Did you know that March is Meat Free Month? No, it’s not a government attempt to make us all vegetarian, although don’t rule that out for the future, but a campaign by Animal Aid to challenge our resourcefulness.

It is an annual initiative promoting the positive benefits of a meat free diet. No pressure, and it might be interesting to try.

Becoming vegetarian has become more high profile in recent years thanks to much media coverage and high profile celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney championing the cause.

There may be a number of reasons why a vegetarian chooses their eating style. It may be due to ethical, environmental or health concerns, but we are certainly more aware of it today. No longer is a vegetarian frowned on as a “different” person and most restaurants offer vegetarian alternatives on their menus.

I would much rather offer to argue in favour of vegetarianism than against it, although I am not of the persuasion there are some very powerful ethical and economic points against meat eating.

Becoming vegetarian has evolved comparatively recently and The Vegetarian Society was formed in 1847, although the word, and practice, was in use before that. The word is formed from “vegetable” and the suffix “arian”. There are varying degrees and many types of vegetarian, too numerous to cover in one article.

Vegetarian cookery has become popular and we have all come to know that there are some delicious, and extremely nutritious, “veggie” dishes. Our celebrity chefs have of course jumped on the bandwagon, and, like many fringe interests, the concept of becoming vegetarian now has fashionable connotations which appeal to the impressionable.

Vegetarianism is considered a healthy diet and dieticians have found that a properly planned vegetarian diet can satisfy the nutritional needs for every stage of life. Studies have also shown that mortality from ischemic heart disease is 24 per cent lower in vegetarians than non-vegetarians.

Vegetarian diets can help in keeping bodyweight under control and substantially reduce the risk of heart disease or osteoporosis.

Many religions have ideals based on vegetarianism. It is a vast subject with many dieticians and scientists arguing the pros and cons.

Is it for you? March is the month to at least give it a try. There are many websites out there with some mouth watering recipes which you may like to try and I’m sure our resident chef Lucy, herself a vegetarian, will come up with something special.

Graham Smith for Third Age.