Are you or someone in your family thinking about becoming a vegetarian?

 

First of all there are vegetarian and semi-vegetarian diets.  A true vegetarian eats no meat at all, including chicken and fish. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but excludes meat, fish, and poultry. It follows, then, that a lacto vegetarian eats dairy products but not eggs, whereas an ovo vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy products. A stricter form of vegetarianism is veganism.  Not only are eggs and dairy products excluded from a vegan diet, so are animal products like honey and gelatin. Some people consider themselves semi-vegetarians and eat fish and maybe a small amount of poultry as part of a diet that’s primarily made up of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. A pesci-vegetarian eats fish, but not poultry.

 

Are these diets ok for children? Following a macrobiotic or vegan diet could lead to nutritional deficiencies in some people. Kids need to be sure their diets include enough nutrients to fuel growth, particularly protein and calcium.  I recommend that you talk to a registered dietician.

 

Experiment with a vegan diet by trying  a semi-vegetarian diet first.

  1. Try one vegetarian recipe a week, in our meal plan we offer several vegetarian recipes  per week.
  2. Eliminate red meat from your diet for one month. Substitute poultry, fish, and  beans.
  3. Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta dishes, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more.
  4. Search for vegetarian  restaurants in your area. In theDallas/Fort Wortharea we have several vegetarian restaurants, despite being told we are a big beef people here inDallas! If you are in DFW try Bliss Raw Café  and Elixir Bar 6005 Berkshire Lane, Dallas       214-368-8585.
  5. Visit your local Farmers Market and buy organic fresh vegetables.

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