Need help with vegetarianism...?!
Answers: Hi, I'm 14 years old and would like to try and become a vegetarian. Mainly because I've been to a slaughter house recently and have been scarred for life. Is there a type of vegetarian that eats pultry? I am starting very slowly and have now excluded red meat, but i'm worried I won't get enough proteins without some form of meat (I don't eat fish). Suggestions and opinions appreciated.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself to become perfectly vegetarian at once -- if you're always eaten meat its okay to take your time and omit certain meats slowly. Start with red meat, then chicken, then fish. There's no rule you have to go vegetarian 'cold turkey', sorry the pun.
And there are many types of vegetarians - octo and laco vegetarians. Some still eat eggs and dairy, however no meat. If you don't eat any animal products whatsoever that's considered vegan.
I would say start slowly and research! Yes you can get enough iron, protein, calcium, etc. from non-animal products, but different types and in different amounts. Research it to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need.
I recommend you take some books out of the library, research online, and even see a nutritionist or naturopath.
Since you're young as well you might get grief off family and friends. Looking into some yummy veggie recipes or those with meat substitutes would be good. Learn to love beans, lentils, tofu, and other fruits and vege. Asian foods like Indian and Thai use a lot of these in their recipes and support a vegetarian lifestyle. North American eating can be mostly meat-based so be prepared to have less choice in restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
You can do it, good luck, and keep asking questions if you need help. And if you find out you just can't live without meat, then go for organic free-range alternatives. You saw the horrors of a slaughterhouse - only buy meat from organic farms with free-range animals - and tell your family to do the same. You may not be changing the world but every little bit helps.
If you eat birds, you're not a vegetarian. You can be someone who doesn't eat red meat, but that's not a vegetarian.
You can get plenty of protein from things like beans, tofu, and nuts, but it will take more effort on your part to keep your diet in check.
Good luck!
don't worry about not getting enough protein there is enough in milk, bread,beans cheese yoghurt spaghetti etc the more concern is iron and vitamin b, flora-vital is a great supplement,not cheap but very worthwhile
A true vegetarian does not eat any sort of animal product...so white and red meat are not an option here, not even fish(fish is considered an animal, here). So it's a bit hard to get your needed protein.
You can eat lots of bean(they are a good source of protein), tofu, and soy products. If you want to start slow, I'll suggest you to check out the vege-options in frozen dept. such, veg burger, veg links..etc. Sometimes I buy the veg-burgers, they are really good.
Another source of good protein would be soy-milk.
Good for you. I've seen videos of slaughterhouses and can't imagine what it must be like to experience them firsthand.
Vegetarians don't eat chickens or any other animals. There are many vegetarian foods that are high in protein, including almonds, black beans, cashews, fake meats, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, peanut butter, pinto beans, seitan, soybeans, soymilk, sunflower seeds, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and tofu.
More info about protein:
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08prote...
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/prote...
Good luck!
you can get pills to supply the nutrients that you arent getting but its going through a lot of trouble. if i were you i would go back to what you usually ate. it is more natural anyway
Read "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins.
well come to the world of vegetarian because of you more and more animals will save their lives thanks :)
Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.
Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.
A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.
Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.
Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.
Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.
Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.
Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.
Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.
ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:
More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.
1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.
" Source: Seventh day Adventists study
2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.
4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.
5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to obesity.