Are you a vegetarian? Were you before, are you now, are you thinking about it? There are many reasons why one chooses not to eat meat, be it environmental, animal rights, health reasons, and this is the page to discuss it. Post your links to articles, facts on being a vegetarian, recipes and more. This page is not to shame those who do eat meat or vice-versa. Rather, this page is to show the benefits of not eating meat or adhering to a specific diet.
(Veggie Recipes Page)

Newly added is the Veggie Food page where you can find restraunts and stores that cater to Vegetarians.

What is a vegetarian? Well, someone who does not eat meat. But there are different vegetarians as well. For example:

Vegetarian: A person who eats plant products only. Will usually eat eggs and dairy products.

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: This diet includes dairy products, eggs, and plant foods.
• Lacto-vegetarian: This diet includes dairy products and plant foods.
• Ovo-vegetarian: This diet includes eggs and plant foods.

Vegan: A vegetarian who eats plant products only. Can go as far as one who uses no products derived from animals, as fur or leather. No eggs or milk.

Pescatarian: A vegetarian who eat eats fish.


Area Vegetarian Groups:


Vegetarian Society of DC
Helping people eat vegetarian food in DC, Maryland, and Virginia since 1927.

Raw vegan food potlucks and email lists of various groups...

DC/NOVA Vegan Meetup Group

Montgomery County MD Vegetarian Meetup Group

Silver Spring MD Vegetarian Cooking Club

Northern Virginia Vegetarian Group

For the Environment:

There are many reasons to go vegetarian if you care about the environment! Here are just a few (taken from About.com):

• Fossil Fuels
• Forest and Rainforest Depletion in the Americas
• Water Pollution, Water Usage and the Destruction of the Ocean

• Article from Grist that not eating meat each day is equal to not driving for three hours.

Vegetarianism and the Environment - More Resources:

• Photos of Environmental Damage from Factory
• NRDC Article - http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/
• FarmsVeganism in a Nutshell - The EnvironmentFood and the Environment - From EarthSave.org

Learn More: Books about Food and the Environment :

Animal Rights:

In order to save the most animals, increasing numbers of animal rights activists are becoming vegetarian. The bonus in this dietary change is that vegetarians have lower rates of heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain forms of cancer than flesh eaters. In addition, vegetarians are also helping the environment and the world hunger problem, since less water, land, and energy are needed to feed a person on a vegetarian diet than on an animal-based diet (from VRG.org)

Website on Animal Rights: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/animalrights.htm#vegetarianism

Diet: Red meat has been linked to many problems. Anaemia,
appendicitis, arthritis, breast cancer, cancer of the colon, cancer of the prostate, constipation, diabetes, gall stones, gout, high blood pressure, indigestion, obesity, piles, strokes and varicose veins are just some of the well known disorders which are more likely to affect meat eaters than vegetarians.

Is red meat bad for you? - http://www.nubella.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2443&Itemid=53

Websites on Veggie Diets:

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vegetariandiet.html

Testimonials:

Jim Groves - I became a "pescatarian" after seeing "Supersize" me. It's been since 2004. Not that difficult, really.