What is a vegetarian.docVIP

What is a vegetarian 　　A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat， and mostly eats foods that come from plants， like grains， fruits， vegetables， and nuts. Some stricter vegetarians avoid more than just meat. They also avoid animal products， which are non-meat foods that come from animals. Some examples would be milk （from cows） and eggs （from chickens）. 　　Reasons to be vegetarians 　　People have different reasons for becoming vegetarians. Some follow vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diets （饮食） for health reasons. For example， a diet rich in fruits， vegetables， and grains will be low in fat， which is good for your heart. It’s also likely to be high in fiber （纤维） and can be lower in calories. 　　Worries for animals and environmental reasons are also included by vegetarians when they explain why they don’t eat meat. Besides， some cultures and religions （宗教） have vegetarian diets. 　　Kids can be vegetarians 　　Kids can be vegetarians， but they can’t do it alone. They need grown-ups to help them make sure they get what they need in foods. 　　Eating a nutritious （有营养的） diet helps kids develop and grow as they should. Meat is a good source （来源） of protein， iron， and other important nutrients （营养物）. So someone who’s a vegetarian needs to take care to eat some non-meat foods with those nutrients. It wouldn’t be healthy for a kid to just stop eating meat without telling anyone or having a grown-up help with some dietary changes. 　　Going veggie after thinking it over 　　Lots of kids think about becoming vegetarian and some decide to take action. The best first step is to talk with a parent. Different parents will have different reactions. A parent who’s already a vegetarian will probably say it’s great. A parent who’s not a vegetarian may be worried about your nutrition and the extra work in buying and preparing meat-free meals for you. 　　Think of some possible questions and be ready with answers. What will you eat for dinner if everyone else is having meat？ Your parent