Meat Vs. Vegetarian Diet - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. Many people wonder if it is healthier to be a vegetarian or to eat meat. Vegetarian diets are a great option because they tend to be lower in saturated fat, which is the fat that is usually in meats. They also tend to be higher in fiber, higher in vitamins and minerals, and lower in calories overall. However, just because you are a vegetarian does not mean it is necessarily healthier. It is easy to be a vegetarian and choose unhealthy options such as french fries, potato chips, candy, while there meat free, does not mean that they are healthy. People who eat meat can stay healthy as well. If you limit your red meat consumption to no more than twice a week, in a four ounce serving, which is about the palm of your hand and if you make sure you are getting a lot of grains and fiber in your diet, you can just as well be healthy as a vegetarian. Vegetarian diets tend to be low in vitamins B-12, because that is a vitamin that can only be found in meat products. If you are a vegetarian and you eat eggs or dairy that is a great source of B-12, but if you are a vegan make sure to be taking a supplement. Vegetarian diets also tend to be a little lower in iron. Just because the iron that is in meat is more bio-available, meaning we absorb it much better than a plant source of iron. What I tell my vegetarian clients to do is to take a vitamin C tablet or eat an orange at the same time that they are eating a green leafy vegetable or a plant source of iron. This way your converting the iron to a more bio-available state, so that way you can absorb the iron as well. So overall, one diet, whether it is vegetarian or meat, one is not necessarily healthier than the other. You just want to make sure that your diet is well balanced, high in fiber, low in sugar, low in saturated fat, and that you are always making the best choice possible.