No more Vegetarian Times?

*I was shocked to read today that Vegetarian Times may no longer exist. Sort of. Apparently they are trying out a two-issue name change to Greens: "Eat Fresh. Choose Organic. Be Healthy."

This is a newsstand-only change for now, as I've already received my September issue and it had the usual Vegetarian Times masthead on the cover. I couldn't find anything about the name-change test on the Vegetarian Times Web site.

I am not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it seems as if they are turning away from their focus and raison d'etre, as if they no longer want to be associated with vegetarianism or want to hide the concept. An executive says the magazine's concepts won't change and they won't start running articles or ads for non-vegetarian foods. Still, I'm wary. And, frankly, I don't like the new name they chose. For me, Greens brings to mind collards and spinach and a mother imploring her child to "Eat your greens!" rather than environmentally friendly living. I think Green, singular, would be a better choice, if they are determined to change. (And it's not set in stone yet.)

On the other hand, I applaud the concept of living "green" on a wider scale besides just being a vegetarian, and maybe a name change could help bring in readers who don't identify themselves as vegetarians, expanding the magazine's reach and exposing more people to the concept.

On second thought, maybe I am sure how I feel about this. I don't like it. What about you? Do you read the magazine? And what do you think about the possibility of a name change?

If you'd like to contact Vegetarian Times directly with your feelings on the matter, go here.

*In other news, I recently came across an article about a restaurateur who's planning to create a chain of all-vegetarian fast-food restaurants. This excites me, although the chances of one opening in Winston-Salem are probably slim to none.