Vegetarian and growth?

Question

hi, im and 16 year old boy and ive been a vegetarian for 2 years.

because i really get almost no protein am i not going to grow?

im on the short side, and im hoping ill grow.

will i?

Answer 1

Well.. you should make sure you get all the protein and other important nutrients your body needs.

You say you hoping to grow, well what i suggest is that you give ur body a little bit of help by eating the right things, you don't have to eat animal products to get the right nutrition.

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

These are all good sources of protein.

Another thing you need which is imporant for your growth is essential fatty acids, non - veggies get this from fish mainly, but its found in walnuts, flaxseed aswell, and they're very good sources of it.

Many people worry that when they stop eating meat and fish, they might be in danger of some nutritional deficiency. This is not the case as all the nutrients you need can easily be obtained from a vegetarian diet. In fact research shows that in many ways a vegetarian diet is healthier than that of a typical meat-eater.

More on this here - http://www.vegsoc.org/info/basic-nutriti...

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

talk to your doctor

Answer 3

Could be genetics. Usually when you are 16 and short, you will have a huge growth spurt in the next couple of years. Make sure you get protein, that could be the problem.

Answer 4

How can you get almost no protein?  You do know that vegs not getting enough protein is a myth, right?  I think you're just making stuff up to start trouble.

Answer 5

You must eat only: white flour, and white sugar then. Everything else has protein in it. Without protein you would be dead in less then two years. If your really a 16yo boy look at your dad and grandfathers, genetics determine how tall you will be, not diet.