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Is Vegetarianism Compatible with Torah Values?

Although Adam Harishon was commanded to refrain from eating meat, Hashem granted Noach permission to eat meat after the mabul (flood)—for all his progeny, for all time. 

On the subject of eating meat, the Torah is clear that it’s not only permitted, but preferred. There are a number of mitzvos associated with its consumption: it’s a mitzvah to eat meat on Yom Tov; meat (and alternatively chicken) is recommended as a standard Shabbos food; and it was a mitzvah to eat most karbanos (ritual sacrifices) in the Mikdash (Holy Temple). There are other times when eating meat takes on halachic significance. 

Whereas avoiding meat for health reasons is acceptable, abstaining with an ideological basis is not in sync with Torah. Although there were yechidei segulah (individual Jews of high caliber) who abstained from eating meat based on certain ideologies, their path is not a derech l’rabim (an example for the masses); therefore most of us should not refrain from eating meat as a matter of principle.