VEGETARIANS used to be treated with suspicion by the meat eating majority. "How could they resist a nice juicy steak?" people would ask. "And wasn't a diet of just fruit and vegetables bad for their health?"

But not anymore. After countless scare stories over the safety and quality of our meat, vegetarians could be forgiven for feeling a little smug.

Trendy veggie cafes are popping up on high streets across the country and meat lovers are beginning to wonder whether there could be something in this vegetarian lark.

Rose Elliot, Britain's foremost vegetarian cookery writer, who published her first meat-free recipe book in 1967, is in little doubt about the benefits of going veggie.

Her latest work, Fast, Fresh and Fabulous, focuses on the secrets of healthy vegetarian and vegan living. She argues: "Studies show we should eat five pieces of fruit and veg a day. Many vegetarians eat two or even three times that amount a day, so vegetarians are the healthiest people around." Not only will you be healthier by switching to a non-meat diet, you're also more likely to live longer, Elliot claims. "If you look at the Okinawa people (a tribe living on an island between Japan and Taiwan), who eat a diet consisting entirely of fresh fruit, vegetables, soya and nuts, they live longer than any other people on earth. They suffer less heart disease, cancer and dementia than any other group," she says.

Elliot recommends eating turmeric, sweet potatoes, seaweed and blueberries to boost your longevity. She also believes people can lose weight by taking the veggie route. The secret to keeping the flab at bay, she says, is to avoid "trigger foods" - the cakes, chocolate and bread which make you start binge eating. You can do this by regulating your appetite, which means eating foods which provide your body with a steady and constant source of energy. So you should avoid the fats and sugars which give you a quick boost before sending your energy levels plummeting down again.

Elliot says a good breakfast is very important. She recommends tucking into a good bowl of muesli with some soya, or even beans on wholemeal toast. For a mid-morning snack, grab an apple or nibble on some nuts, and then for lunch, indulge yourself with a chickpea salad, a baked potato or some pitta bread, she suggests.

And for tea, there are numerous choices like a pasta dish or a chilli, with fruit for afters. This daily diet will keep your energy up throughout the day and keep you slimmer by avoiding fats and sugars, Elliot says.

All right, so we know how good this food is for us but how on earth do we make our fussy children eat something that doesn't come out of a packet?

Elliot says: "You need to find out which vegetables they like and cook those for them before introducing them to other ones, but it is hard. Try things like a risotto with a baked potato or a curry."

She says eating veggie doesn't mean you have to give up your favourite foods - it's often more a case of tweaking the original recipes.

Burger, curry and chilli fans can still enjoy their favourite meal by swapping the meaty part for a veggie alternative and what's more, they'll probably prefer it, Elliot says.

Many vegetarian meals don't take long to prepare either, so if you're in a rush, there is no excuse. "My book has a section on quick after-work meals that don't take long to prepare. There's a stew and a golden Thai curry which you can make in minutes," she says. And don't even bother trying to make any excuses about not being able to afford to eat healthily either, because Elliot insists it doesn't have to be expensive.

"You can buy lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas for practically nothing and they're very good value. If you don't have much money, you just have to be more choosy about what to buy," she says.

So there you have it. Veggie food is good for you, tastes delicious, can help you lose weight and make you feel fantastic - so what are you waiting for?

MUSHROOM PATE EN CROUTE (serves 8)

2 large onions, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced roughly

225g cashews, powdered in a food processor or coffee grinder

225g ground almonds

225g soft wholemeal breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 teaspoon yeast extract

500g puff pastry

beaten egg or soya milk, for brushing

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6

In a large saucepan, fry the onions in the olive oil for seven minutes, until tender. Then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Then tip the mixture into a food processor and blend to a puree.

Put the ground cashew nuts and almonds into a bowl with the breadcrumbs, the mushroom puree, soy sauce, lemon juice, tarragon and yeast extract and mix well. It will be quite stiff. Season well with salt and pepper.

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured board to make a square about 38cm in size. Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet and heap the mushroom mixture in the centre, forming it into a loaf shape.

Make diagonal cuts into the pastry about 1cm apart on each side of the mushroom mixture, then fold these up over the mushroom pate to make a kind of plait effect. Tuck in the ends neatly, trim off any extra bits and brush with beaten egg or soya milk.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

KERALAN CURRY (serves 6)

1 tablespoon oil

2 onions, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

1 baking potato, cut into 1 cm cubes

1 small cauliflower, divided into small florets

250g green beans, trimmed and halved

1 green chilli, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

400g can of coconut milk

FOR THE CURRY PASTE

1 beefsteak tomato, skinned and chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed

3 knobs of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

6 cloves

6 cardamom pods

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry for five minutes. Then stir in the carrots, cover the pan, turn the heat low and cook for ten minutes. Add the potato, cover and cook gently for another ten minutes, before adding cauliflower, beans and chilli. Stir, cover and cook gently until all the vegetables are nearly tender, then stir in the coriander, cumin and turmeric and cook for a minute or two longer.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the curry paste. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz to a puree.

Add the curry paste to the vegetables, stirring well, cook for five to ten minutes, then pour in the coconut milk and salt to taste (approximately one tablespoon) and cook for a further minute or two until the coconut milk is hot. Serve immediately.

* Fast, Fresh and Fabulous by Rose Elliot will be published by BBC

Worldwide, priced £19.99, on Thursday.

* Eating Owt returns next week.