Why Vegan?

Adopting a vegetarian diet is not as difficult as some people may think. In fact, going vegetarian has never been easier!

Here are some top five tips for making the switch:

1. Make vegetarian versions of your favorite meals. Substitute vegetables, faux meats, and tofu for the meat in your favorite recipes. Replace the meat in your favorite meat dish, stir-fries and chili with beans, grilled vegetables, or crumbled veggie burgers.

2. Explore vegan recipes. There are thousands of kitchen-tested recipes to choose from at VegCooking.com. There are also vegetarian cookbooks available for gourmet chefs as well as for those who don't want to spend more than 10minutes preparing dinner.

3. Go Faux! Not only are mock meats and dairy-free delights delicious and cruelty-free, they are also high in healthy plant proteins and low in saturated fat (and they contain no cholesterol). You can fins faux-meat products - including veggie burgers and hot dogs as well as mock-chicken patties made from soy and other meatless ingredients- at health food stores.

4. Explore vegan-friendly restaurants in your area. Regardless of what your budget oe where you live, you can enjoy a great vegetarian meals. If you're stuck at a behind-the-times restaurant without many vegetarian options, ask if the chef can whip up a vegetarian entree.

5. Explore ethnic eats. If you're in a large city, be sure to sample food from restaurants that make Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian, or other ethnic foods. These restaurants normally have several dishes that are both delicious and meat-free.