Vegetarian Diet Disadvantage - a discussion

by Webmaster, All4NaturalHealth.com

Is there any clear vegetarian diet disadvantage?

I can perhaps think of a few, although I find that each of them can be quite easily explained away.


Variety

Firstly, vegetarian diets have less variety than diets which also include animal food products. This is obvious - all plant foods can form part of omnivorous diets, but animal foods cannot form part of vegetarian diets, and it doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure out the numbers here.

Having said that, there is a wide variety of possibilities for recipes within vegetarian diets, most of which are unexplored by you and me. So, on turning vegetarian, explore and learn new vegetarian recipes to keep the experience fresh and exciting. And don't be afraid to try new types of food.


Taste

The next vegetarian diet disadvantage is taste. Arguably, dishes and recipes can be made to taste better with the inclusion of animal food products - meat, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.

This is very much a matter of opinion, although if we took a poll, I'm quite sure most people will agree with the above statement.

However, having said that, vegetarian recipes can be prepared and made tasty in many different ways. And, again, most of the possibilities are untried and unexplored by most people.

I have visited a few vegetarian restaurants which have some marvelously delicious dishes, and I would never have known about them had I not decided to reduce my consumption of animal-based products and to try more vegetarian foods.

So, embrace the spirit of adventure and explore. Try new foods and learn new recipes. You'll be surprised at how great-tasting vegetarian recipes can be.

And, don't hesitate to use herbs and spices, as well as healthy sauces and condiments, to liven up your vegetarian dishes and recipes.

The good thing is, over time, your body and your taste buds will adapt to your new vegetarian diet. Do not be surprised if you never ever miss animal-based foods again. You may even grow to dislike them. Not kidding.


Nutrition

There is widespread opinion that one of the main cons of vegetarian diets is that they are not nutritionally complete. This is utterly untrue.

Vegetarian diets are nutritionally adequate. You may wish to read more on vegetarian nutrition as well as the discussion on whether vegetarian diets would result in nutritional deficiencies.

In my view, there is as much chance as developing nutritional deficiencies in an omnivorous diet, as there is in vegetarian diets, if one fails to ensure the consumption of a wide variety of different foods within his or her particular chosen diet.

For more thoughts on achieving a balanced vegetarian diet, click here. To read up on formulating a good vegetarian diet plan, click here.


Intake of unhealthy foods

In my opinion, a major but subtle vegetarian diet disadvantage is that, because of abstinence from good-tasting animal-based foods, there may be a tendency to allow oneself to load up on unhealthy foods such as chips, french fries, ice cream, sugary drinks, deep-fried foods, sweet snacks, etc, as a sort of 'make up' mechanism.

The problem with vegetarian diet consumption here is that people may be lulled into a false sense of security - I'm already eating healthily anyway' - and lapse into undesirable eating patterns in other ways.

This is a potential vegetarian diet disadvantage, but it's really nothing much if you are careful not to allow yourself to fall into the trap!

You may also want to read about my thoughts on what a healthy vegetarian diet entails.


Conclusion

Thus, in conclusion, while there may be a few potential vegetarian diet disadvantages, I see no big problem with any of them, and I believe that they can be easily surmountable if one puts his or her heart to it.

Having read about the disadvantages, you may also want to read about the advantages of embracing a vegetarian diet.

What do you think of the vegetarian diet disadvantages discussed above? Which is the vegetarian diet disadvantage which strikes you the most?

Read More: More on Vegetarianism | Understanding Nutrition and its Importance | Nutrition Health Articles - Foods, Diets, Supplements, Nutrients and more | Information on some Herbs | Favorite Herbs, Herbals Formulas and Foods | Natural Health Supplements - What to Consider | Home Page | Site Search

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Being a vegetarian does not have to be difficult. In fact, it should be simple, healthful and fun. Meals can be delicious, too. Click here for a step-by-step guide to a vegetarian lifestyle, which will help you to make a simple transition to a healthier diet.

Also, if you wish to learn how to lose weight quickly and healthily with simple, cheap and easy vegetarian meal plans, click here.

And if you love Chinese food or wish to learn healthy, delicious, natural, gluten-free Chinese vegetarian recipes which you can easily prepare at home, click here.

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Vegetarian-related Pages

Introduction | What is a Vegetarian? | What Do Vegetarians Eat? | Different Types of Vegetarians | Pros & Cons | Why People Become Vegetarians - the reasons | Advantages of Vegetarian Diet Choices | Health Benefits of Vegetarian Diet Consumption | Vegetarian Diet Disadvantage - a discussion | Becoming a Vegetarian - does it suit humans better? | Being Vegetarian | Going Vegetarian Really isn't That Difficult | Challenges of Being a Vegetarian | How to Become a Vegetarian | Tips to Become Vegetarian | Nutrition Issues | Thoughts on Vegetarian Nutrition - is it adequate and complete? | Vegetarian Diet Health Concerns - are there nutritional deficiencies? | Vegetarian Protein - is there enough, and is it complete? | High Protein Vegetarian Diet - some thoughts | Planning a Diet | What's a Healthy Vegetarian Diet? | Achieving a Balanced Vegetarian Diet | Formulating a Vegetarian Diet Plan | Vegetarian Food Pyramid - details & discussion | Vegetarian Daily Diet - some ideas | A Right Diet for Vegetarians - are you on one? | More Information | Vegetarian Statistics and Studies | Vegetarian Quotes - for fun, information & inspiration | Vegetarian Websites, Books, Videos & Resources | List of some Famous Vegetarians



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