Is being a vegetarian more expensive than eating a meat-based diet?

I don't think so, personally. At the grocery store today, most roasts cost around $11. A roasting chicken was $9. The roast would feed my guys one night. The chicken, there might be enough left over for a sandwich, but that was one mighty puny bird. A london broil was $12. Then you add some potatoes and a veggie, maybe some bread. That's fairly expensive. A bag of rice was around $2, depending on size and brand. Pasta and a marinara sauce isn't expensive, especially made with home grown tomatoes or tomatoes from a friend or farmers' market. Veggies are relatively inexpensive, and you can compost the remains of veggies...the peelings, etc.

One of our favorite things is flavorful steamed veggies. Gather a bunch of your favorite veggies. Typically, our steamed veggies are one zuchinni, one squash, one or two tomatoes, half an onion, a handful of green beans or snow peas (we like both), some carrot, sliced into half-inch circles, maybe a small eggplant. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, add to a glass dish (photos next time I cook this). Cut squash, zuchinni and eggplant (if using) into circles, not too thick or thin. Cut the ends off of green beans and string the snow peas. Add sea salt, pepper, and parsley (fresh is best, dried is OK) to taste. I also add a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Coat the veggies with the seasonings, cover the glass dish with foil and cook in a 350 degree over for 20-25 minutes. Inexpensive and good for you! With some rice this makes a meal for me, and a side dish for hubby and son.

I recently saw a recipe for Ultimate Veggie Fried Rice in the September 2009 Vegetarian Times magazine. That whole issue is a keeper..I'll probably make everything in it! Someone else kindly put the recipe on their blog, which you can find here: Ultimate Veggie Fried Rice I made this and it was soooooo yummy. (Please kill me if I ever say "yum-o"!)

Here's an article about vegetarian vs. meat eating, cost-wise:
Why eating meat is simpler