Although vegetarianism is much more popular nowadays, it seems there are still people who think vegetarians eat little else but vegetables and fruit.

Alan Brown (Evening Press, March 31) gives the impression that he is one of these. He admits to knowing nothing about being a vegetarian, and it would be most inadvisable to follow that diet permanently without having inquired into it.

Fruit and vegetables are excellent foods, and many people could do with eating more of them, but they are not substitutes for meat and fish: some protein is an essential component of a good diet.

I am not a dietician but I am a lifelong vegetarian.

Joyce M McDougald,

North Parade,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.