Advantages and disadvantages of being vegetarian?

Answer 1

Advantages: Healthier option, cheaper, less animals are being killed.
Disadvantages: can't see any.

Answer 2

I am a vegan rather than a vegetarian but I will list it's main advantages from my viewpoint over an omnivore diet.

Advantages:

Healthier-less chance of reactions to chemicals in meat,higher fibre,less chance of getting certain cancers

Not having to feel guilty when I eat.

Religious concerns helped.

Can justify eating loads of marmite (Is high in B12) and I love the stuff.

Animal welfare.

Disadvantages:

Have to read the ingredients of everything I eat that isn't labelled as 'suitable for vegans'

Annoying questions and comments from uninformed omnivores.

Vegan products tend to be a bit more costly than the 'normal' versions.

Answer 3

the advantages of being a vegetarian is the comfort in knowing you have not taken an animals life just because you like the way he tasted..you will be healthier and stronger..you will live longer ..feel better in all ways .. you will help the environment ........................... the disadvantages you will have to deal with meat-eaters who are upset with you because it makes them feel guilty and they will go to any extent to fight you..even by saying ridiculous statements like Hitler was a vegetarian..when the truth of that was for a short time his doctors tried to put him on a vegetarian diet for health reasons..but he couldn't do it ..... so what does that say ?

Answer 4

I'm a vegetarian for 20 years now.. the main advantage is health, low cholesterol levels, and you don't age as quickly. I think its something to do with the energy required to break down meat in your system, it can take up to a week to properly digest.
its a cheaper food shop.

disadvantages are...constantly explaining your food choice, and hearing people say 'well I love meat'
very hard to get good food on holidays, only so many pizza and omelet you can stomach.
you'll have to learn to cook.
you will be physically weaker, especially if you give blood, or are an athlete.

Answer 5

I am not a vegetarian, although I might as well be as I eat very little meat (although I have a weakness for fish). The biggest disadvantage I have found so far for being a vegetarian is that when I take my best mate out for a meal (he's a vegetarian) it's often quite difficult to find something interesting for him to eat. You look through the menu and maybe one item is for veggies. I am looking around for eating places which cater far more for vegetarians.

Answer 6

Well there is alot you need to know to pursue a good and healthy vegetarian or vegan diet. It is considered a very healthy way of living but only if you do it right and get all the nutrition you need. If you don't give yourself what you need it can result in malnutrition and in my case I lost my period.

Here is a site which explains quite a bit http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vegetarian.html
I don't know wether you are already a vegetarian or in the process or just thinking about it but I wish you all the best of luck and try not to give into friends mocking or trying to get you to eat what you don't want to.

Answer 7

Meat, poultry, and fish are icky tasting and don't have a big variety of tastes, but all the wonderful vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and grains out there are hugely diverse! They are also very healthy. If you are able to grow a few things yourself, you will find they taste better and are healthier than a lot of commercially produced vegetables, which are grown more for looks and for low-cost mass production. The main disadvantage to being vegetarian is that most people and restaurants don't think about vegetarian food and won't be able to serve you the great food you make for yourself at home.

Answer 8

Advantages:
Peace of mind knowing animals haven't had to die so you can eat
Less chance of contracting certain types of cancer, heart disease etc
Spending less money on food - my meat eating friends regularly spend £20 or £30 a week on meat. My vegetables cost a quarter of that.

Disadvantages:
Having to explain that "no, chicken is meat" or "no, vegetarians don't eat fish"
Having to search a menu to find the vegetarian option (which is usually pasta and slathered in cheese)

Answer 9

the only disadvantage that I see is that your options are limited at restaurants. You have to be careful and read the packaging of food items.

The advantage is that you aren't eating a dead animal.

Answer 10

i am a vegetarian and once i became one, i felt 1000000 times better than i did when i was eating meat.not only physically but my mind was at ease knowing that i wasn't contributing to the killing of innocent animals. and i think my energy is contributed by all the chemicals and hormones that are given to the animals to make them grow at a ridiculous rate that i wasn't consuming anymore.

it is hard sometimes, because the food is limited if you live in a house where all they cook is meat (like in my house), but there are great alternatives to meat that taste great!

plus, some people tend to say that vegetarians arent healthy or that they smell bad because all they eat is fruits and vegetables but that is not true. we get to live longer :-)

Answer 11

advantages - better health
disadvantages - going out for food with carnivores and having to watch them eat