Vegetarianism has been promoted as a more healthy way of eating for many decades. And this can be true, but is not necessarily! For people with high cholesterol, for example, eliminating animal products from their diet will remove all sources of dietary cholesterol (that's right--cholesterol is ONLY found in animal sources), and could help them lower their blood cholesterol levels.
But, one must keep in mind that a person who lives on cookies, cake, and candy could also be calling themselves a vegetarian because they don't eat meat! No one would call this a healthy diet.
In order to assess the healthfulness of a diet, one must examine what the diet includes, as well as what it excludes: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and a source of lean protein, calcium, and riboflavin all contribute to a diet that provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, and is based on variety and moderation.
A diet including lean meats, fish, and chicken can be just as healthy as a vegetarian diet. Before assuming a diet is healthy just because they are not eating meat, closer examination to what they ARE eating must also be acknowledged.
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