>> We’re probably ALL better off as vegetarians. Sigh. <<
It’s very difficult to acquire sufficient protein from vegetarianism. Throughout history, totalitarian regimes have always exalted vegetarianism, because it makes protein deprivation makes people placid and mush-brained. From King John, who prevented hunting in the King’s Forest, to Adolf Hitler, who called it inhumane (!!!), to the Chinese genocidal maniacs who killed 100 million people in the name of eliminating poverty, to the Stalinists who claimed it represented egalitarianism, nearly all genocidal regimes have advocated vegetarianism.
That said, you CAN be a vegetarian and consume sufficient protein, but it’s a tricky balancing act of consuming just the right plant-based amino acids at just the right time so that your body can assemble the proteins as you metabolize the amino acids. (Technically, plants contain proteins, but these aren’t considered dietetic proteins because you’re body can’t metabolize them as proteins because they are lacking essential amino acids.)
I suppose there are supplements to take that would help. Raw food is supposed to be the best for good health but taking a barley green drink is recommended and also Vitamin B supplements.