Does a vegetarian consume less or more than a non-vegeterian?

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Vegetarian foods consume less energy to produce than non-vegetarian foods because there is no energy lost between the plant that made the energy and the animal that ate the plant and the human eating the animal or plant.

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by becoming a vegetarian you dont get as much of certain things such as iron and some essential proteins, which you have to take suppliments to make sure you get

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It depends on what you mean by consume. I think it’s fair to say that a vegetarian consumes less resources than someone who eats meat, on average. Meats are very inefficient foods from a resource standpoint. The amount of grain and water it takes to make a typical beef serving is more than a person could eat at a single sitting.

The source I linked to is a bit radical, but the basic notions are sound.

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Well a non-vegan vegetarian CAN consume (by consume I’m meaning physically consume through eating) equal, more or less than an non-vegetarian. If you’re ovo-lacto veg. then you could spend your days eating nothing but junk food all day long and still be considered a vegetarian. Its easy to find supplements for vegetarians to complete their diet. If you see an unhealthy vegetarian… its for the same reasons you see an unhealthy non-veg… they’re not eating a well rounded diet. Most people who eat meat consume too much as it is.. so even replacing a meal here and there with a healthy vegetarian meal will do you good or simply eating a smaller portion of the meat you do eat.

Additional comment.
It is easy to get iron, vitamin A and proteins even on a vegan diet (although I am personally not vegan). The only vitamin that is harder to get is B12 but there are plenty of non-animal supplements out there.

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In general, vegetables contain fewer calories per pound than meats and fats, so a vegetarian has to eat more stuff by weight, or by volume, than a carnivore.

One problem with the vegetarian diet is that it is hard to get enough protein. Meat is concentrated protein, and most vegetables are very low in protein. Certain nutrients like iron and Vitamin A are mainly found in meats and fats, and are in short supply in vegetables. However, it is quite possible to get all the nutrition you need to be healthy on a vegetarian diet. Another implication is that vegetarians rarely get fat, and fat is a big detriment to good health.