Vegetarian Times

Vegetarian Times is an American publication focused on food, culture, health and lifestyle for vegetarians, vegans, and all people interested in plant-based eating. Vegetarian Times promotes an eco-friendly lifestyle with recipes, and healthy food wellness information, cooking techniques, and information on "green" products. Vegetarian Times ceased publishing a print magazine in 2016, and transitioned to a web-only publication by 2017. In 2020, Vegetarian Times was acquired by Pocket Outdoor Media, now known as Outside, Inc.

After unsuccessfully attempting to sell an article he wrote about vegetarianism entitled "Being a Vegetarian Is Never Having to Say You're Sorry – to a Cow", in 1974 founder Paul Obis (1951-2018) put together a four-page hand-delivered newsletter and called it Vegetarian Times. He made 300 photocopies and from his first issue generated three subscriptions. He launched the newsletter from his apartment in Oak Park, Illinois. Obis grew up in Melrose Park, Illinois, and studied nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He continued working in the field even after starting Vegetarian Times.

In the seventies, the magazine increased in size from 4 pages to 16, to 24 and was published with press runs of 1,000–2,000 copies. By 1977, after around number 19, Vegetarian Times was published bi-monthly and had a readership of 10,000. Overwhelmed with producing and distributing the magazine from his home, in the early 1980s Obis sought a publisher and sold an 80% ownership share to New York publisher Associated Business Publications (ABP) in exchange for assuming $6000 in debt and two bags of unopened mail and agreeing to continue the publication.