The Pros & Cons of a Vegetarian Diet

The Pros & Cons of a Vegetarian Diet

May 03, 2010, By Jeff Waddle

Momma’s mantra—Eat Your Veggies!—sounds more and more like true wisdom. Evidence keeps mounting that a diet based on low-fat, high-fiber fruits, grains and colorful vegetables can play a key role in keeping cancer and other deadly diseases at bay.

A position paper recently released by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) suggests that vegetarians tend to have lower:

• Overall cancer rates
• Risk of ischemic heart disease
• Blood pressure
• LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels
• Rates of Type 2 diabetes

 While going veggie sounds like a no brainer on the surface, it’s not as simple as opening a can of beans or munching on carrot sticks if you want to have a truly healthy diet. Here’s some food for thought if you’re considering a vegetarian diet.

Pros

• It’s a good way to lose weight. The aforementioned ADA position paper also reports that vegetarians tend to have a lower “body mass index;” in other words, they weigh less. It stands to reason since plant-based diets essentially eliminate foods high in saturated fat that can clog arteries and pack on pounds.

• You’ll keep the train running on schedule. Vegetarian diets naturally are full of high-fiber fruits and vegetables which will help keep you regular. The high-fiber aspect of vegetarian diets is a leading factor in reducing your risk of colon cancer, say researchers. 

• You can save money. Vegetarian Times reports that replacing the 200 or so pounds of meats the average carnivore consumers every year with fresh vegetables can save about $4,000 on the annual grocery bill.

Cons

• Some meat alternatives may cost you more. Lots of newly converted carnivores replace their craving for burgers, sausage and other meats with processed, soy-based alternatives like veggie burgers which actually can cost a lot more than the meat they’re replacing. For example, a pound of ground chuck typically costs around $2/pound or 50 cents per quarter pound (4-ounce) burger, but just one 2.5-ounce veggie burger can set you back a buck.

• It can take research and work. Healthy, balanced vegetarian diets require some planning and analysis of nutritional values to ensure that you’re consuming enough protein, iron, vitamin D and other essential nutrients that are more easily obtained in carnivore diets. You’ll likely need to take vitamin B-12 supplements and to add the highly-touted omega-3 fatty acids present in salmon and other fatty fishes, you’ll need to take flax seed oil capsules every day or consume two tablespoons of ground flax seed.

• Eating out can be a hassle. It’s gotten a lot better in recent years but eating out sans meat can be frustrating in some restaurants. Go to a burger, wings or ribs joint and you might find yourself eating a dinner roll, fries and house salad—that’s if you ask them to hold the bacon from the salad. Most chefs at higher-end restaurants will prepare vegetarian meals when requested in advance, even if it’s not on their menu. Call ahead or access menus online before venturing out to eat to avoid the frustration.

• Some people may not understand. If you grew up a carnivore and then switch to a vegetarian diet, expect at least some meat-munching family and friends not to be very understanding. Family meals and nights out with the guys can subject you to some good-natured teasing or flat-out ridicule as well as requests to explain yourself, which can get old fast. 

Jeff Waddle is a featured contributor to ManoftheHouse.com.