General Vegetarian Questions

General

" Who are some famous vegetarians?
Sir Paul McCartney (musician), Fiona Apple (vegan musician), James Cromwell (actor, Babe), Lindsay Wagner (actress, The Bionic Woman), Fred Rogers (entertainer, "Mr Rogers"), The B-52's (musical group), Cassandra Peterson (actress "Elvira"), Casey Kasem (voice of "Scooby Doo," "Top 40"), John Harvey Kellogg (cereal maker).

What is the history of vegetarianism?
Vegetarianism goes back thousands of years, if not longer. The term vegetarian was first used in 1847.In India great saints and sages have propogated the benefits of vegetarian food. Jain Thirthankar Lord Mahaveer and 23 Thirthankars prior to him have profounded the theory of ahimsa or non-violence even to the smallest living creature.Prior to that in the west, vegetarians were referred to as "Pythagoreans," after the ancient Greek philosopher. The history of vegetarianism varies across the globe depending on cultural ideologies. Some cultures have a long-standing tradition of vegetarianism, while in others it is still considered an oddity. There are several books that offer some of the history, including A Heretic's Feast by Colin Spencer and The Vegetarian Sourcebook by Keith Aikers. The International Vegetarian Union website has a nice overview of the history vegetarianism throughout the world.

Can I be a vegan athlete?
You can easily be a vegetarian or vegan athlete. You can read our article on "Athletes and Vegetarianism" Jane Black is a former vegan weightlifter who won her class and received the Best Lifter trophy for her age group (40-44) at the Master's World Weightlifting Championships in Canada in 1996.

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What can I use as a substitute for eggs?
Any of the following can be used to replace eggs as binders:
1 banana for 1 egg (great for cakes, pancakes, etc)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch for 1 egg Ener-G Egg Replacer (or similar product available in health food stores or by mail order) 1/4 cup tofu for 1 egg (blend tofu smooth with the liquid ingredients before they are added to the dry ingredients.)