October, the official start of fall trends, including the abundance of pumpkin spiced goodies and other fall favorites. But, you may not know that October is also Vegetarianism Awareness Month.

While I am not a vegetarian, I first want to disclose that I regularly consume animal protein on an every day basis.

There are many levels of vegetarianism that people adopt as part of their diets and lifestyles. Some are semi-vegetarians (diets that consist largely of vegetarian foods), vegetarians (diets that do not include meat, fish and poultry), ovo-vegetarians (diets that include eggs but no other dairy products), ovo-lacto-vegetarians (diets that include eggs and dairy products), and it goes on an on…

Me on the other hand, I would consider myself a carnivore-semi-vegetarian. And yes, I just made up that term, but it is fairly accurate. There are days where my diet includes animal protein, and then there are days where I like to dedicate them to being “meatless.”

Vegetarians adopt these diets for many reasons: health reasons, those against consuming animal proteins, and some who just like to eat clean and green. Exploring new recipes that contain vegetarian ingredients and plant-based proteins are on the top of my list. If I can make a meatless burger, or great healthy vegetarian dishes, I am all for it!

I am dedicating this post to being inspired by vegetarian type ingredients and recipes, and sharing them with you. As Vegetarianism Awareness Month goes on, I will share recipes of my own, along with new products and exciting collaborations with some delicious and healthy ingredients. Stay tuned!