Hayom sh'losha v'arbaim yom, shehaym shisha shavuot v'yom echad baomer

There's a popular misconception that going vegetarian means having little more to eat than carrots and beansprouts. The truth is that many vegetarians take the opportunity of adopting a new diet to embrace new foods and cuisines and find that their dietary options are far wider now that their meals don't always revolve around a cow, a chicken, or a few other types of animals. Indian, Ethiopian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Mediterranean, and Mexican cuisines are full of vegan options; historically, many people who have eaten these cuisines have been vegetarian or eaten mostly plant-based foods. It's easy to veganize most recipes, including by using egg replacer, bananas, or apple sauce in baking; soy milk or rice milk instead of cow's milk; and using tofu, tempeh, seitan, or mock-meat products in place of animal flesh.