16 yr old Being a Vegan.?!

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It is not the best choice for your health. Meat is very healthy, as it is loaded with many nutrients that our bodies need. Meat is rich in iron; a lack of iron in the diet can cause anemia, and many vegetarians and vegans suffer from anemia. It is also loaded with high-quality protein with all the essential amino acids in the ideal balance. This cannot be said about ANY plant-based food. Finally, meat is rich in vitamin B12; there is NO reliable natural source of vitamin B12 in vegan diets. Period.

Does it really matter if it is unhealthy? You just said it was disgusting, but if it made things harder for you it would be alright then? People are going to have a bunch of arguments of facts saying that it is healthy or that it is not. Truthfully, in this world today, you can do a lot of things that weren't suppose to be healthy decades ago. Look up on the internet of ways to have a vegan diet and still get the nutrition you would need from milk, or eggs.

Edit: @Aвιgαιl ? I wouldn't say any age because most parents that start a vegan diet for the children at a young age end up killing them in some cases. Also, you can eat meat and be very healthy. There are scientific facts for both sides, but remember if you substitute a food group that gave you a nutrition that you need make sure to find something that can replace it.

Myself

Vegan is healthier than vegetarian, which is healthier than eating meat, so you're doing well. As Nat said, there's nothing in dairy and eggs that you can't get from a plant. To be our healthiest, humans require highly varied diets including a wide variety of greens, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. You can live the healthiest possible life by eating a whole foods, plant-based diet and eliminating processed foods. Sure, if you're not careful you can eat a vegan diet and be lacking in nutrients, but so can a meat-eater. Do your own research so that you can respond intelligently when people express concern for your health because of your dietary choices.

This video is a good start. Its long, but its VERY educational and will give you lots of helpful info:
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/01/me…

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
Solving America's Healthcare Crisis by Pam Popper
Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn

Make sure you are supplementing protein with protein rich veggies, legumes, etc. Read ingredients and know what they are. If you eat cake, you'll be eating eggs and milk, unless the cake is vegan. So long as you know about nutrition, vegan can be very healthy.

Edit: Cliff, just how do herbivore animals get vitamin B 12 in their diets? I mean they only eat vegetables....

I can tell by Cliff's face that he is overweight, and therefore shouldn't give advice on nutrition...

I know lifelong vegans who are all healthy. SOme are skinny, some are huge bodybuilders. As long as you eat enough you will be fine. If your parents are worried, sit down with them and sort out a weight threshold for yourself. If you lose a certain amount or fall below a certain level, then you agree to alter your diet. This is a smart move anyway, because at your age it is hard to eat properly all the time so some young adults need support in knowing when to increase their intake of certain nutrients. Fats and sugars are actually essential in our diets, we die without them! So you might need to eat more of them once in a while, or more protein rich foods etc.

Anyway there is one supplement you will need (DHA) and one more you may need if you do not eat the foods which are fortified with it (B12) such as soy milks etc. DHA is a long chain omega 3 fatty acid and the only vegan friendly source is algae. You can get it as an oil, or in vegie capsules. Look up vegan DHA for info on where to get them in your area. Some people may tell you that flax seeds have omega 3 so you don't need to supplement if you eat them, but this is not true, the type in vegetables are short chain acids (called ALA) and your brain needs the long chain DHA.

vegan biologist

No this isn't an unhealthy descision, there is no nutrition in milk or eggs that you can't get elsewhere. But, remember your eating options will be VERY limited. A lot of vegetarian foods are still made with milk or eggs, so you're going to have an even tougher time at the restaurant! I'd buy the Moosewood Cookbook or any other vegan cookbook so you can eat this way but still eat good food!

I'm 16 and vegan too! I'm healthy (i hope...)
It's alot of work though. You really have to keep an eye on what you eat, making sure you're getting enough protein and stuff. Also, vitamin b12 is so hard to get it's ridiculous, but most soy milks are fortified with it, along with calcium. If your family are worried, perhaps you could talk about taking a multi-vitamin?

And beware, eating out is an absolute pain in the ****

You can be a vegan 16 year old and still be perfectly healthy. My friend, who is also 16, has been vegan for about 3 years now and she's as healthy as can be. You just have to vary your diet and make sure you are consuming all necessary nutrients and vitamins. You can research all of it online, there are many helpful websites.

No, going vegan is actually healthier than eating meat. Meat has a lot of cholesterol and fat.
It's not too young, I'm a vegan too and I'm 17 :)

www.tryveg.com is an amazing website. It has lots of information on how to eat vegan, why you shold become vegan, the benefits ect.

MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people are Vegan today, as well as ever since humanity has begun. You are part of a movement that is growing to be the norm of humanity once consciousness arrives to humans.

I've seen unhealthy vegans and I've seen unhealthy omnivores of all ages. Balance and moderation are the key. I've never seen anyone with a protein deficiency or getting fat or ODing on leafy green vegetables.

Go for it.

I know of them. But you have to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs like protein.

Please, please do not listen to some of these uneducated people. Veganism is healthy for anyone of any age! I'm vegan and I'm 15. I went vegetarian when I was 12, and vegan about a month ago. As long as you're eating a balanced diet, you'll be fine. Age has nothing to do with it.
Just make sure you're eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, grains (rice, bread, cereal, ect), beans, ect. Avoid soft drinks and juices, and try to drink water and tea if you'd like.
All of the nutrients we need are plant-based. There is nothing that you *need* that is from an animal. As long as you're not eating garbage all day, you'll be fine! If you want, you could take a multivitamin a couple times a week to be on the safe side. I take a vitamin whenever I remember (since I'm pretty new to it also), maybe once or twice a week. But in the future I plan to stop taking them since it's better to receive your nutrients from actual foods rather than in a supplement.
I highly reccomend trying Silk Almond Milk. Their soy milk is good, but personally I think their almond milk is much better. Boca and Morning Star products are good meat replacements, just make sure you're not eating them too often.
If you're family is concerned about your weight, agree to count calories for the first couple of weeks to make sure you're eating 2000-2500 calories a day in order to maintain your weight. Try following the vegan food pyramid for basic nutrition: http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-food-pyra…
Congrats on going veg!
By the way, B12 is actually found among bacteria in the soil. The reason it's not available in a vegan diet is because we wash off our vegetables before eating them, which washes off the B12. Most soy and almond milks are fortified with some B12 in them. So as long as you drink 2-3 glasses of a milk (almond, soy, rice, ect) you'll be fine.