Why am I getting so sick as a vegetarian?!

Why am I getting so sick as a vegetarian?

I'm a relatively new vegetarian (3 months) and it seems like during this time, I've gotten sick ALOT!!

I dont know what I'm doing wrong. The only thing I can think of is that Im in school and am often forced to skip meals to make it to school/ work on time. But I eat alot of green vegetables (spinach is my favorite!!)

Is it even MORE important that a vegetarian get a balanced diet?? I've noticed that there have been days where I'll just pop in a multivitamin and hope it works. Recently, I have been getting colds right and left... what am I doing wrong???

ps when I still ate meat, I'd only have a cold maybe once or twice a year... should I start eating fish or something??

2 days ago
Im actually thinking it may have something to do with protein ... I know im not getting enough especially with me skipping meals and what not.

You need a balanced vegetable diet ok?

try these

In a rush breakfast shake

1 cup rice milk
1 raw egg (can omit to make it vegan)
1 banana
handful of diced pawpaw
1 tbl sp LSA (Linseed, sunflower seed, almond mix)

place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Scrambled tofu on toast

375g block of firm tofu, crumbled
1 teaspoon Turmeric
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP dried parsley
2 or 3 TBSP soy milk or more depending on how dry or 'sloppy' you like your scramble to be!
salt and pepper to taste
powdered vegie stock can also be added if you prefer that also.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
Crumble the tofu up with your hands into the frying pan, and add the turmeric, soy sauce, parsley, salt and pepper, and soy milk.
Mix it all up, stirring often until tofu resembles scrambled eggs... If you prefer a sloppy scramble mixture, add more soy milk and let the tofu soak it up. I don't like to use a tofu that is too firm either, other wise it doesn't crumble well. I Serve this with toast and I saute up some mushrooms and spinach to have on the side for a big yum breakfast =o)

Lunch Sandwich - toasted or untoasted

2 slices of Bread (toasted)
1 teaspoon Avocardo
15grams grated cheese
2 slices of Onion
2 slices Tomato
1 teaspoon weight watchers Mayonaise
2 peices of Lettuce
10grams Grated carrot

toast one side of bread

-put avocardo on one piece of the bread (non toasted side)

-on other piece put the mayo (non toasted)

-lettuce on bread
-onion
-grated carrot
-tomato
-grated cheese

Ok.. FIRST! You need to have half a quantity of the Muenster Cheeze recipe from the "Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" by Jo Stepaniak. (Vegan) very easy to make, takes about 10 mins, but needs to set overnight.

dinner: cheesy bean bake
1 x medium onion finely chopped
2 x cloves garlic (finely chopped or minced))
1 x small sweet potato, finely diced (about 1cm cubes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion flakes
1 tblsp paprika
1 x Vegan tomato pasta sauce

1 x 400gm can of Borlotti beans
1 x 400gm can of Aduki beans
(both rinsed well)

2 x serves of "Egglike"

1 tblsp oil (any kind, but I like macadamia or coconut as it does not burn easily)

Optional ingredient:

Blended: sesame seeds (1/4 cup) and nutritional yeast (1/4 cup) and teaspoon salt. (= parmesan cheese substitute

sautee the onion and sweet potato in the oil in a medium/large saucepan
When almost cooked, add the chopped garlic, then the garlic, onion and paprika powders.

Cook for just a minute until the garlic looks golden, then add the pasta sauce and beans.

Heat through, and add the egglike mixture and cook until it thickens a little.

Spoon into a shallow rectangular casserole dish.

Crumble the "Muenster Cheeze" and coat the top of the dish thickly.

Add optional "parmesan cheeze" topping if you can be bothered, but is fine without it too.

Bake in 180 degree (celsius) oven for around 35-45 minutes until the "cheeze" looks browned.

The trick to a healthy vegetarian diet is READ, READ, READ

The problem that gives vegetarism a bad name is the fact people only eat vegetables when converting and they dont do their research. They skip meals because there is a bit of planning required and they just dont research. If you have no time for a packed lunch buy a peanut butter and salad whole grain roll (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoe and cheese) at the canteen. If you have no time for preparing a vegetarian dinner bake some ptatoes in the oven and keep them in the fridge (cooked) to reheat with a can of bake beans and some cheese. Grab a museli bar for breakfast and a milk shake. But dont skip meals its very bad. Remember your staples and if you dont know them read up - one is peanut butter, another is whole grain bread, another is brown rice. Read, Read, Read. THere are some web sites below. The first one is highly recommended. Also great you like spinache but its not nutritious - you need to add protein and carbs - Read read read