“Why be a vegetarian?”: this is one question that new vegetarians are asked over and over again. In as much as people are not familiar with the wealth of delicious food available to vegetarians, they are simply at a loss about the reason for taking meat out of your diet.
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?
One of the arguments made against vegetarianism is that it takes a lot of work and thought. At first glance, it may seem that vegetarians put a lot more work into their diet than meat eaters, but the truth is that they are usually just more careful with their diet and do everything they can to ensure that they are getting 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.
If the amount of resources needed to produce crops and meat are taken into account, it will be seen that it is less expensive to produce plant foods. The artificially low priced meat available in the supermarket and in restaurants are the products of the subsidies provided by the government to the farmers in the form of payments to encourage meat production.
Since Humans Were Meant to Consume Meat, Why Would You Choose To Be A Vegetarian?
Many meat eaters argue that humans were not made to live without meat in their diets, however biological evidence doe not support this claim. Our physiology resembles more closely that of herbivores than carnivores: our digestive system reveals that plant matter, not meat, is our optimal food.
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?
There are even more reasons to be vegetarian, but the most compelling reason is the one that resonates with you personally. Being a vegetarian means that you are removing your support from an industry that produces more waste than all other American industries combined. You are standing up in favor of a healthy life and healthy planet, and you are doing a good turn for animal rights. Being a vegetarian comes with many, many benefits for your physical, emotional, and financial well-being – and no detrimental effects to any of these.
