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It is always fun to read quotes from vegetarians or about vegetarianism, so here is a look at a few vegetarian-related quotes from famous people that you might enjoy.  Some provide us with a good chance to laugh at ourselves, while others provide some food for thought (pun intended!).

Gerald Lieberman –“Vegetarian: A person who eats only side dishes”

David Brenner –“A vegetarian is a person who won’t eat anything that can have children”

Mahatma Gandhi — “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Mahatma Gandhi — “To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.”

Albert Einstein — “Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”

Albert Einstein — “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

(Author unknown) –“If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?”

William S. Gilbert –“Deer hunting would be fine sport, if only the deer had guns”

Jay Leno –“McDonalds announced it’s considering a more humane way of slaughtering its animals. You know they fatten them up and then kill them. You know the same thing they do to their customers, isn’t it?”

George H.W. Bush — “I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli”

Romain Rolland — “To a man whose mind is free there is something even more intolerable in the sufferings of animals than in the sufferings of man. For with the latter it is at least admitted that suffering is evil and that the man who causes it is a criminal. But thousands of animals are uselessly butchered every day without a shadow of remorse. If any man were to refer to it, he would be thought ridiculous. And that is the unpardonable crime.”

George Bernard Shaw –“Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my friends”

George Bernard Shaw — If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth — beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals — would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals?”

Alex Poulos –“I will not eat anything that walks, runs, skips, hops or crawls. God knows that I’ve crawled on occasion, and I’m glad that no one ate me.”

A. Whitney Brown –“I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants”

(Author unknown) –“Ham and eggs- A day’s work for a chicken; a lifetime commitment for a pig”

Leonardo da Vinci — “The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.”

According to the July issue of the American Dietetic Association, or ADA, following a vegetarian diet is an effective way of maintaining a healthy weight while also reducing the chances of developing a host of serious health issues.

“Well-constructed vegetarian diets may offer health benefits in terms of preventing and treating certain chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes for all age groups,” the authors wrote in their report. The researchers also found that following a mostly or fully vegetarian diet is an effective means of maintaining a healthy weight in both the short and long-run.

Despite popular beliefs, the report demonstrated that people who follow a vegetarian diet do not necessarily have to miss out on getting important vitamins and minerals. Even without having red or white meats in their diets, vegetarians can still get the nutrients they need by eating a variety of different fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains and products that have been fortified and enriched. Therefore, in order to enjoy the benefits of a vegetarian diet without dealing with the potential downfalls, it is important to follow a well-planned diet.

In order to enjoy the benefits of a vegetarian diet, the ADA recommends following these guidelines:

·    Include a variety of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits, seeds and nuts in the diet.
·    Include eggs and dairy if desired, but consume them in moderation and make certain the dairy products are low-fat.
·    Minimize consumption of foods that are high in fat, sugar and sodium. Consumption of foods that are high in trans-fatty acids and saturated fat should be particularly kept to a minimum.
·    Include a regular source of B-12 in the diet as well as a source of vitamin D if you have a limited amount of sunlight exposure

The ADA even supports raising children on a vegetarian diet, though you should consult with a nutritionist in order to make certain your child or children are getting enough of the vitamins an minerals they need to stay healthy.

It is always nice to see your fellow vegetarians standing up for what is right, but it is even more exciting when it is a celebrity who makes a statement about the vegetarian lifestyle. This is not to say that celebrities are any more important that the average vegetarian, but celebrities have a certain amount of influence that the “regular Joe” simply does not.  That’s why it was nice to read that the Pretenders have decided to serve only vegetarian choices at their concert taking place later today and tomorrow.

Apparently, the band is putting on a concert at the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ today and another tomorrow at the Central Park SummerStage in New York, NY. At both venues, all meat products will be removed from the menu. Why? Because the lead singer of the band, Chrissie Hynde, is a vegetarian and has asked her promoter, Live Nation, to support her vegetarian initiative.

According to sources, all meat products will be removed from the venues and a special vegetarian BBQ will be served to a group of radio contest winners who will be attending the show in Central Park.

Hyde has long been a supporter of the vegetarian lifestyle as well as a PETA activist, having said in a recent interview with Scotland on Sunday, “I’m always surprised when I meet meat eaters. I just think, why on earth do you do that? You could put a gun to my head and say, ‘If you want to live, you have to eat steak,’ and I’d say, ‘Time to go.’ I don’t want that kid of blood on my soul.”

Several more dates are on the Pretenders’ tour schedule. Let’s hope Hyde is able to make even more of the venues meat-free along the way.

One of the biggest problems that vegetarians face is trying to get their friends and family to understand their decision to go meatless. So, unless you are lucky enough to live in one of the rare communities where vegetarianism is common, you may sometimes feel a bit ostracized and otherwise uncomfortable around certain groups of people. This is particularly true if you are eating at a restaurant with some friends or colleagues, as finding a vegetarian choice on the menu can sometimes be a challenge. For these reasons and more, it is always interesting to see how our fellow vegetarians handle feeling as if they are outcasts.

According to BusinessWeek, one vegetarian found a unique way to share his frustrations while also reaching out to other vegetarians through his business. Daniel Berman, who is a real estate broker in the San Francisco Bay area, recently launched a new blog on his website at VeggieReeltor.com on which he wrote an “Open Letter to My Fellow Vegetarians.” It said, in part:

“Why would it matter that you, as a vegetarian, have a real estate agent who is also a vegetarian? Simply stated, it’s a matter of shared values, an approach to life and a way of relating to others. If you’ve been a vegetarian (or vegan) for any length of time, you know what I mean.”

He went on to say, “I believe there is a need for people with my perspective, values and sensibilities, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to offer an alternative…”

Berman isn’t the only one who is publicly sharing his views. The San Francisco Chronicle also recently reported that 5-year-old Beatrice McCartney, who is the daughter of Paul McCartney and vegetarian Heather Mills, was shunned while vacationing in the south of France because of her views.

Apparently, the little girl was lecturing other guests about the foods they were choosing to eat. Said Mills, “Beatrice questions everybody who eats animals. When we were in the south of France, there was a buffet for kids, and by the end of the week no one would sit near us because she would go over and say, ‘Why are you eating that cow’s bottom?’ or ‘Oh, look at that little shrimp with little eyes.”

It’s good to see young vegetarians feeling so passionate about eating healthy and observing the rights of animals.