There are many compelling reasons for moving into the vegetarian lifestyle: improved public health, improved personal well being, inhumane treatment of animals, and the inefficient use of agricultural resources. While these ethical and ecological motives are real and profoundly important, a more pressing personal motive is causing many to move toward and to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle cost.

In today's economy, sustaining a carnivore/omnivore lifestyle has become prohibitively expensive for many families. The cost of necessities which includes housing, medical care, fuel, and food continues to climb. If you're lucky enough to have a job, your pay increases are probably not keeping pace with inflation. If you're retired on a fixed income, you may be compelled to choose which of these absolute necessities you must learn to do without. Except in the long term, the cost of gasoline, housing, and medical care are beyond the control of most people. Food is the only expense over which the individual has any control, in the short term. Vegetarians, on average, spend less money per meal on food than do carnivores.  

Why does meat cost so much? Meat production is an inefficient use of available resources. Consider the following. Fifteen pounds of grain are required to produce one pound of beef. About six pounds of grain are needed to produce one pound of pork. Three pounds of grain are used to create one pound of chicken. In these difficult economic times, the cost of grain is rising. In addition to the cost of the grain, one must factor in the cost in time and resources expended to maintain the life and health of the animals, the cost of transportation required to deliver the animals to slaughter, and the cost of meat refrigeration and storage at the retail level.   As the cost of meat increases, consumers react in the same manner as they react to increasing gasoline prices. They cut down on consumption.

Angus beef eaters downgrade to cheaper cuts, hamburger eaters begin eating more chicken, and chicken eaters begin to reduce portions and substitute beans for meat. As with gasoline, when the cost of meat goes down, some will return to their old meat eating habits. Many, however, will come to recognize the additional benefits that resulted from their economically directed vegetarian lifestyle. Waistlines will become thinner, cholesterol levels will be lowered, blood pressure will go down, and general health will improve. These newly enlightened consumers will enjoy better health and continue to save by permanently changing their habits; becoming committed vegetarians.   Although our current economic downturn may be the catalyst for steering many people toward a vegetarian lifestyle, smart consumers, recognizing that meat will always cost significantly more than the grains used to produce it, will continue as vegetarians. They will come to realize that it makes perfect sense not to pay a premium for inefficiently produced animal protein. They will discover that any proteins, vitamins, and minerals that are purported to be a benefit from eating meat, can be provided by following a thoughtful vegetarian diet.