Vegetarian diet for healthy food choices

A vegetarian diet usually starts with a healthy eating plan. The average North American diet is high in animal fats, trans fats, toxic chemicals, and empty calories such as white flour and sugar.  Other research shows that a vegetarian diet has far less of these elements and is much higher in nutritional value.

One of the best reasons for becoming vegetarian is that a vegetarian diet provides healthy food choices.  More and more research is finding that the primary cause of many health concerns and diseases is poor eating habits.

Many vegetarians do not want to fill their bodies with the toxic chemicals and hormones that animals are fed.  This is a strong issue for people who want to live long in healthy, pain-free bodies.

Others have been told by their doctors that they must cut out all fats or they’ll get sick and die.  Or they’re already sick. That’s strong motivation for switching to a plant-based diet of heart healthy foods.

But health concerns aren’t the only reasons why people go vegetarian.

1) Ethical

Many go vegetarian or vegan because they’re horrified by the inhumane conditions in which most animals are raised and they refuse to support the meat and dairy industries. They don’t want animals to suffer and die so that they can eat, especially when it isn’t necessary for good health. The meat packing industry is also notorious for having dangerous and/or unhealthy working conditions.

2) Environmental

People also go vegetarian because they object to the environmental damage from animal agriculture. CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) are polluting streams and ground water with their waste products.  Methane gas from cows is heating up the planet.  The rain forest is disappearing so more people can eat hamburgers.

3) Economic

A vegetarian diet can be far less expensive than a diet that includes meat. Many people these days find that meat is too expensive for their budget. They can save money on food, and eat better, by making vegetarian meals at least part of the time. When you compare the cost of a meal based on rice or pasta + veggies and beans to one based on meat, it’s obvious that you get a lot more nutrition for your $$ with a vegetarian meal.

4) Taste

Here’s the big reason why people go vegetarian for life: Some of the tastiest food is vegetarian.  Non-vegetarians or new vegetarians are often delightfully surprised by the wide variety of delicious meals you can have on a vegetarian diet. Or by how easy it is to convert your favorite recipes to vegetarian. Savvy Vegetarian has been inventing tasty vegetarian recipes for over 40 years. A few of our family favorites are Vegetarian Chili, Cashew Veggie Fried Rice, Tofu Burgers, and Quinoa Black Bean Salad.

Tell us why you have gone vegetarian.  Just leave a comment below – we’d love to hear from you!

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Tags: becoming vegetarian, Food Blog, healthy eating plan, healthy food, healthy food choices, heart healthy foods, vegetarian diet

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