Melanie! I read your post and thought I'd clear up a few things with an informational blog about vegetarians, seeing as I am one.

Firstly, not all of us are as extreme as the co-founder of PETA. Ingrid Newkirk really loves animals. After she dies, she requested that her skin be turned into wallets, her feet into umbrella stands, and her flesh into barbecued nuggets. I'm really not sure who would buy/eat any of that, but I guess that's her prerogative.

Secondly, it's extremely easy to be healthy and be a vegetarian. You were right about the iron thing, Melanie, but that problem is easily solved by simple iron supplements that I get from Rite-Aid. They cost less than $5, and I take them three times a week. Simple! Plus, I eat tons of complete proteins (edamame is my favorite) that, unlike meat, don't have to have extra fat added to them to make them taste good. Plus, Quinoa (which is seriously the BEST thing ever invented, check it out here or buy some in Giant's organic section) has tons of protein and essential nutrients in it. It's a great rice substitute and very yummy.

Thirdly, it's really not too much of a drag to be around people eating meat. My family almost always has chicken or some other meat for dinner, and I'm never bothered by it. Chances are if you don't mind giving up meat cold turkey (no pun intended), then you are fine being around those who eat it. I'm not, however, okay with touching meat. Or smelling it, since apparently every time you smell something that means particles of it are in your nose. Ew?

Why did I become a vegetarian, you may be thinking? Well, I don't have some tragic story of me watching a lamb being butchered like Lisa on the Simpsons did once (although I have seen the killing of a Tanzanian chicken...interesting story for another time) or some weird hatred of meat. I actually just randomly decided not to eat meat anymore to see if I could do it. I used to really like eating meat, fish, poultry, etc. but since becoming veg, I've really felt cleaner, healthier, and more humane. There are also crazy environmental, health, and moral benefits for going veg. Google Magic, my friends. Research this shtuff.

Bottom line? I love being a vegetarian, and I think a lot of people are really uneducated about what it means to be veg. Oh, and vegetarian does not equate vegan, fyi. Vegans also don't eat dairy or eggs. Just clearing that up.

Hope everyone has a great Independence Day!

p.s. I hate tofu, too. Blegh!