Four Spots Where Vegetarians Are Mistaken for Animal Doctors

#1 SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
The Gateway to the West is, unfortunately, not a gateway to vegetarianism and healthy living. "I don't think there's a single Tofurky in all of South Dakota," a representative from a major vegetarian food company told PETA. According to the state health department, 20 percent of children in South Dakota are obese. And Sioux Falls still has no vegetarian restaurant or health food stores. Feedback to our inquiries about vegetarian options to local restaurants amounted to a series of "Huh's?" and ""Scuse Me's?" It's time for Sioux Falls residents to get off the beef chuck wagon and on the veggie bandwagon-to save their kids and the animals.

South Dakota does have this veggie oasis:

VEGGIES
2050 West Main St
Rapid City, SD
605-348-5019

#2 GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN
America's dairy capital, home of the slaughterhouse-named "Packers" pro football team could certainly be doing a lot better when it comes to packing away vegetables and vegetarian food. Considering that cheese lovers are prone to develop cancer, it's no surprise that Green Bay women suffer some of the highest breast cancer rates in the world, according to the Women's Environment and Development Organization. While it appears there is definitely hope in Green Bay for more vegetarian fare and healthy eating in the future, the present just isn't cutting it in cheese country.

Pack in Vegetarian- Fare at:

KAVARNA
112 S Broadway
Green Bay, WI
920-430-3200

#3 WICHITA, KANSAS
The Heart (attack) Land of America needs a bypass. The University of Kansas, in slightly veg-friendly Lawrence, considers obesity, which can lead to heart disease, cancer, stroke, an "epidemic" in Kansas. While the birthplace of Billy the Kid's half-million residents still can't find a single vegetarian restaurant in town, they can visit the city's three health food stores, although veggie product sales in Wichita are among America's lowest. It seems it's time for Wichita to "shock the nation" and start moving toward a healthier and better vegetarian diet.

#4 JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Every October Jackson hosts a national Red Beans & Rice Celebration which is definitely a wonderful and healthy thing to do. The problem is what is eaten in Jackson the other 364 days of the year. One major producer of vegetarian food products told PETA that Mississippi has "by far and away" the lowest sales of vegetarian food products in the U.S. Couple that information with bewildered responses from restaurateurs in Jackson when asked about vegetarian options and it's easy to see why Jackson scores a zero on the healthy eating veggie lifestyle. The rate of heart disease for women in Mississippi is more than double that for women in veg-friendly Minneapolis, and Mississippi has the highest rate of infant mortality in the nation. Seems it time for the citizens of Jackson to rebel against the meat-centered diet and to go vegetarian for themselves and the animals.

It's not all dreariness for Mississippi vegetarians, though, as the city sports four health food grocery stores and Jackson's High Noon Café is "Jackson's Premier Vegetarian Restaurant Since 1982." To be honest, as far as we could tell, it's "Jackson's sole vegetarian restaurant since 1982." It is spectacular though; we only wish they rented out rooms so we wouldn't have to leave-fine veggie dining in Jackson.

Ole Miss Veg-Friendly Feasting:

HIGH NOON CAFE
2807 Old Canton Road
Jackson, MS
601-366-1513