Why Go Vegetarian?
Written by Paula Benson on July 7th, 2008If there’s one thing that new vegetarians are asked time and time again, it’s “why be a vegetarian?” The motivation for taking meat out of your diet may be confusing for some people, especially if they aren’t familiar with the wealth of delicious food available to vegetarians.
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.
The idea that it is more expensive to eat foods to replace meat in their diet is a common misconception about vegetarianism. Although meat substitutes can be costly, inexpensive vegetarian foods can be purchased in bulk. Some examples of the most inexpensive vegetarian staples are rice, oats, beans, and pasta
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.
You will see that plant foods are actually less expensive to produce when you take into account the fact that meat takes significantly more resources to produce that crops do. Government subsidies, or payments to farmers, to encourage meat production cause meat prices in grocery stores and restaurants to be unnaturally low.
Why Become a Vegetarian When Humans Were Designed to Eat Meat?
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.
Many health related problems are caused by eating meat long-term, even though the human body is capable of digesting meat. Diseases directly related to eating meat are high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. The typical American eats so much meat that it poisons their bodies, although the infrequent consumption of meat doesn’t seem to significantly raise the risk the previously mentioned health problems. The evidence supports the claim that we are not meant to be meat eaters.
Why become a Vegetarian? Why Can’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.
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