Most vegetarians consume dairy products. Some people describe themselves as “pesco-vegetarian” – they eat fish, but not meat. This is a definition the Vegetarian Societies reject, as a fish is an animal and vegetarians “do not eat anything that has a face”. Different people have different reasons for following a vegetarian diet. They may be motivated by ethical, environmental, religious, or health reasons, or they might simply not like the taste or texture of meat and fish. 

Just as there are healthy and unhealthy omnivore diets, there can be healthy and unhealthy vegetarian diets. If you base your diet on cereals, crisps, chips, pasta and pizza, your diet may be vegetarian, but not healthy. Having said that, most vegetarians are better informed about nutrition than the general population and consequently eat better. If you want to make sure that you and/or your children are getting all the nutrition you need from a vegetarian diet, speak to a nutrition practitioner.