[mlent]

You're less likely to have numerous health problems by following a vegetarian diet. As a vegetarian you are, for example, less likely to have heart disease, the number one killer in the United States. [1] Interestingly, some of the oldest people in the world eat a primarily plant-based diet (though not exclusively). [2]

The issue is that you need a well planned veg diet. You can't just eat french fries and white bread and expect to maintain your health, obviously. For me, after a couple months of tracking my food and learning the calories/fat/protein of a lot of plant foods, I don't really have to think hard about creating well-balanced meals. It's a learning process.

I'm sure it's possible to have a healthy diet that includes a very small amount of non-red meat. That small amount is probably not going to hurt you that much. [3] However, you can get every vital nutrient you would get from meat from a plant source without the tacked-on fat and cholesterol.

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/vegetarians-heart-h...

[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-...

[3] http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/study-urges-moderation-in...

[rdouble]

You can't get B12 from any plant source, though.

[mlent]

Not from plants, but from micro-organisms and bacteria! Yum! Many of my foods are fortified with B12.

50% DV in my soy/almond milk, 40% in a single tbsp of nutritional yeast. I have a cup with cereal in the morning and a cup with dinner at night and I'm set. It's quite easy.

[rdouble]

Personally, I'd rather get a shot than have to eat nutritional yeast.

[mlent]

Are you kidding? Nutritional yeast is delicious! You can put it on popcorn, include it in any recipe that calls for Parmesan (like risotto or cheesy pastas), use it for breading tofu, use it to make vegan mac n cheese. I love nutritional yeast...in case you can't tell. :) It just has an awful name.