VegSocUK Information Sheet
                             THE VEGETARIAN SOCIETY

                                  DEFINITIONS


   A vegetarian is someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds,
   vegetables and fruits with or without the use of dairy products and eggs
   (preferably free-range).

   A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or
   crustacea, or slaughter by-products such as gelatine or animal fats.


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  TYPES OF VEGETARIAN

      Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most
      common type of vegetarian diet.

      Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products but not eggs.

      Ovo-vegetarian. Eats eggs but not dairy products.

      Vegan. Does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product.

      Fruitarian. A type of vegan diet where very few processed or cooked foods
      are eaten. Consists mainly of raw fruit, grains and nuts. Fruitarians
      believe only plant foods that can be harvested without killing the plant
      should be eaten.

      Macrobiotic. A diet followed for spiritual and philosophical reasons. Aims
      to maintain a balance between foods seen as ying (positive) or yang
      (negative). The diet progresses through ten levels, becoming increasingly
      restrictive. Not all levels are vegetarian, though each level gradually
      eliminates animal products. The highest levels eliminate fruit and
      vegetables, eventually reaching the level of a brown rice diet.

   Other terms can be used in describing various vegetarian diets, though their
   exact meaning can differ. The term strict vegetarian may refer to a vegan
   diet, though in other cases it may simply mean a acto-ovo-vegetarian diet.
   The terms common or broad vegetarian may be used to refer to
   lacto-ovo-vegetarians. Demi-vegetarian is a term sometimes used to describe
   persons who eat no or little meat but may eat fish. Persons consuming fish
   but no meat are sometimes called pescetarians.



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  STUMBLING BLOCKS


   Many foods contain ingredients derived from the slaughter of animals.
   Gelatine is made from animal ligaments, tendons, bones etc which have been
   boiled in water. It is often found in confectionary, ice cream, and other
   dairy products. Animal fats refer to carcass fats and may be present in a
   wide range of foods, including biscuits, cakes, and margarines. Suet and lard
   are types of animal fats. Certain food additives (E numbers) may be derived
   from animal sources.

   Cheese is generally made with rennet extracted from the stomach lining of
   slaughtered calves. Vegetarian cheese is made with rennet from a microbial
   source.

   The Vegetarian Society has a infosheet listing ingredients which may be
   unsuitable for vegetarians.

   Many vegetarians that eat eggs will eat only free-range eggs. This is due to
   moral objections to the battery farming of hens. The Vegetarian Society only
   endorses products containing eggs if the eggs are certified as free-range.

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  VEGETARIAN FOODS


   A well balanced vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs
   and there is much scientific evidence to indicate vegetarians may be
   healthier than meat- eaters.

   A vegetarian diet is healthy because it is typically low in saturated and
   total fat, high in dietary fibre and complex carbohydrate, and high in
   protective minerals and vitamins present in fresh fruit and vegetables.

   Vegetarian food groups are:

      Grains/cereals - wheat (bread & pasta), oats, maize, barley, rye, rice,
      etc. Potatoes are a useful cereal alternative.

      Pulses - kidney beans, baked beans, chick peas, lentils, etc.

      Nuts & seeds - almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds,
      etc.

      Fruit & vegetables.

      Dairy products or soya products - tofu, tempeh, soya protein etc.

      Vegetable oils and fats - margarine or butter.



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  REASONS FOR BECOMING VEGETARIAN


   Most people become vegetarian because they believe it is wrong to slaughter
   animals for food and because they are opposed to the cruelty and suffering
   inflicted upon the billions of animals reared for food.

   The effect of meat production on the environment, such as the destruction of
   vast areas of rainforest for cattle ranching, is another reason commonly
   cited for becoming vegetarian. Others may become vegetarian because of the
   links between meat production and poverty and famine in developing countries.

   The health advantages of a vegetarian diet are another commonly cited reason
   to become vegetarian, particularly among adults. A dislike of the taste of
   meat and religious reasons may also be a factor.



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//
This article is copyright to the Vegetarian Society (UK), but may be freely
copied for non-commercial use provided it is kept intact, not altered
and these lines are included.

For futher information contact: The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road,
Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG, England. Tel: (England) 061 928 0793
email: vegsoc@vegsoc.demon.co.uk
//



[The text of this file was obtained from the Vegetarian Society (UK) in
March 1995.]