A federal survey that showed 1 in 200 children have followed a vegetarian diet — the first time numbers have been offered for people under 18 — drew much attention earlier this week.

But the news overlooked a more relevant point: Vegetarianism doesn’t appear to be rising among adults.

As meatless diets have gained mainstream acceptance in recent years, options for vegetarian food have dramatically increased, especially at restaurants and grocery stores. Tofu, soy milk and even seitan (a common gluten substitute for meat) can now be found at almost any regular grocery store.

But in response to a question on the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, conducted by a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 percent of adults said they had followed a vegetarian diet for two or more weeks in the last year for health reasons, compared with 1.6 percent adults in the 2002 survey. In five years, the results had barely changed.

So if there aren’t more vegetarians, who’s eating all of this vegetarian food?

Probably you are.

While most Americans are not interested in a meat-free lifestyle, meat is clearly moving away from the center of the plate. More non-vegetarians than ever are introducing “meatless nights” into their meal plans and cutting down on meat portion sizes.