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Benefits Of Vegetarianism In The United States

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Recommended: Meat consumption cons

Kuntal Patel
Mr. Kavanaugh
Honors English 10
10 January 2015
The Benefits of Vegetarianism
According to the Vegetarian Times, there are currently 7.3 million vegetarians in the United States (“Vegetarianism in America”). This is a staggering number compared to the amount of vegetarians ten years ago. It is increasing due to the progressively unhealthy lifestyles and diets of today's culture. The main diet(s) in the U.S. are meat-based and with this, there are a lot of environmental, health, and economical problems occurring. But, one simple solution to these ever growing problems is switching to a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets should be adopted for their many health, economical, and environmental benefits, which can help to restore the …show more content…

The simple definition of a vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat (“Becoming a Vegetarian”). Within this group, there are many different types of vegetarians, but there are four main types. The first main type of vegetarians are vegans. According to Health.harvard.edu, a vegan is a person who does not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin. Next, are Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians. These vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products. Then there are Lacto Vegetarians, who do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, however they do consume dairy products. The last type of vegetarians are Ovo Vegetarians, who do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but do eat eggs (“Becoming a Vegetarian”). Knowing the types of vegetarians and what vegetarianism is will help in understanding why vegetarian diets are the solution to many of the world’s …show more content…

The recession of 2008 left millions of families across the U.S. in financial difficulty. But adopting a vegetarian diet can help to solve this growing problem. Switching to a vegetarian diet can save seven billion dollars each year because, each year seven billion dollars is used treat foodborne illnesses caused by eating meat (Jacobson 7). This seven billion dollars could be used to wipe out the U.S.’s national debt. Furthermore, if everyone in the U.S. went vegetarian for one day, the U.S. would save 70 million dollars from economic damages caused by meat production (Freston). In addition, it costs less to produce vegetables and fruits than meat. “If the average family of four spends $20 per meat-containing meal seven days per week, they could reduce their grocery bill by $30 per week or $1500 per year, by making three meals per week meatless (Troutman). With the economy still unstable, vegetarian diets are a long-term solution to the financial crisis millions of people

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