When Eating Meat is Simpler, Why Become a Vegetarian?
June 30, 2008 by George Mole
Filed under Vegetarian Diet
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.
When asked “why be a vegetarian?”, the question can feel like an attack but most people are just curious about the decision. Many vegetarians are caught off guard and feel compelled to defend their lifestyle.
Why Stick To Vegetables Only When It Is So Expensive? Meat Is Tasty And Cheap
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.
A common misconception about vegetarianism is that it’s more expensive to eat foods to take the place of meats. While it’s true that pre-made packaged meat substitutes can be quite expensive, vegetarian food can be found in bulk for very little money. Vegetarian staples like rice, oats, beans, and pasta are very inexpensive.
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.
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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.
While the human body is capable of digesting meat, eating meat long-term is known to cause many health problems. High cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis are all directly linked to eating meat. Although eating meat infrequently does not seem to significantly raise our risk for these maladies, the typical American diet contains so much meat that it effectively poisons our bodies. Were we designed to be meat eaters? The evidence suggests that we were not.
Why Become a Vegetarian? Why Can’t You Become 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.
