15, still growing, but becoming vegetarian?

Question

I'm 15 years old and I've been considering becoming a vegetarian for a few months now. However, my mum says that I shouldn't become one because I'm still growing and need my 'protein' when I have found that surely most vegetarians can get the protein made in meat through a diet of certain vegetables or supplements. I have a feeling this question has been asked time and time before, but I would like some advice from anyone who has become a vegetarian and your opinions on the whole vegetarianism affecting the way in which you grow.

Also if anyone has any supplements [for meat proteins] that they already use or find in vegetables or dairy products could you please mention those?

I don't [have never] drank milk for most of my life, so does this make way for me to be even more unhealthy if I do decide to change to a vegetarian lifestyle?

All answers are appreciated!

Thank you!! =)

Answer 1

I have been a vegetarian since I was 14 mid way through freshman year.

You should become a lacto-ovo vegetarian (a vegetarian that drinks milk and eats eggs but excludes red meat, poultry and sea food from your diet)

You should take a like centrum. It has iron in it and other things meat has plenty of.

Here are a few sites

http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutritio...

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3002-be...

http://www.vegetarianteen.com/

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-Teens...

http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vegetar...

You should have your mom schedule a doctor's appointment and have your mom go with you.

Answer 2

The younger you go veg the better! Learn about veg*anism and nutrition.

Sites to check out:

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/eat.html

http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/

http://www.vegcooking.com/

http://vegweb.com/

http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07groce...

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

Nutrition:

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2008/02/v...

Recipes:

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2007/08/v...

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2007/09/o...

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2007/09/v...

Answer 3

You dont have to worry about protein because its not all about meat and fish that can give you those protein also comes nuts and your growing shouldnt be effected because being a vegetarian is much easier then being a teen vegan because your still taking in dairy products (if your a lacto vegetarian) compared to a vegan which does not and studies have shown that vegan teens are actually shorter than vegetarian  teens

you should check out some of these sites

goveg.com

vegweb.com

vegconnect.com

veggieconnection.com

allveggielinks.com

veegielinks.com

also some good vegetarian books

1. 15-minute vegetarian : 200 quick, easy, and delicious recipes the whole family will love / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.



  

2.    

Amber waves of grain : traditional American whole foods cooking & contemporary vegetarian, vegan & macrobiotic cuisine / Alex and Gale Jack ; foreword by Michio and Aveline Kushi ; illustrations by Rod House.



  

3.    

American wholefoods cuisine : 1300 meatless wholesome recipes from short order to gourmet / Nikki & David Goldbeck ; preface by Barbara Haber.



  

4.    

A beautiful bowl of soup : the best vegetarian recipes / by Paulette Mitchell ; photographs by William Meppem.



  

5.    

The best of Lord Krishna's cuisine : favorite recipes from The art of Indian vegetarian cooking / Yamuna Devi.



  

6.    

The best vegetarian recipes : from greens to grains, from soups to salads : 200 bold-flavored recipes / Martha Rose Shullman.



  

7.    

Betty Crocker easy everyday vegetarian : meatless main dishes you'll love!



  

8.    

The big book of vegetarian : more than 225 recipes for breakfasts, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, main dishes, sides, breads, and desserts / by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley.



  

9.    

Cafe Flora cookbook / Catherine Geier with Carol Brown.



  

10.    

Carb-conscious vegetarian : 150 delicious recipes for a healthy lifestyle / Robin Robertson.



  

11.    

Classic vegetarian cooking from the Middle East & North Africa / Habeeb Salloum.



  

12.    

Compassionate cuisine : gourmet vegetarian recipes & the philosophy and culture of caring / Vrnda Devi.



  

13.    

The complete book of vegetarian grilling : over 150 easy and tasty recipes you can grill indoors and out / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler.  



  

14.    

The complete idiot's guide to being vegetarian / by Frankie Avalon Wolfe.  



  

15.    

Complete vegetarian cookbook / Charmaine Solomon.



  

16.    

The complete vegetarian handbook : recipes & techniques for preparing delicious, healthful cuisine / by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley ; illustrations by David Pollard.



  

17.    

The contented vegetarian / Matthew Drennan and Annie Nichols.



  

18.    

Cook 1.0 : a fresh approach to the vegetarian kitchen : breakfast, lunch + dinner / Heidi Swanson ; foreword by Art Smith. (



  

19.    

Cooking the Cuban way : culturally authentic foods, including low-fat and vegetarian recipes / by Alison Behnke and Victor Manuel Valens.



  

20.    

Cooking the Vietnamese way : to include new low-fat and vegetarian recipes / Chi Nguyen and Judy Monroe.



  

21.    

The enlightened kitchen : fresh vegetable dishes from the temples of Japan / Mari Fujii ; photographs by Tae Hamamura ; translation by Richard Jeffery.



  

22.    

Entertaining for a veggie planet : 250 down-to-earth recipes / Didi Emmons.



  

23.    

Ethical markets : growing the green economy / Hazel Henderson with Simran Sethi ; foreword by Hunter Lovins.



  

24.    

The ethnic vegetarian : traditional and modern recipes from Africa, America, and the Caribbean / Angela Shelf Medearis, author of Ideas for Entertaining from the African-American Kitchen.



  

25.    

Everyday Greens : home cooking from Greens, the celebrated vegetarian restaurant / by Annie Somerville.



  

26.    

The flexitarian table : inspired, flexible meals for vegetarians, meat lovers, and everyone in between / Peter Berley, with Zoe Singer ; photographs by Quentin Bacon.



  

27.    

Fresh food fast : delicious, seasonal vegetarian meals in under an hour / Peter Berley and Melissa Clark.



  

28.    

The gluten-free vegetarian kitchen : delicious and nutritious wheat-free, gluten-free dishes / Donna Klein.



  

29.    

The healthy hedonist holidays : a year of multicultural, vegetarian-friendly holiday feasts / Myra Kornfeld ; illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka.  



  

30.    

Hope's edge : the next diet for a small planet / Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe.



  

31.    

How to cook everything vegetarian : simple meatless recipes for great food / Mark Bittman ; illustrations by Alan Witschonke.



  

32.    

How to cook everything. Vegetarian cooking / Mark Bittman ; illustrations by Alan Witschonke.



  

33.    

India's vegetarian cookery / Monisha Bharadwaj ; photography of India by Jenner Zimmermann ; food photography by Will Heap.



  

34.    

Living among meat eaters : the vegetarian's survival handbook / Carol J. Adams.



  

35.    

Living in the raw gourmet / Rose Lee Calabro.

  

36.    

Low-carb vegetarian / Margo DeMello.



  

37.    

Low-carb vegetarian cooking : 150 entrees to make low-carb vegetarian cooking easy and fun / Sue Spitler with Linda R. Yoakam.

  

38.    

Mediterranean harvest : vegetarian recipes from the world's healthiest cuisine / Martha Rose Shulman.



  

39.    

Mediterranean vegetarian cooking / Paola Gavin.



  

40.    

New vegetarian cooking : 120 fast, fresh, and fabulous recipes / Rose Elliot.

  

41.    

One-dish vegetarian meals : 150 easy, wholesome, and delicious soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, pastas, rice dishes, chilis, and more / Robin Robertson.



  

42.    

Passionate vegetarian / by Crescent Dragonwagon ; illustrated by Robbin Gourley.

  

43.    

The PDQ (pretty darn quick) vegetarian cookbook : 240 healthy and easy no-prep recipes for busy cooks / Donna Klein.

  

44.    

Quick-fix vegetarian / Robin Robertson.

  

45.    

The Real Food Daily cookbook : really fresh, really good, really vegetarian / Ann Gentry with Anthony Head.

  

46.    

Regina's international vegetarian favorites / Regina Campbell.



  

47.    

Silk road cooking : a vegetarian journey / Najmieh Batmanglij.



  

48.    

Twelve months of monastery salads : 200 divine recipes for all seasons / Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette.

49.    

Vegetable soups from Deborah Madison's kitchen / Deborah Madison.



  

50.    

Vegetarian / recipes, Dana Jacobi ; general editor, Chuck Williams ; photography, Bill Bettencourt.



  

51.    

The vegetarian bible / Sarah Brown.



  

52.    

Vegetarian cooking for beginners / Fiona Watt ; illustrated by Kim Lane ; photography by Howard Allman ; recipes by Catherine Atkinson.



  

53.    

Vegetarian cooking for dummies / by Suzanne Havala.

  

54.    

Vegetarian cooking for everyone / Deborah Madison ; [photographs by Laurie Smith ; illustrations by Catherine Kirkwood].



  

55.    

The vegetarian family cookbook / written and illustrated by Nava Atlas.

  

56.    

The vegetarian meat and potatoes cookbook / Robin Robertson.

  

57.    

Vegetarian recipes from around the world / by Sue Townsend and Caroline Young.



  

58.    

Vegetarian sandwiches : fresh fillings for slices, pockets, wraps, and rolls / by Paulette Mitchell ; photographs by Ondine Vierra.



  

59.    

Vegetarian suppers from Deborah Madison's kitchen / Deborah Madison.

  

60.    

Vegetarianism and teens : a hot issue / Kathleen Winkler.

  

61.    

The wild vegetarian cookbook : a forager's culinary guide (in the field or in the supermarket) to preparing and savoring wild (and not so wild) natural foods, with more than 500 recipes / "Wildman" Steve Brill ; foreword by Arthur Schwartz.



  

62.    

A year in a vegetarian kitchen : easy seasonal suppers for family and friends / Jack Bishop ; photographs by Richard Jung



  

63.    

Yoga kitchen : recipes from the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat / Faith Stone and Rachael Guidry..  



  

64.    

You don't need meat / Peter Cox.

Answer 4

It is a common misconception that vegetarians do not get enough protein.  This is simply not true.  If you eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet, with beans, nuts, tofu and different types of vegetables, you will get more than sufficient protein.

Answer 5

Lots of children are brought up as vegetarian from birth. You can grow perfectly normally and healthily without meat. Lots of other food has protein in it. Peanuts and other nuts are full of protein, baked beans and other pulses, eg. kidney beans, butter beans, have lots of protein in them. Cheese is very good for protein. If you eat a balance diet, eg. nuts, vegetables, fruit, bread, pasta, rice, you will not need any supplements. Without the fat content of red meat, you'll probably feel a lot healthier and find that you have more energy rather than less.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

i'm 15, and 6 foot 5.

i'm vegetarian.

good enough?

Answer 7

hey, i became a vegetarian at the age of 14, towards the end of 8th grade. i'm not sure if the decision had any effective impediments on my development, but i first got my period at the end of 9th grade. my younger sister had already gotten hers at that point. i'm not sure if there's any correlation between the two, but jus thought it might help you w/ your decision. and judging from my foot size, i thought i'd be at least 1-3 inches taller, and every once in a while, i think that maybe vegetarianism was the reason behind my height growth, or lack thereof. but im 18 now and 5'5" so in the long run, i dont think theres anything that can go wrong as long as your body gets what it needs, yknow? gluck.

Answer 8

Hi!

It is important to get enough iron and protein while you are still growing, but eating lots of soy and other products can easily help with this.

I became a vegetarian when I was 7, and I'm perfectly fine!

BLARGH!!

Sorry...

Answer 9

Tell your mother that the American Dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada both approve of well-planned vegetarian diets for ALL life stages, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.

Vegetarians quite easily get all the protein they need from food.  There is no need for supplements.  Eat a balanced, varied diet including soybeans and soy foods (tofu, tempeh, tvp, edamame, fake "meats,") beans and other legumes (lentils, chickpeas, peas, peanuts, peanut butter,) whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat, oats, barley, millet,) nuts, seeds, vegetables (especially dark green ones,) mushrooms, eggs, and dairy products.  Meat is not a magical source of protein; on a per calorie basis, lots of plant foods have way more protein than beef.

If you're not drinking milk, you need to be sure that you're getting other sources of calcium.  Here are some vegan (non-meat, non-dairy) sources: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

I strongly recommend that you (and your mom) read "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.  Both authors are registered dietitians and they've included everything you need to know to be a healthy vegetarian, including a chapter specifically addressing the needs of teen vegetarians.

(Centrum and other major brands of vitamins are not vegetarian - they include gelatin and often have nutrients derived from fish.  If you want to take a multi, look for a brand specifically labeled vegetarian.  Whole Foods carries several of them.)

Answer 10

hiiiya....evn am 15 nd am a vegetarian....wll i hav nvr eaten meat but i get proteins evn thru da veg stufff soo u cn change in2 a vegetatiann....nd u need 2 drnk milk its extremely vital fr health.....it dusnt affect ur growth in any way....pllss do infrm me if mah answr was helpful....

Answer 11

You may want to do some research on the vegetarian society website and show to your mother, so she can be sure you will be all right and give her less worry : )

Soybeans is the completed plant protein just like meat, it is proven.  Any product from it, gives you the complete protein. Of course protein can be obtained from nuts, seeds, vegetarian, grains, those have some part of the protein missing and we need to eat assorted veg, nuts, seeds etc

Milk - replace with soy milk or almond milk.

Answer 12

That's great you're interested in going veg! :)

Here's some information to share with your mom:

The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, and it supports vegetarian diets for all ages: "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence."

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=03exper...

There are plenty of vegetarian foods that are high in protein. They include almonds, black beans, cashews, fake meats, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, peanut butter, pinto beans, soybeans, soymilk, sunflower seeds, and tofu.

There are many good non-dairy sources of protein, iron, and calcium. (Here's a list that you can print out and show your mom:  http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc... ). It's not necessary to drink milk. Milk is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol, so you're better off without it.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 13

Vegetarians can get everything they need and more easily. Even vegans can. You can take vitamins and all that if you want. They are better than nothing but you shouldn't replace them with a healthy diet. Do the research to show parents, prove to them you can get protein you need and anything else they are concerned about. Vegetarian diets are better for you than the "regular" meat eaters diet. The fact you don't drink milk is fine. I'm vegan, I don't use any animal by-products including milk. I'm 16 and healthy. You will be fine, if you plan your diet first it will be easier and healthier for you. Good luck. I hope I helped you.

Answer 14

I've been veg since I was 8. Eat nuts, beans, spinach. Those are your friends. There's lots of supplements, so you have to find one you like the most. A protein powder will also be good for you. Don't forget your multivitamin. A vegetarin one like' rainbow' is good.

Has anyone told you that you can't eat gummy candy like gummy bears? Gelatin, not your friend.

Answer 15

i became a vegetarian at 13 and i was healthier and am still healthier this way.... you can certainly do it :)  you can get protein from a variety of sources, including veggies and grains as well as lentils and beans, tofu, soy products (including the soy "meats", which i think make the transition very easy as you can just sub in the soy version of meats in meals you are used too and they are very high in protein and healthier than meat anyway).  i'm not a big fan of milk and i discovered i love soy milk! give a try!  do you eat other dairy? eggs?  you'll get protein from those sources as well.... be sure to eat a good variety of fruits and veggies.  most omnis don't, but it's even more important on a veg diet.  i like apples and peanut butter as snacks as well as hummus with carrots and celery... add fruit to oatmeal.... beans to salsa... you can take a regular multi vitamin if you feel better doing so but if you eat a good variety you shouldn't even need one.  good luck!

Answer 16

Your families genetics will determine your growth not your diet. I'd suggest getting yourself a couple vegetarian cookbooks.

Non-processed Protein - eggs - dairy - beens - seeds, nuts, whole grains.

Processed protein - peanut butter - tofu - wheat gluten - soy milk - veggie hot dogs - veggie burgers - veggie sausage - etc.

Answer 17

i have a vegetarian friend who takes vitamins and supplements to make up what she isnt getting from the meat. i know you will defenitly need to take iron. my suggestion would be to go into a natural health store and talk to someone there explaining everything you just said. they will tell you what you will need in your diet and what foods or vitamins you can get them from.

Answer 18

For the protein you can use tofu it's like a substitute to beef and full of many vitamins or they have protein shakes