What is a Vegetarian?

What is a vegetarian?

Firstly, let me touch on some technicalities. According to Wikipedia, the first Vegetarian Society was founded in England in 1847, after which countries such as Germany and the Netherlands followed suit. Its main aim, it seems, was to get rid of the common belief that meat consumption is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle.

The International Vegetarian Union was only formed more than half a century later, in 1908. There is apparently, however, some evidence of the use of the term “vegetarian” in older writings.

In first world western countries today, vegetarianism gained popularity in the 20th century for reasons such as health and animal compassion, as well as environmental and economic concerns.

Of the many reasons why someone may choose to be a vegetarian, the health benefits of a vegetarian diet is the most prominent one.

Most of the vegetarians in the world today are believed to be Indian vegetarians who also consume dairy products (i.e. lacto vegetarians).

In gist, a vegetarian is a person whose diet excludes meat or animal flesh. However, there are several different ‘degrees’ or types of vegetarianism , with some consuming certain types of meat, and others also abstaining from other animal food products such as milk, cheese, eggs, honey, etc.

For a better understanding of the question “what is a vegetarian?”, click here to read about the different types of vegetarians.