CHOLESTEROL | Vegetarian cuisine is naturally low in saturated fats, and foods of plant origin contain little or no cholesterol.

FIBER | Plant foods are also much higher in fiber than animal foods.

VITAMINS | Many plant foods contain significant amounts of vital B-vitamins, and folic acid: and fruits and vegetables are powerful sources of phytochemicals – nutrients that help every organ of the bodywork better.

CALORIES | Vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories, since grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, volume-for-volume, tend to be lower in calories than meat and poultry. Studies have shown that as long as their diet is balanced and nutritious, the people who consume fewer total daily calories live longer and healthier lives.

FOOD SAFETY | Veggie lovers believe that foods from plant sources, which are lower on the food chain, are safer than animal foods since pollutants tend to concentrate in fatty tissues. While raw fruits and vegetables can carry harmful bacteria and pesticide residues just like meat, you can remove many of these pollutants by washing the plant foods. Trimming the fat from meat or chicken is less effective. Meat, poultry, and seafood are also more frequent carriers of foodborne illnesses than plant sources.

ENVIRONMENTALLY HEALTHY | Environmental conservationists believe that having more plant-based diets is healthier for the planet. It takes less energy and less farmland to feed a vegetarian than it does to feed livestock.