“...becoming a vegetarian is the best thing we can do for ourselves and your families,” says Dr. Lina Van (Panchal 27). Choosing to become a vegetarian promotes good health, a longer life, helps fight disease, and can even help people lose weight (Nikki and David Goldbeck 4-7). Specifically, a vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, shellfish and poultry. Additionally, a lacto-vegetarian does not eat eggs, but can eat dairy products, while an ovo-vegetarian can eat eggs, but not dairy products (Panchal 27). So a vegetarian diet may seem quite restrictive, but the lifestyle choice could save your life and lead to more adventures in eating (Nikki and David Goldbeck 4-7). A vegetarian diet in America dates back to colonial times. Vegetarian recipes from this period come from places like New England, the South, Pennsylvania Dutch, the Southwest, and more. However, in colonial times, meat was considered only a side dish to the main course of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (Atlas 13-14). On the other hand, a vegetarian diet could save the environment, eradicate animal suffering, and put an end to disease and other health problems. Research has shown that people should switch to a vegetarian diet because it is beneficial for many aspects of life and is a healthier and safer choice of food than a diet containing meat. A vegetarian lifestyle helps save the environment and even save your health. world. First of all, rejecting the consumption of meat could contribute to saving water. Specifically, the amount of water used to raise animals is about half the water used in the United States. For example, approximately 2,640 gallons of water are needed to produce just one pound of beef. If a pe...... middle of paper...... meat does not need to guarantee the amount of iron required by the body, a vegetarian can instead eat vegetables such as legumes, beans, soy, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, broccoli and more to reach that amount of iron (Panchal 27). Works Cited Atlas, Nava. Excellent American vegetarian. New York: M. Evans, 2002. Print.Freedman, Rory, and Kim Barnouin. Skinny bitch. Philadelphia: Racing, 2005. Print.Goldbeck, Nikki and David Goldbeck. Steak enemy. Garden City Park, New York: Square One, 2007. Print.Hall, Don. "Why be a vegetarian?" Vibrant Life May-June 2010. Gold General Reference Center. Network. October 30, 2011. Neithercott, Tracey. "Vegement." Diabetes Predictions June 2008. Gold General Reference Center. Network. 31 October 2011.Panchal, Chhaya. “Health is great: a vegetarian diet is good for the planet.” SkippingStones Summer 2009. Web. 28 October. 2011.