Tips for a new vegetarian???!
Answers: okay, so im 15 years old, and im like 5'11, so i want to be a vegetarain, but i need to get all the protein, and nurtients that a growing kid needs. If any of you have any tips of recipes id love to hear em!!
Read, read and read some more! Do all the research you can, check books out of the library and join veggie groups online. The best way is to do the veggie thing is to do it right, and fully armed with a boatload of knowledge. I was 14 years old, 5'10" and an athlete when I decided to give up meat so I know exactly what you're going through. The biggest doubters may be your parents so just be sure to do your research (good job getting started here!) so you can assure them you'll be healthier than ever!
Chances are, if you're still eating eggs and dairy, you won't have any trouble getting enough protein. Do make sure you're getting it from other sources too, like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, etc. Veggie burgers (and other meat substitues or soy products like tofu) make a nice, quick alternative too. Just don't rely on them too much!
Calcium can be another concern for vegetarians but again, if you're eating dairy, you'll probably meet your daily need with no problem. Dark green veggies, like kale or broccoli, are some other great sources!
Vitamin B-12 is a concern for vegans but you didn't mention omitting dairy from your diet so I'll assume you don't need to worry about that.
One mineral you really need to make sure you get enough of is iron. Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C - such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli - at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.
For more health information, I highly recommend making a trip over to www.veganhealth.org. The information there covers all the nutritional needs of all sorts of vegetarians. Just click on their "Table of Contents" link and run down the page to learn about everything you need to know to be a healthy vegetarian!
------
On to the fun part of being vegetarian - food! I suspect that you'll find, as I did, a whole new world of food and flavors opens up to you! Don't be afraid to experiment and try things you've never heard of before. You probably don't do much of your own grocery shopping yet, but I love to pick up one thing each time I go that I've never heard of before or that seems foreign and exotic. (I thoroughly scan the ingredient list first, of course!) Then I'll look it up when I get home and try to find a recipe that uses it. It might be a fun way for you and your guardian(s) to be active together in your new diet!
Luckily, in addition to tons of cookbooks, there are a plethora of vegetarian recipe sites out there so you shouldn't have any trouble at all finding some recipes that are healthy and yummy! I'll include one or two of my favorites at the end of my answer. Give them a go - they're pretty easy and scrumptious!
And if you're ever looking for some obscure veggie food that you can't find in your local grocery or health food store, hop on over to Food Fight! at http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/index.... They'll send that vegan haggis you were craving right to your door!
------
There are a couple of great magazines you might want to subscribe to also. (They make great presents - just drop the hint to your loved ones around your birthday or holidays!) I know it helps me feel connected to the veggie community - I'm the only vegan I know in my "real" life!
Vegetarian Times - http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
Veg News - http://www.vegnews.com/
Herbivore - http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/magazin...
Teen-Specific Veggie Sites
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/
http://www.peta2.com/
http://members.tripod.com/~vegout/
Veggie Recipe Sites
http://www.vegweb.com/ (The best!)
http://www.vegcooking.com/ (The site maintained by PETA.)
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/ (Couple of the coolest veggie girls ever!)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-C...
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ (Great ideas for packing lunches for school or work.)
http://veganyumyum.com/ (Beautiful pictures that will make your mouth water.)
Veggie Online Communities
http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/ (They have a great board for new veggies. Introduce yourself and welcome!)
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/ind...
------
Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole
Perfect with a side of spicy fries!
1 can black beans (15 oz or so - doesn't have to be precise)
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 egg substitute *
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (2 tsp if using dried)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Top with guacamole (or salsa or sprouts or all of it!)
Rinse black beans. In a large bowl, mash black beans then add onion, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, egg substitute, vegan bread crumbs and cilantro. Blend until all ingredients are mixed well. Form bean mixture into patties and place on a baking pan or cookie sheet (spray pan with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Or you can fry them in olive oil. (If you have the time, it's great to bake them first and them throw them in the frying pan with a touch of oil. That way, they cook thoroughly from the oven and get nice and crispy on the outside from the pan!)
Guacamole
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (3 tsp if using dried)
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.
------
General Tao's Tofu
Awesome served over rice with steamed broccoli! This recipe is actually the most popular on www.vegweb.com and with good reason. It's delicious! I even got my tofu-phobic dad to try it and he was hooked! There is actually a video on the website that walks you through making it, step by step. Follow this link to check it out: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8769.0...
1 box firm tofu
1 egg substitue *
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
3 chopped green onions (scallions)
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
4 Tbsp sugar
red pepper to taste
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Drain, dry and cut tofu into 1 inch chunks. You can freeze tofu the night before to get a more chicken-like consistency, but it isn't necessary. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg replacer/water mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.
Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil.
Heat 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper and vinegar. Mix 2 Tablespoons water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly. Serve immediately with broccoli and rice.
------
* I use Ener-G egg replacer, which you can now find in most well-stocked supermarkets and definitely in health food stores. You can also get it at Food Fight, of course! (http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/eneggr... I'm sure just using the egg would work too, if you're not vegan. ;-)
------
Good luck with making the switch to a veggie diet! If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I'm more than happy to spread the veggie love! And just remember, above all else, stay healthy and informed!
Eat lots of leafy greens to help keep you healthy and your iron count up. also eat beans for protein and iron as well. You can also eat peanut butter too. Drink lots of water and juices.
Ideas: Steamed Broccilli, Steamed cauliflower, steamed carrots, Kale,
Ideas: romaine lettuce, cheese, Milk?, Pinto beans, chili Beans, chili without beef, Vegetable stew or soup., Potatoes, Potatoe soup, Broccilli soup, Minestrone without beef, tofu.
I'm a pescepollo vegitarian. I eat poultry and fish. Thats where I get my protien from.
Peanuts have protien =)
Congrats for going vegetarian! You're doing the animals a favour : )
First of all, if you eat a lot of meat, I would suggest gradually lowering your intake before you just cut off. I used to eat a lot of meat and I just completely stopped and then about a year later I had to go to the docter because I started getting sick, he told me I needed more protein. He suggested eating three tablespoons of peanut butter a day, but thats because I also don't eat seafood or eggs (I'm a vegan (dosen't eat meat or animal bi-products). So this is my advice to you, eat healthy, eat as much eggs and fish and peanut butter as you can to get all of your protein, and good luck! You're doing a good thing.
Welcome to the club.
Hi. I've been a vegetarian since last July, and me and my mom say a nutritionist and it is a lot more work than I thought, but it is sooooo worth it. Me and my mom got this book called Quick-fix Vegetarian by Robin Robertson. I get tons of recipies from it and make it for my family. It's hard to single out a great, healthy, quick one, but one time, I made quacamole roll-ups. Check it out in the book. Have fun with vegetarianism!
Im a vegetarian and i mostly eat salads with like everything possible in them. beans, feta cheese, nuts, corn, dried cranberries and more (lol) After a while though you do get kinda sick of salad so you can eat like pasta, veggieburgers!(those are really good), there are these frozen dinners called "Amy's" which are like vegetarian indian dinners those are good if your into that and you can buy a vegetarian cookbook. Wildoats and wholfoods have ALOT of vegetarian options. good luck ! and we need more vegetarians in this world
Despite what the previous answer said, there is no such thing as a "pollo-pesco vegetarian" - vegetarians do not eat meat of any kind, and that includes birds and sealife. That's like saying you're a virgin who has sex on the weekends. It doesn't make sense!!
As long as you're eating sufficient calories (NOT junk food calories) then you will be getting sufficient protein. Just the same, some good sources of protein for a vegetarian include beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and fake meats. Instead of a food pyramid, think of a food rainbow. Try to eat foods of all different colors to get a variety of nutrients. Taking a daily multivitamin would not be a bad idea either!
You can order a vegetarian starter kit from PETA for free from here: http://www.goveg.com/order.asp - it'll give you recipes and a bunch of information. Can't go wrong with free stuff! :D
Good luck with your transition to a healthy and humane lifestyle! You may hit some bumps along the way, but don't beat yourself up too much. Just learn from them and keep on going! :)
Finally, I'm glad to hear of someone going veggie with the responsibility of their health in mind. To make sure you get all your nutrients, eat all the DARK and COLORFUL vegetables you can (carrots and spinach are good examples). And beansprouts, gotta love the beansprouts.
As far as protein goes, beans, especially soy, are among the best sources of non-animal protein available. I especially like edamame (soybeans commonly served in Japanese restaurants steamed and salted).
Despite all the horrible things we do to them, like deep-frying them in animal fats, potatoes are one of the most nutrient rich foods available. (Think about it, thy're the place where the potato plant stores all its good stuff for later.)
Don't forget your fruits either. Try looking up a recipe for Mango salad, or if that doesn't appeal to you, a different kind. The important part is that you get yourself enough variety that you don't get bored and drop your decision. Remember, becoming vegetarian is generally a lifestyle change.
Enjoy!
you should eat lots of tofu and try and find a vegetarian restaurant of store near you their great and have some pretty good food
Congrats on going veg!
To have a healthy diet,
(1) Eat enough calories... don't just live on salads and other low-calorie foods.
(2) Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains in your diet.
This site has a list of veg foods that are high in protein, iron, and calcium: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...
It's not necessary to eat faux meats if you're vegetarian, but they're really convenient and helpful for making the transition. You can simply use them instead of meat in your favorite meals and recipes. Here's a list of popular products: http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp
Food ideas:
http://www.vegcooking.com/everydayliving...
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07budge...
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...
Good luck!