Taking a bite out of meat |

"My biggest nightmare would be if the kids ever came to me and said 'Dad, I'm a vegetarian.' Then I would sit them on the fence and electrocute them."

Gordon Ramsay has gotten into a lot of trouble for his anti-vegetarian statements like the one above. But unfortunately for Ramsay, the chances of having a vegetarian in the family are actually pretty high.

Not long ago a new vegetarian might typically have had a rough time at a holiday dinner, wedding or social event explaining to a badgering relative why they didn't eat meat.

Now with vegetarianism having gone mainstream it seems every other person you meet is a vegetarian.

But hold on a minute… Ramsay might say, how can'that be true when the number of vegetarians hasn't changed in a decade? He'd be right. According to the latest statistics, the number remains constant at about 10% of the population.

But meat consumption has been dropping for years. Last year alone saw a drop of 6% in the US. That's a huge number when translated into lost profits for meat producers.

So, if the number of vegetarians remains constant, why this sudden drop in meat consumption?

It turns out millions of people in North America are eating like vegetarians (even if they don't consider themselves ones) and are choosing to eat more meatless meals. Why? Well, here are just a few reasons:

The cost of meat – With food prices rising steadily, people simply don't have as much money in their wallets as they used to

The cruelty involved in factory farming – Even meat lovers object to the harsh conditions endured by animals destined to become dinner

The desire to be healthy and avoid diseases like cancer and heart disease

The meatless message is coming at us from every angle.

Groups like PETA seek the ethical treatment of animals.
Health professionals like Dr. Joel Fuhrman focus on longevity and better health through a vegetable and plant based diet.
Environmentalists point out the destruction of the planet caused by eating meat. After all, as Lester R. Brown points out in his book Full Planet, Empty Plates, the meat business is one of the main forces behind the decimation of the world's forests and climate change.

The good news is the abundance of new books on meatless cooking. Whether you're a vegan, a full-fledged vegetarian or someone who just wants to cut back, there's something for everyone.

Who knows, maybe one day we might even see a vegetarian cookbook from Gordon Ramsay…