I'm going vegetarian & I'm fourteen, is that such a bad thing?

Question

My mom and boyfriend don't support me at all,

they keep saying I shouldn't because I need calcium, protein, and iron, I know this.. So what foods can I eat so I can stay healthy?

Answer 1

Listen, vegetarian isnt just okay at ure age, its a good thing. Dont let anyone tell u wats right. I have friends who are 11, and are vegitarian. Every vegetarian ive met has wished that they had "gone veggie" wen they were born. I just wish that i had the willpower :) anyway, go with beans, and lots and lots of NUTS!! Also, try celery, its good, and if you are rewally brave, go with, SOY, SOy, SOY!

Answer 2

lentils,nuts and beans and stuff

Answer 3

Beans, nuts, trailmix. :D

Milk.

There's also supplement vitamins and stuff like that available in drugstores.

Answer 4

It's not necessarily a bad thing, but just remember that you will be in danger of anemia (especially during your menstrual cycle).  You can still get iron from beans and nuts, but just remember, that iron that comes from those sources have to be eaten with Vitamin C or your body will not absorb the iron.  The only iron that your body can absorb on its own is the iron that comes from meat.  So, be sure to eat beans or nuts every day at the same time as you eat an orange or other food that is high in Vitamin C.

Poultry eggs will be one of the most important things that you can eat if you are cutting out meat because you can still get a lot of the meat nutrients that way.

You may also want to consider slowly working into a vegetarian diet so that your body has time to adjust to the different sources of nutrients (and also so that you and your Mom have some time to do a little research and figure out ways that she can cook for you and for the rest of the family without being overwhelmed - for instance, what are some main dishes for you that would serve well as a side dish/salad, etc. for the rest of the family and that you can help her to cook?).  

You can start by cutting out beef, pork, lamb, etc. and then cut out poultry in a few months.  I know that it would not be a full vegetarian diet, but I would recommend never cutting out fish.  If you do cut out fish, though, make sure that you have done a lot of studying first and know how to get your body's required nutrients.

If you are doing this for reasons of compassion, you may want to find a local source to buy fresh fish and fresh eggs/dairy.  Animals that are not raised in factory-type settings are treated better a lot of the time.  The foods that local sources provide may also be more organic and less altered and better for you.  

Here are some meals that your family can enjoy together, too:

Omelets - you can have a veggie omelet and they can have bacon

Quiche - very yummy for both groups

French Toast/Waffles/Pancakes

Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Potato Bar

etc.

There are lots of things that you and your family can do if you are willing to work with your Mom and help her plan meals (remember this is going to be an adjustment for her, too, and she will enjoy seeing her daughter take some initiative and act maturely instead of just saying "Forget you, I'm going to do what I want to do and not care about anyone else" like some people would tell you to do).  This may actually give you some bonding time with her.  There is a way to work it out if you work together - just go to her with some ideas.

I would consider finding a boyfriend who is more sensitive to what is important to you - even a guy who's not a vegetarian can still be sensitive to your love for animals and your desire to be vegetarian.

Answer 5

Just know that if you go a month without eating beef, you will lose the enzyme that digests it.  What that means is that if you try to eat beef sometime in the future, you should expect a really bad tummy ache.  Also, you will have to supplement your diet with vitamins & minerals that you will no longer be getting from meat.  Discuss this with your doctor, so she/he can prescribe you the best supplements.

Answer 6

Well I have been a vegetarian my whole life, and I eat pasta and tofu and mac and cheese and grilled cheese and vegie burgers there are so many things you can eat as a vegetarian. Plus you can lose weight too. You will also get calcium and protien and iron.

Answer 7

seafood,fruits,vegetables,pasta. "morning star" has tons of vegetarian options. check out their website

Answer 8

i think ur makinng a good decision im 13 & have been a vegitarian for 4 years & im fine

but many people will probably ? u

eat beans & stuff

sum meat substitutes are morning star, boca ,& quorn in th freezer isles

Answer 9

I'm 13 and proudly a vegetarian!

Calcium can be found in dairy products, assuming you're not a vegan

Protein can be found in beans, seafood, etc.

Answer 10

Take a daily vitamin & know what you must eat to stay healthy. So start doing some research. Oh, you better learn how to cook too. Good Luck!

Answer 11

It seems to me that no one cares about a teenager's diet until she wants to be a vegetarian.  Then it's all "what about protein/calcium/iron/B12" etc. ad infintium.

No one seems to care when all she eats are Chicken nuggets, Hot Cheetos and Coke.  Noooooo, the problem is when she wants to become a vegetarian.

And you're too young to have a boyfriend.  Never too young to be a vegetarian.

Answer 12

It isn't such a bad thing at all! I became a vegetarian when I was 10 (I'm almost 16 now) and I never regretted it. By eating eggs, milk, beans, and soy meat substitutes (veggie burgers, etc.) I've stated perfectly healthy. Overall, a vegetarian diet is much healthier than a meat-eating one. It is also kinder to the environment and obviously to animals.

Just explain to your mother and boyfriend your reasons for wanting to become a vegetarian. Do some research on what kinds of foods you could substitute in for meat to stay healthy-show them you're serious and mature about this. Being a vegetarian isn't that hard once you figure out what foods you can eat to stay healthy.

As far as meat substitutes go, my favorites are Morning Star Farms and Quorn. Both make tons of delicious products that taste like meat, and they have fewer calories, less fat, and just as much protein. You can still get your calcium from dairy and your iron from eggs and dark, leafy greens.

Good luck!

Answer 13

You'll be fine. Sometimes people just worry when they don't understand.  So take control of your nutrition, and when your mom and boyfriend see how healthy you are, they'll get off your back.

Be open to trying lots of new foods... I had a fun time when I first went vegetarian trying new things that I hadn't considered before. So experiment and explore. (Try hummus, couscous,  curry, boca burgers.... etc.)

Protein you can get from many things. Nuts, beans-----peanut butter is always great when you're in a hurry.

Calcium and iron you can get from dairy (I assume you aren't going vegan yet), and veggies like broccoli and spinach.

-have peanut butter on hand

-try "fake meats" like Boca burgers and corn dogs (or w/e). Just think of them as another way to get protein.

-eat lots of vegetables, and try ones you didn't like in new ways.

enjoy!

Answer 14

You'll be fine as long as you maintain a balanced diet. It could be that their concerns aren't so much about your health as your relationships with them.

Mom might be worried that it will be extra work for her. Maybe she feels rejected that you don't want to eat her food.

Both of them might worry that you'll judge them for eating meat. If you usually share food with either of them, it will be weird for them to not be able to do that any more.

Just some thoughts. As long as you're not replacing meat with eggs and cheese (which do have protein, yes, but also have lots of fat), you should be fine. Eat more legumes.

Answer 15

Who cares what you your boyfriend and your mum think .You see this is the biggest problem with girls your age are that they always, always care about what other people think or say about them and the one piece of advice I have for them is....    DON'T!! If your going to do that for the rest o your life so be it except your going to live the rest of your life depressed and very very worried. That's why we're made because every one's different and in everybody's lives you are going to have to deal with a lot of these problems. So OFCOURSE  it's alright to be a vegitearian I know heaps of people your age that are and remember even if there arn't any that is even better!!!!!:)

Answer 16

If you eat a variety of foods with an emphasis on fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, it is a very good thing.

I have had great health benefits since changing to a vegetarian / mainly vegan diet.

However, if you eat vegetarian food like my niece - who constantly looks pale and sickly – because she mainly survives on bread and cheese (and never consumes fresh fruit and fresh vegetables), it is a very bad thing.

Calcium, protein and iron are all available in a vegetarian / vegan based diet.

For protein see: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

For calcium see: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

For iron see: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

.

Answer 17

Its not a bad thing my friend who is 14 is a vegeterian she eats lots of fruits. She also eats peanuts.

Answer 18

vegan or vegetarian???? vegetarian means no meat  but you can eat cheese, yogurt, eggs, milk..   vegan means nothing that comes from an animal not even milk....  the problem with been vegan is that you don't get enough nutrients or vitamins,,, resulting in weak bones,,, your teeth become weak, your body, your eye sight and you don't develop the way you should, later in life you might need to take vitamins to replace all the nutriens you don't get, and even get shots..

while being vegetarian means you can drink milk, eat cheese, and still get your proteins

Answer 19

Well first thing is first, if you are going Vegetarian, think about the lack of iron!

So you need supplementary iron tablets.

You can eat fruits, nuts, cereals etc to keep your body going.

I don't like meat either, but I try to eat it when I can for the iron, so just be wary of that, because you can become very tired.

Answer 20

I'm only thirteen and I'm fine.

nuts can give you protein..

Answer 21

Peanuts and Beans give you lots of protein, and you get lots of calcium from milk...

Answer 22

Forget them. Do what you believe is right. I'm 15 and was semi-vegetarian for most my life (i only ate chicken) and then decided to become completely veg and I'm proud of that. A friend of mine went from eating meat straight to being a vegan and didn't have anyone's support (except mine) in the beginning. Now, her parents don't exactly support her, but they aren't as against it any longer. People always ask me about how I get my protein and I tell them I'm perfectly healthy. I drink a lot of milk and I eat nuts and cheese. But the truth is, more people suffer from getting too much protein (which results in obesity, heart disease, etc.) than not getting enough. What you have to remember is that it is completely your decision! Good Luck!

Answer 23

It's bad if you don't research and plan your diet wisely.

If you don't get support from your mother and you just pick random things that you can eat instead of eating what you actually NEED, you will feel worse rather than better in the long run.

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

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

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...

Answer 24

the first thing is why are you going veg? is it the thing to do to be different? cause that would be the wrong reason.. do you even know how far you will take it ? will you stop eating eggs? or milk?   you are 14.. you still need a lot of nutrition .. if  you want change your mind i would be sure to take vitamins.

Answer 25

You can get protein from beans, nuts and nut butters, rice, oatmeal, bagels, tofu, broccoli, potatoes, and lots of soy products and almost all kinds of "fake meat." Since on labels you don't usually see percent daily values for protein, multiply your weight in pounds by .36 and that's how many grams of protein you should eat per day.

As for iron, lots of cereals, breads, etc. are iron-fortified. Read labels to see what foods are good sources of iron. Most beans, nuts, and seeds have lots of iron and so do vegetables, especially dark, leafy green ones. It's also easy to get 100% of your iron in a supplement.

Calcium is available in dairy products, fortified orange juice, broccoli, figs, spinach, sesame and flax seeds, beans, nuts, tofu, and others. It's also easy to find calcium supplements.

I really do recommend taking a multivitamin supplement. It will really really give your family peace of mind. I'm not really sure if grocery stores have multivitamins without gelatin, but I order a vegan multivitamin online at www.devanutrition.com.

Talk to your family and reassure them that you've done your research and that you'll eat good, healthy foods and make sure you get all the nutrition you need. It sounds like they really do care about you and your health, so be thankful for them and make sure they know you are mature and responsible enough to make healthy choices and eat well. Good luck!

Answer 26

It's not bad at all.  Just read some books on nutrition; you can get them free at the library.

Answer 27

there is certain food that you SHOULD eat that is right for your blood type. My friend hasnt grown since she was like 12 ( 15 now ) because for her blood type she needs meat to grow taller. Theres a book called eat right for your blood type. look it up there. :) or give me ur blood type and i can try find it

Answer 28

Being vegetarian isn't actually bad for like some people say. You can maintain a healthier weight with a vegetarian diet and if you stay with it you reduce your risk of heart attack and other health problems later in your life.

Calcium, protein, and iron can be found in so many different kinds of foods that vegetarians can eat. Vegetarians can still drink milk which provides you with calcium and some protein. Soy is a great alternative to meat as well. Tofu only tastes good if you cook it in something that tastes good, so if you decide to eat that then there are many recipes that call for tofu that are really yummy.

If you can't find any food that you like to eat that will provide you with vitamins and minerals you need, then take a supplement. Whole Foods is a good place to look for supplements that will fit all your dietary needs as a vegetarian.

There are many environmental and health benefits to being vegetarian. Even though some people in your life might not support you in this decision, it's your choice and it helps your health as well as the environment.

If you need more information Peta.org is a good place to start.

Answer 29

listen to your mom and your boyfriend. you are just a confused teen who does not know what you want. Eat meat it is good for you. Don't listen to those smelly tree hugging hippies. Human have been eating meat since the dawn of time. why stop now.

mmmmm feel like a double quarter  pounder now.

Answer 30

Which are you worried about being a bad thing.  Being a vegetarian or being fourteen.

Answer 31

i'm 14 and i've been a vegetarian for all my life

it's part of my religion

some people i know give me h**l saying things like

YOU DON'T GET IRON OR PROTEIN

i'm perfectly healthy, and my moms a doctor so i know i'm getting proper nutrients

just drink milk, eat soy products, and veggie meat, and nuts

just make sure you're getting you're proper nutrients ;)