Vegetariansim as a religious philosophy has been around for more than 2,500 years. One of the central tenets of vegetarianism is the belief not to harm living beings.
The fundamental concept of vegetarianism can be found in many religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism (a Buddhist sect). Most of such religions carry the belief that life should be respected because the body is an outer shell for the spirit within and that being a vegetarian is a natural manifestation of one's belief in non-violence.
There are many reasons however why people choose to be vegetarians. Some people choose to be vegetarians because it is a healthier choice. Researchers have shown that being vegetarian reduces the risk of certain cancers like colon cancer and decreases the possibility of heart diseases and lowers the level of cholesterol. Some choose to be vegetarian due to their religious beliefs. Many Malaysians of the Hindu and Buddhist faith practice vegetarianism either on a permanent basis or in conjunction with certain festivals like Wesak Day or the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Some people choose to become vegetarian for their principles of environmental protection and sustainability.
Do you know that there are many types of vegetarians? So don't presume that if you know one vegetarian, you know them all. If you are inviting vegetarian guests, it is not enough that you know that they are vegetarians. It is often appropriate to ask what type of vegetarians they are.
Here are the different types of vegetarians:
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: where the person takes both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet.
- Lacto-vegetarian: where the person takes dairy products but not eggs.
- Vegan: where the person does not eat dairy products, eggs or any other animal product.
- Ovo-vegetarian: where the person consumes eggs but not dairy products.
- Fruitarian: this is similar to the vegan diet but very few processed or cooked foods is eaten.
- Macrobiotic: A diet usually followed for spiritual and philosophical reasons. There are ten levels, where each level becomes more restrictive by forgoing different types of food. Eventually surviving on brown rice.
We have compiled some vegetarian restaurants or restaurants serving vegetarian dishes from our restaurant database. Check it out here!
