In the United States, only 7% of 8-18 year olds are vegetarians, and approximately 5% of adults are vegetarians. Half of the vegetarians are also vegans. Let me give you a little information on vegetarians, people that are vegetarians mainly eat plant based foods and don’t eat animals. Vegans are different; they don’t eat any dairy products or eggs. I recently did a survey at Ortega High School and found out that approximately 6.5% of the students are vegetarians/vegans.

Some people rarely eat meat for a certain amount of time and are called semi-vegetarians. They only eat chicken and fish, which are basically white meats. Other people only become semi-vegetarians to lose weight. Meat also costs more than other foods, so that’s another reason for being vegetarian. People can choose to be vegetarians for religious beliefs, because of health issues, or to avoid bacterial diseases. Animal meats can carry different types of bacteria that can make you sick.

Just because people are vegetarians doesn’t mean they lack protein. Most plant foods contain protein. Eliminating red meat can help you reduce fat. Most vegans believe that animal farming is a cruel way to make money. More than 7 billion animals die every year for human consumption, but we don’t have to eat animals. Unfortunately, when being a vegetarian you’re low on iron levels, cholesterol, and B12.