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As a healthy antidote to the occupational gluttony of a food writer, I eat vegetarian at least once a week. It turns out that a meat-free day is also an integral part of David Suzuki's Nature Challenge (www.davidsuzuki.org). If you're up for the challenge, here are some restaurants to help explore your inner veghead.

Vegetarianism is a millennia-old tradition in India with deep roots in the south. Little India's Udupi Palace (1460 Gerrard St. E., 416-405-8189) offers a good introduction to this ancient cuisine. The house specialty is dosa, a thin, crisp pancake made from ground rice and a legume called urad dal. They come stuffed with a variety of fillings and there's coconut chutney and tangy lentil soup for dipping. Their mango lassi (yogurt shake) is dynamite, but it's a meal in itself.

A good friend and flexitarian lives in the Annex, and on Hockey Night In Canada we often get takeout from Mt. Everest (469 Bloor St. W., 416-964-8849, www.mteverestrestaurant.ca). It's not a vegetarian restaurant, but their Nepali and Indian vegetable dishes are promoted front and centre. Our favourites include tandoori vegetables, baigan bharata (spicy mashed eggplant) and jhane ko daal (Nepali-spiced lentils). Instead of naan, try their flaky whole-wheat paratha.

Closer to home (Leslieville), my takeout standby is Simon's Wok (797 Gerrard St. E., 416-778-9846), a family run joint specializing in the vegetarian cuisine of China. After sampling much of the menu, my girlfriend and I have settled on three favourites: a casserole of tofu and silky eggplant in black bean sauce, fried rice zinged with fistfuls of fresh ginger and vegetarian deluxe, a beguiling stir-fry of veggies, exotic dried fungi and moss and cashews.

In Kensington Market, King's Cafe (192 Augusta Ave., 416-591-1340, www.kingscafe.com) is a great spot for a leisurely plant-based lunch. The Pan Asian menu is a bit ambitious in scope, but their signature fried tofu and nori on a bed of baby bok choy is one of the city's best vegetarian dishes. The crisp seaweed contrasted by the soft tofu is reminiscent of pan-fried fish.

Over to the Middle East via Hillcrest, Mezzetta (681 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-658-5687, www.mezzettarestaurant.com) has a treasure trove of vegetarian dishes on their small plates menu. Highlights include Moroccan carrot salad, deep-fried green beans spiced with garlic, chili and dill, and Sultan's stew, a ratatouille-like concoction perfumed with cinnamon. They also make an irresistible baklava.

Finally, I couldn't write a vegetarian column without mentioning my favourite meat-free sandwich. On Queen West, Ghandi Cuisine (554 Queen St. W., 416-504-8155) makes some of the tastiest roti in town. Rolled and cooked to order, these West Indian burritos require two hands, a hearty appetite and a stack of napkins. My vegetarian filling of choice is malai kofta, fried balls of potato and paneer cheese in a thick, creamy curry sauce.

For a more thorough list of Toronto veg options, visit www.veg.ca, the website of the Toronto Vegetarian Association.