Is this ok what i'm doing? (vegatarians please answer, but anyone answer)?

Question

ok well i really care about the environment and wild life and things like that. i am not a vegetarian but one of these days i do want to become one. i dont eat meat very often, but i dont want to not eat it officially right now because im a teenager and im light weight.

Because of this i think my diet should remain balanced. but i thought it might be a good idea to start slow, so i gave up eating chicken. i know you can get protein by eating two vegetable groups, but its a pretty big transition.

so my question for vegetarians is when did you become one and how did you start?

anyway im all for ways to be earth friendly so give me tips on what else i can do.

Answer 1

I'm a pescetarian, meaning I eat seafod but no other meat. It's a pretty balanced diet this way, I think. I'm not lightweight, so I don't know how you'd do. I'm 13,  and my parents are pretty okay with it as long as I don't give up every meat. I love animals, and if anybody wants to visit, "Kentuckyfriedcruelty.com" that's a good site. It's a Peta organization and it shows a video of the slaughter houses for KFC, that's how I started. I've been pescetarian for about 5 months now. I'm doing fine, but it's hard. I eat a lot of Boca meat when I'm in the mood. Surprisingly, if you haven't eaten meat in a while, it tastes so good, lol. Hope I could help. Good luck. =)

Answer 2

Imagine you're crossing a bridge. On one side, you have life with meat, on the other, you have life with no meat. Right now, it seems that the side with meat is much more attractive than the other one. The trick is, how do you make the veggie side much more attractive than the meat side? That usually means you need to discover great vegetarian dishes, and you also need to learn how to balance those vegetables so you're still getting good nourishment.

I'm not a vegetarian, and I would not dream of becoming one, but there are a great number of vegetarian dishes that I really enjoy, especially in asian and indian cuisines.

Answer 3

Wishy washy. Silliness. No need to go into the sea inch by inch, sicking a toe in and running back for the dunes -- either you do or you don't. So you asked if it is alright what you are doing... No it isn't. It is hypocritical and silly. A balanced diet does not hinge on eating dead animals and turning your body into a graveyard.

Flesh foods only offer you constipation, growth hormones, steroids and antibiotics. You need that? Why?

Answer 4

I became one several years ago.  When I went to the doctor they were worried about iron defenciency and they told me to take iron vitamins.  but just imagine that you are on a giant cliff and vegiterianism is at the bottem of that cliff and you are at the top. vegiterianism is your goal and the only way to acheive that is to leap for it,  so jump off of the cliff with ur little parachute and land on vegiterainsim by either quitting gradually or cold turkey

Answer 5

I am not vegan but I do eat a ton of vegetarian meals daily I eat some chicken & seafood and have been steering clear of red meat lately.

In reference to your post, I feel that as a young teen you are learning the basis of how you Want to live your life. Changing your life is very difficult NO matter what age you are. You can still get plenty of proteins from vegetable based products such as soy. This is something you can do when you are ready. If it is not the time now to do it that is your choice. I will not judge you for it because we all have our own lifestyle goals and personal goals to achieve within ourselves. the day  you give up meat entirely will be lifechanging and so pleasing for you. Becoming "earth friendly" is very important and I believe a harder choice to start "giving up" then eating meat. Buying and living an earth friendly lifestyle is a huge transition and I would start off slowly and maybe each week write down what you have accomplished to help save the earth. Using recycled paper, recycling bottles, cans etc. This is something you can share with your family as well as vegetarian dishes that the whole family will enjoy weekly. It is not about imposing your lifestyle on anyone but more about awareness and what we ourselves can do to better our position on this earth, as we want to keep our earth clean and healthy!!!

Answer 6

cutting down your meat intake is great, and becoming a vegetarian is even better! just keep in mind that if you eat meat, even just once in a while, you are not a vegetarian.

i became a vegetarian all at once.  i decided one day that i didn't agree with eating meat, and i haven't had a single bite since.  it's not difficult to do......and it has a great impact.  you said you care about the environment?  becoming a vegetarian is the single most effective way to reduce the production of greenhouse gases.  

no matter how young or thin you are, you do not NEED meat.  you definitely don't need the chemicals that are injected into it either.  there are many ways to still get the necessary proteins and fats that you need without ever having to pick up a peice of meat.  for example, fill your diet with nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, etc. for protein.  if you would like you can even add soymilk, tofu, and tempeh...all great sources of protein that will keep weight on your bones.  

if you're worried about having to give up the taste of meat, don't!! there are plenty of fake meats out there that taste very much like the real thing.  there is faux chicken, faux beef, faux bacon, and some companies even make faux fish!! you won't even miss the real thing, and you'll be saving a lot of animals in the process.

jump in the water already......quit dipping your toes in.  vegetarianism is great, healthy, and very earth friendly!!

Answer 7

If you are interested in being a vegetarian for environmental reasons, but not opposed to eating meat I would look into humanely & naturally raised local meats.  They are better for the environment and better for you.

I was a veg*n in some form for over a decade.  I became one because I was concerned about the living conditions in  factory farms and because the resultant product was not nutritious.

I now eat 100% local meat/dairy from a farmer that humanely raises animals in the most ecologically sound way possible.  (It's much better for the environment than commodity soy crops...)  I, of course, eat non-meat/dairy things, but strive to eat locally.  I fail with olive & coconut oils and coffee, though.

The link below is what changed my mind.  I think if you read through the points carefully & make your own decisions, you will be able to decide what is best for you and the planet.

I also highly recommend reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, although I disagree a little with his final conclusions.  (see second link)

Answer 8

I watched a really bad movie on peta.org and it completely grossed me out. I didn't want any meat after that. My sis is vegetarian, so I knew how to do it. She had been vegetarian for 15 yrs.

I now eat some poultry - but it took my body days to adjust. I haven't eaten red meat (which is convenient because my husband has gout and he can't have it) for years and I do not miss it. Once your taste has changed for it - you just don't want it. It's strange, but it works for me!

I have continued to eat seafood, farm eggs and organic dairy. It works for me and it's not hard making sure I get enough protein. I do eat all vegetarian lunches though and dinners 4-5 times a week. We eat local farm-raised poultry, but it's not all the time or anything. I'm not supporting the meat industry at all - so I feel good about that.

My biggest issues were animal cruelty and I have no idea where the meat comes from or how the animals are raised, drugged, etc... If I don't know where it comes from, it's not going in me or my family. ; )

Answer 9

You're the sort of person for whom the term "flexitarian" was invented.  You eat mostly vegetarian, but sometimes a little meat.  And if that's what works for you, that's what works.  If you decide to completely eliminate animal flesh someday, you can.  It's your life and your decision.

I was an adult when I went veg, and it's partly because my body could no longer tolerate meat.  But I also got really disgusted by some things I read and decided one day to stop eating the stuff.  A few months later, after some further reading, I decided to go vegan.

You don't need to combine proteins in one meal.  If you eat beans at one meal and rice at another, your body will still be able to "link" the amino acids necessary to form a "complete" protein.  And if you do any cursory reading, you will learn that the only two ways you can develop kwashiorkor (protein deficiency) is 1) not eating enough food, 2) eating too much junk food.  You will also learn that too much protein causes calcium loss and harms your kidneys and that even vegans get more than they need.

If you're worried about being lightweight, you can eat more nuts and avocado, both which have healthy fats.

Answer 10

ive been a full vegetarian since i was 6

Answer 11

Yes, what you're doing is fine. Many people make a gradual transition to a vegetarian diet. It's great you've taken chicken out of your diet! Chickens are smaller animals so many more of them need to be slaughtered for meat. I think for anyone who's making a slow transition, chicken is the best thing to cut out first.

There are lots of good vegetarian sources of protein, iron, and calcium. Here's a list: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...

I became vegetarian when I was 14 years old. My parents wondered whether it was healthy for a growing teen to stop eating meat. So they took me to a nutritionist, who told them that vegetarian diets are perfectly healthy for kids and teens. The important thing is to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains.

You may be interested to know that the American Dietetic Association is one of the nation's leading nutrition experts and it supports vegetarian 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." http://eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs....

I started by trying out faux meats like veggie burgers and veggie meatballs. The brands are vary widely, so I did a lot of initial taste testing to figure out what my favorites were. I don't like cooking, so I make easy vegetarian versions of non-veg food. Examples: pasta and veg meatballs, veg BLT, stir fry with soy chicken strips.

Here are some good resources:

Making the transition:

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=06makin...

General info:

http://www.tryveg.com/

Environmental aspects of vegetarianism:

http://www.goveg.com/environment-wycd-fo...

Veg products:

http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

Hope this helps :)

Answer 12

If you want to gradually give up eating meat, you want to start with beef, the human body has the hardest time digesting it compared to white meats. You replace meat mainly with: beens, seeds nuts, whole grains, eggs, and dairy. Get yourself some good books on how to follow a ballanced vegetarian diet.

Answer 13

Your answer is really simple...simply eat a balanced diet.  If you need help with this, talk to your doctor.  This way you can find out if you have any health issues that need to be addressed (e.g. blood sugar ), your doctor can recommend a good diet for you.  We do not eat to live, we live to eat!

Answer 14

you know what you should have done is gave up red meat first. thats a lot healthier to give that up. but the way i started was i just gave up meat all together. but if you're a vegetarian you can still have a balanced diet you just need to have your protein another way (like beans, and fake meat). hope i helped.

Answer 15

I'm became veggie at 14. I did it instantly without any reference to worrying about protien, iron, food groups etc.

Its not a big transition as you think, its as easy as saying no more meat. Instantly. There is nothing you need to do to prepare for it, you can just stop eating meat today. No big transition at all. Often the "rench" from meat is a cultural or "family meal" type pressure, a phased move to being veggie is not based on a nutritianal need.

Its really easy, there are no issues with cutting out meat, it gives you nothing that a mix a veggies, fruits, cereals, nuts and dairy won't.

I've been veggie for 28 years following this strategy, and I'm never ill. I think people apply too much science to diets sometimes. Your body will tell you what to eat, if you eat processed foods you'll confuse it. Eat mainly from basic ingredients and you will figure out a natural range of foods.

If you are asking is it ok to eat meat sometimes. sure it is. Even if you want to stay that way for ever, good for you.