What are the pros and cons of being a vegetarian?

Pro -

Better for your health (if done right),
Better for the environment.
It is more compassionate to animals and helps reduce violence on this planet.

Cheap-
I tried eating organically raised, grass fed animals, etcetera but it's really expensive. Vegetarian food choices are the way to go if you don't want the negative effects of pesticide accumulation or the big bucks of organic and grass fed.


Good for saving lives.
For many people, the whole reason to go vegetarian is to stop murder. Isn't it obvious that stopping supporting killing... stops killing? Slaughterhouses are sites of really bad treatment of animals, so if you think bunnies are cute and cuddly or whatever this should be a good reason for you.
** Disclaimer: This is, of course, not to detract from the possibility of being responsible about your meat choices. Look into what happens at mass slaughter houses, and then stop supporting them. Go instead to local producers and get your meat and dairy from them. Support those who are working with the Earth and who treat their animals humanely, if you are unwilling to move to vegetarianism. Furthermore, not everyone feels that any killing of anything is necessarily "murder."
It behooves a person, if they feel unwilling to go vegetarian, to care about whether or not the animals are being treated humanely during their lives, and whether or not the place that raises the animals cares for the environment to the best of their ability as well. Stress hormones (naturally occurring) in meat that has been mistreated during life decreases the quality of the meat and decreases the nutritional value (even if you don't happen to care that animals not be required to suffer).

Good for the earth.
I'm a big environmentalist, so this surprised me. Meat-eating is the largest source of global warming. **Disclaimer: While this is true on a scale where people consume mass amounts of meat, and is true of factory farming on large scales, a Cornell study (linked below) shows that eating small amounts of meat rather than large amounts of meat is actually better for the environment than is even vegetarianism-- which is only "the best" when taken as individuals, not as communities.
Additionally, it is important to recognize that raising crops requires the use of pesticides, which kills insects, and birds, and leeches into local water supplies. Even organic pesticides are lethal (or they wouldn't work), and kill local wildlife, pollute local waters that wildlife require to drink from, and have detrimental affects on all of the smaller cycles of life (insects, birds, reptiles, etc.).

Comment on above paragraph: Meat eating requires more agriculture than vegetarianism as most of the crops raised go to feed livestock. So the criticism of agriculture in general is not valid. Waste from cattle is one of the major sources of pollution in the world; probably more so than organic pesticides.
Good for your health.
Heart disease, cancer, strokes, impotence, obesity, Alzheimer's, diabetes, mercury poisoning, mad cow disease, e. coli, etc. can ALL have reduced chances of happening if you go vegetarian.

*Disclaimer: These things can also be reduced by eating an appropriate meat -containing diet, such as following The Schwarzbein Principle. Also, remember that there are also overweight and ill vegetarians, so nothing is a guarantee-- eat well and with good sense, however you choose to eat.
Helps with world hunger.
I know this is true, but I don't know the details so if this interests you...
**Disclaimer: The details of this one are that there would be more surplus of foods. The "problem" with this fact is that there are no currently existing methods of moving that surplus from where it sits and rots, to where it might do some good.

***Disclaimer of the disclaimer: Distribution of food is a separate issue than vegetarianism/non vegetarianism. Non vegetarianism takes more resources from the planet and creates more pollutants., period.

Follow the lifestyles of your favorite celebs
If you go to "Famous Vegetarians" you'll discover how some of your favorite celebrities don't eat meat.

For many, the highest pro is the saving of millions of animals from needless torture and slaughter.

Meat is hard to digest and beef can sit in our stomachs and later our intestines for days as our bodies try to process it. It is also higher in the fats (even lean meats) than vegetables and fruits that cause artery clogging and lead to heart attacks. Meat also, in most cases, contain additives that can not simply be rinsed off (like pesticides from fruits and veggies). Everything from hormones to antibiotics are injected into all animals (on the normal market) that have been shown to have possible side affects when consumed.

For those that still crave meats, there are a variety of meatless products on the market (everything from meatless burgers to meatless chicken nuggets to meatless bacon and more) that really do taste like the real thing (and in some cases, taste even better). There are also numerous vegetarian magazines and on-line websites that list hundreds of delicious meatless meals that will make you think you're dining out at a fancy restaurant. Gone are the days of living off cold salads, soy hot dogs and stir fry. Today one can find easy-to-prepare at-home meals that will make even the meatiest meat eater feel satisfied.

The bottom line in the diet of the vegetarian vs. the non-vegetarian is that one does not need meat to live a long and healthy life. Through proper and balanced vegetarian diets one can receive all of the nutrients that the human body needs to be healthy. It is not, however, anymore unusual for a vegetarian to take vitamin supplements than it is for a meat-eater. And of course, exercise is vital to every-ones diet to remain healthy.

it makes you more conscious of your diet, and can be healthier
Makes you feel better about what you're eating
 

Con -

It is not "mainstream" and takes some dedication and self-discipline to follow. You must make an extra effort to get protein and balanced nutrition.
People might ridicule you.
Limited choices if you want to go to a steak house.

Some veggie meats taste bad (though you don't need to eat those).
It can be very difficult to get along with families who feel that cooking is their way of "giving" to you, and who feel insulted and slighted that you are not appreciating their Easter Ham anymore. However, this can be easily remedied, if they are willing, by giving them a handmade, prettily bound scrapbook filled with vegetarian recipes they can make for you, in portions small enough that they can make you one quick dish while they make everyone else their meat dishes. (I don't like to burden hosts by expecting them to make special dishes just for me; I ask what they'll have ahead of time -- if I can't eat it, I'll bring a dish of my own. Helps them realize that vegetarian food can taste great!)

Studies, such as the one done at Cornell show that, in fact, it may be better for the environment to eat small amounts of meat. This study shows that actual cropland is limited, and while an individual vegetarian can make a smaller footprint by not consuming meat, when you begin looking at a number of people eating, while the individual footprint is slightly larger when adding some meat, the collective footprint is much smaller than the collective vegetarian footprint. This is because pastureland is much more readily available than cropland, which is more limited. Most cropland foods go to feed livestock, however.
Wheat farms are often paid subsidies in order to prevent them from over farming. Wheat in America sits in granaries and rots, as it cannot be consumed fast enough, yet also cannot be feasibly exported with the current existing pipelines. If humans should suddenly all become vegetarians, the amount of wheat would have to be decreased yet again, sending agrarian communities into bankruptcy, overflowing granaries, and creating shortages due to the destruction of farms (or pushing us further into national debt by continuing subsidies at radically increased rates).

I disagree with the previous paragraph. We have the technology and resources to distribute food to where its needed (divert resources from the many stupid, unnecessary wars happening around the planet?). Wheat not going to livestock will go to people!! There would probably be food surpluses!

All diets should include a good source of all food groups in moderation. If you are not cutting meat out of your diet, except for health reasons, consider instead lowering your mean intake to 4 to 6 oz. a day total, or possibly cutting meat out several times a week. There are a lot of essential vitamins and minerals you get from meat, and while you can replace them with other foods or supplements, it a lot easier to just eat a small portion of meat every few days.

Many find that the most negative aspect of becoming a vegetarian is that their craving for meat is as hard to ignore as a drug habit that's trying to be kicked. Like any substance that the body has taken in over a prolonged period of time, meat will be craved when going vegetarian. The length of time the body will still want meat will depend on the individual.

Some individuals, even with supplements, are found to not get enough protein and need to resort to some meat. Usually fish will supply the needed protein in smaller quantities than beef, chicken or pork.

- harder to get some of the nutrients you need, vitamin B12, protein and iron especially.
I have been a vegetarian for about 8 months, I am as Healthy as I have ever been and have not once needed to take vitamins. To help this veggie ready meals and things like lentils and nuts are good.
- harder to plan your meals, takes a while to get used to
- harder to eat out at restaurants, especially if you avoid all dairy products

I am a lacto-Ovo vegetarian and some of the pros are that you can still obtain vitamins and minerals from eggs, milk, cheese, and other dairy products. Some of the cons are the same with any kind of vegetarianism, and they are the chance that you will experience a lack of nutrition. To avoid this, you should talk to your doctor before enforcing the lifestyle of a vegetarian. Another con of vegetarianism is that when you go out to eat or to a friends house for dinner, you may seem rude if you do not eat what is presented to you.
Usually good; although one could eat a poor vegetarian diet as well. Be sure to eat a balanced variety of foods and cut out the junk!