VOA promotes the Vegetarian diet and the Vegan diet (complete Vegetarian diet)

In general terms, a vegetarian omits meat and meat products. Vegetarians do not consume:

• meat
  (beef, pork/ham, sausage, bologna, hotdogs, pepperoni, etc.)
  
• poultry
  (chicken, turkey, etc.)
  
• game meats
  (buffalo, moose, caribou, etc.)
  
• fish, shellfish, crustacea
  (tuna, salmon, anchovies, shrimp, oyster, lobster, etc.)
  
• meat products
  (such as meat gravies, gelatin, meat soup stock, lard, etc.)

People who don’t eat red meat but continue to eat chicken or fish are making a very important first step, but they are not vegetarians. We usually call such people meat-reducers.

Vegan

Raw Vegan

There are some vegans whose diet consists of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit that has not been cooked, heated or processed (thus, the food is consumed raw). Sprouting, dehydrating and juicing are common food preparation techniques in the raw food diet.

A well-balanced vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs. The vegetarian diet is also considered a 'heart-healthy diet' because:

• it is naturally low in saturated and total fat (no meat);
• it has no cholesterol (if no animal products are consumed);
• it is high in dietary fiber (lots of veg and whole grains);
• it is high in complex carbohydrates (lots of whole grains);
• it is high in protective minerals and vitamins present in fresh fruit and vegetables!