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Why Be a Vegetarian When Eating Meat is Simpler?

By: Paula Benson

The idea of taking meat out of their diet confuses most people, so new vegetarians are often asked "why be a vegetarian?" Most people simply are not familiar with the abundant, tasty food options that vegetarians are able to take advantage of.

A lot of vegetarians feel that they have to defend their position when asked "why be a vegetarian?" This question can sometimes feel almost like an attack on vegetarianism, but most people who ask are genuinely curious as to the motivations behind being a vegetarian.

Meat is Cheap and Tasty! Why be a Vegetarian When it's So Expensive?

It requires a lot of effort and thought, is one of the arguments made against vegetarianism. It is a common misconception that vegetarians put more effort on their diet than meat eaters, but vegetarians are only more careful with their diet and stick to it diligently so as to maintain balanced nutrition.

It is a common misconception that vegetarian food is more expensive than meats. Bulk amount of vegetarian food can be bought quite inexpensively, whereas the pre-made packaged meat substitutes are typically quite costly. The common vegetarian staples such as rice, oats, beans, and pasta are very affordable.

It is an accepted fact that we all could benefit from more fruit and vegetables in our diets. However, when fresh fruits and vegetables are taken into account, the cost of the vegetarian diet does go up a small amount. However, vegetarians generally do not consume significantly more fresh vegetables and fruit than the rest of the general public.

When you take into account the fact that meat takes many times the amount of resources to produce that crops do, you'll see that plant foods are actually less expensive to produce. The artificially low prices of meat in the supermarket and in restaurants are the result of government subsidies that provide farmers with payments to encourage them to produce meat.

Since Humans Were Meant to Consume Meat, Why Would You Choose To Be A Vegetarian?

There is plenty of biological evidence to counter the argument of meat eaters that humans were not made to live as vegetarians. Our digestive system shows that the optimal food for our bodies is plant matter, not meat, as we more closely physiologically resemble herbivores, rather than carnivores.

Eating meat in the long-term may cause many health related problems, even though the human body has the capability to digest meat. Some of the side effects of eating meat are high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Although occasionally consuming meat not seem to significantly increase our risk for these serious illnesses; the typical American diet, however, contains so much meat that are bodies are basically poisoned by it. Were we designed to be meat eaters? The evidence seems to support that humans were not evolved to eat meat.

Why Be a Vegetarian? Why Wouldn't You Be One?

Even, though there are many reasons to be vegetarian, your personal beliefs are the most important. Becoming a vegetarian removes your endorsement from an industry that produces more waste than all other American industries put together. You will be doing your part to achieve a healthy lifestyle, as well as a healthier planet. You will also be doing your part in supporting animal rights. There are no known detrimental effects of being a vegetarian, in fact being one has many benefits for one's physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

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The idea of taking meat out of their diet confuses most people, so new vegetarians are often asked "why be a vegetarian?" Most people simply are not familiar with the abundant, tasty food options that vegetarians are able to take advantage of.

For information about vegetarian diet check out Paula Benson's website on vegetarian lifestyle

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