Go cruelty free! Chickens are crowded into coops with their beaks chopped off so they can’t peck at each other. Cows are also crowded into stables; they can’t freely graze because the sunlight and movement they would get from being outside toughens the meat. I’m sure you’ve all heard the veal stories...

More people becoming vegetarians would solve the world’s hunger problems. The amount of resources it takes to produce beef ultimately only feeds a small amount of people. Those same resources used to feed cows could feed hundreds of people.

Environmentally sound. Having all those cows around that are being raised for beef are destroying the ozone. All those farty cows emit methane gas, which depletes our atmosphere. And every burger you eat costs 55 square feet of Amazon Rain forest. The rain forests produce 80% of our oxygen, and yet they are being torn down to make room for farmers and cattle ranchers. For all the deforestation, little beef is actually produced.

Do you enjoy food poisoning? Food poisoning is more often contracted from the mishandled and improperly cooked meat and fish than of vegetarian cuisine.

It’s just plain healthy. Cutting out meat (especially red meat) helps prevent colon cancer and heart disease. The human body can easily get all the necessary proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins and other nutrients from vegetables, grains and fruits.

I became a vegetarian around the same time as the birth of Morbid Outlook... it’s something to ease yourself into and make sure that you eat properly so you don’t end up in the hospital due to malnutrition.

Good sources of vegetarian protein include beans, whole grain breads, cereals, nuts, peanut butter, tofu, low-fat milk (2%), yogurt and cheeses.

Iron-rich foods include broccoli, raisins, nuts, beans, apricots, watermelon, spinach and chick peas. And broccoli is an excellent source of calcium (more calcium than milk!)

I also definitely believe taking vitamins is a sure way to keep yourself healthy, especially when you don’t have a chance to sit down and eat very well, but vitamins should not BE your diet! A multi-vitamin is good for starters (like One-A-Day).

Iron is important if you’re anemic or if you’re menstrual, but otherwise, it’s not all that important to be popping iron pills; your body simply doesn’t need that much. B-12 and B Complex are good for protein. E is good for your skin. Calcium is good for bones and Magnesium is good for blood. Zinc is good to take when your latest piercing is healing or new tattoo is scabbing. C is good when you start to feel a cold or the flu coming on... Don’t take vitamins on an empty stomach either, it will make you sick! Take them with your meal.

One of my favorite vegetarian dishes is chili with nacho chips and it’s pretty easy to make. You take one pound of firm tofu, slice it into small cubes and throw it into a pot with some kidney beans (16 oz. can), tomato sauce and chili seasoning (those little packets – either mild or spicy in accord with your tastes, just check to make sure you’re not using one with beef flavoring in it). Mush it around and cook for about 15 minutes. It’s pretty tasty and this is only one of the really easy things you can cook up.

I wonder how many goth-types would go for the whole veggie thing, but hey, it’s a low-fat diet compared to eating meat (just as long as you don’t go crazy on peanut butter and cheese), which is great for the gaunt gothic figure... besides, we’re not Cro-Magnons anymore; we don’t need to kill to survive. Eating meat is not a necessary option.