Vegetarian Malnutrition?!
Answers: I am 13 and considering becoming a vegetarian. However, I am afraid that it will be hard to do, and of malnutrition, although I REALLY oppose animal cruelty. Also, I have a family of omnivores, although I am doing a lot of research. What should I do? Thanks!
It would be very easy for you to be malnourished with any life style, (not just a vegan or vegetarian) if you're not careful to eat properly and take vitamins and minerals. I am a vegan and quite honestly I am more healthy now than I have ever been. I make sure to take a daily vitamin and mineral. I also drink a lot of juice, the brand "Naked Juice" is AMAZING for you! It literally is a meal in itself! I also eat about a bag of carrots a day (I like carrots, you don't have to eat a bag a day). You can get your protein from peanuts or peanut butter. Those two are cheap and easy to come by.
I wish you the best, and I commend you for taking your health so seriously at such a young age!
Good luck, and feel free to email me if you have further questions!
TO THE PERSON WITHOUT A SCREEN NAME WHO WROTE THIS: ""If you did your research like you say, you wouldn't be having these fears of malnutrition. I suggest you actually do the research and educate yourself.
Even the junk food vegetarians I know eat better than most omnivores I know, yet it seems nobody ever worries about people who live on chicken nuggets and big macs being malnourished.
Regarding B12, It's in ALL animal products. A lacto/ovo vegetarian has NO NEED to supplement. I wish people wouldn't post if they didn't know what they were talking about.
Not to mention, the American Dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada both support vegetarian and vegan diets for all stages of life.""
THE PERSON ASKING THE QUESTION IS "13" YEARS OF AGE. OF COURSE HE/SHE IS NOT COMPLETELY EDUCATED ON THESE THINGS. THIS IS A UNIQUE AND OFTEN UNACCEPTED WAY OF LIVING IN OUR SOCIETY AND HE/SHE SHOULD BE COMMENDED BY YOU FOR EVEN HAVING INTEREST IN THIS HEALTHIER DIET, RATHER SLANDERED AND PUT DOWN. SHAME ON YOU FOR SINGLING A CHILD OUT AND PUTTING THEM DOWN.
If more Americans went vegetarian, or at least cut down their meat intake, and ate more fruits and veggies, we would not be seeing malnutrition.
You will have to eat the things they eat that are still vegetarian or you will have to buy your own foods.
Malnutrition is very rare, even with vegetarianism. Only if you live in like Africa or something is malnutrition really a problem.
The only vitamin that is really hard to get being a vegetarian is vitamin b12. Thats mostly true only for vegans though. Anyways, for the b12 you can eat breakfast cereal, fortified soy products, and sea vegetables.
Everything else you can get from seeds, nuts, legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables.
If you did your research like you say, you wouldn't be having these fears of malnutrition. I suggest you actually do the research and educate yourself.
Even the junk food vegetarians I know eat better than most omnivores I know, yet it seems nobody ever worries about people who live on chicken nuggets and big macs being malnourished.
Regarding B12, It's in ALL animal products. A lacto/ovo vegetarian has NO NEED to supplement. I wish people wouldn't post if they didn't know what they were talking about.
Not to mention, the American Dietetic Association and the Dietitians of Canada both support vegetarian and vegan diets for all stages of life.
i am in the same excat position as you, eat nuts beans ,eggs, milk,cheese, all that good stuff has all the vitamins you need,
and grains, breads, pasta
I think you should "research" (Google); "flexitarian diets" or "flexitarian vegetarianism". You can make a difference, avoid malnutrition, avoid awkward social situations, have a life rather than foraging for food, avoid family strife, and eat healthy, balanced and ethical meals.