World Vegetarian Day McDonalds without meat

Worth knowing about the World Vegetarian Day

01/10/2014

The first of October is World Vegetarian Day. Since 1977, attention has been drawn to the meat-free lifestyle on this date. In Germany, many people opt for this diet because of health reasons. But also an ethical or religious motivation can be behind it. For example, in India, where even the fast-food chain McDonalds has opened a vegetarian restaurant.

Vegetarian for health reasons
Since 1977, on the first of October, the World Vegetarian Day, attention has been drawn to the benefits of this diet. Many people choose to stop eating meat for health reasons. Various scientific studies prove them right: researchers have come to the conclusion that a vegetarian and balanced diet can reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Many vegetarians also have better blood pressure and are less likely to be overweight or obese. But not only health but also ethical or religious reasons can play a role in vegetarianism. For example, in India, where even the fast-food chain McDonalds has opened a meat-free restaurant.

Vegetarian fast food restaurant
According to polls, about 40 percent of the 1.25 billion Indians are vegetarians. Even Narendra Modi, head of the sub-continent, recently served 100 vegetarian delicacies while visiting China's Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Like many of his compatriots, India's prime minister does not eat meat. According to UN data, Indians eat on average only 5.1 kilograms of meat per capita and year, as little as almost anywhere else in the world. Meat eaters are still there as „Non-vegetarians“ designated. The various religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism, play a major role here. McDonalds responded by opening a completely vegetarian restaurant in Amritsar in front of the Golden Temple this year because representatives of the Sikh religion did not allow meat at their holy shrine. And in the Hindu city of Kurukshetra, all the meat dishes had to leave the map.

Abandon onions and garlic
As the company explained, would in the country „vegetarian and non-vegetarian products“ treated completely separately. If it's supposed to be meat, only chicken is an option. For Hindus, who make up the majority of the population, cattle have a special place for religious reasons, and the 135 million or so Muslims do not eat pigs because the Koran says they are unclean. There are also other differences on the subcontinent. So said the nutritionist Sheetal Bari a dpa message says: „There are eggitarians who do not eat eggs and people who reject dairy products. Others eat only chicken, or just fish, and some do without onions and garlic, because that disturbs the inner peace, the balance of feelings.“ Even the most famous Indian, independence fighter Mahatma Gandhi, was a vegetarian. One of his statement: „We should stop killing our fellow creatures for our physical needs.“

Seven million vegetarians in Germany
Also in this country, many people feed meatless. According to the Vegetarian Federation Germany, there are about seven million vegetarians and about 900,000 vegans nationwide. But as in other western countries, religious reasons are less common here and are crucial for people. There is a distinction between different types. For example, there are the ovo-lacto vegetarians, who do not eat fish or meat, do without gelatine, but eat products from living animals such as milk and honey. Lacto vegetarians also avoid eggs in addition to meat and fish. Ovo vegetarians do not get meat, fish or dairy and dairy products on the table. Pescetarians do not eat meat, but fish (pesce“).

Diet without animal products
Vegans not only feed without animal products, but also forgo leather or wool, for example. Not only do not frutarians eat animal products, they also want plants to not be harmed or harmed as little as possible. Especially fall fruits and nuts are on their table. Occasional vegetarians who value healthy food but do not avoid meat or fish continuously are called flexitarians. Although Freegans are not always vegetarians, most of them are. They have a socio-political critical attitude towards the consumer world and eat what other people have already thrown away. In recent years, more and more restaurants have opened in Germany offering exclusively vegetarian or vegan food. Addresses can be found, inter alia, on websites such as here. (Ad)