I want to be vegetarian but its bad?!


Question: I want to be vegetarian but its bad!?
My professor said that we need amino acids to survive!. And that meat has 2 essential ammino acids that we can only get from meat!. Hence, they are called essential because we cannot make them oursevles and need to get them from meat!. I want to be vegetarian or even vegan someday but my friend told me that I will give myself a serious illness!. This whole week, I ate oatmeal for breakfast w/ soymilk!. For lunch rice with vegetables and for dinner rice with honey and yogurt with fruit!. Is this a good vegetarian diet or could I get an illness like my friend said!?!? Should I add some meat in this diet!?Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
There is nothing in meat that cannot be obtained from a vegetarian source!. I sure hope your professor is not teaching a health/nutrition class, since his info is wrong!.

By eating a wide variety of food, a vegetarian can get all 9 of the essential amino acids!. It may take two different foods to get all nine, but as long as these foods are eaten during the day, then all the amino acids are provided!. For example someone can eat whole grain rice and beans and get all 9, these foods do not have to be combined in the same meal(so you could eat black bean soup for lunch) and then have rice and vegetables for dinner!.

If you are eating properly than there is no reason to worry about getting some illness!. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada agree that a well planned vegetarian diet is healthy for all stages of life!. You need to plan out your diet and make sure you are eating a wide variety of fruits/vegetables(incorporate different colors), whole grains, legumes, etc!.

Looking at your meals so far, I would suggest adding more variety to it!. Oatmeal is a good breakfast, but it is not the only thing you can eat(mix it up a bit), one morning have oatmeal, another morning whole wheat pancakes with fruit, or scrambled tofu with a fruit salad!. For lunch try a vegetable wrap, a hot soup, three bean salad, etc!. Dinner could be vegetable stir fry, stuffed mushrooms, eggplant parm, etc!. I suggest getting a recipes book and finding meals that you enjoy!. You will soon get tired of eating the same thing every day, and it is a shame to not eat other foods when there are so many great vegetarian dishes!.

I would suggest getting a few books on vegetarianism, and not rely on false information from people!. Get info from reliable sources/books!. Advice from friends is nice, but you ave to remember that these people are giving you opinion/what they have heard, not facts back up with actuali nforamtion
Info on vegetarian diets
http://www!.vrg!.org/
http://www!.vegsoc!.org/info/goingveg!.html
http://www!.pcrm!.org/health/veginfo/

Recipes websites
http://vegetarian!.betterrecipes!.com/vege!.!.!.
http://allrecipes!.com/Recipes/Everyday-C!.!.!.
http://vegweb!.com/index!.php!?PHPSESSID=fe!.!.!.
http://www!.vegsource!.com/recipe/

Vegetarian Books/recipes
-The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis

-How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food
by Mark Bittman

-Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero, Isa Moskowitz, and Terry RomeroWww@FoodAQ@Com

Looking at your choices, if you want to be VEGETARIAN, i would suggest adding!.!.!.!.!.!.um!.!.!.VEGETABLES!?!?!?

Your diet is only grains and dairy, and therefore not providing many of the vitamins you need!. Choose fruits and veggies with vitamins and fiber especially brightly colored fruits and veggies like broccoli, spinach, blueberries, cranberries, melon, carrots, etc!. You also need more protien & fats from say nuts, tofu, or cheese!.

If you say, yeah,!. well i don't like vegetables, maybe you need to rethink the whole vegetarian lifestyle!.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

No one "needs" meat!. Everyone needs certain things in their diet to survive, and you can get it all from non-animal sources!. Your professor must not know any vegetarians, because there are a ton of us out there that live just fine!.

It's very easy to not eat meat!. Just buy veggie salami, eat trail mix and veggie burgers to start with, then try a few recipes!. It's not hard at all!.

Anyone can be a vegetarian!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

You shouldn't add meat, but you might need some more protein!. Add in some beans and some whole grains other than rice!. And make sure the rice is brown, as it has more nutrients than white rice!. also, all of the essential amino acids can be found in plant products!. Soybeans and quinoa (a type of grain) are two sources that have all of them!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

ive been a vegetarian for 3 years now and when i started out i would get realy dizzy!. I found out it was because i wasnt getting enough protein so i would be strict vegetarian for one week then i would eat chicken the next for about 5 weeks then i was good!. Try that!. It sounds like youve got the right idea though!. Just try to get some more protein like soys, or refried bean raps!. I'm acually eating soy chips right now hahaWww@FoodAQ@Com

YOUR diet contained no protein whatsoever! Even vegetarians need some protein! You need to add cheese, tofu or legumes to your diet, or!.!.!.yes, you will get sick!.!.!.!.!. and, WHY do you want to be a vegetarian!? Is it something you truly believe in, or just a "passing fancy" that someone said was a good thing!?Www@FoodAQ@Com

haha same hear! we learned about that this year, all about amino acids!. haha no affence to your proffecer, but he is mistaken! all protien has amino acids in it!. you can get these from nuts, protien bars, and eggs!. go to this website!. it explains it all here!

http://goveg!.com/

good luck, and you will save hundreds of animals!. they thank you!Www@FoodAQ@Com

You should always speak with a doctor or dietitian before drastically changing your diet like this!. They will be able to help you find foods/vitamins to help you replace what you are losing by eliminating a part of your diet so that you remain healthy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I have spent a lot of years on this planet as a meat eater, and to date I have not seen a vegetarian die because of their diet!.

I have see a few that died from making poor health choices, but not from a well rounded diet!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

i think your freind doesnt know what he's talking about!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

AH just be a man and eat meat!!!Www@FoodAQ@Com

I remember my teacher telling me a story like this!. Her friend wanted to become a vegetarian and so she ate a lot of vegetables and fruits, but she became sick!. She went to doctor to doctor and they couldn't find what's wrong with her until one doctor asked her about her diet!. It turns out that she does need meat, but not a lot of it and so she eats meat like twice a week!. To sum it all up, I think you should talk to your doctor and/or a nutritionist, do research and I hope with these suggestions you get the best possible answer that does include a lot of vegetables!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

No, you don't need to eat meat!. I've been a vegan for almost 15 years, I'm 5'5" tall, weigh 112, no blood pressure or cholesterol problems, go to school full time and work with 5 animal groups!. Oh- and I'm 54!. Do I sound weak and/or frail!? Yes, they are essential acids because we don't manufacture them, but we don't manufacture Vitamin C either, and no one has a fit!.

You have a fairly good diet, but make sure you get some "color" into it- red, orange, green!. Lots of leafy veggies, red peppers, oranges,- the more color the better!. Get the book "Vegan Freak"- it's great for new veggies, or "Becoming Vegan" www!.vrg!.org!. You'll see there's more options than you ever dreamed of!. The only supplement you need if you're vegan is B-12; 50mcg a day!. We used to get it off the soil on our veggies, but we wash and peel it away now!.

I don't know what kind of illness your friend thinks you'll get, but you can tell him about the men who drop dead of heart attacks at 50 from all the red meat!. And that red meat leeches all the calcium that you think you're getting from milk right back out of your system!. Go watch "Meet Your Meat" on www!.peta!.org!. Bet you won't think that steak looks so tasty!.

Good luck! Keep with it!Www@FoodAQ@Com

It is very easy and INCREDIBLY common to be completely healthy and be a vegetarian!. People (like me) do it all the time!. All you have to do is make sure you get enough protein, make sure you get enough fiber too!.

*Just replace the meat for faux meat!. Boca is great and their products have a lot of protein in them and they are sold at most grocery stores!. Amy's also has good, convienient frozen meals packed with protein!.

*also I'm a vegan and I've had health problems in the past because of my diet but since becoming a vegetarian and then a vegan I have never been healthier! If you need, you can consult a nutritionist and they can guide you along and make sure you giving your body the nutrients it needs!.Www@FoodAQ@Com





The consumer Foods information on foodaq.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007 FoodAQ - Terms of Use - Contact us - Privacy Policy

Food's Q&A Resources