'Vegetarian' or 'a vegetarian'?

Are you 'vegetarian' or 'a vegetarian'? Is there actually a difference? To me, yes there is. You see, for many years, I ran a health food store. I was (and still am) vegetarian. But I object to being called 'a vegetarian'. Maybe I'm pedantic, but here's my reasoning.

You see, so if you don't eat meat and fish, that's is like being left handed, blonde, skinny ... it's just another description that says who you are. To be 'a vegetarian' is rather like saying I'm a Martian, or a Democrat or a Mongolian - it's WHO you are as opposed to WHAT traits you have. Being veggie is only a small part of what make you into you, a truly unique person. By using the phrase 'a vegetarian' it can make us sound to be a cliquey group which excludes others. That's such a shame in this day and age, isn't it?

When I had my health food store I frequently met appalled mothers who told me that their teenage son or daughter had become 'a vegetarian'.

This made it sound as though they had become something truly weird. (Martian, Klingon, alien etc.)

Yet every single day, people choose to make amendments to their diet for various reasons. People don't become a 'glutenfree-arian' or a fatfree-arian' - they just choose to cut out gluten or fat. Why should cutting out meat or fish 'turn' one into that strange being; 'a vegetarian'?

These mothers seemed to think that all of a sudden, they had an alien in their midst; someone really strange and weird.

'What' they would say to me ' what do these people eat?' I would reply blithely 'Oh, you know. Pies, pizzas, casseroles, stews, sandwiches, pasta and rice dishes ... strange stuff like that ...'

Number one

You see, something that is often overlooked is that to be vegetarian doesn't mean living exclusively on vegetables. (If you did, you'd be called vegan; vegans eat no animal products at all.) Cheese, milk, eggs, pasta - your weird new veggie probably eats all those foods.

Number two

One misconception that I often come across is that people who follow a vegetarian diet don't eat red meat but do eat chicken and fish! There are some people who follow this type of diet but it's incorrect to call them vegetarians. (My mum used to do this, much to my amusement).

Number three

A very frequent misconception is that when you have someone who follows a meat-free diet in your family - or when you decide that you're going to give up eating meat and fish yourself - is that you will have to develop new ways of cooking and use unusual ingredients. That's simply not the case.

These are my favorite meat free recipes and are meals that I make on a very regular basis. I'll add to these when more recipes are published.

• Leek and Potato Bake. I love to make this when the weather is a little cooler.
• Ice Cream with Chocolate and Irish Cream. This is a wonderful dessert. I created it for an Irish-themed meal but we have it often at any time of year.
• Fruit Korma. I have been making this for so long. An Indian probably wouldn't recognize it as an authentic dish but we love it.
• Cheese Pull Bread - so tasty and a meal in itself. It's also very gooey and perfectly self-indulgent. He's eat it every day if I allowed it!
• Butternut Squash Bake
• 'Meat-free Indian buffet - so easy
• Ratatouille the easy way using canned tomatoes
• Guinness and Mushroom Pie - just heaven!
• Boston Bake - quick, easy and good!
• Curry from the Cupboard
• Cheddar & Leek Puff Pie with Pear Salad
• Mushroom Zucchini Parcels
• Mushroom Jalfrezi in Ten Minutes
• Roasted Vegetable with Ricotta served with Carrot Salad

Life is so easy for today's veggie. There are some wonderful cookbooks available to help you. They make fantastic gifts too.

Whatever type of food you and your family prefers, you'll find that there are books tailored to your own tastes.

All photographs © me!.