When my oldest son told us last year that he had decided to follow a vegetarian diet we were a little surprised. Our family as a whole aren't vegetarians although we do follow a health code know as the Word of Wisdom which suggests eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and eating meat sparingly and only as needed in times of winter or famine. I'll be the first to admit that we are still learning to be wiser in our choices of family foods. And while our son is still transitioning to his choice of avoiding meats altogether, it did spark my interest in understanding his new lifestyle.
First, I had to learn the difference between a Vegetarian and a Vegan:
Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes meat (including game and slaughter by-products), fish (including shellfish and other sea animals) and poultry.[1][2] There are several variants of the diet, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labour such as dairy products and honey.
A vegan diet is a form of vegetarianism which excludes all animal products from the diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs and honey. Strict veganism also excludes the use of animal products such as wool, silk, leather, and fur for attire and adornment, even though some of these do not directly involve the death or slaughter of an animal.[3]
Most vegetarians consume dairy products, and many eat eggs. Lacto-vegetarianism includes dairy products but excludes eggs, ovo-vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy, and lacto-ovo-vegetarianism includes both eggs and dairy products.
Semi-vegetarianism consists of a diet largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish and sometimes even poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs. Info from (Wikipedia)
I'm glad I learned a little more about what it means to be a vegetarian or vegan. Now I feel like I know better what to have on hand when my son comes to visit.
For the cutest vegan and vegetarian apparel and gifts, I hope you'll visit Cowpie Creek. They carry vegetarian t-shirts for the whole family including the following cute vegetarian kids tees.
