The word "fad" normally refers to a short term craze and although vegetarianism for some people may be a short-lived exercise, for others it is a well researched, healthy way of living. Trere are two classes of vegetarians – the vegan and the ovolactovegetarian.

The vegan Diet:

The vegan reject all food of animal origin, inclouding fish, eggs and dairy products. Adfering to a diet compiled exclusively of foods of vegetable origin, vegans encounter difficulty in achieving an adequate intake of certain nutrients. Children should be dissuaded from becaming vegans as a satisfactory intake of several nutrients, particularly calcium, is almost impossibol due to the high requirements of childhood and the size of portion of vegetaboke sources needed to provide reasonable amounts.

-         protein: as indicated earlier, combinations of partially complete proteins (i.e. those which have  a high proportion but not all of the essential amino acids) can result in a totally satisfactory intake. The vegan should include a portion of legumes or nuts each day as a many-meal meat replacement. Soya in particular has an excellent amino acid pattern and is versatile in the diet. A variety of acceptable dishes using the above foods, prepared as a casserole, salad or rissoles, ensures adequacy of diet in the adult

-         calcium: although calcium is found predominantly in dairy products and fish bones, certain fruit and vegetables are also fair sources. The inclusion of large portions of dried figs, currants, cabbage, leeks and dried beans can effect a satisfactory calcium intake for adults. Wholegrain cereals, too, provide large amounts of calcium in the diet but the presence of phytate renders some of this inabsorbable and these products cannot therefore be regarded as reliable sources. The fermentation of yeasts in bread dough destroys muche of the phytate.

-         Iron: although iron is present in large quantities in wholegrain cereals and spinach, the presence of phytic and oxalic acids respectively reduces the relevanc of them as major sources. Parsley, dried fruit and soya have a  high iron content and should be particularly emphasized in the diet of vegan females, due to regular heavy losses in menstruation. It is also advisable that vegans, particularly females, have an annual check made on their  haemoglobin level to ensure that it remains within normal limits spite of their very restricted diet.

-         Iodine: this is found exclusively in fish and vegetable produce grown near the coast. Vegans living inland use iodized salt to prevent a possible deficiency of this nutrient.

The Ovolactovegetarian diet

if intelligent and selective in  their choice of foods, these individual have much less chance than vegans of developing nutritional deficiencies. Iron and iodine are the two nutrients mosto likely to be inadequate in this diet but the regular consumption of eggs (supplying iron) and iodized salt will prefennt deficiencies of these nutrients occurring in adults.