- National Vegetarian Week, 28th September - 4th October, will showcase the benefits of plant-based diets and encourage Australians to lower their meat intake by making a "Pledge to Try veg".
- This year National Vegetarian Week is raising vital funds to help save the Great Barrier Reef from destruction due to climate change.
The effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is in grave danger of threats from climate change, the two most significant being water acidification (when the absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean triggers a series of chemical reactions which make the water more acidic), and rising water temperatures. If left unchecked, the long term effects will be catastrophic. Already we are seeing the effects manifesting as coral bleaching. This occurs when small changes in the water chemistry cause the microorganisms that nourish the coral to be expelled from the coral, leaving it white, or bleached. Unless conditions return to normal within four to six weeks the coral will die.
- Restaurant & Catering Australia is proud to support Vegetarian Week because it promotes the diversity available on the menus of Australia's restaurants, cafes and caterers. A recent survey conducted among members indicated that three quarters of restaurant and café owners surveyed said their patrons are ordering more vegetarian and 'healthy' meal options than they used to. In addition to this, "The type of food available in Australian restaurants is constantly evolving as consumers' taste preferences and focus on health priorities change. This survey shows that businesses in the industry are responding to the diverse needs of the community," said Restaurant & Catering Australia's CEO, John Hart.
- According to Newspoll research, four out of 10 adults are now eating more vegetarian meals, with the switch in foods providing a welcome boost to their overall health (Newspoll Survey, “Attitudes towards vegetarian meals”, 23-25 May 2008)
- Numerous scientific studies have shown that people who eat a healthy vegetarian diet are less likely to be obese or develop heart disease, Type II Diabetes and some forms of cancer.
- In just under five years the total dietary emissions from the meat of a family of four on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing diet will exceed those from building and running a large 4WD.
- Livestock activity such as agriculture involving cattle, chickens, pigs and sheep, is responsible for more than a third of all human-produced methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.
- While methane breaks down in less than 20 years, CO2 stays around for 100 years or more. Cutting CO2 emissions will have no effect on global warming for decades, but reducing methane will have an immediate effect.
What is Vegetarianism?
Simply put, a vegetarian is someone who consumes a diet predominately made up of plant-based foods like breads and cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry or fish but may consume some dairy products.
As described below, there are four main traditional categories of vegetarian.
- The most common category is lacto-ovo-vegetarianism. This type of vegetarian consumes dairy products and eggs. Generally speaking, the term vegetarian is assumed to mean lacto-ovo vegetarian.
- A vegetarian who eats dairy but not eggs is known as a lacto-vegetarian.
- Ovo-vegetarians, or 'Eggetarians', eat eggs but not meat or dairy products.
- A vegan does not consume or use animal products, notably meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
If you're not yet ready to make the move to these lifestyles, think about including more vegetarian or plant-based meals on your weekly menu and do your health and the planet a favour.