Pros and Cons of Being a Vegetarian?

Q. I absolutely love animals and am debating about whether or not I should become a vegetarian. The reason I want to become a vegetarian is more so of a control issue. With all of the wars, issues with the government etc. I feel like my lifestyle is one of the few things that I have some control over. I like meat but I don't like the fact that meat without growth hormones and junk doesn't taste good as opposed to meat that does include the harmful chemicals. Also I don't like that unless I personally start my own farm that I can't know for sure how the animals are treated and if they are killed humanely. I'm worried about becoming a vegetarian because I like meat (corn beef, steak, ribs, bacon, hot dogs, meatloaf, pork chops etc.) but at the sametime I don't want to contribute to the inhuman murder of animals. Another thing is that when I brought it up to my parents they are fine with me becoming a vegetarian but they said they aren't planning on fixing any special meals for me and that if we're having meat that I will have to fix something myself for dinner. The second thing I'm worried about is staying healthy. A couple of months ago I was anemic and had to take iron supplements and I'm worried about being anemic again as most sources of iron come from meat. If I do decide to become a vegetarian how far should I take it. Should I just rule out all meat (including like chicken stock etc.?). What are the pros and cons of becoming a vegetarian? Also a friend of mine told me that eating meat puts you at higher risk for cancer...is that true? That kinda freaked me out. Then again there are always talks about people claiming almost anything is linked to cancer.

A. LIFE puts you at a higher risk for cancer. But some things are associated with cancer.
My sister was a vegetarian for decades, and relied on soy for her protein source (soy and quinoa are the only complete proteins .. otherwise you are eating legumes and grains together). She got thyroid cancer, and had to have her thyroid killed, and now she has to mess with adusting the level of synthroid medication (artifical thyroid hormone).
She found out a couple years after her thyroid cancer that too much soy in the diet is associated with thyroid cancer.

Pro's of vegetarianism:
1. It's cheaper
2. You get to feel proud about yourself as long as it's not arrogance)

Con's:
1. You have to understand protein sources and how to get complete protein in your diet. AND Iron sources too. This means you have to preplan all your meals, checking out the nutritional content ahead of time .. until you have it all in your head.
2. You have to like legumes (beans, lentils, etc) and be prepared for more flatulence. Cheese and eggs have protein but are not healthy to eat on a daily basis. Nuts are fattening. Soy is okay but not every day. Quinoa .. we don't know yet. Best not to rely on it every day.
Most of your protein will be legumes eaten with grains (beans and rice, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, lentils and rice, etc).
3. It takes a lot more complicated recipes to make the food tasty. It's not like you can slap a bunch of garbanzo beans on the barbecue and cook then up in 10 minutes for supper. In the case of your parents, its the difference between having to cook at all and having to do complicated meals.

Original Question

What meals could I make using lentils apart from soups?

Q.

A. I have found two really good lentil recipes that I like a lot. One is for a vegetarian 'meatloaf' and the other is a broccoli lentil and rice casserole. There are many other recipes for lentil casseroles you can find on the internet. Indian dishes also often use lentils in curries, you can find these recipes by searching for Indian Daal recipes.
Lentils are also good for making veggie burgers or vegetarian sloppy joes.

Here is the link for the lentil loaf recipe:

http://www.food.com/recipe/really-good-vegetarian-meatloaf-really-33921

I usually add more tomato sauce than the recipe says. Sometimes I also sub the egg out with flaxseed (1TBS of ground flaxseed + 3 TBS of lukewarm water + mix until gooey= egg substitute for just about any recipe, including baking).
Also I like to spread ketchup over the top before I put it in the oven.

Here is the link for the casserole:

http://theliberalvegan.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/veganmofo-broccoli-lentil-casserole/

I am not vegan so I sometimes substitute parmesan or other cheese for the nutritional yeast and just use real butter. I've also made this recipe with asparagus instead of broccoli, or both together and it is very good. There are similar recipes on the internet but this is my favorite so far because it only takes one dish and is so easy to make, you don't have to precook anything, you just mix it all together and stick it in the oven.

Original Question

Recipes for Delicious But Healthy food.?

Q. Can someone tell me some recipes for really tasty but at the same time really healthy foods. Something that i can easily make at home please.
Thank you in advance.

A. I have a few:
7 Vegetarian recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/16

Farfalle Checca
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/71

Southwestern Pasta Otilia
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/56

Juicy Lemon Chicken
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/24

Salsa Meatloaf
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/67

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/133

6 Soup Recipes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rushinrecipes/message/13

Original Question

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