National Vegetarian Awareness Month

The act of being a vegetarian is a way of life not only a eating practice for many. They do have a diet where they do not consume meat of any animal and may also abstain from the products they offer as well. Many vegetarians also follow religious beliefs or stand up for animal rights. Other reasons one may choose to be a vegetarian is because of health, political, environmental, cultural, economic or simply a personal choice. Some diets under vegetarianism include:

ovo-vegetarian diet that includes eggs but no dairy product

lacto-vegetarian diet that includes dairy but not eggs

anovo-lacto vegetarian that includes both eggs and dairy products

vegan diet that excludes all animal products, eggs, dairy, and honey some vegans will not use beeswax, leather, silk clothing or goose fat shoe polish

Packaged or processed foods such as cakes, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt and marshmallows often contain animal ingredients. It is important for vegetarians to closely read ingredients to see if such products have been used. Opinions of whether to use products such as these is up to the individual. 

There are some individuals that have diets largely consisting of vegetarian foods but also include fish or poultry or sometimes other meats. Some vegetarians only stay away from mammalian flesh. One group that relates to vegetarians are those that follow the pescetarian diet and include fish but no other meat in their diets. 

The earliest vegetarianism comes from Indus Valley Civilization as early as the 7th century. A group of vegetarianist also lived in the northern Thracian region where Serbia and Bulgaria is today. This group would live on honey, milk and cheese. 

annies home will be sharing more vegetarian recipes through out the month of October