Im a vegeterian, but i dnt like eggs or fish or nuts n i obviously dnt eat meant so..?

Question

is there anythin in my diet which has protein and iron in it since becomin a vegeterian a few yrs ago i noticed my periods have only been really light and only lasted like a whole day n thts it.

i eat loads of fruit but im fussy with vegetables n i dnt like potatoes n i just mainly live of pasta.

by the way im only 16

is there a certain vitamin i shud take??

Answer 1

You need protein and iron.   Are you getting tired a lot, too?  Unfortunately, the best sources for those are meat products.  There are vitamins you won't get elsewhere, either, such as B12.  It's not really that healthy for you.  But- if you're committed to it as a lifestyle, you need to supplement what you aren't getting from your diet.  A good multi-vite with iron in it is a good place to start.

Add iron-rich foods such as Spinach and dark green leafies.  Docs usually won't put you on supplements unless you have a severe anemia.

Also, research "complete proteins".  Vegetables are great to a certain extent, but too much of a good thing is still too much.  You need to start adding beans, tofu, other sources of protein.  Using eggs in cooking can help- and you won't have to taste it.  How about milk or cheese?  

You can also consider using nutritional shakes or drinks to boost your intake.  You are at such a critical time in your life, you need to get that protein and iron.  As you've seen already, it can effect your body in not-so positive ways.  

I had a difficult time finding links on google that had quality information on it.  Finding a book that spells it out would be good. Try one like this:

http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Veget...

It needs to talk about sources of protein and iron. I expect it will but haven't read it myself.  Good luck and hope it helps.

Answer 2

Have you tried quorn, there are loads of pre-made quorn ready meals which are awesome and there are loads of low fat quorn recipes about.

Cottage pie

Chilli

Spag Bol

Answer 3

skim milk, low fat yougurt

Answer 4

You are far too fussy, you should go and live somewhere where people are starving...........

Be grateful for the fact good food is available to you.....

Answer 5

You should check your local Library for a couple of good books - "Becoming Vegetarian" and the Teen Vegetarian Cookbook.

You need to start exploring new foods, mainly green leafy vegetables.  Whether it is eating a salad or in a stir fry these are essential to your diet whether you are vegetarian or not.

Beans and bean products are a great source of protein and iron.  One of my favorite quick meals is Trader Joes vegan baked beans poured over macaroni and a salad with vegan ranch dressing.  It is amazingly good.

Answer 6

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years and am now a vegan. I didn't like eggs for most of that time, either and don't eat any sort of fish (or any other animals).

It sounds to me like your main problems is a lack of community in your vegetarian lifestyle. Is there a health food shop in your hometown? Or a healthy/organic product section in your supermarket? You need to start trying out new products and talking to people who are veggies themselves would also be very useful.

It's common, when young people experience problems with their vegetarian diet, for health professionals and other concerned parties to tell them that they need to eat meat and that it's impossible for them to be healthy without  it. But in my experience this is rarely true. However, you do need to start educating yourself about nutrition and find some easy-to-cook products that will get you through your high school years. If you ask for your parents to support you on this and spend the money they'd usually have to spend on meat on the kind of products you need (including some good iron supplements), and then if you figure out what you need yourself and go along to help pick it out, you're much more likely to get support.

Go to the library and ask for some books on vegetarianism or just search the web (start off at http://www.veganfreak.net/) and do some research. You will get sick if you just keep eating pasta, but their is a lovely world of beans, veggies, quorn, soya fakes, cheese and other foods that will make you want to turn cartwheels and dance. It's just not going to march up to your door on little legs and ask you to eat it...you're going to have to find it for yourself!

Well done, you, for sticking to it. You're doing the entire earth a big favour...now find some nice veggie folks to do you one or two in return!!!

Answer 7

Listen to your body, it is probably telling you that you actually do need meat. Please dont take offence at this, as the fact that you only started having a problem after stopping meat eating is as clear a sign as you are likely to get that being a vegetarian does not suit you.

Answer 8

You should eat a well balanced diet, that includes meat and dairy products.

You shouldn't let your morals rule your life.

Answer 9

Soy protein - have you ever tried edamame?  You can find them in your frozen food section.  Steam them and lightly salt them, and then eat the beans inside the pod.  I'm fussy with vegetables too, but I like these.

Answer 10

beans. not the taco bell kind, i mean like green beans and a whole bunch of indian recipes.

Answer 11

If you are vegetarian..you would not be eating fish anyway.  Vegetarians do not eat seafood.   If you are this picky about food, I suggest you take a vegetarian multi vitamin.

Answer 12

There are vitamins called teen vitamins or something like that ive seem at walmart, but u could talk to ur doctor about getting an iron supplement

Answer 13

Make sure you're getting your iron from green leafy vegetable like spinach. You can get your protein from stuff like beans.

Let's see, other than that, I'd suggest buying up some fortified Soymilk to get your Vitamin B12 and protein. Spend some time in the sun to get your Vitamin D. It's lovely, really.

Good look!

Answer 14

im 11 im a vegetarian. I don't like fish or much veg eather but i do like quorn. when yours family's having burgers you can have  burgers as well but not meat ones quorn and its tasty try it tastes nice if you don't like that go and see a doctor or quit being a vegetarian

Answer 15

Please stop letting your tastebuds rule your health. It's instances like yours that make people think ALL vegetarians are unhealthy.

You should be eating a wide range of foods (obviously not fish though as vegetarians by definition do not eat fish). You don't need eggs either but you really should be eating a huge selection of fruits, veggies, wholegrain pasta/rice/bread/cereals, beans, nuts and seeds. You can also try tofu, seitan, TVP and other soy products.

Trust me, I HATED nuts and disliked most veggies before I gave up meat but I just forced myself to eat them and now that I'm used to them, I love them. There's nothing I can't eat now!

It's all about training your brain to like them. Start off with frying some cashew nuts in a stir fry. Do the same with veggies you're not keen on... if you have them with other stuff you like then they should be more palatable.

There's no 'certain' vitamin you should take. You should be able to get all of your vitamins from a varied veg diet. The benefits of getting different nutrients from each plant based food far outweighs taking a pill.

At 16, you really should be thinking as an adult now and appreciate you must think of your health. You'll be surprised at how much better you feel once you start eating a healthy diet.

Answer 16

Examples of amounts of foods providing 2mg iron

Type of food Quantity (g)

Pistachios 14

Cashews (roasted) 32

Whole lentils  57

Chick peas (boiled)  95

Wholemeal bread  74

Sesame seeds or tahini 19

Black molasses 22

Apricots (dried) 59

Spinach (boiled) 125

Examples of amounts of foods providing 10g of protein

Type of food Quantity providing 10g protein (g)

Soya flour 24

Peanuts 39

Pumpkin seeds 41

Almonds 47

Brazil Nuts 50

Sunflower seeds 51

Sesame seeds 55

Hazel Nuts 71

Wholemeal bread 95

Whole lentils dried & boiled 114

Chickpeas dried & boiled 119

Kidney beans dried & boiled 119

Wholemeal spaghetti boiled 213

Brown rice boiled 385

You can also take supplements for iron and protein, found in many supermarkets and health stores.

More information here - http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutriti...

Hope this helps.