"WorldVegetarianDay" news and stories

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

According to a recent study by Vegetarian Times, vegetarianism in America is booming: 7.3 million Americans are vegetarian, while an even higher amount -- 22.8 million -- follow "vegetarian-inclined" diets. And it's no surprise that vegetarianism is on the rise, as consumers shy away from the increasing prominence of processed foods -- the vast majority of vegetarians name health as their incentive, closely followed by environmental concerns.



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Photo: vegetarianfestival.jp.

There are loads of meat-this/meat-that festivals, but in honor of World Vegetarian Day, Slashfood would like to highlight international veggie gatherings.

Day Without Meat, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Oct. 3-4: To raise awareness for the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet, the Brazilian Vegetarian Society in partnership with Greenpeace, Instituto Nina Rosa and others will provide information on vegetarianism, screen films, hold workshops and offer food and wine tastings.

Carrots. Photo: ccharmon, Flickr.

Today's the day to skip burgers and bacon -- it's World Vegetarian Day! Slashfood is celebrating the beginning of vegetarian-awareness month with lots of posts highlighting the best in fruits and veggies. They'll be a few roundups that aren't all-veg, but barring those, we're bringing you meat-free fare all day long. Check back here for posts on vegan wine, the best in vegetarian cookbooks and food festivals, plant-based recipes and more.

I have always been an omnivore, happily eating all manner of meat, dairy, grain and veg. I'm one of those people who, if deprived of animal protein for several days, will start to get physically shaky and off balance until a small piece of turkey or a couple of meatballs have been consumed. However, I can and often do go a day or two without eating meat, mostly because there are so many other delicious foods in the world crying out to be eaten and I just can't fit them all in single day.

This Wednesday, October 1st is World Vegetarian Day and on that day, I'll intentionally be preparing a series of meatless meals for my little household, in order to participate in the effort. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, during which folks around the country will be holding potlucks, parties, discussion groups and other activities to raise the profile of vegetarian meals.

For those of you who can't imagine giving up meat, remember that as food costs rise, reducing the number of your meals that are meat-dependent can be one way of keeping your budget in check. Check out the World Vegetarian Day website for tips and information about how you can get involved.

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Usually this days are "National This" and "National That," but here's one that includes the entire Earth.

It's World Vegetarian Day, and here's the official web site so you can figure out how to celebrate it yourself (besides eating vegetables and not eating meat). I'm not really up on the different types of vegetarianism (in fact, I'm not even sure if "vegetarianism" is a word). Aren't there different types? Some that don't eat fish or eggs? Some that don't eat plant life or something? I'm sure one of our readers can give a quick course in the comments.

October 1 is actually the start of Vegetarian Awareness Month.