If I wanted to become a vegetarian, how would I go about doing that?!
Anyway, sorry for raving on a bit there. For starters, there is a great site I just heard about just for Vegetarian teens :) There is also a website that sends out free information packs on how to get started, so that's a great start. (When I sent off a while ago I even got some voucers for free vegie burgers but live in Australia so couldn't use them).
If you like, or are used to certain meats, you can get a vegetarian alternative for everything in your refrigerated or freezer section of the supermarket. I don't know if you are from the USA or Australia but here the main brand is Sanitarium. You can get burgers and 'bacon' rashers which have all the nutrients and protien of the meat, and similar flavours and textures sometimes, but are completely vegetarian.
If you need inspiration to become Vegetarian, check out the list of just some of the celebrities who are vegetarian. It includes Josh Hartnett, Jerry Seinfeld, Brad Pitt, Avril Lavigne, Natalie Portman. It might sound stupid but it's just an idea. I personally like to think about how they are rich and famous so they can eat whatever they want but they still choose not to eat meat, and are super healthy :) Carl Lewis the Olympian is Vegan so NO animal products whatsoever and he won gold! Very inspiring :)
Ive had a little look around for you and it looks like the Go Veg site is the best to start out with. There's lots of information there.
Sorry if this is very long! I've been writing it in between research and baking with my son so it's a bit disorganised!
Good Luck with it all :)
PS I just read someones comment on how a "true" vegetarian doesn't buy leather. Well I say, it's your choice and if you're not eating meat then you are still doing something good. Andrew G (Australian celebrity) is a Vegan but still buys leather shoes. There are too many people who obsess about being a perfect Vegetarian but you can do what ever you want and whatever feels right for you. To the guy who wrote that comment: You might scare people off being vegetarian because it might seem to hard or too full on to completely change your lifestyle. Some people choose not to eat buy or wear any animal products but you can still be a Vegetarian and wear leather. It is a personal choice.
Answers: I became a full vegetarian a year or so ago and feel great for it so it's definately a good idea :) I grew up never having red meat and my friend has been a Vegan (so no animal products) since 11 years old and she's super healthy (Incase you get any comments about being too young or something silly like that. My son is Vegetarian and is almost reading on his own and he's not even 2 so age doesn't matter infact it's better for you :)) The only thing to think about at your age is to get Omega 3's for your brain (it will help with study). Omega 3's are usually easy to get from fish but if vegetarian you can also get it from other sources. Flaxseed oil is one but even easier is if you find something with Omega 3 on the label, check the back and if it mentions flaxseed then its vegetarian (it might even say on the label that it's vegetarian). If you live in the USA you will have many more options. If you are in Australia email me and I'll help you as much as possible with brands and places to shop.
Anyway, sorry for raving on a bit there. For starters, there is a great site I just heard about just for Vegetarian teens :) There is also a website that sends out free information packs on how to get started, so that's a great start. (When I sent off a while ago I even got some voucers for free vegie burgers but live in Australia so couldn't use them).
If you like, or are used to certain meats, you can get a vegetarian alternative for everything in your refrigerated or freezer section of the supermarket. I don't know if you are from the USA or Australia but here the main brand is Sanitarium. You can get burgers and 'bacon' rashers which have all the nutrients and protien of the meat, and similar flavours and textures sometimes, but are completely vegetarian.
If you need inspiration to become Vegetarian, check out the list of just some of the celebrities who are vegetarian. It includes Josh Hartnett, Jerry Seinfeld, Brad Pitt, Avril Lavigne, Natalie Portman. It might sound stupid but it's just an idea. I personally like to think about how they are rich and famous so they can eat whatever they want but they still choose not to eat meat, and are super healthy :) Carl Lewis the Olympian is Vegan so NO animal products whatsoever and he won gold! Very inspiring :)
Ive had a little look around for you and it looks like the Go Veg site is the best to start out with. There's lots of information there.
Sorry if this is very long! I've been writing it in between research and baking with my son so it's a bit disorganised!
Good Luck with it all :)
PS I just read someones comment on how a "true" vegetarian doesn't buy leather. Well I say, it's your choice and if you're not eating meat then you are still doing something good. Andrew G (Australian celebrity) is a Vegan but still buys leather shoes. There are too many people who obsess about being a perfect Vegetarian but you can do what ever you want and whatever feels right for you. To the guy who wrote that comment: You might scare people off being vegetarian because it might seem to hard or too full on to completely change your lifestyle. Some people choose not to eat buy or wear any animal products but you can still be a Vegetarian and wear leather. It is a personal choice.
Dont eat meat?
dont eat anything that involves an animal
this is what you do.
1) research about the types of foods you will be eating. - basically everything but meat!
2) start eating more vegetarian foods
3) start eating less meat. like give up beef, then next chicken, etc,,,
4) then eat more good foods.
there are many great sites you can turn to:
http://www.www.vegetarianteen.com
http://www.goveg.com/
http://www.veggie123.com/
http://www.veggieglobal.com/features/veg...
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/
http://www.vrg.org
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
http://www.TryVegetarian.Org
http://www.vegweb.com/
please feel free to write me, if you have any questions.
eat organic meat
eat vegetables.
but seriously.... there are many different kinds of vegitarians, there are piscatory vegetarians who eat fish but no animals, there are lact0-0varian vegetarians that eat dairy products and eggs but no fish or meat, then there are Vegans... who eat no animal products whatsoever. of the three Vegan is the most dangerous form of vegetarianism if you don';t take a vitaman B supplement because certain B vitamins are not found in the vegetable kingdom at all and these people often develop health problems running from rickets ( bowleggedness and brittle bones) to some forms of insanity caused by vitamin B depletion.
Keep in mind that a true vegetarian doesn't buy leather products and skincoats.
Well I went vegan cold turkey (no pun intended!) about three times before I found out what worked out for me, which was to slowly taper down what meat I ate.
First I gave up pork, which didn't really count, as I never really ate it,
then was beef
then was poultry (chicken/turkey) (which was VERY hard btw)
last was seafood (fish, crab legs, etc.)
I started doing dairy replacement (soy milk/rice fake cheese slices) right away, and substituting the fake meat (big recommendation: Tofurkey) on sandwiches wasn't that difficult.
But I recommend giving yourself at LEAST a week or two (or a solid month) between ramping down what you eat, to make your body become "used" to what it doesn't eat and to make the change easier for you.
Also if you could prepare food by yourself, especially if it's something that can be easily substituted (e.g. using fake cheese and fake beef...which at this point I can't even look at now, much less real beef) when your family is having tacos can help, so you won't feel like you're out there by yourself.
Hope this helps!
First off, decide exactly what kind of vegetarian you want to be.
If you want to only eat no meat, you'd be a lacto-ovo vegetarian, one who eats eggs and dairy products (milk, cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, ice cream, ecetera.)
If you didn't want to drink milk or eat milk products either, you'd be an ovo-vegetarian, or one who only eats eggs.
If you didn't want to eat eggs but wanted to eat dairy products you'd be a lacto-vegetarian, or one who only eats dairy products.
If you wanted to eat neither eggs or dairy products, you'd be a vegan.
Once you've decided, make a plan. Do you want to go heads-first, 'cold tofu'? Wake up tomorrow and never eat meat again? or do you want to eliminate meat systematically, say reducing it one peice at a time?
Decide that, and then do some research. There's tons of vegetarian and vegan websites.
If you want, just ask more questions here, but beware the jerks who'll post nasty comments at you occasionally. The management does nothing to control the anti-vegetarians posting here in our area. *shakes head*
Do You Eat Lots Of Meat?
First and foremost, find recipes of delicious vegetarian foods!!
2. Find out which vegetarian foods are high in things that your body needs.
3. Start increasing those things in your diet as much as possible.
4. Research about the benefits of vegetarian diet so that you stay strong, even if friends and family make it difficult. Youtube has some great vegetarian videos and veggie recipe and cooking videos.
5. Gradually decrease the amounts of meat you take until you take no more.
And always check ingredients of things!
dont eat any meat whtsoevrrrrr
whyy are you