I've been a happy (and yes, food loving and craving) vegetarian for a little over a year now. I don't do it at all for health reasons, though I do feel a whole lot better now. I've been exposed to so much more variety since making the switch.

- Nothing from the animal kingdom. I'm not against eating meat, but there are so many problems with where most of it comes from that it's just easier to avoid it entirely. I don't have to wonder or investigate where it came from and what the welfare of the animals was like. If I had access to a place like Polyface Farms (http://www.polyfacefarms.com) or had the time and patience to go fishing, I might still eat some meat occasionally. Since I avoid avoid it entirely, I know there's less suffering, more "pigs being pigs", animals eating what their stomachs have evolved to digest, far less environmental damage, etc. Factory farming which is where most meat originates is a nasty industry for both the animals and the environment.

- Locally grown food when practical.

- Fresh food when practical. Though I'm guilty of eating plenty of Amy's frozen meals (http://www.amyskitchen.com) when I'm short on time.

- No eggs or egg-based dishes like quiches. I still eat some dishes where egg is a minor ingredient like most desserts.

- Soy over dairy most of the time. I've actually preferred soy milk since I started drinking it. Try vanilla Silk on your cereal and you might be pleasantly surprised. I still eat some cheese on pizza, goat cheese on salads, have some smoothies with whey protein, some fake cheese with casein, etc.

- I don't like onions. I must love onion flavor because I love lots of soups and Indian dishes where it's the #1 or #2 ingredient, but I still avoid them when possible. Especially when they're raw.

- Celery is just as bad as onions. Fortunately that's a pretty easy ingredient to avoid.

- If you claim that you can't stand tofu, you probably haven't had it prepared properly. Please don't let your one experience with tofu be Tofurkey. It's awful!