How to get protein on veggetarian diet ? teenager ? HELP PLEASE?

Question

Hi :)

I'm almost 14, and recently decided i want to become a veggietarian.

My parents originally agreed that that was ok.

Now, i havnt eaten meat for a couple of weeks now, and my parents decided i am not getting enough protein.

What foods have enough protein in them to take the place of animal meat ?

I dont like tofu, and im not big on beans, but maybe if they were made differently ?

So, please post some foods i could eat to take the place of meat, and any tips, / things i need to know now that i am not eating meat.

*im not a vegan, but i dont like any kind of fish*

Thanks.

Lots of answers would be great !

:)

Answer 1

Neither vegans or vegetarians eat fish.  Almost every food has protein.  Whole grains are a good source and if you choose to still consume dairy and eggs..those are good sources too.  Google "The vegetarian food pyramid" for what you should eat.

Answer 2

i went veg when i was 13 and i was HEALTHIER that way and still am healthy and happy too :)

you don't need as much protein as people think.... most people get too much protein.

do you eat dairy? dairy has protein (or the soy versions of dairy, like soy milk)

beans... add them to things you might end up liking them... add to salsa, make wraps/burritos/tacos... pasta with beans and veggies in pesto sauce is great hot or cold...

tofu.... i scramble it up like eggs with peppers and onions and soy sausage and cheese.  or i put in a stir fry.

soy "meats" i love them... makes life easy and they taste great!  you can just sub them in for a lot of meals you already ate before!

peanut butter :)

trail mix, nuts, veggies and hummus are all good protein snacks.

Answer 3

Teens need lots of protein and if you don't like tofu or beans, you've got a problem.  Why did you decide to become a vegetarian?  If possible, why not eat meat occasionally?  Here are some tofu recipes you might try to see if you like them--

Tofu-Vegetable Stir-Fry

Start to Finish: 30 minutes  Makes: 4 main-dish servings

1 ½ cups uncooked quick-cooking brown rice (I just cooked plain rice)

½ cup vegetable or chicken broth

¼ cup dry sherry (or whatever)  ÃƒÂ¯Ã‚ÂŠ

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

½ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup thinly sliced carrots (2 medium)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups broccoli florets

6 ounces firm or extra firm tub-style tofu (fresh bean curd), drained and cut into ½ inch cubes

1.  Prepare rice according to package directions; keep warm.

2.  Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl, combine broth, sherry, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and, if desired, red pepper.  Set sauce aside.  

3.  Lightly coat an unheated wok or large skillet with cooking spray.  Preheat over medium-high heat.  Stir-fry carrots and garlic for 2 minutes.  Add broccoli; stir-fry 3-4 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Push vegetables from center of wok.  

4.  Stir sauce; add to center of wok.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Add tofu.  Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce.  Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through.  To serve, spoon tofu mixture over rice.

Nutrition per serving: 216 cal., 3 g total fat, 0 mg chol., 206 mg sodium, 39 g carbo., 5 g fiber, 9 g protein.  

Meatless Tacos

Prep: 10 minutes  Cook: 35 minutes  Makes: 8 tacos

½ cup water

¼ cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained

¼ cup chopped onion

8 taco shells (I used whole wheat burrito shells)

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

½ of a 1 1/8 or 1 ¼ ounce envelope (5 teaspoons) taco seasoning mix

8 ounces firm or extra-firm tub-style tofu, drained and finely chopped

1 ½ cups shredded lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

½ cup bottled salsa (optional—but tasted really good!)

1.  In a medium saucepan combine water, lentils and onion.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed.  Meanwhile, heat taco shells according to package directions.

2.  Stir tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix into lentils.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.  Stir in tofu; heat through.  Spoon into taco shells.  Top with lettuce, tomato, and cheese.  If desired, serve with salsa.

Bulgur Tacos

Prepare as above, except increase water to ¾ cup and substitute bulgur for lentils.  Simmer water, bulgur and onion, covered, for about 15 minutes or until bulgur is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Nutrition per taco for lentil or bulgur: 148 cal., 7 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 7 mg chol., 460 mg sodium, 16 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.

http://vegweb.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=5e...

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfast...

http://www.house-foods.com/tofusteak_chi...

Answer 4

HAHA, you spelled 'vegetarian' like three different ways. Funny. Oh and protein-rich foods include Soy Milk, Eggs, Cheese, Yogurt, Peanut Butter, Lentils, Bread, Pasta, nuts...seeds...

Yeah, you could eat that....just mix it all together and cook it :)

Answer 5

beans are the best meat replacement. if you are serious about vegetarianism, you had better learn to like beans. I have found LOTS of indian and moroccan food that I love. it's very flavourful and traditionally people from those places are mostly vegetarian. go on allrecipes.com and search their vegetarian collection. one of my very favourites from that site is called "moroccan lentil soup". Ive made it for many meat-eaters and they all love it but it's LOADED with beans.

beans go beyond just pork n beans from a can! there are SO many different beans and so many great things you can make. you can take any recipe that calls for meat and substitute beans. I have made a bean lasagna. instead of making a beef sauce, I put in a can of drained black beans. it's absolutely great.

have you ever tried hummus? that's a great food for your health that's easy to make and makes a perfect lunch with a pita to dip in it. here's the recipe:

1 can of drained chick peas (also called garbanzo beans)

1 lemon juiced

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup tahihi (sesame seed paste available in the ethnic food aisle)

1 tbsp light olive oil or canola oil or other healthy good tasting oil.

1/2 cup water

throw all that in a blender and puree. refrigerate. rip up  a pita and dip it in! YUM!

Answer 6

Neither vegans nor vegetarians eat anything with a face. I suggest you do your research on what being a vegetarian is. We don't eat meat, poultry, or fish, so follow simple guidlines such as: Don't eat anything that had, or has a face. I've been a vegetarian for 6 months and I am perfectly fine, I'm also only 13, and did it all on my own. Any vegan/vegetarian nutritionist would tell you becoming vegan/vegetarian is healthy and can be beneficial later in life. It's not just about dropping meat. I'm a junkie, and my meals are not always nutritious, but I get enough protein. Try:

Vegetarian Chili (Can be bought in a can)

Top Ramen Oriental noodles with sliced green onion and a splash of soy sauce (One of my fave quick meals)

Vegetarian beans- I add brown sugar and Ketchup to taste (It tastes like Pork & Beans, but is traditionally in a tomatoe sauce)

Try veggie meat alternatives! My favorite brand is Morningstar-It's vegetarian, not vegan, and it tastes like real meats. I've tried vegan alternatives without much success.

If you're like me, the quickest thing to eat is microwaveable, and it is hard to find a whole meal that you can microwave in a snap. Amy's is a fantastic, organic, vegetarian brand that is microwaveable. I love Amy's!

Good luck, doll, and PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Answer 7

Why do you want to become a vegetarian when you detest tofu and beans.... no offense but it sounds like a popularity stunt... you still get protein from veges but much lower...

look at link: http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein-...

Answer 8

If you have a healthy appetite, you shouldn't have any worries about protein.

Bread, pasta, cereals, rice, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein. Keeping your diet varied is key.

Adding a mix of fruits and veggies takes care of everything else.

Dark green leafy vegetables are the most important and are often left out. The closest thing my parents ever fed me while growing up was spinach............. from a can.

It is recommend that EVERYONE take a B12 supplement, not just vegan and vegetarian people.

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index...

Any nutritionist that knows what they are talking about would not say that being vegetarian is a bad idea id done properly. Your dad is probably trying to fool you into giving up.

Answer 9

It is perfectly fine to become a vegetarian, it's very healthy and it helps fight the evils of the meat industry. But you must make sure you supplement your diet.

Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, rye, wheat germ, wild rice, hemp seed, peanut butter, many leafy greens, soy is also a good source (organic is best), eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, nutritional yeast...the list can go on.  Search for protein sources for vegetarians on the net.  There are TONS of sources out there.

Answer 10

First, congrats on your choice!  I became a vegetarian when I was 13, and I grew to 5'10", so don't listen to ignorant people who say it's bad for growth.  My parents freaked out about protein back then, too, because they didn't know any better.  America is obsessed with protein, due mostly to the billions of dollars the meat industry has spent putting out advertisement and propaganda to make us believe so.

The World Health Organization recommends that people get 10% of their diet from protein, not the 30 or more percent Americans get.  All of this extra animal protein causes problems like cancer and diabetes.

Just eat a varied diet of fruits and vegetables, and you will be fine.  If you're worried about protein, eat nuts, seeds, soy products, etc.

Answer 11

I find it EXTREMELY hard to beleive a nutritionist would say going veg isn't healthy for a teenager. You can get protein from a ton of stuff, like beans and legumes, seeds and nuts, along with seed and nut butters, mock meats, tofu, seitan, tempeh, whole grains, the list goes on and on. You can get iron from things such as dark and leafy veggies, tofu, and definately sea vegetables.

Answer 12

I COMPLETELY disagree with the nutritionist.  I am not a nutritionist, but I believe you should seek the opinion of other nutritionists before making a decision.  I am 28 and I've been vegan since I was 13.  I have not had any health issues.  I went to a nutritionist when I became vegan and they were not against it.  They gave me a vegetarian food guide pyramid (which I don't necessarily agree with) and they advised me on ways to get vitamins, protein, calcium, etc from vegan sources.  I would recommend taking a multivitamin that contains a sufficient amount of B12.  The RDA recommends that we take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh (or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh.  Here are some examples of vegetarian sources of protein.

1 cup of Tempeh 41g protein

3 oz Seitan 31g protein

1 cup Soybeans, cooked 29g protein

1 cup Lentils, cooked 18g protein

1 cup Black beans, cooked 15g protein

4 oz Tofu 11g protein

1 cup Quinoa 9g protein

1 med. Bagel 1 med.9g

2 tbsp Peanut butter 8 4g

1 cup Spaghetti, cooked 3.7 g

1/4 cup Almonds 8g

Answer 13

Soy of any sort has a high protein amount.

I'm not a vegan, but I love Soy Milk (Silk).

Answer 14

Vegitarian lifestyle is not about food that doesn't taste good or does taste good, you arn't doing it for that reason... either live with eating beans and tofu, or don't call yourself a vegitarian and eat some meat.