Omnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans

What is the difference between omnivores, vegetarians or vegans?  It is simple, if you eat anything that once was breathing; you are not a vegetarian or a vegan.  If you eat something that once had a face, you are not a vegetarian.  There is no such thing as a chicken eating vegetarian, nor do vegetarians eat fish.  Vegetarians eat egg and dairy products, but do not eat meat, chicken or fish.   

Omnivores are people who eat meat, chicken, fish, grains and vegetables.  

Vegans abstain from all animal products, their diet is entirely plant based.  

Vegetarian Lifestyle  

How do you become a vegetarian?  There aren’t any secret handshakes, you just do it!    

Not so long ago, if you picked up a vegetarian cookbook it would have pages of information about complementary proteins. Theoretically, protein would be absorbed only if combined with the correct grain.  Now, we know that protein is properly absorbed if grains or other carbohydrates are eaten over the next 24 hours.  So becoming a vegetarian is easier than it used to be! 

The biggest challenge is you.  Overcoming the habits of a lifetime can be daunting. Just like dieting for weight loss, making the change from omnivore to vegetarian will take a conscience effort.  However, replacing meat, chicken and fish with fake meat, chicken and fish is becoming very simple.  Supermarket shelves overflow with vegetarian meat replacements.  Veggie burgers, soy dogs, sausage, bratwurst and ribs are available. 

Vegan Lifestyle  

The most common question asked of vegans is “what do you eat?”  Vegans eat a varied diet of grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables.  Because a vegan diet is devoid of animal products, vegans must make certain they eat enough protein. For the average person, 21 grams of protein a day is necessary to maintain good health.   Vegans need to supplement vitamin B12, an important nutrient found in meat and dairy products. 

For some reason people think of vegans as lacking.  They give up something. Our obsession with fast, easy, cheap and entirely unwholesome food conflicts with the vegan lifestyle.  Vegans must think about their food choices.  They make informed decisions about what they eat and know why they are eating it. 

Most Americans have a vague idea of what they are eating.  Sadly, few make informed choices.  The lives of the animals they eat are not considered.  Many fail to realize they are eating an animal when they eat a burger since they are so removed from food production.  Fast food restaurants remove the burden of looking at the bloody meat before you its cooked.  Prepackaged frozen dinners further remove the average American from the food chain. 

So vegans give up cheap, convenient unhealthy food that comes through the suffering of animals. Medical studies are proving that vegan diets are healthy, in fact, healthier than the heavily red meat laden diet of most Americans. Maybe vegans should start asking omnivores, what do you eat and more importantly why.

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