What is a Vegetarian?

Hare Krishnas eat a strictly lacto-vegetarian diet consisting of grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Crucially, their food is prepared as a spiritual offering to God and is called Prasadam (meaning 'mercy'). Furthermore, they explicitly avoid cooking with onions and garlic, as Vedic dietary laws state that these roots disturb the mind and stimulate baseline passions, hindering deep meditation.

Daily temple services center on Arati (deity worship rituals) and vibrant congregational chanting called Kirtan, where devotees dance and sing the Maha Mantra accompanied by traditional instruments like the mridanga drum and kartals (cymbals). Sunday is universally celebrated across all ISKCON centers as the Sunday Feast, featuring a public philosophical lecture on the Bhagavad-Gita followed by a free, multi-course vegetarian feast.

In Jainism, the dietary code is a direct extension of Ahimsa (non-violence). Jains strictly practice a lacto-vegetarian diet that excludes meat, fish and eggs. Furthermore, they abstain from eating root vegetables such as onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots. They avoid these because harvesting root crops destroys the entire plant and kills thousands of microscopic organisms living around the roots, violating their vow to protect all life forms.

Ital is a dietary code focused on promoting life and vitality (Livity). The core principle is to eat pure, natural, and unprocessed food straight from the earth, entirely free from artificial chemicals or preservatives. Most strict Rastas follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, avoiding all meat and blood. Shellfish and scaleless fish are completely forbidden and many also choose to cook without salt.

Seventh-day Adventists are globally recognized for their emphasis on health, viewing the human body as a holy temple. Their health message encourages:

• Clean and Unclean Meats: Strictly adhering to biblical dietary laws (Leviticus 11) meaning they completely abstain from pork, shellfish and scavengers.

• Vegetarianism: The church strongly advocates for a well-balanced plant-based diet. A high percentage of members are vegetarian or vegan.

• Abstinence: Total avoidance of alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, and often mind-altering substances like caffeine.

A Gurdwara is the Sikh place of worship, study, and community gathering, which translates to 'the gateway to the Guru'. It houses the Guru Granth Sahib on a raised platform. Anyone is welcome inside a Gurdwara, regardless of their background, provided they remove their shoes and cover their head. A central feature of every Gurdwara is the Langar, a community kitchen that serves free, nutritious vegetarian meals to all visitors without discrimination.