Fun Facts

~ There are a host of exceptional people throughout the ages who saw the wisdom of a vegetarian diet. From Pythagoras and Leonardo Da Vinci to Sir Paul McCartney and Russell Brand.

~ Going veggie is an intelligent choice. Veggies have been shown to have higher IQs than non-veggies. A recent study showed that young people who made the decision to go veggie went on to have higher intelligence.

~ Vegetables are sexy! Aphrodisiacs from the vegetable kingdom include chillies, asparagus, celery, fennel, garlic and mustard!!! Ummmm.

~ The word vegetarian has nothing to do with vegetables. It is derived from the Latin word vegetus, meaning lively and vigorous.

~ Born to eat meat? As omnivores we can survive both on a meat-based or vegetable-based diet. Our choice of diet is not about being natural but about making the right choice for you.

Nutrition & Health

~ Veggies typically have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, certain cancers (colon in particular) and lower blood pressure!

~ Being veggie can really make a difference in avoiding food poisoning. You are more likely to pick up bugs like E.coli from meat, chicken and seafood than any other foods.

~ You can still get all the iron you need in your diet as a vegetarian – its found in a number of foods including wholemeal bread, leafy green vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

~ We all need protein and veggie food is packed with it. Good sources are pulses, beans, cheese, free-range eggs, : and pasta.

~ Veggie food has come a long way from the days of plain salads and nut cutlets. Just check out The Vegetarian Society's amazing archive of mouth-watering recipes at www.vegsoc.org/recipes

The Environment

~ 18% of world global greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock production, whereas 13.5% comes from transport.

~ Animals require much more water than the growing of grain to produce the same amount of protein.

~ Tropical forests are destroyed daily to create more land to raise livestock and grow grain for animal feed. Livestock production is responsible for 70% of Amazon deforestation.

~ Thirty percent of the earth’s entire land surface – a massive 70% of all agricultural land - is used for rearing farmed animals.

~ A recent study in 2006, examining the impact of a typical week’s eating, showed that plant-based diets are better for the environment than those based on meat.

Animal Welfare

~ Every day, in the UK alone, over 2 million land animals are slaughtered for their meat.

~ Vegetarians don't eat fish as fish are animals! Almost half of the fish consumed worldwide are now intensively raised on fish farms (aquaculture).

~ Animals are sentient beings, many have complex emotions and can suffer pain.

~ Over 16 million sheep were slaughtered in the UK in 2006, the vast majority of these were lambs.

~ Over 800 million broiler chickens were slaughtered in the UK in 2006. The majority of these are housed in large windowless sheds in massive flocks, holding between 20,000 - 50,000 birds, before being slaughtered at around 6 weeks old.