separate calves from their mothers soon after birth or fed milk replacer to retain cow milk for human consumption.[106] To prolong lactation, dairy cows are almost permanently kept pregnant through artificial insemination.[106] After about five years, once the cow's milk production has dropped, it is considered "spent" and processed for beef and hide. A dairy cow's natural life expectancy is about twenty years.[105]

In battery cage and free-range egg production, unwanted male chicks are culled or discarded at birth during the process of securing a further generation of egg-laying hens.[107]

Ethical vegetarianism has become popular in developed countries particularly because of the spread of factory farming, faster communications, and environmental consciousness. Some believe that the current mass demand for meat cannot be satisfied without a mass-production system that disregards the welfare of animals, while others believe that practices like well-managed free-ranging and consumption of game, particularly from species whose natural predators have been significantly eliminated, could substantially alleviate the demand for mass-produced meat.[108]

Jainism teaches vegetarianism as moral conduct as do some major[109] sects of Hinduism. Buddhism in general does not prohibit meat eating, while Mahayana Buddhism encourages vegetarianism as beneficial for developing compassion.[110] Other denominations that advocate a vegetarian diet include the Seventh-day Adventists, the Rastafari movement, the Ananda Marga movement and the Hare Krishnas. Sikhism[111][112][113] does not equate spirituality with diet and does not specify a vegetarian or meat diet.[114]

While there are no dietary restrictions in the Bah' faith, `Abdu'l-Bah, the son of the religion's founder, noted that a vegetarian diet consisting of fruits and grains was desirable, except for people with a weak constitution or those that are sick.[115] He stated that there are no requirements that Bah's become vegetarian, but that a future society should gradually become vegetarian.[115][116][117] `Abdu'l-Bah also stated that killing animals was contrary to compassion.[115] While Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bah' Faith in the first half of the 20th century, stated that a purely vegetarian diet would be preferable since it avoided killing animals,[118] both he and the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bah's have stated that these teachings do not constitute a Bah' practice and that Bah's can choose to eat whatever they wish but should be respectful of others' beliefs.[115]

Theravadins in general eat meat.[119] If Buddhist monks "see, hear or know" a living animal was killed specifically for them to eat, they must refuse it or else incur an offense.[120] However, this does not include eating meat which was given as alms or commercially purchased. In the Theravada canon, Buddha did not make any comment discouraging them from eating meat (except specific types, such as human, elephant meat, horse, dog, snake, lion, tiger, leopard, bear, and hyena flesh[121]) but he specifically refused to institute vegetarianism in his monastic code when a suggestion had been made.[122][123]

In several Sanskrit texts of Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha instructs his followers to avoid meat.[124][125][126][127] However, each branch of Mahayana Buddhism selects which sutra to follow, and some branches, including the majority of Tibetan and Japanese Buddhists, do eat meat, while many Chinese Buddhist branches do not.

Early Christians disagreed as to whether they should eat meat, and later Christian historians have disagreed over whether Jesus was a vegetarian.[128][129][130] Various groups within Christianity have practiced specific dietary restrictions for various reasons.[131] The Council of Jerusalem in around 50 AD, recommended Christians keep following some of the Jewish food laws concerning meat. The early sect known as the Ebionites are considered to have practiced vegetarianism. Surviving fragments from their Gospel indicate their belief that as Christ is the Passover sacrifice and eating the Passover lamb is no longer required a vegetarian diet may (or should) be observed. However, orthodox Christianity does not accept their teaching as authentic. Indeed, their specific injunction to strict vegetarianism was cited as one of the Ebionites' "errors".[132][133]

At a much later time, the Bible Christian Church founded by Reverend William Cowherd in 1809 followed a vegetarian diet.[134] Cowherd was one of the philosophical forerunners of the Vegetarian Society.[135] Cowherd encouraged members to abstain from eating of meat as a form of temperance.[136]

Seventh-day Adventists are encouraged to engage in healthy eating practices, and ova-lacto-vegetarian diets are recommended by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Nutrition Council (GCNC). They have also sponsored and participated in many scientific studies exploring the impact of dietary decisions upon health outcomes.[137] The GCNC has in addition adapted the USDA's food pyramid for a vegetarian dietary approach.[137][138] However, the only kinds of meat specifically frowned upon by the SDA health message are unclean meats, or those forbidden in scripture.[139]

Additionally, some monastic orders follow a vegetarian diet, and members of the Orthodox Church follow a vegan diet during fasts.[140] There is also a strong association between the Quakers and vegetarianism dating back at least to the 18th century. The association grew in prominence during the 19th century, coupled with growing Quaker concerns in connection with alcohol consumption, anti-vivisection and social purity. The association between the Quaker tradition and vegetarianism, however, becomes most significant with the founding of the Friends' Vegetarian Society in 1902 "to spread a kindlier way of living amongst the Society of Friends."[141]

According to Canon Law, Roman Catholics ages 14 and older are required to abstain from meat (defined as all mammal and fowl flesh and organs, excluding water animals) on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent including Good Friday. Canon Law also obliges Catholics to abstain from meat on the Fridays of the year outside of Lent (excluding certain holy days) unless, with the permission of the local conference of bishops, another penitential act is substituted. The restrictions on eating meat on these days is solely as an act of penance and not because of a religious objection to eating meat.[142]

Since the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1860s when the church began, wholeness and health have been an emphasis of the Adventist church, and has been known as the "health message" belief of the church.[143] Adventists are well known for presenting a health message that recommends vegetarianism and expects adherence to the kosher laws in Leviticus 11. Obedience to these laws means abstinence from pork, shellfish, and other animals proscribed as "unclean". The church discourages its members from consuming alcoholic beverages, tobacco or illegal drugs (compare Christianity and alcohol). In addition, some Adventists avoid coffee, tea, cola, and other beverages containing caffeine.

The pioneers of the Adventist Church had much to do with the common acceptance of breakfast cereals into the Western diet, and the "modern commercial concept of cereal food" originated among Adventists.[144] John Harvey Kellogg was one of the early founders of Adventist health work. His development of breakfast cereals as a health food led to the founding of Kellogg's by his brother William. In both Australia and New Zealand, the church-owned Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is a leading manufacturer of health and vegetarian-related products, most prominently Weet-Bix.

Research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health has shown that the average Adventist in California lives 4 to 10 years longer than the average Californian. The research, as cited by the cover story of the November 2005 issue of National Geographic, asserts that Adventists live longer because they do not smoke or drink alcohol, have a day of rest every week, and maintain a healthy, low-fat vegetarian diet that is rich in nuts and beans.[145][146] The cohesiveness of Adventists' social networks has also been put forward as an explanation for their extended lifespan.[147]Since Dan Buettner's 2005 National Geographic story about Adventist longevity, his book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, named Loma Linda, California a "blue zone" because of the large concentration of Seventh-day Adventists. He cites the Adventist emphasis on health, diet, and Sabbath-keeping as primary factors for Adventist longevity.[148][149]

An estimated 35% of Adventists practice vegetarianism or veganism, according to a 2002 worldwide survey of local church leaders.[150][151]

Illustrative of vegetarian Hindu meals.

Though there is no strict rule on what to consume and what not to, paths of Hinduism hold vegetarianism as an ideal. Some reasons are: the principle of nonviolence (ahimsa) applied to animals;[152] the intention to offer only "pure" (vegetarian) food to a deity and then to receive it back as prasad; and the conviction that a sattvic diet is beneficial for a healthy body and mind and that non-vegetarian food is not recommended for a better mind and for spiritual development.

However, the food habits of Hindus vary according to their community, location, custom and varying traditions. Historically and currently, those Hindus who eat meat prescribe Jhatka meat,[153] Hindus believe that the cow is a holy animal whose processing for meat is forbidden.[154]

Some followers of Islam, or Muslims, chose to be vegetarian for health, ethical, or personal reasons. However, the choice to become vegetarian for non-medical reasons can sometimes be controversial due to conflicting fatwas and differing interpretations of the Quran. Though some more traditional Muslims may keep quiet about their vegetarian diet, the number of vegetarian Muslims is increasing.[155][156]

Vegetarianism has been practiced by some influential Muslims including the Iraqi theologian, female mystic and poet Rabia of Basra, who died in the year 801, and the Sri Lankan Sufi master Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, who established The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship of North America in Philadelphia. The former Indian president Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was also famously a vegetarian.[157]

In January 1996, The International Vegetarian Union announced the formation of the Muslim Vegetarian/Vegan Society.[158]

Many non-vegetarian Muslims will select vegetarian (or seafood) options when dining in non-halal restaurants. However, this is a matter of not having the right kind of meat rather than preferring not to eat meat on the whole.[156]

Followers of Jainism believe that all living organisms whether they are micro-organism are living and have a soul, and have one or more senses out of five senses and they go to great lengths to minimise any harm to any living organism. Most Jains are lacto-vegetarians but more devout Jains do not eat root vegetables because they believe that root vegetables contain a lot more micro-organisms as compared to other vegetables, and that, by eating them, violence of these micro-organisms is inevitable. So they focus on eating beans and fruits, whose cultivation do not involve killing of a lot of micro-organisms. No products obtained from dead animals are allowed, because when a living beings dies, a lot of micro-organisms (called as decomposers) will reproduce in the body which decomposes the body, and in eating the dead bodies, violence of decomposers is inevitable. Jain monks usually do a lot of fasting, and when they knew through spiritual powers that their life is very little, they start fasting until death.[159][160] Some particularly dedicated individuals are fruitarians.[161] Honey is forbidden, because honey is the regurgitation of nectar by bees [162] and may also contain eggs, excreta and dead bees. Some Jains do not consume plant parts that grow underground such as roots and bulbs, because the plants themselves and tiny animals may be killed when the plants are pulled up.[163]

While classical Jewish law neither requires nor prohibits the consumption of meat, Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.[164][165]

Rabbis may advocate vegetarianism or veganism primarily because of concerns about animal welfare, especially in light of the traditional prohibition on causing unnecessary "pain to living creatures" (tza'ar ba'alei hayyim).[166]

Jewish vegetarian groups and activists believe that the halakhic permission to eat meat is a temporary leniency for those who are not ready yet to accept the vegetarian diet.[167]

Jewish vegetarianism and veganism have become especially popular among Israeli Jews. In 2016, Israel was described as "the most vegan country on Earth", as five percent of its population eschewed all animal products.[168] Interest in veganism has grown among both non-Orthodox and Orthodox Jews in Israel.[169]

Within the Afro-Caribbean community, a minority are Rastafari and follow the dietary regulations with varying degrees of strictness. The most orthodox eat only "Ital" or natural foods, in which the matching of herbs or spices with vegetables is the result of long tradition originating from the African ancestry and cultural heritage of Rastafari.[170] "Ital", which is derived from the word vital, means essential to human existence. Ital cooking in its strictest form prohibits the use of salt, meat (especially pork), preservatives, colorings, flavorings and anything artificial.[171] Most Rastafari are vegetarian.[172]

The tenets of Sikhism do not advocate a particular stance on either vegetarianism or the consumption of meat,[173][174][175][176] but leave the decision of diet to the individual.[177] The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, however, prohibited "Amritdhari" Sikhs, or those that follow the Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Official Sikh Code of Conduct)[178] from eating Kutha meat, or meat which has been obtained from animals which have been killed in a ritualistic way. This is understood to have been for the political reason of maintaining independence from the then-new Muslim hegemony, as Muslims largely adhere to the ritualistic halal diet.[173][177]

"Amritdharis" that belong to some Sikh sects (e.g. Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Damdami Taksal, Namdhari[179] and Rarionwalay,[180] etc.) are vehemently against the consumption of meat and eggs (though they do consume and encourage the consumption of milk, butter and cheese).[181] This vegetarian stance has been traced back to the times of the British Raj, with the advent of many new Vaishnava converts.[177] In response to the varying views on diet throughout the Sikh population, Sikh Gurus have sought to clarify the Sikh view on diet, stressing their preference only for simplicity of diet. Guru Nanak said that over-consumption of food (Lobh, Greed) involves a drain on the Earth's resources and thus on life.[182][183] Passages from the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs, also known as the Adi Granth) say that it is "foolish" to argue for the superiority of animal life, because though all life is related, only human life carries more importance: "Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. Who can define what is meat and what is not meat? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?"[177] The Sikh langar, or free temple meal, is largely lacto-vegetarian, though this is understood to be a result of efforts to present a meal that is respectful of the diets of any person who would wish to dine, rather than out of dogma.[176][177]

Environmental vegetarianism is based on the concern that the production of meat and animal products for mass consumption, especially through factory farming, is environmentally unsustainable. According to a 2006 United Nations initiative, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide, and modern practices of raising animals for food contribute on a "massive scale" to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. The initiative concluded that "the livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global."[184]

In addition, animal agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases. According to a 2006 report it is responsible for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions as estimated in 100-year CO2 equivalents. Livestock sources (including enteric fermentation and manure) account for about 3.1 percent of US anthropogenic GHG emissions expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents.[185] This EPA estimate is based on methodologies agreed to by the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC, with 100-year global warming potentials from the IPCC Second Assessment Report used in estimating GHG emissions as carbon dioxide equivalents.

Meat produced in a laboratory (called in vitro meat) may be more environmentally sustainable than regularly produced meat.[186] Reactions of vegetarians vary.[187] Rearing a relatively small number of grazing animals can be beneficial, as the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University reports: "A little bit of livestock production is probably a good thing for the environment".[188]

In May 2009, Ghent, Belgium, was reported to be "the first [city] in the world to go vegetarian at least once a week" for environmental reasons, when local authorities decided to implement a "weekly meatless day". Civil servants would eat vegetarian meals one day per week, in recognition of the United Nations' report. Posters were put up by local authorities to encourage the population to take part on vegetarian days, and "veggie street maps" were printed to highlight vegetarian restaurants. In September 2009, schools in Ghent are due to have a weekly veggiedag ("vegetarian day") too.[189]

Public opinion and acceptance of meat-free food is expected to be more successful if its descriptive words focus less on the health aspects and more on the flavor.[190]

Some groups, such as PETA, promote vegetarianism as a way to offset poor treatment and working conditions of workers in the contemporary meat industry.[191] These groups cite studies showing the psychological damage caused by working in the meat industry, especially in factory and industrialised settings, and argue that the meat industry violates its labourers' human rights by assigning difficult and distressing tasks without adequate counselling, training and debriefing.[192][193][194] However, the working conditions of agricultural workers as a whole, particularly non-permanent workers, remain poor and well below conditions prevailing in other economic sectors.[195] Accidents, including pesticide poisoning, among farmers and plantation workers contribute to increased health risks, including increased mortality.[196] According to the International Labour Organization, agriculture is one of the three most dangerous jobs in the world.[197]

Similar to environmental vegetarianism is the concept of economic vegetarianism. An economic vegetarian is someone who practices vegetarianism from either the philosophical viewpoint concerning issues such as public health and curbing world starvation, the belief that the consumption of meat is economically unsound, part of a conscious simple living strategy or just out of necessity. According to the Worldwatch Institute, "Massive reductions in meat consumption in industrial nations will ease their health care burden while improving public health; declining livestock herds will take pressure off rangelands and grainlands, allowing the agricultural resource base to rejuvenate. As populations grow, lowering meat consumption worldwide will allow more efficient use of declining per capita land and water resources, while at the same time making grain more affordable to the world's chronically hungry."[198] According to estimates in 2016, adoption of vegetarianism would contribute substantially to global healthcare and environmental savings.[199]

Prejudice researcher Gordon Hodson observes that vegetarians and vegans frequently face discrimination where eating meat is held as a cultural norm.[200]

A 1992 market research study conducted by the Yankelovich research organisation concluded that "of the 12.4 million people [in the US] who call themselves vegetarian, 68% are female, while only 32% are male".[201]

At least one study indicates that vegetarian women are more likely to have female babies. A study of 6,000 pregnant women in 1998 "found that while the national average in Britain is 106 boys born to every 100 girls, for vegetarian mothers the ratio was just 85 boys to 100 girls".[202] Catherine Collins of the British Dietetic Association has dismissed this as a "statistical fluke" given that it is actually the male's genetic contribution which determines the sex of a baby.[202]

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Vegetarianism - Wikipedia

China perfected fake meat centuries before the Impossible Burger – CNN

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Beijing (CNN) When 29-year-old Wang Jianguang was growing up in a poor neighborhood in China's northern Shanxi province, his family would buy him chicken wings with soy sauce as a rare treat.

Except they weren't actually made of chicken. The wings were an intricate combination of soybeans and peanuts. "They looked just like chicken wings, though," Wang said.

It was his first encounter with China's centuries-old tradition of imitation meat dishes.

A vegetarian sweet and sour "pork" dish at Green Veggie restaurant in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

Paul Yeung/South China Morning Post/Getty Images

Possible before Impossible

In the past few years, demand for fake meat products has surged in the Western world, as people seek environmentally sustainable and healthier alternatives to red meat.

But long before the first plant-based patties hit the grill in the West, China had been sculpting and flavoring traditional meat-based dishes out of mushrooms, nuts and vegetables.

"It shadows and parallels Chinese cuisine ... it is incredibly diverse and in every part of the country you have a different version," said food writer Fuschia Dunlop.

Wang now works at a restaurant called Baihe Vegetarian in the traditional hutong alleyways of Beijing's Dongcheng district. They serve a huge range of fake meat dishes -- pork spare ribs, dumplings, kung pao chicken.

The restaurant's owner Liu Hongyan said between 80 and 100 people regularly visit her restaurant each day and the number is rising.

"I think more and more people are embracing vegetarian culture. People are considering their health," she said. "There's too much fat and oil in red meat," she said.

Perfect imitation

A central tenet of Buddhism is respect for all living creatures, and vegetarianism is common among its followers. Dunlop said that while China's monasteries provided a strict vegetarian diet, they would often have to accommodate for the dietary choices of visiting pilgrims or patrons.

"[The visitors] would expect [meat-based] meals and this was where the tradition came from. You'd get all the dishes you'd expect to eat at a banquet, but made from vegetarian ingredients."

Chinese Buddhist vegetarian food became "extraordinarily sophisticated" in the centuries after the Han Dynasty, according to Dunlop.

"In the larger monasteries ... people could dine on grand dishes of "shark's fin," "abalone" and other delicacies cunningly fashioned from vegetable ingredients," Dunlop wrote in her book "Food of Sichuan."

A Chinese "fish" dish made from vegetarian ingredients, including a faux fish skin.

Alamy

Today, she said the widespread influence of imitation meat can be seen in the range of dishes offered. In Shanghai, you can eat stir-fried "crabmeat" made from mashed potato and carrot. In Sichuan, restaurants offer traditional "twice-cooked pork" made without a scrap of meat.

"Everyone in Shanghai eats vegetarian "roast duck" or "goose," which is made from layers of thin tofu skin, which are flavored and then deep fried so that it has a golden skin like the real dish," Dunlop said.

"Some people are quite worried about the source of the meat, but don't want to lose that taste," Dunlop explained.

Peanuts, lotus and yam

Wang takes great pride in creating his wide range of fake meat dishes at Baihe Restaurant.

In his kitchen, he carefully shapes a single, large king oyster mushroom into small cubes which will soon become vegetarian "kung pao chicken."

Adding flour, oil, cashews and sugar, among other ingredients, the mixture is tossed into a boiling hot wok. The final piping-hot product has the signature sweet-but-savory taste, with a consistency similar to the meat it's intended to mimic.

According to Wang, in recent years industrialization has meant much of China's fake meat comes from factories rather than being made in kitchens. He makes all his dishes by hand.

"For example, for pork ribs, the bone is made from lotus root, while the meat is made from potato, mushrooms and peanut protein," Wang said. He said the ribs need to sit overnight before they're ready to be served.

While both Wang and owner Liu are aware of Western fashions in fake meat, they're both dismissive of the trend. For them, the original Chinese version is more sophisticated.

"Chinese vegetarian food is more complicated than the Western version. It has more forms, more tastes. The Western version is simple," Wang said.

"I feel like Westerners only eat burgers and steaks."

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China perfected fake meat centuries before the Impossible Burger - CNN

Vegetarianism (for Parents) – KidsHealth

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

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Vegetarianism is a popular choice for many individuals and families. But parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all necessary nutrients. Most dietary and medical experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat.

But special care must be taken when serving kids and teens a vegetarian diet, especially if it doesn't include dairy and egg products. And as with any diet, you'll need to understand that the nutritional needs of kids change as they grow.

Before your child or family switches to a vegetarian diet, it's important to note that all vegetarian diets are not alike. Major vegetarian categories include:

And many other people are semi-vegetarians who have eliminated red meat, but may eat poultry or fish.

Kids or families may follow a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons. Younger vegetarians are usually part of a family that eats vegetarian meals for health, cultural, or other reasons. Older kids may decide to become vegetarians because of concern for animals, the environment, or their own health.

In most cases, you shouldn't be alarmed if your child chooses vegetarianism. Discuss what it means and how to implement it, ensuring your child makes healthy and nutritious food choices.

Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you plan and monitor a healthy vegetarian diet. Parents should give their kids a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow normally.

A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet kids' nutritional needs and has some health benefits. For example, a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. However, kids and teens on a vegetarian diet may need to be careful that they get an adequate amount of certain vitamins and minerals.

Here are nutrients that vegetarians should get and some of their best food sources:

Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the diet isn't monitored by the parents. The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for your child to get enough of the necessary nutrients. In some cases, fortified foods or supplements can help meet nutritional needs.

The main sources of protein and nutrients for infants are breast milk and formula (soy formula for vegan infants), especially in the first 6 months of life. Breastfed infant vegans should receive a source of vitamin B12 if the mother's diet isn't supplemented, and breastfed infants and infants drinking less than 32 ounces (1 liter) formula should get vitamin D supplements.

Guidelines for the introduction of solid foods are the same for vegetarian and nonvegetarian infants. Breastfed infants 6 months and older should receive iron from complementary foods, such as iron-fortified infant cereal.

Once an infant is introduced to solids, protein-rich vegetarian foods can include pureed tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt or soy yogurt, and pureed and strained legumes (legumes include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils).

Toddlers are already a challenge when it comes to eating. As they come off of breast milk or formula, kids are at risk for nutritional deficiencies. After the age of 1, strict vegan diets may not offer growing toddlers enough essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc.

So it's important to serve fortified cereals and nutrient-dense foods. Vitamin supplementation is recommended for young children whose diets may not provide adequate nutrients.

Toddlers are typically picky about which foods they'll eat and, as a result, some may not get enough calories from a vegetarian diet to thrive. For vegan toddlers, the amount of vegetables needed for proper nutrition and calories may be too bulky for their tiny stomachs.

During the picky toddler stage, it's important for vegetarian parents to make sure their young child eats enough calories. You can get enough fat and calories in a vegan child's diet, but you have to plan carefully.

Preteens and teens often voice their independence through the foods they choose to eat. One strong statement is the decision to stop eating meat. This is common among teens, who may decide to embrace vegetarianism in support of animal rights, for health reasons, or because friends are doing it.

If it's done right, a meat-free diet can actually be a good choice for adolescents, especially considering that vegetarians often eat more of the foods that most teens don't get enough of fruits and vegetables.

A vegetarian diet that includes dairy products and eggs (lacto-ovo) is the best choice for growing teens. A more strict vegetarian diet may fail to meet a teen's need for certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins D and B12. If you're concerned that your child is not getting enough of these important nutrients, talk to your doctor, who may recommend a vitamin and mineral supplement.

The good news for young vegetarians and their parents is that many schools are offering vegetarian fare, including salad bars and other healthy vegetarian choices. Schools publish lists of upcoming lunch menus; be sure to scan them to see if your child will have a vegetarian choice. If not, you can pack lunch.

If your vegetarian preteen or teen would rather make his or her own school lunch or opts to buy lunch, keep in mind that your child's idea of a healthy vegetarian meal may be much different from yours (e.g., french fries and a soda). Talk to your child about the importance of eating right, especially when following a vegetarian diet.

Also be wary if your child has self-imposed a very restrictive diet. A teen with an eating disorder may drastically reduce calories or cut out all fat or carbohydrates and call it "vegetarianism" because it's considered socially acceptable and healthy.

Even if preteens or teens are approaching vegetarianism in a healthy way, it's still important for them to understand which nutrients might be missing in their diet. To support your child's dietary decision and promote awareness of the kinds of foods your preteen or teen should be eating, consider having the whole family eat a vegetarian meal at least one night a week.

A vegetarian diet can be a healthy choice for all kids, as long as it's properly planned.

The principles of planning a vegetarian diet are the same as planning any healthy diet provide a variety of foods and include foods from all of the food groups. A balanced diet will provide the right combinations to meet nutritional needs. But be aware of potential nutrient deficiencies in your child's diet and figure out how you'll account for them. With a little exploration, you may find more vegetarian options than you realized.

If you aren't sure your child is getting all necessary nutrients or if you have any questions about vegetarian diets, check in with your family doctor, pediatrician, or a registered dietitian.

Date reviewed: October 2014

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Vegetarianism (for Parents) - KidsHealth

Becoming a vegetarian – Harvard Health

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

People become vegetarians for many reasons, including health, religious convictions, concerns about animal welfare or the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock, or a desire to eat in a way that avoids excessive use of environmental resources. Some people follow a largely vegetarian diet because they can't afford to eat meat. Becoming a vegetarian has become more appealing and accessible, thanks to the year-round availability of fresh produce, more vegetarian dining options, and the growing culinary influence of cultures with largely plant-based diets.

Approximately six to eight million adults in the United States eat no meat, fish, or poultry, according to a Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group, a nonprofit organization that disseminates information about vegetarianism. Several million more have eliminated red meat but still eat chicken or fish. About two million have become vegans, forgoing not only animal flesh but also animal-based products such as milk, cheese, eggs, and gelatin.

Traditionally, research into vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses. According to the American Dietetic Association, "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."

"Appropriately planned" is the operative term. Unless you follow recommended guidelines on nutrition, fat consumption, and weight control, becoming a vegetarian won't necessarily be good for you. A diet of soda, cheese pizza, and candy, after all, is technically "vegetarian." For health, it's important to make sure that you eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's also vital to replace saturated and trans fats with good fats, such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and canola oil. And always keep in mind that if you eat too many calories, even from nutritious, low-fat, plant-based foods, you'll gain weight. So it's also important to practice portion control, read food labels, and engage in regular physical activity.

You can get many of the health benefits of being vegetarian without going all the way. For example, a Mediterranean eating pattern known to be associated with longer life and reduced risk of several chronic illnesses features an emphasis on plant foods with a sparing use of meat. Even if you don't want to become a complete vegetarian, you can steer your diet in that direction with a few simple substitutions, such as plant-based sources of protein beans or tofu, for example or fish instead of meat a couple of times a week.

Only you can decide whether a vegetarian diet is right for you. If better health is your goal, here are some things to consider.

Strictly speaking, vegetarians are people who don't eat meat, poultry, or seafood. But people with many different dietary patterns call themselves vegetarians, including the following:

Vegans (total vegetarians): Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians: Do not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products.

Lacto vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but do consume dairy products.

Ovo vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but do eat eggs.

Partial vegetarians: Avoid meat but may eat fish (pesco-vegetarian, pescatarian) or poultry (pollo-vegetarian).

Maybe. Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol and more vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals), such as carotenoids and flavonoids. As a result, they're likely to have lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower body mass index (BMI), all of which are associated with longevity and a reduced risk for many chronic diseases.

But there still aren't enough data to say exactly how a vegetarian diet influences long-term health. It's difficult to tease out the influence of vegetarianism from other practices that vegetarians are more likely to follow, such as not smoking, not drinking excessively, and getting adequate exercise. But here's what some of the research has shown so far:

Heart disease. There's some evidence that vegetarians have a lower risk for cardiac events (such as a heart attack) and death from cardiac causes. In one of the largest studies a combined analysis of data from five prospective studies involving more than 76,000 participants published several years ago vegetarians were, on average, 25% less likely to die of heart disease. This result confirmed earlier findings from studies comparing vegetarian and nonvegetarian Seventh-day Adventists (members of this religious group avoid caffeine and don't drink or smoke; about 40% are vegetarians). In another study involving 65,000 people in the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford), researchers found a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease among vegetarians. However, there were few deaths in either group, so the observed differences may have been due to chance.

For heart protection, it's best to choose high-fiber whole grains and legumes, which are digested slowly and have a low glycemic index that is, they help keep blood sugar levels steady. Soluble fiber also helps reduce cholesterol levels. Refined carbohydrates and starches like potatoes, white rice, and white-flour products cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, which increases the risk of heart attack and diabetes (a risk factor for heart disease).

Nuts are also heart-protective. They have a low glycemic index and contain many antioxidants, vegetable protein, fiber, minerals, and healthy fatty acids. The downside: nuts pack a lot of calories, so restrict your daily intake to a small handful (about an ounce). The upside: because of their fat content, even a small amount of nuts can satisfy the appetite.

Walnuts, in particular, are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits. Even so, fish are the best source of omega-3s, and it's not clear whether plant-derived omega-3s are an adequate substitute for fish in the diet. One study suggests that omega-3s from walnuts and fish both work to lower heart disease risk, but by different routes. Walnut omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA) help reduce total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while omega-3s from fish (eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Cancer. Hundreds of studies suggest that eating lots of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, and there's evidence that vegetarians have a lower incidence of cancer than nonvegetarians do. But the differences aren't large. A vegetarian diet can make it easier to get the recommended minimum of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, but a purely vegetarian diet is not necessarily better than a plant-based diet that also includes fish or poultry. For example, in a pooled analysis of data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study and EPIC-Oxford, fish-eaters had a lower risk of certain cancers than vegetarians.

If you stop eating red meat (whether or not you become a vegetarian), you'll eliminate a risk factor for colon cancer. It's not clear whether avoiding all animal products reduces the risk further. Vegetarians usually have lower levels of potentially carcinogenic substances in their colons, but studies comparing cancer rates in vegetarians and nonvegetarians have shown inconsistent results.

Type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that a predominantly plant-based diet can reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. In studies of Seventh-day Adventists, vegetarians' risk of developing diabetes was half that of nonvegetarians, even after taking BMI into account. The Harvard-based Women's Health Study found a similar correlation between eating red meat (especially processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs) and diabetes risk, after adjusting for BMI, total calorie intake, and exercise.

Some women are reluctant to try a vegetarian diet especially one that doesn't include calcium-rich dairy products because they're concerned about osteoporosis. Lacto-ovo vegetarians (see "Varieties of vegetarians") consume at least as much calcium as meat-eaters, but vegans typically consume less. In the EPIC-Oxford study, 75% of vegans got less than the recommended daily amount of calcium, and vegans in general had a relatively high rate of fractures. But vegans who consumed at least 525 milligrams of calcium per day were not especially vulnerable to fractures.

Certain vegetables can supply calcium, including bok choy, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, collards, and kale. (Spinach and Swiss chard, which also contain calcium, are not such good choices, because along with the calcium they have oxalates, which make it harder for the body to absorb calcium.) Moreover, the high potassium and magnesium content of fruits and vegetables reduces blood acidity, lowering the urinary excretion of calcium.

People who follow a vegetarian diet and especially a vegan diet may be at risk of getting insufficient vitamin D and vitamin K, both needed for bone health. Although green leafy vegetables contain some vitamin K, vegans may also need to rely on fortified foods, including some types of soy milk, rice milk, organic orange juice, and breakfast cereals. They may also want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement.

Becoming a vegetarian requires planning and knowledge of plant-based nutrition. Here are some resources that can help:

American Dietetic Associationwww.eatright.org

The Vegetarian Resource Groupwww.vrg.org

Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdomwww.vegsoc.org

Concerns about vegetarian diets have focused mainly on the following nutrients:

Protein. Research shows that lacto-ovo vegetarians generally get the recommended daily amount of protein, which is easily obtained from dairy products and eggs. (Women need about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Because the protein in vegetables is somewhat different from animal protein, vegans may need 0.45 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.) There are many plant sources that can help vegans meet their protein needs, including peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, seeds, nuts, soy products, and whole grains (for example, wheat, oats, barley, and brown rice). Vegetarians used to be told that they had to combine "complementary" plant proteins (rice with beans, for example) at every meal to get all the amino acids contained in meat protein. Now, health experts say that such rigid planning is unnecessary. According to the American Dietetic Association, eating a wide variety of protein sources every day is sufficient.

Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found only in animal products, but those products include dairy foods and eggs, so most vegetarians get all they need. If you avoid animal products altogether, you should eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 (certain soy and rice beverages and breakfast cereals) or take a vitamin B12 supplement to avoid a deficiency, which can cause neurological problems and pernicious anemia.

Iron. Studies show that in Western countries, vegetarians tend to get the same amount of iron as meat eaters. But the iron in meat (especially red meat) is more readily absorbed than the kind found in plant foods, known as non-heme iron. The absorption of non-heme iron is enhanced by vitamin C and other acids found in fruits and vegetables, but it may be inhibited by the phytic acid in whole grains, beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts.

Zinc. Phytic acid in whole grains, seeds, beans, and legumes also reduces zinc absorption, but vegetarians in Western countries do not appear to be zinc-deficient.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Diets that include no fish or eggs are low in EPA and DHA. Our bodies can convert ALA in plant foods to EPA and DHA, but not very efficiently. Vegans can get DHA from algae supplements, which increase blood levels of DHA as well as EPA (by a process called retroversion). DHA-fortified breakfast bars and soy milk are also available. Official dietary guidelines recommend 1.10 grams per day of ALA for women, but vegetarians who consume little or no EPA and DHA should probably get more than that. Good ALA sources include flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, and soy.

For more on eating for optimum health, buy the Harvard Special Health Report Healthy Eating: A guide to the new nutrition.

Disclaimer:As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Becoming a vegetarian - Harvard Health

Three easy recipes to try if you want to give vegetarianism a go – The Independent

Posted on August 22, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

By trade, Im an omnivore. The only food rule I follow is that I eat everything, because anything can lead to deliciousness. Maybe its goat meat on the bone, cooked low and slow and served in a dark pool of its own cooking juices. Maybe its a bloomy wheel of cheese made from cashew milk, dense and creamy in the middle. If its good, I want it, and then I want seconds.

But when I cook at home, what I want more and more of is vegetables. Right now, this instant, I want long, skinny tongues of charred aubergine dressed in soy sauce and maple syrup, over rice. I want bright tomato pulp pured with bread and olive oil, right from the lip of the bowl. I want a big pile of lettuce leaves filled with Hetty McKinnons sweet and spicy tofu larb.

When the weather cools down? I want a hot pot of winter greens and chewy noodles in miso broth. I want my favorite toor dal with whole boiled peanuts. I want sweet-edged, wrinkly roasted root vegetables over heaps of cheesy polenta, swimming in olive oil.

I dont know exactly when my appetite became so intensely focused on vegetarian foods in my own kitchen. It happened slowly, then all at once, like a custard thickening on the stovetop. I revised my food shopping, and my home cooking followed, branching out and expanding. I went back to old, favourite cookbooks that included meat and fish only occasionally, or not at all, like River Cafe Cook Book Green, by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, and Classic Indian Vegetarian Cookery, by Julie Sahni.

Maybe youre drawn to vegetarian food for ethical reasons, for health reasons, for ecological reasons, for reasons you cant quite explain just yet. Maybe youre trying to get out of a kitchen rut. Maybe, like me, you really love to eat well, and you want to cook with vegetables more.

I still smoke a lamb shoulder in the backyard or roast a salmon now and then, but when I plan a meal, its more often around vegetables than meat or fish. I shop once or twice a week, either at the supermarket or the farmers market, and later I study my cupboards and drawers, considering it all strategically a glut of Persian cucumbers, a bunch of fading dill, some green onion.

I rummage through my ice-crusted freezer drawer, wondering what that unlabelled container is filled with (leftover cannellini beans and greens?) and reach for a half bag of frozen peas. And despite my own inconsistencies when it comes to shopping and planning (and labelling leftovers), vegetables always lead me to something delightful and satisfying.

Frozen peas, brought up in hot, salted water, then roughly pured with some chilli flakes, lemon juice and zest, are positively springy when spread onto a thick piece of sourdough thats been crisped under the broiler and rubbed with a clove of garlic. Or, simmered with a little cream, they can dress a big bowl of pasta, with black pepper and grated cheese on top.

Persian cucumbers, roughly peeled, chopped and plopped into a blend of buttermilk and yogurt, quickly form the base of Naz Deravians abdoogh khiar, an Iranian chilled soup, crunchy with walnuts, which is quick to make, and life-affirming in this late summer heat.

Im energised by cooks who coax the best out of vegetables, and not only professionals restaurant cooks, recipe developers, cookbook authors whove been working with vegetarian food for far longer than me but also friends, family and other home cooks who have patiently walked me through a technique, or documented their work online.

Just when I thought I might be getting a little bit sick of salads, for example, Ali Slagle went and put one on a pizza. And not just any pizza, but a super thin-crust pizza covered entirely with a crisp, lacy layer of parmesan cheese.

Piling salad on a cheesy, thin-crust pizza is the kind of smart, simple technique I know Ill practice again, not only exactly as written, with baby rocket and white beans on top, but maybe with crunchy lettuce in a tahini dressing, or lots of sauted summer squash. Or maybe with some cherry tomatoes, roasted until they burst, tossed with olive oil and big pieces of torn basil. Its official, salad pizza is now a part of my repertoire.

And thats the thing about a good vegetarian recipe: it leads you to a delicious meal, then makes hundreds more possible.

Tofu larb

Hetty McKinnons sweet and spicy tofu larb is perfect for summer

(Getty/iStock)

Total time: 20 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the tofu:

3 tbsp uncooked glutinous (sticky) or jasmine rice

2 (400g) packs extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry

1 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or vegetable

1 lemongrass stem, outer layer removed, tender stem finely chopped

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

4 makrut lime leaves (optional), thinly sliced

1 cup mixed soft herbs, such as mint, Thai basil, basil, cilantro and chopped spring onions

1 tsp salt, plus more as needed

1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated

50g shop-bought crispy fried shallots or onions

For the dressing:

4 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)

3 tbsp dark or light brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

tsp red-pepper flakes or to 1 red chilli, such as birds eye, finely chopped

Method:

1. Make the toasted rice powder: heat a medium (25cm) frying pan over medium-high. Add the rice and stir constantly for 4 to 6 minutes until golden, with a nutty aroma. Transfer rice to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until it is a coarse powder (you dont want it too fine; some texture is nice). You should have about 3 tablespoons. Set rice powder aside.

2. Make the dressing: in a small bowl, combine the lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce and red-pepper flakes; whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Crumble the tofu into small chunks and place in a large bowl.

4. Heat the medium frying pan over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the lemongrass and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the tofu, along with the lime dressing, rice powder, makrut lime leaves, herbs and salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.

5. To serve, spoon the tofu larb into the lettuce leaves and garnish with crispy fried shallots.

Salad pizza with white beans and parmesan

Piling salad on a pizza is a simple technique youll want to recreate again and again

(Getty/iStock)

Total time: 45 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (425g) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, rinsed

30g sliced pickled pepperoncini (about 6 to 8 peppers), plus 2 tablespoons brine

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

Salt and black pepper

450g shop-bought or homemade pizza dough, at room temperature, divided into two 225g portions

90g freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving

85-140g ounces baby rocket

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 260C. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the white beans, pepperoncini, pickle brine and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

3. Place a kitchen towel on a work surface, then place an upside-down baking tray or cutting board on the towtl (This will serve as your pizza peel; the towel stabilises the setup as you roll the dough). Lightly grease a piece of parchment with olive oil and place on top of the upside-down baking tray. With a lightly greased rolling pin, roll one half of the dough on the parchment as thin as you can, about 0.3-0.6cm thick (if the dough retracts, let it rest a few minutes before continuing).

4. Sprinkle the parmesan over the dough. Remove the preheated tray from the oven, and carefully slide the parchment with the dough onto the hot baking tray. Cook until golden brown on the top and bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the remaining dough on a second piece of greased parchment and cover with the remaining parmesan. Transfer the first pizza to a cooling rack to crisp, then repeat with the second piece of dough.

5. Add the rocket to the bean mixture, season with salt and pepper, and stir gently to combine. Top each pizza with the salad, plus more grated or shaved parmesan.

Abdoogh khiar (chilled buttermilk cucumber soup)

Iranian chilled soup is quick to make and life-affirming in late summer heat

(Getty/iStock)

Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling

Makes: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp dried edible Damask rose petals (optional, see tip)

475ml buttermilk, plus more if desired

123g cup plain yogurt

Salt

3 Persian cucumbers (200g), cut into 0.5cm pieces, plus more for garnish

50g golden or black raisins, plus more for garnish

40g walnut halves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish

1 tsp finely chopped chives or green onion

1 tsp dried mint, plus more for garnish

lavash rectangle or 1 large slice bread of choice (such as sourdough)

4 ice cubes

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Method:

1. If using dried rose, crumble a few petals coarsely for garnish and set aside. Place the rest on a cutting board and chop as finely as possible.

2. Place the buttermilk, yogurt and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and blend until frothy, about 30 seconds, or whisk together in a large bowl until smooth and frothy. If you used a blender, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, raisins, walnuts, dill, chives, dried mint and teaspoon of the finely chopped rose petals. Stir well to combine and season to taste with more salt. Cover and refrigerate to chill and allow the flavours to come to life, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

3. Just before serving, toast the lavash or bread until crisp but not burned, and break into pieces. Stir the soup to mix. It should be the consistency of a thin, runny soup. If its too thick, thin it out with water or more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that you will be adding ice cubes, which will also thin out the soup as they melt. Divide the soup among serving bowls and add the ice cubes. Garnish the top as creatively as you like with crumbled dried rose petals, cucumber, dried mint, dill sprigs, raisins, walnuts and fresh mint leaves. Add the bread pieces right before serving or serve on the side.

Tips: Dried edible Damask rose petals, available in Middle Eastern markets and online, are used in various Iranian dishes as a fragrant and savoury spice. Theyre worth seeking out, grinding to a powder (whole petals are pretty as a garnish but tough to chew) and adding to your spice cabinet. Feel free to swap out for more of the fresh herbs, as you like.

The New York Times

See the original post here:
Three easy recipes to try if you want to give vegetarianism a go - The Independent

A Vegetarian Diet – Epigee.org

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

We all know that vegetables are a great source of nutrients that are vital to maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle. But can cutting out meat and animal products and adopting a vegetarian diet increase health benefits and provide you with the proper nutrition you require?

The key to maintaining healthy eating habits is to eat a variety of foods that contain all the essential requirements of good nutrition including fruit, vegetables, and sources of protein and iron, whether vegetarian or not. The following article can provide you with information about the risks and benefits of vegetarianism, and the key to maintaining a healthy diet through balance, variety, and moderation.

What is Vegetarianism?There are several types of vegetarian diets that individuals generally adopt. However, the essence of vegetarianism lies in cutting down the consumption of meat and animal products such as milk or eggs. A healthy vegetarian diet, and healthy vegetarian meals, will ideally derive as much nutrition as possible from plant-based food such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Of course, vegetarians differ in their attitudes as well as the reasons behind their dietary choices. In general, vegetarian diets are defined by the types of animal-derived foods that are incorporated into a diet, and include the following categories:

The Benefits of VegetarianismBecause a vegetarian diet incorporates less meat products as sources of nutrition, vegetarian diets commonly contain less fat and cholesterol as well as higher levels of fiber derived from vegetarian food. According to The American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, National Cholesterol Education Program and Committee on Diet and Health of the National Research Council, reducing fat intake to 30% of calories with no more than 10% of these consisting of saturated fats is recommended to lower the risk of chronic disease.

Some of the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet include the following:

Vegetarian diets have been linked to decreased risks of developing various types of cancers. Studies have shown that individuals who consume high levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may decrease the risk by up to 50%. Regular fruit and vegetable consumption has also been linked to decreased risks of fatal heart disease such as myocardial infarction, angina, cerebrovascular, and ischemic heart disease.

Risks of VegetarianismBalancing vegetarian food and nutrition is vital to maintaining a healthy vegetarian diet. Strict vegetarians may be at risk of several nutrition deficiencies such as vitamin B-12, riboflavin, zinc, calcium, iron, and essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine. Vegans and vegetarians are also at risk of energy deficiency in the form of calories, particularly in children.

Long-term deficiencies in an inadequate vegetarian diet may lead to the following complications:

Another issue facing vegetarians is low protein quality based on protein digestibility and amino acid composition. The risk associated with the protein quality of plant foods is based on a lack of certain essential amino acids that are found in natural combinations in animal protein. Combining different vegetarian nutrition sources of protein can ensure that all essential amino acids are found in a healthy vegetarian diet.

Read this article:
A Vegetarian Diet - Epigee.org

Vegetarianism by country – Wikipedia

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

Vegetarian and vegan dietary practices vary among countries. Differences include food standards, laws, and general cultural attitudes of vegetarian diets.

Some countries have strong cultural or religious traditions that promote vegetarianism, such as India, while other countries have secular ethical concerns, including animal rights, environmental protection, and health concerns. In many countries, food labelling laws make it easier for vegetarians to identify foods compatible with their diets.[1]

The percentages in the following table are estimates of the prevalence of dietary vegetarianism and dietary veganism. The distinction is important between dietary vegans and other vegans. Dietary vegans may use leather or other non-food animal products, while other vegans (sometimes called lifestyle or ethical vegans) use no animal products of any type.[2][3]

2020[37]

2015[51]2016[52]2017[53] 2019[54]

2015[51]2016[52]

The Africa/Middle East region has 16% vegetarians and 6% vegans, making it the second-most vegetarian region after Asia.[60]

Vegan dishes are commonplace in Ethiopian cuisine due to mandates by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Egyptian Coptic Christianity that require weekly fasting days (fasting in this context is abstaining from all meat products).[61][62]

Countries in North Africa have a tradition of cooking in a vegetarian style, with Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia being particularly connected with this type of cooking which includes couscous and spiced vegetables.[63]

Hindu and Jain immigrants from India brought vegetarianism with them. This trend has been documented as far back as 1895 in Natal Province.[64]

As the majority of the population of Mauritius is Hindu, vegetarianism is common and vegetarian cuisine is widely available in restaurants.[65]

Of five world regions, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest share of vegetarians (19%) and vegans (9%).[60]

In China, a small but growing number of young people in large cities are vegan.[14] An estimated 4 to 5 percent of Chinese are vegetarian.[14]

Chinese folk religion, which is distinct from Taoism, Chinese salvationist religions, and New Religious Movements is similar to Shintoism in Japan insofar as while the killing and eating of animals is not forbidden, it is considered impure and not ideal for a believer. Tofu, soy milk, and seitan, which are popular among vegetarians in the world, originate in China.

Classical Chinese texts pointed to a period of abstinence from meat before undertaking matters of great importance or of religious significance. People typically abstain from meat periodically, particularly the day before Chinese New Year. Although it's more common among adherents of Chinese folk religions, many secular people also do this.

With the influx of Buddhist influences, vegetarianism became more popular, but there is a distinctionTaoist vegetarianism is based on a perception of purity, while Buddhist vegetarianism is based on the dual bases of refraining from killing and subduing one's own subservience to the senses. Because of this, two types of "vegetarianism" came to beone where one refrained from eating meat, the other being refraining from eating meat as well as garlic, onions, and other such strongly flavored foods. This Buddhism-influenced vegetarianism has been known and practiced by some since at least the 7th century. People who are Buddhist may also avoid eating eggs.

The early 20th century saw some intellectuals espousing vegetarianism as part of their program for reforming China culturally, not just politically. The anarchist thinker Li Shizeng, for instance, argued that tofu and soy products were healthier and could be a profitable export. Liang Shuming, a philosopher and reform activist, adopted a basically vegetarian diet, but did not promote one for others. In recent years, it has seen a resurgence in the cities among the emerging middle class.[66]

India has more vegetarians than the rest of the world put together.[67] In 2007, UN FAO statistics indicated that Indians had the lowest rate of meat consumption in the world.[68] Vegetarians in India have been demanding meat-free supermarkets.[69] In Indian cuisine, vegetarianism is usually synonymous with lacto vegetarianism. Most restaurants in India clearly distinguish and market themselves as being either "non-vegetarian", "vegetarian", or "pure vegetarian". Vegetarian restaurants abound, and many vegetarian options are usually available. Animal-based ingredients (other than milk and honey) such as lard, gelatin, and meat stock are not used in the traditional cuisine. India has devised a system of marking edible products made from only vegetarian ingredients, with a green dot in a green square. A mark of a red dot in a red square conveys that some animal-based ingredients (meat, egg, etc.) were used. Products like honey, milk, or its direct derivatives are categorized under the green mark.[70]

Vegetarianism in ancient India

India is a strange country. People do not killany living creatures, do not keep pigs and fowl,and do not sell live cattle.

Faxian, 4th/5th century CEChinese pilgrim to India[71]

According to the 2006 Hindu-CNN-IBN State of the Nation Survey, 31% of Indians are vegetarian, while another 9% also consume eggs (ovo-vegetarian).[72] Among the various communities, vegetarianism was most common among the Swaminarayan Community, Brahmins, Lingayat, Vaishnav Community, Jain community, Sikhs and, less frequent among Muslims (3%) and residents of coastal states. Other surveys cited by FAO[73] and USDA[74][75] estimate 40% of the Indian population as being vegetarian. These surveys indicate that even Indians who do eat meat, do so infrequently, with less than 30% consuming it regularly, although the reasons are mainly cultural.[75] In states where vegetarianism is more common, milk consumption is higher and is associated with lactase persistence. This allows people to continue consuming milk into adulthood and obtain proteins that are substituted for meat, fish and eggs in other areas.[76][77] An official survey conducted by the Government of India, with a sample size of 8858 and the census frame as 2011, indicated India's vegetarian population to be 28-29% of the total population.[78] Compared to a similar survey done in 2004, India's vegetarian population has increased[clarification needed].[79]These numbers have been questioned as overreported, estimating actual 20% of the population.[25]

According to a 2018 survey released by the registrar general of India, Rajasthan (74.9%), Haryana (69.25%), Punjab (66.75%), and Gujarat (60.95%) have the highest percentage of vegetarians, followed by Madhya Pradesh (50.6%), Uttar Pradesh (47.1%), Maharashtra (40.2%), Delhi (39.5%), Jammu & Kashmir (31.45%), Uttarakhand (27.35%), Karnataka (21.1%), Assam (20.6%), Chhattisgarh (17.95%), Bihar (7.55%), Jharkhand (3.25%), Kerala (3.0%), Orissa (2.65%), Tamil Nadu (2.35%), Andhra Pradesh (1.75%), West Bengal (1.4%), and Telangana (1.3%).[80]

In 2016, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, announced the decision to provide students, at a few of the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition (IHMCTANs), the option to choose only vegetarian cooking. These IHMCTANs are located at Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Jaipur. In 2018, the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) announced that all IHMCTANs will be offering a vegetarian option from 2018 onwards.[81][82][83]

Vegetarianism and casteism in modern IndiaThe term non-vegetarian is a good case in point. It signals the social power of vegetarian classes, including their power to classify foods, to create a 'food hierarchy' wherein vegetarian food is the default and is having a higher status than meat. Thus it is akin to the term 'non-whites' coined by 'whites' to capture an incredibly diverse population who they colonised.

Balmurli Natrajan, anthropologist, and Suraj Jacob, economist, 2018[84]

A 2018 study from Economic and Political Weekly by US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natrajan and India-based economist Suraj Jacob suggests that the percentage of vegetarians is about 20%. Percentages vary by household income and caste.[25][85] The study argues that meat-eating behavior is underreported because consumption of meat, especially beef, is "caught in cultural, political, and group identity struggles in India".[25] According to 2015-16 data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the share of vegetarianism has declined from 2005 to 2006.[86] Vegetarianism is less common amongst non-Hindu Indian religious groups such as Muslims and Christians. Vegetarianism is most common amongst Brahmins, Lingayat, Sikhs and Jains in India. Increases in meat consumption in India have been attributed to urbanisation, increasing disposable income, consumerism and cross-cultural influences.[87]

A study by the Israeli Ministry of Health in 2001 found that 7.2% of men and 9.8% of women were vegetarian. Although vegetarianism is quite common, the actual percentage of vegetarians in Israel may be lower the Israeli food industry estimated it at 5%.[88] In 2010, one study found that 2.6% of Israelis were vegetarians or vegans.[89]

According to a 2015 poll by the newspaper Globes and Channel 2, 8% of the Israeli population were vegetarians and 5% were vegans. 13% consider turning vegan or vegetarian. Tel Aviv beat out Berlin, New York and Chennai as U.S. food website The Daily Meal's top destination for vegan travelers.[89][90]

Vegetarian diets are categorized as lacto vegetarianism, ovo-lacto vegetarianism, and veganism in general. The reasons for being vegetarian include influence from friends and family members, concern about global warming, health issues and weight management, religion and mercy for animals, in descending order of significance.[91]

Rice, mushrooms, vegetables are some of the dietary staples, mixed with a rich variety of spices, coconut, lime and tamarind. Buddhist Chinese monastics are vegetarians or vegans. Singapore is also the headquarters of the world's first international, vegetarian, fast food chain, VeganBurg.[92] The bigger communities of vegetarians and vegans in Singapore are Vegetarian Society (VSS) and SgVeganCommunity. Vegetarian and vegan places have an active role in the gastronomy of Singapore.

According to Korea Vegetarian Union, in between 1 and 1.5 million Korean consumers, or about two to three percent of the population, are estimated to be vegetarians.[93]

There are more than 6,000 vegetarian eating establishments in Taiwan.[94] The region's food labelling laws for vegetarian food are the world's strictest, because around 2 million Taiwanese people eat vegetarian food.[95]A popular movement of "one day vegetarian every week" has been advocated on a national level,[96] and on a local level, even government bodies are involved, such as the Taipei City Board of Education.[97]

There are more than 908 vegetarian eating establishments in Thailand.[citation needed]

The definition of vegetarianism throughout Europe is not uniform, creating the potential for products to be labelled inaccurately.[1] Throughout Europe the use of non-vegetarian ingredients are found in products such as beer (isinglass among others), wine (gelatine and crustacean shells among others) and cheese (rennet).

Since May 2009, Belgium has had the first city in the world (Ghent) with a weekly "veggie day".[98]

A study that surveyed 2436 Belgian individuals found that "21.8% of the respondents believed that meat consumption is unhealthy, and 45.6% of the respondents believed that they should eat less meat." The major reasons persons expressed interest in a more plant-based diet was for taste and health-related reasons. The majority of vegetarians polled think that the meat industry is harmful to the planet, while more than half of the non-vegetarians surveyed disagree with this statement.[99]

In some cities' schools in Finland, the students are offered two options, a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian meal, on four school days a week, and one day a week they have a choice between two vegetarian meals, for grades 1 to 12. In secondary schools and universities, from 10 to 40 percent of the students preferred vegetarian food in 2013.[100][101] Vegetarianism is most popular in secondary art schools where in some schools over half of the students were vegetarians in 2013.[102]

France is not known to be friendly towards vegetarians as lunches at public schools must contain a "minimum of 20% of meals containing meat and 20% containing fish, and the remainder containing egg, cheese, or offal.[citation needed] However, under a law called "loi Egalim", which passed in 2018 and came into effect in November 2019, all French schools are required to serve at least one meat-free meal a week. In September 2020, 73% of French nurseries and elementary schools offer at least one meat-free meal a week, according to a recent investigation by Greenpeace.[103][104]

An Appetite study found that French women were more accepting of vegetarianism than French men.[105]

There has been conflict between vegans and farmers in southern France. A farmers' union known as "Coordination Rurale" advocated for the French to continue eating meat through the slogan "To save a peasant farmer, eat a vegan."[106]

In 1889, the first "International Veg Congress" met in Cologne, Germany.[citation needed]

In 2016, Germany was found to have the highest percentage of vegetarians (7.8 million, 10%) and vegans (900,000, 1.1%) in the modern West. A survey from "Forsa" also revealed that approximately 42 million people in Germany identify as flexitarians aka "part time vegetarians." Professionals at the German Official Agencies estimate that by 2020 over 20% of Germans will eat mostly vegetarian. The reason vegetarianism is so prevalent in Germany is not agreed upon, but the movement seems to have experienced much growth from promotion in media and the offering of more non-meat options.[107]

The recorded history of vegetarianism in the country began with the Hungarian Vegetarian Society (HVS), formed in 1883. During this time, vegetarianism was popular because New Age ideas and counter belief systems were favored. In 1911, the first Hungarian vegetarian restaurant opened up in Vmhz krt. In the 1950s, the HVS ceased operations and vegetarianism in popular culture diminished. Hungarian vegetarianism was later revived in 1989 with the fall of socialism. The "Ahimsa Hungarian Vegetarian Society of Veszprm" was founded in the late 90s.[108]

According to Iceland Monitor in 2016, Iceland had more vegetarian restaurants registered on HappyCow per capita than any other country in Europe.[109]

While meat and dairy products have traditionally featured prominently in the Irish diet, vegetarianism and veganism have experienced rapid growth in recent decades. In 2018, a study by Bord Bia, a state agency which seeks to support and promote the country's agriculture industry, found that as many as 5.1% of the Irish population are now vegetarian, and up to 3.5% are vegan.[110] A further 10% were described as some form of flexitarian, meaning that they still consumed some meat and dairy products but sought to minimize the amount of animal products in their diet. Participants identified a range of motivators for their dietary choices, but personal health and wellness and environmental concerns were among the most common factors cited.[110]

It was reported in 2006 that sales of meat substitutes had an annual growth of around 25%, which made it one of the fastest-growing markets in the Netherlands.[111] In supermarkets and stores, it is sometimes necessary to read the fine print on products in order to make sure that there are no animal-originated ingredients. Increasingly, however, vegetarian products are labeled with the international "V-label," overseen by the Dutch vegetarian association Vegetarisch Keurmerk.[112]

In a late 2019 study published by the environmental organization Stichting Natuur en Milieu ("Stichting Nature and Environment"), 59% of Dutch adults (age 16 and up) described themselves as a "meat eater" while 37% responded that they were flexitarians. 43% of respondents claimed that they ate less meat than they did four years earlier. Furthermore, almost half (47%) agreed with or agreed strongly with the statement that eating meat is an outdated practice. In their surveys, 2% identified as vegetarian, 2% as pescetarian and <1% as vegan.[113]

In a March 2020 factsheet published by the Nederlandse Vegetarirsbond ("Dutch Union of Vegetarians"), calculations were made to document the different types of vegetarians. 4-6% of Dutch people (an average of about 860,000) reported they never ate meat. Of this number, 2% called themselves "vegetarian" while some 1% labeled themselves as vegan. The remaining 1-3% was pescetarian.[114]

In July 2020 the NVV (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veganisme) estimated the number of vegans in the Netherlands at 150,000. That is approximately 0.9% of the Dutch population.[115]

The capital of Poland, Warsaw, was listed 6th on the list of Top Vegan Cities in the World published by HappyCow in 2019.[116]

In 2007, the number of vegetarians in Portugal was estimated at 30,000; which is equal to less than 0.3% of the population. In 2014, the number was estimated to be 200,000 people.[117] Vegan and vegetarian products like soy milk, soy yogurts, rice milk and tofu are widely available in major retailers, and sold across the country. According to HappyCow, Lisbon is the 6th city in the world for number of vegan restaurants per capita, more than any other European city.[118]

Followers of the Romanian Orthodox Church keep fast during several periods throughout the ecclesiastical calendar amounting to a majority of the year. In the Romanian Orthodox tradition, devotees keep to a diet without any animal products during these times. As a result, vegan foods are abundant in stores and restaurants; however, Romanians may not be familiar with a vegan or vegetarian diet as a full-time lifestyle choice.[119]

Vegetarianism in Russia first gained prominence in 1901 with the opening of the first vegetarian society in St. Petersburg. Vegetarianism began to largely grow after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russian vegetarians were found to be mainly those who were wealthy and educated.[120]

The number of restaurants and food stores catering exclusively, or partially, to vegetarians and vegans has more than doubled since 2011; with a total of 800 on record by the end of 2016, The Green Revolution claims.[121]

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Switzerland has the second highest rate of vegetarianism in the European Union (even though Switzerland is not in the EU, it was most likely included with the other EU countries for this study). Older governmental data from 1997 suggest that 2.3% of the population never eat meat and the observed trend seemed to point towards less meat consumption.[122] Newer studies suggest that the percentage of vegetarians has risen to 5% by 2007.[122] According to a 2020 survey by Swissveg, there were 5.1% vegetarians and 1% vegans.[50]

The Vegetarian Society was formed in Britain in 1847. In 1944, a faction split from the group to form The Vegan Society.[123]

A 2018 study by comparethemarket.com found that approximately 7% of British people were vegan, while 14% were vegetarian.[124] The results of this study however are questioned by the UK Vegan Society who found that the sample was based on only 2,000 people.[125] According to The Vegan Society's larger survey, the number of vegans quadrupled from 2014 to 2018; in 2018 there were approximately 600,000 vegans in the UK, equivalent to 1.16% of the British population as a whole. As well as this, 31% are eating less meat either for health or ethical reasons, and 19% are eating fewer dairy products.

Participation in Veganuary has become increasingly popular, with the number of people signing up rising each year.

In Canada, vegetarianism is on the rise. In 2018, a survey conducted by Dalhousie University, led by Canadian researcher Sylvain Charlebois, found that 9.4% of Canadian adults considered themselves vegetarians.[126] 2.3 million people in Canada are vegetarians which is an increase from 900,000 15 years ago. Another 850,000 people identify themselves as vegan.[127] The majority of Canada's vegetarians are under 35, so the rate of vegetarianism is expected to continue to rise.[126][128] This is up from the 4.0% of adults who were vegetarians as of 2003[update].[129]

In 1971, 1 percent of U.S. citizens described themselves as vegetarians. In 2009 Harris Interactive found that 3.4% are vegetarian and 0.8% vegan.[130] U.S. vegetarian food sales (dairy replacements such as soy milk and meat replacements such as textured vegetable protein) doubled between 1998 and 2003, reaching $1.6 billion in 2003.[131] In 2015, a Harris Poll National Survey of 2,017 adults aged 18 and over found that eight million Americans, or 3.4%, ate a solely vegetarian diet, and that one million, or 0.4%, ate a strictly vegan diet.[132] A 2018 Gallup poll estimated that 5% of U.S. adults consider themselves to be vegetarians.[133][134] Older Americans were less likely to be vegetarian with just 2% of adults aged 55 and older saying they follow a vegetarian diet.[133] Younger generations of Americans are more likely to be vegetarian with 7% of 35- to 54-year-olds and 8% of 18- to 34-year-olds following a vegetarian diet.[133]

Many American children whose parents follow vegetarian diets follow them because of religious, environmental or other reasons.[135] In the government's first estimate[135] of how many children avoid meat, the number is about 1 in 200.[136][137] The CDC survey included children ages 0 to 17 years.

By U.S. law, food packaging is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and generally must be labeled with a list of all its ingredients.[138][139] However, there are exceptions. For example, certain trace ingredients that are "ingredients of ingredients" do not need to be listed.[140]

In Australia, some manufacturers who target the vegetarian market label their foods with the statement "suitable for vegetarians"; however, for foods intended for export to the UK, this labelling can be inconsistent because flavourings in ingredients lists do not need to specify if they come from animal origin. As such, "natural flavour" could be derived from either plant or animal sources.

Animal rights organisations such as Animal Liberation promote vegan and vegetarian diets. "Vegetarian Week" runs from 17 October every year,[141] and food companies are taking advantage of the growing number of vegetarians by producing meat-free alternatives of popular dishes, including sausages and mash and spaghetti Bolognese.[142]

A 2000 Newspoll survey (commissioned by Sanitarium) shows 44% of Australians report eating at least one meat-free evening meal a week, while 18% said they prefer plant-based meals.

Similar to Australia, in New Zealand the term "vegetarian" refers to individuals who eat no animal meat such as pork, chicken, and fish; they may consume animal products such as milk and eggs. In contrast, the term "vegan" is used to describe those who do not eat or use any by-products of animals.[143] In 2002 New Zealand's vegetarians made up a minority of 1-2% of the country's 4.5 million people.[144] By 2011 Roy Morgan Research claimed the number of New Zealanders eating an "all or almost all" vegetarian diet to be 8.1%, growing to 10.3% in 2015 (with men providing the most growth, up 63% from 5.7% to 9.3%).[145] In New Zealand there is a strong enough movement for vegetarianism that it has created significant enough demand for a number of vegetarian and vegan retailers to set up.[146]

As New Zealand and Australia work together to form common food standards (as seen in the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code), there is also a lot of ambiguity surrounding the "natural flavour" ingredients.[147]

According to a Nielsen survey on food preferences from 2016, vegetarians make up 8% and vegans 4% of the population across Latin America, with the highest numbers of both in Mexico.[148] Across the continent there are thousands of vegan and vegetarian restaurants.[149]

In 2004, Marly Winckler, President of the Brazilian Vegetarian Society, claimed that 5% of the population was vegetarian.[150] According to a 2012 survey undertaken by the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics, 8% of the population, or 15.2 million people, identified themselves as vegetarian.[151] The city of So Paulo had the most vegetarians in absolute terms (792,120 people), while Fortaleza had the highest percentage, at 14% of the total population.[152] A new survey undertaken by the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics in 2018 showed that the proportion of the population identifying as vegetarian grew to 14% (a 75% increase relative to 2012), representing 29 million people.[153] According to the New York Times,[154] the number of vegetarians in Brazil, the world's largest meat exporter, has nearly doubled in just six years.

Marly Winckler claims that the central reasons for the deforestation of the Amazon are expansive livestock raising (mainly cattle) and soybean crops, most of it for use as animal feed, and a minor percentage for edible oil processing (being direct human consumption for use as food nearly negligible),[155] claims that are widely known to have a basis.[156][157][158][159]

As in Canada, vegetarianismo (Portuguese pronunciation:[veitajnizmu]) is usually synonymous with lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, and vegetarians are sometimes wrongly assumed to be pescetarians and/or pollotarians who tolerate the flesh of fish or poultry, respectively. Nevertheless, veganism, and freeganism, have now become mainstream in the country, being present in nearly every family.[160] Brazilian vegetarians reportedly tend to be urban, of middle or upper class[150] and live in the Central-Southern half of the country. Since the 1990s, and especially since the 2010s, hundreds of vegan and vegetarian restaurants have appeared in the major cities of the country.[161]

Interesting facts about Anglo-Indian food and what to expect if you are a vegetarian – Times of India

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

India, which was once called the Golden bird has come a long way through! Indian history boasts of our rich culture and heritage, which has survived the ravages of time. With every invasion there was a cultural influx, some faded away with time and some remained. Interestingly, we often close our eyes and accede to the fact that these invasions spoiled the shape of our country. On the contrary, some cultural influences also gave our country a new dimension to move towards a positive trajectory having said that we cannot rule out the fact that they took away so much from us. One of the most prominent invasions on the land of India was by the British - East India Company. A lot has been said about all that was lost, but what we gained was priceless too! British rule gave rise to the intermingling of cultures leading to a rich cultural heritage. The most interesting form of culture influx was around food!

Birth of Anglo-India cuisineBritishers brought with them their culinary tradition that gave birth to a new culinary heritage, which boasts of an amalgamation of British and Indian cuisines at their best. The regions that were dominated by the Britishers adapted to their plate preferences. This interesting melange gradually gave life to a new form of cuisine -- The Anglo Indian cuisine.

How vegetarian food influenced Anglo-Indian cuisines Not much has been spoken or written about this amalgamation of colonial and Indian culinary legacy. In fact, there are several delicacies that we relish without pondering over the origin of it! Undeniably, as they say the love for food is beyond words and boundaries. Hence, the origin of Anglo-India food never got the much deserved limelight.

Right from the Kolakats famous Dak-Bungalow chicken to Anglo-Indian Tomato sambal to paneer jalfrezi to Murgi roast, the taste of colonisation resonates the essence of the delightful marriage of aromatic spices with a galore of ingredients that define the quintessence of Anglo-Indian cuisine. Meat delicacies were one of the mainstays of the Anglo-Indian cuisine. Interestingly, over a period of time the melange of vegetarian foods in the Anglo-Indian style changed the way these delicacies were relished.

With the rise of veganism or vegetarianism, the influx of culinary tradition changed the way Anglo-Indian delicacies were prepared. Ingredients like cottage cheese, vegetables and leafy greens were introduced and prepared in a melange of mild herbs like cilantro, thyme with an amalgamation of aromatic Indian spices, which made gave the best of both worlds experience to the Anglo Indian delicacies.

The distinctive flavour of Anglo-Indian food cannot be defined in words. The cultural influence was so enticing that chutneys, rice dishes, spicy curries and Indian breads became a part of British cuisine. In fact, Indians were introduced to the delicious pudding, meat roasts to name a few. The Anglo-Indian cuisine gradually adapted to the local and regional cuisines and turned out to be a delicious mix of flavours. India was a vegetarian dominated country and this culinary culture gradually intermingled with the anglo-Indian cuisine introduced several vegetarian delicacies like Indian dal pepper water, Indian mixed vegetable curry, capsicum brinjal and potato curry to name a few.

Interesting facts about Anglo-Indian cuisine

Discover aspects of the Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Market size, share & forecast period (2020-2026) – WhaTech

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Source (Almond Milk, Cashew Milk, Coconut Milk, Soy Milk, and Others (Oat Milk, Rice Milk)), by Flavor (Caramel, Chocolate, Coconut, Coffee, Fruit, Vanilla, and Others), and by Distribution Channel (Convenience Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, and Online Stores) Forecast Period (2020-2026)

The Asia-Pacific vegan ice cream market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period. The increasing vegetarian and vegan population, disposable income, growing economy, among others are some of the key factors that have contributed to remarkable growth in the Asia-Pacific vegan ice cream market in the last few years.

A widespread move away from meat is witnessed not only in the US and the UK but in Asia-Pacific countries as well. While still in the early stages, the trend is infiltrating almost every country in the region, including meat-loving China.

The outburst of the vegan population in developing economies has been a major factor in upsurging the vegan ice cream market in the region.

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The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the vegan ice cream sector in the Asia-Pacific have been mixed. Due to the pandemic, a large portion of the population has moved away from meat, however, the lockdown norms and regulations have caused a severe decline in the sales of vegan ice cream.

Although, it can be estimated that the long-term effects of the pandemic will be positive for the Asia-Pacific vegan ice cream market.

Browse for Full Report Description@ http://www.omrglobal.com/industream-market

The Asia-Pacific vegan ice cream market is segmented based on source, flavor, and distribution channel. Based on the source, the vegan ice cream market is segmented into almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, soy milk, and others (oat milk, rice milk).

Based on flavor, the market is classified into caramel, chocolate, coconut, coffee, fruit, vanilla, and others. Based on the distribution channel, the market is segmented into convenience stores, supermarkets/hypermarkets, and online stores.

Due to the increasing internet penetration, the exposure of relevant data, promoting veganism and vegetarianism have been vital for the growth of all the distribution channels. The online stores category is significantly trivial at present and is not expected to witness much change during the forecast period.

Country-wise, the market is segmented into China, Japan, India, ASEAN, South Korea, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific. China is anticipated to lead the way with increasing veganism and vegetarianism.

The consumption of meat in China is abundant due to agricultural inadequacy, which creates a headwind for the market. India is expected to record quite a fast CAGR during the forecast period as an increasing number of individuals are turning vegan.

However, the nation is predominantly a dairy consuming nation, which could see fewer individuals going for vegan ice cream in the country.

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc (Unilever), DREAM, Hangyo Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd.; Papacream, Sugalight, Urban Platter, and WaHiki Limited are some of the major vendors running the Asia-Pacific vegan ice cream market.

Ice cream giants such as Magnum, Breyers, and more are expected to make moves in this tremendously growing segment during the forecast period.

Market Segmentation

Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Industry Market by Source

Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Market by Flavor

Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Market by Distribution Channel

Regional Analysis

Company Profiles

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Discover aspects of the Asia-Pacific Vegan Ice Cream Market size, share & forecast period (2020-2026) - WhaTech

Vegans report higher depression and anxiety than meat eaters: analysis – Business Insider

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

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A meat-free diet is linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety than omnivorous eating, according to a recent analysisin the journal Food Science and Nutrition.

That analysis examined 20 studies on meat consumption and mental health, and found an association between vegetarianism or veganism and poorer mental-health outcomes.

"How many people have you met that are both happy and diet all the time?" Urska Dobersek, a psychologist at the University of Southern Indiana who co-authored the analysis, told Insider. "Probably very few and there is a strong, scientific reason for that restrictive diets make people unhealthy and unhappy in the long term."

Any potential causal link, however, is still debated. Although some studies suggest that nutritional deficiencies associated with vegan diets can be linked to depression, it's possible that depression and anxiety may precede someone's decision to go meat-free.

"Meat avoidance may be both the 'chicken' and the 'egg' when it comes to mental illness," Dobersek said.

The research included in the new analysis spans the years from 2001 to mid-2020, and includes nearly 172,000 participants across four continents. Of that group, about 158,000 people ate meat and 13,000 did not.

All but two of the studies relied on questionnaires in which respondents self-reported whether they ate meat or not, then answered prompts about whether they experienced anxiety and depression.

The analysis concluded that "meat abstention is clearly associated with poorer mental health."

That was true regardless of a person's sex, though the researchers weren't able to see the whether other factors influence the correlation such as a person's age, the particular types of meat they eat, their socioeconomic status, their history of mental illness, or how long they've abstained from meat.

Still, the finding builds on previous research demonstrating similar trends, so Dobersek said she wasn't surprised. Her own team, in fact, published an analysis last year that suggested abstaining from meat is associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

An August analysis from a team in Germany, meanwhile, also found that vegetarians were more depressed than meat eaters.

"The idea that we can become healthier, or happier, by eliminating foods and beverages is simplistic, unscientific, and not supported by valid evidence," Dobersek said.

However, there's no evidence a meat-free diet directly leads mental health to decline.

"We cannot say that meat-free diets cause mental illness. What we did find is that the research doesn't support the idea that eliminating meat can improve mental health," Edward Archer, who co-authored the 2020 paper with Dobersek, previously told Insider.

Although severalstudies have found that vegetarians are more depressed than meat-eaters, other research has shown the opposite. There's also the question of chronology: Do people stop eating meat first, then develop a higher risk of depression? Or do more people who are already depressed chose to become vegan or vegetarian? Very few studies offer answers, though research from 2012 suggested that depression may precede a switch to vegetarianism.

Other possible explanations for the link, according to Dobersek and Archer, could be that people try meat-free diets to address existing mental health issues, or people with depression may be more likely to empathize with animals and make nutritional choices based on personal ethics.

"Individuals struggling with mental illness often alter their diets as a form of self-treatment," Dobersek said. "And it appears that many people choose veganism as an ethical response to the cruelty inherent in 'nature' and human societies."

It's possible, too, that individuals who are depressed or anxious about climate change are more likely to make dietary choices that lower carbon emissions. Globally, the livestock industry is responsible for about 15% of annual emissions.

Dobersek noted, though, that strict vegan diets can sometimes lead to nutrient deficiencies, especially in pregnant women. That, in turn, can increase the risk of physical and mental illness. For example, vitamin B-12, folate, and Omega-3 fatty acids are only in animal products, and a deficit of those nutrients is linked to depression, low energy, and poor metabolism.

When Dobersek's 2020 analysis came out, some who read it thought it demonstrated that meat-eating improves mental health, but Archer said "that's patently false."

Additionally, critics of those same findings pointed out that Dobersek had recieved more than $10,000 in grant money from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association "to conduct a systematic review on 'Beef for a Happier and Healthier Life.'"

The new analysis, too, was funded in part by a grant through the beef association. The authors noted, however, that the sponsor did not influence the research design, data collection, or study conclusions.

Dobersek said she thinks the results could still have implications for how dietary guidelines are created and communicated.

"With each edition, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans became more restrictive," she said. (In 2020, for instance, federal recommendations suggested Americans limit their intake of red meat, whereas no such recommendation was in the 2005 version.)

"Yet the US population has become more diabetic, more anxious, and more depressed," Dobersek continued. "I do not think this is a coincidence."

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Vegans report higher depression and anxiety than meat eaters: analysis - Business Insider

Rep. Jamie Raskin On The Life And Legacy Of His Son, Tommy Raskin – NET Nebraska

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

By the age of 25, Thomas Bloom Raskin had already accomplished a great deal: He was a graduate of Amherst College, who went on to intern at the Cato Institute and J Street among other prominent organizations; a passionate vegan who wrote philosophical defenses of animal rights and converted those around him to giving up meat; a political writer who had essays published in The Nation and elsewhere; and a law student and teaching assistant at Harvard Law School, who donated from his teaching salary to charities in his students' names.

Tommy, as his father Jamie Raskin calls him, was also tormented by depression. Tommy Raskin took his own life on Dec. 31.

"Tommy was remarkable from the beginning," Jamie Raskin tells NPR's Scott Simon. "He had a photographic memory, and like some other kids in our family, knew all the presidents and vice presidents in order. But it wasn't his mind that marked him as so extraordinary. It was his heart. The stories of his love and compassion are absolutely astounding."

Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Takoma Park, represents Maryland's 8th Congressional District in Congress.

Tributes to Tommy have poured in in the past days.

A neighbor wrote to the Raskin family about a time that Tommy organized a group dinner in high school when he learned that one of his classmates didn't have a date to the prom, so that the boy wasn't left out. The classmate never forgot it.

"We've been hearing stories like this ever since it happened," Rep. Raskin tells Weekend Edition. "I mean, Tommy, he felt all of the pain and the suffering in the world, which is how, of course, he found his way quickly to vegetarianism. Nobody in our family was a vegetarian and now everybody is."

Tommy wrote at length about philosophy and animal rights; he thought about how human lives should be measured against those of animals and animal suffering. He wrote poetry. Speaking at D.C. VegFest in 2017, he recited his lengthy poem "Where War Begins." An excerpt:

"When it comes to the right to live free from the blight

of aggression, oppression, from tyrannous might,

how smart you are friends shouldn't matter at all;

trauma is still trauma for the creatures that crawl."

Animal Outlook, where Tommy interned, called him a "dynamic force for good in this world, driven to expose, challenge and uproot all forms of injustice, including the suffering forced upon animals." He worked as a summer associate at Mercy for Animals, which wrote that his "kindness, passion, & empathy inspires our continued advocacy & remains in our hearts."

His love for animals was perhaps most challenging at home though: Tommy was allergic to dogs and cats.

"We are a very big dog family," Jamie Raskin says. So Tommy "had a special relationship with them. He would take Benadryl or whatever to be around them. And he would pet them sort of by gently touching the very top of their heads. And he would say, 'Potter, Toby, you're such a fine sentient being.' "

By multiple accounts, that kindness toward sentient beings included people.

"He held a rare level of empathy and compassion," writes Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, where Tommy interned. Out of all of the group of interns, "somehow he was the one who took responsibility for making sure everyone was doing okay, that no one felt left out, that everyone was connected."

Jamie Raskin says, "You couldn't be in his presence and say a negative thing about people. He didn't mind gossip if it was good gossip. [But] if it was nasty, Tommy would say, 'Excuse me, but it's hard to be a human.' And then that would be the end of that."

In his 20s, Tommy began seriously suffering from depression, his parents write in a remembrance. It was "a kind of relentless torture in the brain for him" that became "overwhelming and unyielding and unbearable."

Depression affects hundreds of millions of people around the world and is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. It increases the risk of suicide. Most of the people who die by suicide have had a mood disorder such as depression.

The pandemic has exacerbated the problem. A study published in September found the percentage of people experiencing symptoms of depression was three times the number from before the pandemic.

The Raskin family has now created the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals. And hundreds of people are sharing good deeds they've done in his name, as The Washington Post reported.

Jamie Raskin received a standing ovation when he spoke during debate Wednesday over the Republican effort to overturn Joe Biden's electoral win. He says he was heartened by words of support from fellow lawmakers of both parties, on the same day he had to evacuate the chamber because of a violent mob takeover.

"That has been a solace and a comfort to me that at this time of the ugliest possible division where we've got a violent, seditious mob invading the Capitol, that there is still enough decency and humanity that we can share each other's pain in this situation," Raskin tells Weekend Edition.

Going forward, Raskin says his family "will keep Tommy very close to our heart. And we will fight for every single thing he asked us to." He says Tommy knew that "the things that we say are our values and principles ... only have meaning if we act as if they're true, if we make them real. And so we can't let them be empty rhetoric."

Samantha Balaban and Kitty Eisele produced and edited the audio interview.

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Rep. Jamie Raskin On The Life And Legacy Of His Son, Tommy Raskin - NET Nebraska

New book reveals more Maine connections of man who mysteriously died in Stacyville – Bangor Daily News

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Prof Baldwin

HOULTON, Maine Christopher Roof, who was identified earlier this fall as the man whose body was found 10 years ago in the Stacyville woods, spent parts of his childhood in Maine while living with his mother Marcia Moore.

Maine State Police identifiedRoof, a teacher from Concord, Massachusetts, after a former student recognized the description of the bodys clothes when she heard it on a podcast discussing the case. The manner of Roofs death strongly resembles that of his mother, whose remains were found in the woods near her home in 1979 in Washington state after she had been missing for two years.

Anewbook reveals more about the familys connection to Maine. Dematerialized: The Disappearance of Marcia Moore looks further into the circumstances of Moores death, but also gives glimpses into Roofs childhood during his mothers marriage to Simon Roof.

The book describes Moores son as the most sensitive and closest to his mother out of all her children, and he was nicknamed Chrishna, a reference to the Hindu god Krishna. He seemed to have followed his mother in some of her alternative lifestyle, practicing vegetarianism and spent time living in an ashram, a type of monastery originating from the Indian subcontinent.

He was pretty deeply affected by the Vietnam War era and what was happening, said Joseph DiSomma, who co-wrote the book with his wife, Marina.He never really wanted to be in just a regular 9-to-5 jobs kind of thing.

Roof would go on to graduate summa cum laude from Emerson College in Boston with a degree in English, and wrote childrens books and poetry while also working as a substitute teacher in his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts. It would eventually be one of his former students who identified his remains, which finally allowed the Maine State Police to solve the case.

Some the books Roof wrote were poetry for children and adults, with titles like A Winter Nights Revels, Halloween to Halloween, Idylls, The Mythical Magical Poetry Book, The Pink Sheep and The Spook House, according to the Concord Public Library.

Moore, who was married five times, had been known as an author of esoteric books on astrology and yoga and had experimented with drugs such as LSD and ketamine, leading some to conclude her death was a drug trip gone awry.

The book describes her attempts to have Roof try ketamine as well, but he was adamantly opposed and would plead with her to stop. Roof had explored all possibilities regarding his mothers disappearance, including a possible kidnapping, but also seemed to have accepted that she may have died by suicide, according to the book.

While Moore died in Washington, it was when she lived in Maine with her third husband, Mark Douglas, that she had her most creative output, DiSomma said.

It was really such an immense source of activity for her, DiSomma said. She wrote her magnum opus Astrology: The Divine Science, which is probably her most successful book, which she wrote together with Mark Douglas.

Moore and Douglas lived together with their children, including Roof, at Greystone Manor, a large home in the small coastal town of Cape Neddick in York County. Moore, who was the daughter of hotel magnate Robert Moore, financially backed Douglas opening of a publishing company that focused on topics such as astrology.

Marcia held affection for the Maine coast, having spent pockets of her childhood at her grandmother Janes home in Cape Elizabeth, where she was introduced to Spiritualism and psychism, the book said. To Marcia it was another sign of fate; Mark finds this mansion that she felt truly destined for.

In addition to her grandmother, Moore had other relatives in the state, as her uncle was a Unitarian minister in Portland. The book also said that her children, including Roof, spent time at summer camp, although it doesnt specify where in Maine the children attended.

But despite the connections, the book doesnt explain what Roof may have been doing in Stacyville, far from the southern coast, when he died.

Roof, an avid reader of Henry David Thoreau, was not reported missing for the past decade because many, including his family, believed he had gone in search of a Walden-like lifestyle in the woods.

I think Christopher was just really enchanted with the whole forest and wooded areas up in that part of Maine, DiSomma said. If there was any connection, I think it had more to do with that, or maybe it was some people he may have known up there, but as far as I know he had cut ties with most of his friends and family back in 2010.

The DiSommas book is set to be released on Nov. 16.