Dana Meachen Rau - Going Vegetarian: A Healthy Guide to Making the Switch (Food Revolution)

Dana Meachen Rau has written more than 300 books for children and teens, includingcookbooks that encourage healthy, thoughtful eating. She visits farm stands, tendsher garden, and makes meals with her family in Burlington, Connecticut.

THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA BUZZES WITH THE CHATTER OF FRIENDS. Some kids wait in the longlunch line to pick up a cheeseburger from the grill. One girl snags a plate of chickennuggets. A boy pays for a ham sandwich at the checkout.

But not Jenna. This seventh -grader is already at her table, unpacking her lunchfrom home. She brings it every day because shes decided to go vegetarian. The cafeteriadoesnt offer many meatless choices for her.

My friends call me crazy, Jenna says, but they get it. She eats her Greek yogurt,cheese sticks, and fruit while her friends eat from the school lunch menu. Its noteasy to eat differently from everyone else. But Jennas not alone. In fact, on theother side of the same cafeteria, Hanako is unpacking her vegetarian lunch toopeanutbutter and a bagel. Her friends support her choice to go vegetarian. Other thaneveryone joking around, she says, they respect my decision.

More and more teenagers are deciding to switch to meals without meat. Are you thinkingof going vegetarian too?

Americans eat a lot of meat. According to the United States Department of Agriculture,we consumed a total of 26.9 billion pounds of beef in 2009 alone. Check out whatson an American menu: bacon, sausage, or ham for breakfast, deli meat sandwiches forlunch, steak tips, chicken breast, pork chops, or barbeque ribs for dinner. Summerpicnic tables are stacked with hot dogs and hamburgers. Chilly winters bring beefstew or chicken soup. Meat is at the center of many meals.

Some people have had enough meat. Theyve decided to go vegetarian. Not all vegetariansfollow the same guidelines. Some have decided to remove all types of meat from theirdiets. That means red meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish. Some still eat meat oncein a while, and others dont count fish as meat.

Chicken consumption has been on the increase since the 1970s. The national averagehas climbed from 40.2 pounds per person in 1970 to 86.5 pounds per person in 2007.

Move over, meat! Vegetables and even fruits are tasty cooked on the grill too.

Many still eat animal products, such as eggs and dairy. Vegans take vegetarianismall the waythey dont eat animal products of any kind. That means no meat, eggs,dairy, or any other product that comes from an animal, such as gelatin, lard, orhoney.

Making the choice to go vegetarian is a personal one. You can define your own rulesand decide what to cut out of your diet. Are there foods that youll miss if yougo vegetarian? You can probably find a vegetarian alternative. But if not, its upto you where you want to draw the line.

Alyssa became a vegan when she was 17. Shes strict about not consuming animal products.If I ever broke the rules, she says, it was by accident. But the rules she madefor herself arent a problem. Theres nothing that I miss.

Alyssa has noticed that some of her friends have tried vegetarianism because theythink that its cool. But she doesnt think thats the right reason. You have toknow what youre getting yourself into, she says.

What are you getting yourself into? Keep reading to find out what it takes to govegetarian.

Total U.S.
Beef Consumption (2009)

26.9 billion pounds

Number of Cattle
Slaughtered for Beef (2009)

33.3 million head

Types of Vegetarians

ovo-lacto vegetarian:
no red meat, poultry, or fish / eats eggs and dairy

ovo vegetarian:
no red meat, poultry, fish, or dairy / eats eggs

lacto vegetarian:
no red meat, poultry, fish, or eggs / eats dairy

pesci-vegetarian:
no red meat or poultry / eats fish

flexitarian:
eats meat occasionally

vegan:
eats no animal products of any kind

This book is geared toward ovo-lacto vegetarians.

PESTO PASTA

Are you thinking of going green at dinnertime? Try this green and meatless mealthats easy, fun, and delicious! (Makes about 1 cup of sauce. Serves 4 to 6 people.)

Ingredients

1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
2 packed cups baby spinach
cup olive oil
cup fresh parmesan cheese
cup chopped walnuts
1 clove fresh garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat pasta
1 cup small, round freshmozzarella balls (calledciliegine), cut in half
1 cup cherry tomatoes,cut in half

Steps