Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Happy World Vegetarian Day!

Make a difference this October by telling others about the benefits of vegetarianism

World Vegetarian Day was established for the first time 46 years ago, in 1977, by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS). October 1 is the official World Vegetarian Day, and it acts as the introduction and kick-off to the annual Vegetarian Awareness Month., with its slogan, “Make a difference this October” by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism.

Vegetarian history


Vegetarianism is now new. In India it’s a Vedic axiom and has been so for thousands of years. Even here in the UK it was already a popular movement in Victorian and Edwardian times, with celebrities such as novelist Leo Tolstoy and playwright George Bernard Shaw , who was also an anti-vivisectionist and opponent of cruel sports, swearing by the benefits of a meat-free diet. “Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends,” he said.

Before that, the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras had integrated his ideas of the soul and spiritual health with the ideology of refraining from meat. Some even refer to him as the founder of vegetarianism

Leonardo da Vinci appears to have concurred, with surviving letters written by him mentioning his distaste at the notion of eating “animal flesh”.

iStock 1315873958

The founding fathers of the USA included vegetarians – Benjamin Franklin famously refrained from meat – and Mahatma Gandhi was of course a vegetarian, and at the beginning of the twentieth century, when he was living in Britain studying law, reported that he often had to walk many miles to find somewhere that served vegetarian food – happily not a problem these days!

Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, is often seen as a foundationary vegetarian fable, according to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, the term didn’t exist at the start of the Romantic era, but some of the poets and artists were already thinking about what it meant and followed meatless diets: “One of the characteristic ideas of the Romantic movement was a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature; for many Romantic intellectuals this was simply incompatible with eating meat.”

The monster’s body was composed of “dead meat”, some of it from the slaughterhouse (meaning non-human). However, far from being evil himself, it was society’s (self) disgust at the sight of him – representing their own secret horrors – that turned him into a misunderstood outcast and led to violence.

Shelley herself wrote, “I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment.”

You don’t become a vegetarian by force, you become one by choice … So always make a better choice for a healthier and happier life ahead …Happy World Vegetarian Day!

iStock 1433432507

Make a Difference

Make a difference this October by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism. You will be helping to create a better world because vegetarian diet have proven health benefits, save animals' lives and help to preserve the Earth.

  • Reduce the risk of major killers such as heart disease, stroke and cancer while cutting exposure to foodborne pathogens
  • Provide a viable answer to feeding the world’s hungry through more efficient use of grains and other crops
  • Save animals from suffering in factory-farm conditions and from the pain and terror of slaughter
  • Conserve vital but limited freshwater, fertile topsoil and other precious resources
  • Preserve irreplaceable ecosystems such as rainforests and other wildlife habitats
  • Decrease greenhouse gases that are accelerating global warming
  • Mitigate the ever-expanding environmental pollution of animal agriculture

(from Awareness Days)

Why go vegetarian?

A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can provide many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including:

  • obesity
  • coronary heart disease.
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • diabetes
  • some types of cancer

Beyond protecting against these particular ailments, vegetarianism is also claimed to enhance wellbeing and holistic health:

  • Increases lifespan. ...
  • Lower cholesterol levels. ...
  • Less risk of stroke and obesity. ...
  • Reduces risk of diabetes. ...
  • Gives healthy skin. ...
  • High fiber content. ...
  • Can reduce depression. ...
  • Improves metabolism.

To find out more about how to enjoy a meat-free diet, visit The Vegetarian Society’s Info Hub.

If you are looking for something special to cook on October 2 to celebrate World Vegetarian Day, why not visit Veggie, where you will find seven special Seven Delicious Dishes to Celebrate World Vegetarian Day, including Roasted Vegetable Salad with Halloumi and Mushroom Pesto and Artichoke Calzone among many other mouth-watering treats.

iStock 1457889029

What is a vegetarian?

According Dr Diane M. Mason and Janet T. Mullins, extension Specialist for Food and Nutrition to the University of Kentucky, The term vegetarian can be difficult to define. As a general guide, vegetarians eat a plant-based diet that includes foods such as milk and eggs — foods made by animals but that do not involve harming the animal.

Vegetarians enjoy a plant-based diet that does not include the flesh of any animal. Vegetarians generally eat foods produced by animals including honey, milk and eggs.

Vegans abstain from eating animalderived products including meats, dairy items, honey and eggs. Most also will not use any animal products including leather, wool and silk.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians enjoy a plant-based diet that includes dairy products and eggs. Lacto vegetarians consume dairy products but no eggs.

Ovo vegetarians enjoy eggs but no dairy products. There are other definitions associated with vegetarianism that include more and less restrictive eating patterns. These include “pescatarian” (those who eat fish and seafood), “pollotarian” (those who do not eat red meat) and “flexitarian” or “semi-vegetarian” (those who usually eat a plant-based diet but who also include lean meats, poultry and seafood.

On the occasion of World Vegetarian Day, always remember that food is not only about taste but it is also about healthy living and one choice can impact your whole life.

More for you

Vape ban announcement sparks industry concerns over public health and black-market risks
A selection of disposable vapes with bright and colourful packaging are seen in a convenience store, on January 29, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Vape ban announcement sparks industry concerns over public health and black-market risks

The decision to ban disposable vapes by June 2025 has sparked strong reactions across the vaping and retail sectors, with key industry figures voicing concerns about the impact on public health and called for a balanced approach to support smokers switching to vaping as a safer alternative.

A spokesperson of Elfbar, the leading disposable vape brand, highlighted the role of the product in smoking cessation, citing that “nearly three million people in Britain have quit smoking using vapes in the last five years,” with single-use vapes comprising over 60 per cent of the UK market.

Keep ReadingShow less
High streets pay over 'one third of UK's business rates'
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

High streets pay over 'one third of UK's business rates'

High streets in the UK are collectively pay one third of all business rates while accounting for 9 per cent of the economy, British Retail Consortium (BRC) stated on Thursday (24), strengthening its call for a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail.

BRC and UKHospitalityare united in their call for the Chancellor to implement a fairer level of business rates for hospitality and retail at the Budget, which will rebalance a system that unfairly punishes our high streets and town centres. This was a manifesto pledge from Labour ahead of the election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family-run Nisa store to become Spar NI after 27 years

Family-run Nisa store to become Spar NI after 27 years

Northern Ireland family-run Nisa convenience store has come under Spar NI after 27 years following its acquisition by Henderson Retail. Nisa Circle K Silverwood store in Lurgan was operated by local retailer Patrick Hughes for the past 27 years.

Nisa Silverwood was acquired by Patrick Hughes in 1997. In the past 27 years the store has undergone significant developments due to Hughes' investments to help the business grow and provide more local jobs over the years.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Despondent mood' as consumer confidence weakens ahead of Budget
iStock image

'Despondent mood' as consumer confidence weakens ahead of Budget

UK consumers are in a “despondent mood” as households brace for tax rises in the Budget next week, amid fears that Britain could be entering a “vibecession”, a situation of disconnect between the economy's performance and how people feel about their finances

Research firm GfK’s monthly survey of consumer morale shows confidence has slipped this month, to -21 points, the joint lowest this year. It found that households are gloomier about the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months, and also over the next year.

Keep ReadingShow less
A top tipple to celebrate with this Diwali

A top tipple to celebrate with this Diwali

Nick Gillett, Co-founder and Managing Director of successful spirits distributor Mangrove Global, celebrates India’s contribution to classic toasts with its wonderful and increasingly well-known whiskies

October is here, and our thoughts turn to many of the remaining celebrations of the year – and first up we have Diwali. A time for lavish decorations, food, sweets, and drinks, Diwali begs the question: what will you have in your glass for a toast? For me there’s one answer, and it’s whisky.

Keep ReadingShow less