I am Vegitarian, is that healthy for me being 17. Also, what can I eat in place of meat?

Question

I have been Vegitarian for a few months now. I am uncertain what to eat in place of meat. My parents are kind of worried that I'm not getting enough of the vitamins I need. I mean I take a vitamin daily. Can someone please give me advice, thanks you.

Answer 1

one of my good friends has been a vegetarian since age 14 (he's 19 now).

he eats lots of spinach (lots of different vitamins, very good for you),

beans (a lot of protein and good minerals),

and best of all, veggie burgers. i know they sound gross, but if you grill them or add some sort of flavoring, they actually taste better than most meat burgers (he's made me try them, lol). Plus, many kinds of burgers have TONS of protein and are very healthy.

It's always good to keep taking a vitamin, though, even if you're not a vegetarian...what with the kind of nutrition most people get nowadays :-/

Answer 2

Well...just make sure your careful about what you eat...there are pleanty of sites out there...make sure you get protein and everything else...even look up online for a vegetarian food pyramid...see if you can find one and that might help you out. People stress protein alot though..make sure your getting enough of that...very important.

Answer 3

Being a vegetarian is always healthy. Well it is if you consume the right amount of fruits and veges daily.

When I eat my fruits and vegetables I try to eat a variety. Usually I do this by looking at the colors (lol). The more colors, the better =]. Usually I have one fruit for breakfast (usually a banana, apple, or pear), and save the vegetables for lunch and dinner (I try to get 3-5 servings per day).

I think it's good you're taking multivitamin tablets. That should help out a lot. Make sure you check the ingredients for gelatin and fish oil; a lot of vitamins tend to have those stupid ingredients in them.

Umm, I don't really go out to restaurants that serve a lot of meat, but I think most of them will have at least one option for a vegetarian. Most should have a veggie burger or a salad bar-- Yea I know, it's not that great, but still it's better than nothing .=)

Answer 4

Eat a wide variety of foods; make sure to include lots of whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc...), green leafy vegetables (kale, chard, spinach, collard greens), and a variety of fruits.  

If you're not vegan, a little cheese now and again will help keep your lipids where they need to be.

And you can be perfectly healthy as a vegetarian whether you're 7, 17, or 70.

Answer 5

I've been was a vegetarian for two and a half years (since I was fourteen, I think.) I am seventeen. I've recently turned vegan.

Look into meat replacements. I'm bigger on soy meat. Your grocery store has an array of replacements to choose from.

My mom freaked out when I told her. She put me on a multi-vitamin. I'm doing just fine and I'm totally healthy.

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

It's definitely healthy for you.  You are at a lower risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes already.  Your parents are uneducated on vegetarianism.  They should research it and they'll find that meat isn't a very good source of nutrition.  Visit http://www.goveg.com for more information on vegetarianism.

In place of meat you can eat anything else you want.  Spaghetti, meatless pizza, veggieburgers, veggie stir-fry, bean burritos, corn on the cob, a veggie grinder, fruit salad, the list goes on and on.  That website has some great recipes to get you started.

Answer 7

There are so many vegetarian things to substitute for meat.

Try MorningStar foods, Boca Burgers, LightLife brand, and so much more. Scope out your local grocery store for a vegetarians section, I have one where I shop and its a vegetarians paradise! Good Luck! Plus tell you parents not to worry. As long as you eat healthy stuff like veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, tofu, etc and don't just eat junk you'll be a-okay!