Vegetarian. Tons of problems and questions.?!


Question: Hi Im 14 and my parents are totally against me becomming a vegietarian. I want to become a Lacto Vegetarian. The problem is since they are against it my mom won't change dinner. What can I eat for dinner. My mom is also worried I will lose weight. She says im so thin. Im actually really not im not dieting or anything i like how i look but she says im way to thin cuz she and her side of the family are all well not to be mean but fat. My aunt, uncle, grandparents one of the cousins. Also ive tried to become a vegetarian many times but i always end up eating meat. I think this is different everythime i think of meat im going to watch this video on chooseveg.com
How can I stick to it this time. If you have any more advice on becomming a vegetarian please help.


Answers: Hi Im 14 and my parents are totally against me becomming a vegietarian. I want to become a Lacto Vegetarian. The problem is since they are against it my mom won't change dinner. What can I eat for dinner. My mom is also worried I will lose weight. She says im so thin. Im actually really not im not dieting or anything i like how i look but she says im way to thin cuz she and her side of the family are all well not to be mean but fat. My aunt, uncle, grandparents one of the cousins. Also ive tried to become a vegetarian many times but i always end up eating meat. I think this is different everythime i think of meat im going to watch this video on chooseveg.com
How can I stick to it this time. If you have any more advice on becomming a vegetarian please help.

At 14 you are at an age when you can begin to cook simple meals for yourself. I suggest getting some of the teenager vegetarian cook books, they have simple recipes in them.

You cannot expect your mom to change dinner. Is she willing to pick up the food you need to cook your own dinner? If she wants you to be a healthy vegetarian than she should be getting you the food you need(so you can cook it). Also, you may want to go to the grocery store with mom/dad, and choose your own food. You also can't expect mom/dad to run out to the store to pick up food for you. If she is doing the shopping anyway, you may be able to give her a list.

As far as tofu and fake meats are concerned. You do not need to eat them(especially the fake junk). The faux burgers/patties/etc, should be used sparingly(as a quick dinner). Prepackaged fake foods are not healthy and should be limited anyway. Tofu is fairly cheap and very healthy for you(but like any food, you cannot live on just tofu).

I would get recipes that you can cook for yourself. If you have a lot of good food to eat, you will not be as tempted to revert back to eating meat. Plan out your meals a week in advance(so you know what to get from the grocery store). Revolve your diet around fresh vegetables, whole grains, fresh fruits, etc.

Be a health conscience vegetarian. Do not stick to just one food, mix it up a little. Be sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. Choose veggies that are different colors(different color veggies usually have different nutrients in them). Eat fresh fruits for snacks. Avoid junk food that has no nutritional value.

Talk to you mom about how you feel. If she doesn't want you to lose weight or is worried about how you are eating then she should be supporting you and helping you make healthy choices and meals.

Books
The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
by Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis

The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook
by Judy Krizmanic

Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes
by Carole Raymond

Kids Can Cook: Vegetarian Recipes
by Dorothy R. Bates

Websites
http://www.vrg.org/index.htm
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/recipes.sh...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-C...
http://vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recip...

I have the same exact problem. My parents are totally against be being a vegetarian. They care about animals but think I should still eat meat. I don't like fake meat or tofu either. Usually for dinner I will have rice with veggies, rice stir-fry with kidney beans and soy sause, just veggies, a salad, or fruit salad. Good Luck!

Have a look here I hope you get your answers.

http://search.netdoktor.com/uk/results.h...

I was about 13 or 14 when I quit eating meat (I'm 25 now). It's been a learning process for me. When I started out, I just stopped eating meat but I still ate junk like snack cakes or whatever. There is a ton of information on the web about vegetarian diets. I'm a Lacto-ovo vegetarian. I consume things like ice cream, eggs, milk but I do not eat hamburgers, turkey, fish or the like.

You can remain healthy while being a vegetarian and trust me, there are some overweight vegetarians out there. If this is something you're serious about, do some research. I provided a website that gives you some lists for how to get some of your nutrients. The cool thing about being a vegetarian is that you can be very creative with it. Try the vegetarian section at your grocery store. There really is some good vegetarian food out there; Amy's Kitchen is one name brand. Anyway, have fun with it and good luck!

it sounds to me that you are trying to convince yourself that you want to be a vegetarian. vegetarians do not need to watch disturbing videos when they think about meat. it is not a rebellion. it is not a trend. it is a lifestyle.

An adult can calculate what their weight should be by taking what they weigh in kilos (divide by 2.2 if you know your weight in pounds) and dividing it by your height in metres (30.4 cm in a foot, 2.54 in an inch) multiplied by itself.

Or try this:

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calcula...

There are also charts on that site which should help. If you are below the fifth percentile, that is, lighter than 95% of girls your height and age, you are probably underweight. This is backed up by research, so it should be acceptable to your parents. However, please do take this result seriously.

There's no need to eat tofu or meat substitutes. You can get all the protein you need from seeds, nuts, grains and pulses, but the grains must be wholemeal.

One way to be sure about weight gain and the like is to look up how many calories you need a day along with all the other dietary requirements such as vitamins and minerals, find foods which are high in these and eat enough of them.

Your mother may feel she has to cook extra meals for you because you want to be vegetarian. If you offer to cook your own meals, this problem may go away.

The key to not eating meat in your meals, is substituting
your protein by some other means. It would be up to the
individual to keep track of protein intake like cheese, milk,
and etc. If you stop all protein, you will run up against
malnutrition. Then your general health in time would shrink
down to bad health, no matter what your age is!

This longass list of the same question came up when you tried to post this one. You could have read any of these threads and had your answer.

http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...





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