People decide to eat a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons. But how they make the change requires they take one of two routes -- the overnight approach or the gradual one.

Roughly 20 million Americans are vegetarians, from partial vegetarians who limit the amount of animal flesh they eat, to vegans, who eat only plant foods.

Vegetables are good sources of fiber, and they're chock full of vitamins and minerals.

Most nutrition experts and dietitians say that children of any age—even infants—can safely follow a vegetarian diet.

If your teen wants vegetarian options, you may worry that dropping meat, poultry, and fish will be unhealthy.