Is the vegetarian diet automatically the healthiest way to eat?

Yes and no. Yes, a vegetarian diet is excellent for good health when you follow the general rules of a nutritionally-balanced diet and be sure you get the nutrients from vegetables that you miss by giving up animal foods. On the other hand, avoiding meat won't keep you healthy if instead you consume a lot of high- fat, nutrient-empty, junk foods. Vegetarians must also have an otherwise healthy lifestyle to harvest the full benefits of their plant eating. It does little good to eat a tomato and sprout sandwich on whole wheat bread if you also plant yourself on the couch in front of the TV set and smoke cigarettes several hours a day. The vegetarian who piles on the chips soaked in hydrogenated oil, along with high-fat cheese, and artificially-sweetened or highly-sugared beverages would be better off nutritionally if he had less of a sweet tooth, cut down on fat, and indulged in a little animal flesh.