Q: Vegetarianism: Pros and Cons
BEING VEGETARIAN - WHAT ARE THE PRO AND CONS?
A: Dr. Gourmet Says...
There are not many cons to being vegetarian.
For vegetarians, a healthy diet is possible. There is a lot of research that suggests eating much less or no meat is very healthy. Some vegetarians don't eat any meat at all but will eat milk or cheese and others will eat eggs also. The most important aspect of being vegetarian concerns food sources of protein.
Proteins are made up of amino acids but there are amino acids that our bodies can't make and we must get these in our diet. Meats and fish are sources of proteins as are dairy products and eggs. The proteins found in meat, fish, dairy products and eggs have a complete set of amino acids. No vegetable has all the amino acids that the body doesn't make, however, so different vegetables must be combined to get a complete set. An example would be combining beans and rice. Either of these by themselves is incomplete in some amino acids but combined they have a full set.
A good source of basic information is found in the book Diet for a Small Planet. There are many good vegetarian cookbooks including The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, by Mollie Katzen who is the owner/chef of Moosewood Restaurant.
One problem with many vegetarian recipes is that they are not very moderate in the number of calories or the amount of fat.
The answer to your last question is pretty easy. If you eat too much, you can get fat. And you can get too many calories being a vegetarian. Often this can be because these are higher fat diets without use of a lacto-ovo (milk/egg) regime. Strict vegans often add extra fat to boost flavor, texture and to extend the "full" feeling.
A lot of vegetarian snacks can be high in calories and fats too--so be careful.
There is a great deal of controversy about the health effects of obesity, but the most recent research says that being overweight shortens life span. It also contributes to illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. Gourmet