It is well-proven that animal products are harmful to human health. This includes all animal flesh, milk, milk solids, ice cream, cottage cheese, whey, eggs, yogurt, butter, cheese, etc. You will find these products in many packaged, processed foods such as breads, pancake mixes, crackers, chips, cookies, cakes, pies, pudding, candy, cereals, salad dressings, mayonnaise and other condiments, some margarines, canned soups, canned and boxed pasta meals, TV dinners, and virtually everywhere.

For more information as to WHY animal products are harmful and what they do to the body, check out the fabulous John Robbins' book Diet for a New America or visit EarthSave on the WWW.

Even if you have no desire to adopt a vegan lifestyle, or if you just haven't made it there yet, less is still better than more. Here are some hints for minimizing animal products in your diet:

HINTS TO MINIMIZE ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN YOUR DIET

Instead of eating slabs of meat like steak, pork chops, hamburger patties, or chicken breasts, try using tiny pieces of meat to flavor vegetable stir fry or homemade soups, or toss with seasoned rice and vegetables.

Try some of the meat substitutes out there; some are excellent. I don't recommend Morning Star Farms brand of anything. The ingredient lists are lengthy, showing they are not natural food products in any way, shape, or form. Boca Burger and Garden Burger are excellent brands to substitute for hamburger patties. Broiled portabella mushrooms also work great as "burgers". Veggie Ground Round by Yves is a wonderful product to be used in place of ground beef or sausage. Seitan and tofu are good to experiment with. Keep trying things. You don't have to be a confirmed vegetarian to use and enjoy flesh substitutes. Some people are "part-time vegetarians". You can mix ground beef with a substitute to "stretch" meat or to wean yourself or other family members off of meat slowly and to gently familiarize tastebuds with the flavor and texture of the substitute. Or try eating animal meat sometimes and vegetarian "meat" other times.

Sprinkle small amounts of grated cheese atop potatoes and salads, but minimize feasting on heavy cheese dishes like lasagna, enchiladas, or macaroni and cheese (unless a non-dairy cheese is used, of course). Experiment with some of the non-dairy cheeses. My children and I like Lisanatti brand Rice Cheese. If you are vegan, though, check labels. Many of the so-called non-dairy cheeses are made with casein, which is milk protein. Non-dairy cheeses also vary in fat content. The rice cheese is pretty low, but other types can be nearly as high as cow cheese.

Use oil in cookie recipes instead of butter.

Also in place of butter or margarine, spread 100% fruit spreads on toast, muffins, and rolls, or try the wide variety of nut butters available on the market. Whole grain breads are also delicious by themselves. (If your taste buds are used to white bread, then you may need to "acquire" the taste for whole grains--but it will come).

Use soy, rice, oat, or nut milks on cereal and in cooking.

Learn to drink water and freshly extracted juices instead of cow milk.

Give up fried eggs, scrambled eggs, and omelets as common fare. There are many other foods to eat that don't have the saturated fat and cholesterol that all eggs do, nor the hormones, pesticide residues and drugs found in nearly all eggs in the United States.

Many vegetarian, vegan, and whole foods cookbooks give recipes for concoctions that replace eggs in recipes. There are also prepared egg replacers on the market in natural food stores and in some supermarkets. Which replacement works best depends on the role of the egg in the recipe. Eggs are used for binding, moistening, emulsifying, flavoring, thickening, or leavening.

Read product labels to determine if there are animal products involved and to make the important decision as to how much, if any, animal products you are going to allow into your body.