THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995               TAG: 9510190021
SECTION: COMMENTARY               PAGE: J4   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   28 lines

EATING VEGETABLES

Regarding the Flavor-section article about teenage vegetarians: I am 21 years old and have been a vegetarian since I was 15. I know from my own experience that some of the advice contained in your article is false and may mislead young people who want to stop eating meat. You quoted a nutritionist saying, ``If you're going to be a vegetarian but you won't eat vegetables . .

I have ``lived off pasta'' and similar foods for six years. I have no health problems and actually have higher than average blood iron for females. I eat vegetables about once a month, and I never eat tofu. It is quite easy to live as a vegetarian or even a vegan without eating foods that don't appeal to you, or foods that require strange ingredients and hours of preparation.

Any young person who is considering going vegetarian may write to me for advice and recipes.

BRANDIE TAYLOR

Portsmouth, Oct. 5, 1995 by CNB