Humans have been eating plant-based diets since the beginning of time. History shows that ancient Japanese, Indians, Egyptians, and even Romans didn’t eat meat. The beginnings of the vegetarian movement were in ancient Greece, however. The first vegetarian society was founded in 529 B.C. by philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. Because of this, people who didn’t eat meat, were known as ”Pythagoreans.” The word ”vegetarian” was coined by the founders of the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom around 1842. They defined vegetarians as people who don’t eat meat, fowl or fish. Donald Watson came up with the word “vegan” in 1944, because he had grown tired of writing out “total vegetarian.” Watson formed the Vegan Society along with Elsie Shrigley in England the same year. A vegan is a vegetarian who abstains from eggs, animals’ milk, honey, butter and cheese; who doesn’t wear leather, wool, fur or silk; and who doesn’t use products that were tested on animals. It has been said that vegetarianism deals with food choices whereas veganism is a way of life.

If you have decided to go veg, you are in good company! Famous vegetarians include Lousia May Alcott, Gillian Anderson, Susan B. Anthony, Bridgette Bardo, Clara Barton, Charlotte Bronte, Shaun Cassidy, Chelsea Clinton, Elvis Costello, James Cromwell, Charles Darwin, Leonardo DaVinci, David Duchovny, Bob Dylan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Ford, Peter Gabriel, Mohandas Ghandi, Sylvester Graham, Larry Hagman, George Harrison, Dustin Hoffman, Chrissie Hynde, Franz Kafka, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, John Lennon, Carl Lewis, Toby Maguire, Paul McCartney, Rue McClanahan, Sir Ian McKellen, Meatloaf, Natalie Merchant, Moby, Mary Tyler Moore, Paul Newman, Sir Isaac Newton, George Orwell, Guy Pearce, Natalie Portman, Plato, Mr. Rogers, George Bernard Shaw, Mary Shelly, Percy Bysshe Shelly, Upton Sinclair, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Socrates, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain, Shania Twain, Dennis Weaver and H.G. Wells.