This entry in the Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition addresses the topic of vegetarian diets in Western countries. The author touches on a variety of subjects including consumption patterns, healthy and unhealthy variations, the difference between dietary and lifestyle vegetarians, and points of note when planning a vegetarian diet over the course of one’s lifetime.

[Abstract excerpted from original source.]

“Current vegetarian eating patterns and practices in Western countries and their health effects are reviewed. They range from healthful and adequate to inadequate, and lifestyles that accompany them also vary. The distinction is drawn between eating vegetarian diets and vegetarianism, with its more extensive philosophical and lifestyle implications. Beneficial aspects of well-planned vegetarian eating patterns and some inadequate patterns are discussed, with special attention given to challenges in planning over the lifecycle.”