Going veg need help?

Question

so i really want to become a vegetarian. im 15, but im sure my mom would be fine with it. does anyone have any tips for me?

and are there any products/ companys i should stay away from?

Answer 1

Get a vegetarian cookbook definitely. Buy a lot of local produce (Do you have any farmstands nearby?) because personally I find the taste and freshness to be more appealing than Wal-Mart-type produce and I'm more likely to eat it. Tofu isn't as bad as it looks if you give it a chance and experiment with it. And here's a major one: Don't overreact if people tease you about becoming/being a vegetarian because it's going to happen, but mostly it will be all in good fun (I hope) and no one is really trying to hurt your feelings. It's something people do. Try not to let it get to you. Good luck!  

Answer 2

Awesome that you want  to go veg! This blog is good: http://veganpeace.blogspot.com . It has links to guides, information, reasons to go veg, recipe sites, foods to eat, other vegan blogs, nutrition, tips and ideas, just go to toggle post. Good place to start there:

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2007/12/n...

Some other sites that will help:

http://www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack...

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

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

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

http://www.vivausa.org/activistresources...

http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/p...

http://vegan-info.com/faq.html

Just stay away from products that contain animals and animal products, and companies that promote animal cruelty and animal testing.

Answer 3

Not everyone is open to vegetarianism. Some are to stubborn or just plain ignorant to understand how beneficial becoming vegetarian is. That being said I would have to agree with the previous commentor. Also the first few months are the hardest. If you've been a meat eater your whole life, giving that up will be no easy task.

Become vegetarian over time, do not quit cold turkey which may be hard to hear if you are really passionate about changing your eating habits. Your body will need to ween itself off of meat. It will not like a sudden change in diet. Over the next few months, go from eating meat twice a week to once a week and then once a month or so.

Try going to a health food store. A place that sells organic fruits and even soy meats for an easier transition.

Answer 4

I'm 15 and going veg too. I also need help.

Answer 5

I would suggest looking into vegan. Dairy is worse than meat for your body. Cheese... i can't begin to explain how much cheese is for your body, but do a little research if you want to see it. Look up, "is cheese addictive" to get it rolling.

Anyway, the key thing that i do when starting to switch is..

first:

switch to whole grain products. Ditch the white bread.

second:

eat a solid, fiber based breakfast. This would be like oatmeal, or whole grain toast

third:

make sure you get a multivitamin. It is good for general health, and will make you feel good and helps you get the vitamin b12 which is missing from your diet (i could go into explaining why it is missing, but its long and has to do with how we harvest crops now).

now, realize that when you switch to this diet, you will be missing cheese a lot, this is because it is insanely addictive, along with meat. Meat is addictive due to your body naturally wants to eat high calories type foods (like candy, they just taste good). So you might crave it a bit.

As far as tips, just plan out the meals, and try to get in butt-loads of veggies.

As one person putting...

H = N / C

H is health

N is nutrients

C is calories

Your health is determined by eating high nutrient foods with lower calories.

Good luck.