Im thinking about going Vegan but I dont know..?

Question

heyy, im 13 and have been vegetarian since december '07.

im kinda interested in going vegan but i dont know..

my mom is totally fine with it and she said she would give up animal products too if i do.

is it healty to go vegan at my age?

answer please(:

Answer 1

Hey, I'm 16.

I'm a (raw) vegan and I love it.

I get all of my nutrients and I have a ton of energy and I feel great.

It is the healthiest thing you could do, especially at your age!

Go for it.

You will not regret it at all.

Answer 2

Hello,

I've been vegetarian for 2 years now, I experimented with "veganism" for a few weeks earlier this year, it's hard to get the right nutrients, especially since you're so limited in what you can eat, but if you want to see what it's like, give it a try. Just try it for a week or so and if you think you can keep it up then make the change permanent!

But make sure you're getting all the sources of food that are essential for growth, you can be incredibly healthy as a vegan but it can also be the opposite, just like eating meat, get your balances right and you'll be fine.

Good luck! :)

Answer 3

It's very difficult to follow a vegan diet and get all the nutrients you need at your age.  I suggest you look into seeing a Registered Dietitian.  They are experts at helping you get the nutrition you need according to your preferred lifestyle.  Especially since you are still growing, its important to understand what's involved in being vegan, so that you make sure to get enough protein, iron and Calcium, which are already difficult to get being a vegetarian.  Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D also usually need to be supplemented.

Answer 4

It's great that you're thinking about going vegan!

Vegan diets are healthy for all stages of life. The American Dietetic Association is one of the country's top nutrition experts and it supports vegan diets for all ages. It says: "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence."

Of course, you could eat nothing but soy ice cream and vegan cookies, and not be healthy. You should include fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains in your diet. Here are some good vegan sources of protein, iron, and calcium: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...

I hope this helps.

Answer 5

in my opinion no. your not done growing, and maturing. what would be your reasoning behind doing such a thing? is it so bad to milk a cow that is bursting at the seams of milk? do you also not wear any shoes that have leather on them? I think you have more than enough time to make these personal changes without compromising your health. But I suggest talking to your physician and or a dietician.

Answer 6

Check out the Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) for information on being a healthy vegan.  Milk isn't all that great a source of calcium anyway; because it has so much protein, it actually strips calcium from your bones.  The website has lists of foods rich in calcium and iron; it also reminds you to eat non-heme (vegetarian) iron foods with vitamin C-rich foods to increase absorption.

Dreena Burton's cookbook, "Vive Le Vegan" also has tips on raising a vegan child from birth to age 18.  The vegan teen section might help.

For recipes:  www.vegweb.com.

I think it's great you have such a supportive mom.  As long as both of you have a varied diet, you should be fine.