What would a nutritionist in the USA say to a vegan?!

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To be honest, when I went vegan, my mom took me to a doctor (not a nutritionist) and she said, "Vegan? Now, what's that? Some sort of vegetarian, right?" I was pretty shocked she had never heard of veganism.. also, disappointed that she kept suggesting I "ate least eat eggs." I'm very firm in my moral/ethical standings and I politely explained to her why I was vegan (for animals and the environment). In fact, I even brought a little printed pamphlet to show her. You can print a variety of leaflets here to offer her: http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ac…

Also, check out this site if you're worried about nutrition: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

Don't worry much about protein. That's literally in everything -- not to mention, most 'meat eaters' consume about 3-4 times the amount of protein they should.. hence the obesity problems! As far as iron goes, that's in leafy green veggies, most whole grains, seaweed, soymilk, etc. Calcium is in soymilk or rice milk and several types of fruit and veggies.

I've been vegan since age 14 -- now I'm 18 and I've actually never felt healthier. Vegan health myths like "omg wheres your protein?!?!?!?!" just annoy me.

Your mother should be proud of you... she is just worried. Vegan is against what most people grow up with. The truth is most people eat too much protein and it turns into fat. You will get everything you need including potassium, calcium, magnesium, protein, copper and more. The only supplement you need to consider are the B's.

Also, keep in mind that many of the enzymes and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can not be released without chewing your food at least fifty times. I HIGHLY recommend juicing your veggies. Spinach is full of minerals however you need to grind it into a paste before they are released. If you juice it down it opens all the nutrients along with a pear, apple, greens, carrots etc... You should juice a gallon at a time and drink at least two glasses per day.

Vegan should mean Healthy however, I see so many say Vegan and eat only potato chips and bread leaving themselves depleted of nutrients. Eat to live not Live to eat : )

Life experience

If she does that would be unethical. I went to a nutritionist and she just gave me recommendations and none of them included eating meat. I have to warn you though that just because you eat a variety of foods doesn't mean you are getting enough. You should really keep a food diary for a week and figure out the nutritional values. Some people would be surprised that they aren't eating as well as they think they are. I'm not saying you are, just telling you that variety doesn't always equal a good diet.

It's good to get annual checkups, regardless of what diet you follow.

The nutritionist won't be able to definitively tell you whether you're deficient in vitamins and minerals unless s/he orders a blood test.

There are some lifestyles that you aren't able to fully pursue until you move out of your parent's home and live on your own. If the nutritionist tells you that you need to include some kind of animal protein in your diet, try to compromise with your mom and at least include eggs.

Make sure you get a nutritionist that is familiar with veganism. Ones who are NOT familiar with it generally do not recommend it. So if you get a nutritionist that is not familiar with veganism on a professional level, he/she may simply say it is unhealthy and that you should listen to your mom and go back to eating omnivorously due to lack or knowledge and therefore a biased opinion.

Make sure you get a nutritionist that is familiar wit veganism. Your mom may say "well then he/she will be biased towards your diet," but honestly, it would be biased NOT to get a nutritionist familiar with veganism! Just because the nutritionist is professionally familiar and educated about veganism does NOT mean he/she therefore views it, from a nutritional standpoint, as a healthy thing to do. He/she may have all the information on it in the world, and based off that information, conclude that it perhaps does more harm than good.

So tell your mom that, in order to be fair, you have to seek a nutritionist that is FAMILIAR with veganism professionally, and note that familiarity does not necessarily = support for the diet.

Many health-oriented individuals or professionals (I'm studying health & nutrition in university) I know know of (for example) the atkins diet, but I know VERY FEW who actually ENDORSE it.

Don't refuse the nutritionist. ANYONE can generally benefit from additional information. Besides, it seems fairly clear your mom isn't satisfied with just your honest statement that your diet is actually a healthy one. So, by going to a nutritionist, your mom may accept the nutritionist opinion on veganism (of course I'm referring to the end result being support for veganism by him/her) and thereby accept your diet and stop nagging you about it!

I just got a check up at the doctor and got some bloodwork done to check my levels. This is the true way to know if you are getting what you need. Mine came back perfect. They even checked my kidney function. I would tell your mom to take you to a doctor for bloodwork before the nutritionist as the nutritionist is really only going to be helpful if you are lacking, and the only way to know you are lacking is to test your blood.

vegan

Mine said, "How is that working for you?" She was polite though. Try to find a nutritionist that's experienced in vegetarianism/veganism. When you two call to set up a meeting, ask if he/she has any experience regarding veganism. And make sure they're open-minded.

@ Niki: Yeah, doctors aren't required to take any nutrition class in med school. They know virtually nothing. That's why triple by-pass patients are fed greasy potatoes and meat in hospitals. O_o

Vegan

Cannot go past the old watch what you eat and exercise

They would tell you to take a vitamin B12 supplement.