Vegetarian Kent Skellern says he encourages people to go meat-free. Photo / Stephen Parker
Rotorua's Kent Skellern was always partial to a juicy rump steak or a mouth-watering plate of roast pork but for the last five years he hasn't eaten a morsel of meat.
He's one of many New Zealanders who have ditched the meat in favour of a vegetarian, or in some cases vegan, diet.
Why go vegetarian?
There are a multitude of reasons as to why people jump aboard the vegetarian ship. Some are firm believers that animals have the right to life, rather than being bred or killed for food. Others don't eat meat for health, cultural or religious reasons.
Mr Skellern's reasoning was the latter.
After reading several books about the philosophy behind the Hare Krishna movement, he made an overnight decision to give up his meat-eating ways for good.
"I used to always eat meat. I'd have a barbecue almost every night, but after I finished the books, it just made sense not to.
"I woke up the next day and haven't eaten meat since," he said.
Mr Skellern said he believed in the Hare Krishna's philosophy of non-violence and not to stop the progressive life, materially or spiritually, of any living being.
He said the killing of animals simply to satisfy the demands of the palate was an act of material and spiritual violence and would affect the laws of karma. Eating the meat of an animal, or being involved in part of the killing or preparing process, would also do so, he said.
But good karma was not the only positive about being vegetarian, Mr Skellern said, adding he had seen changes to his health since his change in diet, including increased energy levels and an overall sense of wellbeing.
"I really can't believe how much it has made me feel better, spiritually and physically. I'm a much more positive, energetic person for it.
"And despite what some people say, vegetarian food can be delicious, filling and provide all the nutrients you need."
Deep Kumar, who works as a chef at Capizzi Pizzeria, agrees, saying giving up meat doesn't mean giving up flavour.
He decided to give up meat at the age of 9, when he started learning about animals and the food chain in science classes at school.
While as a chef he has to cook meat-based meals, he's never been tempted to try any.
"I've cooked thousands of [meat] dishes but have never tasted them.
"I can tell they'll be good for customers just by the aroma and colour of the dish."
He said he encouraged more people to become vegetarians.
Is it healthy?
We live in an age where we are constantly getting mixed information about what a healthy diet consists of.
There's the Paleo diet, Atkins diet, the low-fat diet -- the list goes on.
But according to a Rotorua university-qualified nutritionist, Tatjana Smolic, the key is balance.
"A balanced, meat-free diet can be very healthy," Ms Smolic said.
"Like any diet it has to be well planned to ensure it consists of all the nutrients our body need," she said.
"I would leave it up to individuals to make their own choice of diet, be it omnivore or vegetarian."
She said while she was not a vegetarian, she and her family had lots of vegetarian meals and meat-free days in their diet.
She said there were risks with eating too much meat.
"A high-protein diet such as in big meat eaters will inherently be high in saturated fat which is a known risk factor for developing heart disease.
"In addition lots of meat in combination with some other undesirable food choices may lead to increased incidence of overweight and obesity as well as displace fibre from our diet," she said.
"Experts on nutrition and cancer are linking some cancers like bowel cancer to high quantities of processed and red meat consumption.
"In contrast to high-protein diets, diet high in fibres such as a vegetarian diet is likely to be protective of those [diet-related] cancers."
She said a high-protein diet was also known to promote increased calcium urination and a long-term, high-protein diet may alleviate early onset of osteoporosis.
A high-protein diet was also not recommended for those with kidney disease, as it may provoke the formation of kidney stones, she said.
How popular is it?
It seems that most cafes and restaurants in Rotorua offer at least one vegetarian option, although some have expanded their menus to include a variety of meat-free dishes to keep up with demand.
Third Place Cafe owner Fiona Withers said the cafe had recently changed its menu to make it more vegetarian and gluten-free friendly.
Now people have the option of having bacon or sausages as an extra with their breakfast, she said, which made it easier for those who didn't want it accompanied by meat.
Ms Withers said some customers saw vegetarian dishes as a more healthier option than their meaty alternatives and while she doubted all those who ordered vegetarian dishes were vegetarian, the option was certainly proving popular.
Abracadabra cafe and bar owner Justin Genest said the cafe had plenty of demand for vegetarian meals since he took over the business this year.
"Our vegetarian options always sell really well," he said.
He said about 25 per cent of business was from people who ordered vegetarian meals.