Healthy Vegetarian Diet Is On The Rise

More and more people are switching to a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons, and many are turning to the internet for information. Virtual communities centered on vegetarianism have sprung up all over the internet.

More and more people are switching to a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons, and many are turning to the internet for information. Virtual communities centered on vegetarianism have sprung up all over the internet. One such site is http://www.vegetarianstuff.com/ where people from around the world can meet and discuss the issues involved with vegetarianism, share important nutritional information, and trade recipes.

Many people new to vegetarianism can learn things they may not have known from the more seasoned vegetarians online. For example, many don't know that gelatin is derived from animal hides, or that a common ingredient in cheese is rennet*, which is made from stomach lining.

Online support can also be valuable for people who face discrimination as a vegetarian. In day to day life a vegetarian may not have much contact with other vegetarians, which can be discouraging. The internet opens up a whole network of people who understand, who have been there, and who can help. The LiveJournal vegetarian community at http://www.livejournal.com/community/vegetarian/ frequently welcomes young vegetarians and helps them cope with parents who don't accept their decision, grandmas who sneak meat into their food, and other frustrations that face a younger vegetarian. The community spans the spectrum from people on their second day of vegetarianism to those who have been strict vegans since birth.

As vegetarianism rises the change is reflected in the consumer world as well. Both Burger King and McDonals now offer veggie burgers in addition to their traditional meat fare. Shops specializing in vegetarian-friendly products have sprung up all over. Maryland-based Pangea (http://pangeaveg.com/) offers everything from eco-friendly soaps to official Doc Marten and Birkenstock footware specially made in "fake" leather. Internet based shops such as http://shop.opalcat.com/ offer whole sections of vegetarian, animal rights, and anti-fur designs alongside typical humorous shirts and geeky mugs.

If you check your supermarket, you will see cans of baked beans labelled "vegetarian" next to the pork-n-beans of yesteryear. You may see "lard-free" tortillas, "rennet-free" cheese, and an increase in shelf space devoted to soy and rice milks such as Silk, vegetarian imitation-meats and cold cuts of every type you can imagine from canadian bacon and ham to buffalo wings.

Look out! The vegetarians are coming!

*http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=rennet