No doubt you have come to this post because you are vegetarian, vegan, or are curious about either of these terms. Like most people, you might be confused about the difference. But you are not alone. Most people think that the generic term vegetarian refers to people who only eat vegetables. Fear not! Today I will try and clear up some of the misconceptions and myths about vegetarians.

What is a vegetarian?
Vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming the flesh of any animal, with or without also eschewing other animal derivatives, such as dairy products or eggs. Some vegetarians choose to also refrain from wearing clothing which has involved the death of animals, such as leather, silk and fur. Vegetarians have varied motivations including religious, cultural, ethical, environmental, economic, and health concerns.

What is a vegan?
Veganism, sometimes called "strict vegetarianism", excludes all animal products from diet and attire, whether or not their production has involved the actual death of an animal (dairy, eggs, honey, wool, silk and down feathers).

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There are several other types of vegetarians, the following is a list with a brief description:

Lacto-ovo vegetarian - is a vegetarian who is willing to consume dairy products (i.e. milk and its derivatives, like cheese, butter, or yogurt) and eggs. Lacto means "milk" and ovo means "egg".

Lacto vegetarian - is a vegetarian who includes dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt (without gelatin), butter, cream, and kefir but excludes eggs. "Lacto" originates from the Latin word for milk.

Ovo vegetarians - or colloquially Eggetarians are vegetarians who eat eggs but not meat or dairy products. "Ovo" comes from the Latin word for egg.

Fruitarianism - is the pursuit of a strict form of vegan diet that is limited to eating the ripe fruits of plants and trees, yet could result in a diet made from hundreds of different species of fruits that grow wild in the tropical forests remaining in the world. (Remember Notting Hill, Hugh Grant's one girlfriend was a fruitarian?)

"Pesco/pollo vegetarianism", "pescetarianism", "pollotariansm" or "semi-vegetarianism" - is the practice of not eating certain types of meat (most commonly mammalian meat such as beef, pork, and lamb) while allowing other meats, such as seafood. As with lacto-ovo vegetarianism, there are usually no restrictions on non-flesh animal products such as dairy and eggs.

Flexitarianism - is the practice of eating mainly vegetarian food. Flexitarians prefer to eat vegetarian food, but make occasional exceptions for social, pragmatic, or nutritional reasons. They will eat meat and other animal products sometimes. For example, a flexitarian might make only vegetarian dishes at home, but eat dishes including meat at the home of family or friends.

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Whew! That was a lot. So what exactly do vegetarians eat?

What do vegetarians eat?
Anything they want! There are vegetarian alternatives to almost any animal food, from soy sausages and "Fib Ribs" to Tofurky jerky and mock lobster. Vegetarian-friendly menus are sprouting up everywhere—even Burger King offers veggie burgers—and more and more eateries are focusing exclusively on vegetarian and vegan foods. There are fantastic alternatives to every dairy product you can imagine, including Soy Delicious ice cream, Silk chocolate soy milk, Tofutti cream cheese, and more.

I'd like more information about becoming a vegetarian.
Here is a link for a free vegetarian starter kit from PETA. http://www.goveg.com/order.asp

Hopefully this has helped you understand what the term vegetarian means. Now that this business is out of the way, let the fun begin. If you have any other vegetarian information you would like to share, and recipes, please feel free to post them.

We all look forward to trying some tasty and delicious recipes!

All information listed above was acquired from the following places:
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://goveg.com