I am 13 and I am a vegetarian, is it ok?!
Answers: I am vegetarian for 8 weeks and my parents allowed me that, but yesterday my dad said me that my bones will not be stong, because I am growing up and that I should eat meat. I feel better when I dont eat meat. What do you think? By the way, I am 166 cm tall and i have 54 kg. Am I fat?
I find it really funny that everyone who says that reliable research neglects to link to any of it.
Tell your dad that the largest study ever done on nutrition was conducted by Cornell and Oxford Universities along with China and the results are that a diet that contains animal products is NOT good for you.
http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/ChinaPr...
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01...
Numerous other studies PROVE that animal products are not healthy. They is a nice assortment of overviews of these studies in the book, The China Study. http://thechinastudy.com
The American Dietetic Association says that a vegetarian diet can be healthy.
I'd print out this information provided by the U.S. governement who is VERY pro meat and dairy. If THEY agree that a vegetarian diet is fine, then come on: http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/895_veg...
More important than worrying about protein, you need to worry more about getting enough calorie and fat. If you are still eating dairy products then you are going to get plenty of those (those foods are as bad for you as meat, BTW, and maybe worse). You really owe it to yourself to get a book on nutrition. It is THE most important thing for your health to get proper nutrition. Check out a book called BECOMING VEGETARIAN and read it with your parents.
Good luck!
It is fine but make sure you get the proteins you miss out from meat through stuff like legumes and beans. Other than that your fine.
nah its fine so long as you find some other way to get protien in your diet. research it on the web and try to eat that instead of meat tell your dad that and he cant have anythign else to say
if i was you... i would eat meat, but if u really dont want to, then eat lots of nuts cos you need protein. and i dont think nur overweight, if u think u are, then go for a run every day cos that works well.
the important thing is to get enough protein...a balanced diet.. sit down with your parents and plan your meals...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetar...
GOOGLE: vegetarian diet protein
I agree with the first two answers. Parents are really concerned about the well-being of their children. Next time you have a check-up, discuss your eating habits with your doctor and make sure he/she explains to your parents that you're fine. Don't forget to take your vitamins, drink plenty of water, and make arrangements for the protein you're not getting.
it is ok untill it is filling all your requirements thaa body needs while growing up. it is best for you to go see a doctor and get your diet plan by him ..meat is good source for protien and iron...you should eat plenty of fruits too
No not at all, as long as you get all your necessary vitamins and minerals you'll be fine
Hey!
Personally I think its great that you've decided to act upon your own beliefs, congratulations!
I myself have been vegetarian for 3 months now and I'm 17, but I still had the whole, 'bones wont be strong etc' conversation. So what I've done is booked an appointment with my doctor, and they'll tell me what vitamins and supplements I can take so that I am as healthy, if not healthier than a meat eater!
I totally agree with you, I feel better and more guilt free know that I am vegetarian!
By the way, I dont think your fat! Your weight is in proportion to your height!!
Good Luck!!
Well, Im a year older then u and and i am vegertarian. You have to keep a balenced diet. Eat alot of fruits and vegetables. trying not to eat chips. They make u fat. Uhh, baked patatos are good. Tofu is also a choice. I dont really like it but you might. there are many place you can get it. Also there is Veggie burgers. Vegan hot dogs. There are many things that they make for vegans and Vegetarians.
No ur not fat but just try to eat heatly. Its better for you diet.
ANDD GET ALOT OF IRON and other things u need that you would get from meat.
My dad doesnt want me to be a vegetarian but i dont listen. Dont let your dad make you eat meat. its gross!
have them watch this
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GOOD VIEDO!
No, it is not necessary to eat meat for strengthening your bones.It is enough if you drink a lot of milk and take some potato and onion in ur regular diet if u think ur bones r weak.
yes, it's ok to be a vegetarian.
just believe you're eating good food and that will do good.
Meat doesn't make your bones strong. Chocolate cake does! You'll grow up much healthier and much more naturally without all the chemicals and artifical hormones in factory farmed meat. Have some peanut butter and toast or a pancake and beans. Voila...protein. :P
It is ,according to knowledgeable people, not true that only nonvegetarins develop good bone structure and good health. There are nillions of human beings who do not touch animal foods but who are unnervingly and stunningly healthy and long living. Just look around and you will find that they also live with a clear conscience. One can live without any loss of the joy of living by a well-thought vegetarian food avoiding the cruelty of willful infliction of pain and suffering on helpless creatures. Lots of dairy products like milk and yougurt amply substitute high proteins and provide nourishment for body and spirit. Many thanks for asking this question.
Isn't it funny how it's usually the dads who have a problem with vegetarianism? In our culture it seems that men are more strongly brainwashed to be meat eaters than women are. What your growing body needs is protein, calcium, iron, and B vitamins, all of which are readily available from plant sources and supplements. Doctors are not really very well trained in nutrition, but the advantage of getting an official diet from a doctor is that dads tend to believe them when they say it is okay. The truth is that a vegetarian diet is much better for your overall health and will help you avoid the epidemics of obesity and heart disease that plague our society. Become a great vegetarian cook and you may even end up making your dad healthier.
Your dad is mistaken when he suggests that your bones won't be strong if you don't eat meat. Eating excess protein--especially animal protein--actually weakens your bones by stripping the calcium from them. It's why cows' milk is NOT a good source of calcium, despite what the marketing campaign says.
Check out www.vrg.org for vegetable-based sources of calcium, and make sure you get plenty of vitamin D to help you absorb it. You can get ample vitamin D with a few minutes of sunlight a day (more if you're dark-skinned or live in higher latitudes), not so easy during the winter, I know.
I can tell you right now that tofu and fortified soymilks are good sources of calcium, as are chickpeas and other beans. They're also good sources of protein.
your dad is wrong. You'll be perfectly fine.
You could take a vitamin/mineral supplement and a calcium supplement.
Actually, you need to let your dad known that meat DEPLETES the calcium in your body. If you are a vegetarian, you actually need LESS calcium because you aren't consuming the meat that takes calcium out of your body. Besides, as a vegetarian you can still drink milk and eat cheese, which have calcium for strong bones.
It is completely safe for anyone to be a vegetarian. After all, our bodies were not meant to digest meat. If your dad is concerned about you not getting enough essential vitamins here is some information that will help.
The protein scare is the biggest misconception about vegetarian diets. There are quite a bit of misconceptions so here are some web sites I think will help. The first is a list of vegetables with protein and how much the second are calcium sources in raw veggies. The third is an article about B12. It is actually a microbe found in soil and is abundant in seaweed, tempeh, miso, and root veggies. The last one is a list of foods with iron and how much.
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/iro...
http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/calevel.html
http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.htm...
No youre not fat.
And there's nothing wrong with being vegetarian at your age. I've been a vegetarian since I was 9 years old and it's been 13 years.
Bones get strong with Vitamin D and Calcium. Drink milk or get supplements (or soy....there are various sources of these minerals and vitamins). Go get some sunshine for about 15 minutes everyday to get a natural source of Vit D (although many milks are fortified with it). You get proteins from beans, nuts, various vegetables, wheat, milk, and eggs (although I don't eat eggs). Strong bones come from some exercise too, so don't forget to get some of that.
There is nothing unhealthy about being a vegetarian. And don't believe the myth that vegetarians don't grow. I've always been one of the tallest girls in my class all through high school and college and my younger sister is taller than me (she's been a vegetarian since she was 7)!
Just watch your diet, you'll be more than fine! Good luck and congrats on the change :)
Both the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have come out in support of a properly planned vegetarian diet, and say it's appropriate for all ages. As a growing teen, you do need to make sure your nutritional requirements are met, including calcium for strong bones. If you're just cutting out meat and not eggs or dairy, your dad really doesn't have anything to worry about, but even a vegan diet can cover all your bases. Pick up a good book on vegetarian nutrition to guide you through adolescence and calm your parents' concerns. "Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina (both nutritionists) is a really good one.
Me and my sister are vegetarians and we are 10 and 13 and we are not weak or anything. I was a vegetarian since September 12 2007 and my sister was one since August.
You should talk with a dietician or your doctor. If you make sure you are eating balanced meals and getting enough of all the food groups, you will be okay. A lot of people forget about iron. It is in pasta, cereal and other whole wheat products.
BTW, your bones get strong from calcium, which is in milk, almonds, broccoli and other vegetables.
I don't think your fat. If your weight (the number) is more than your friends numbers or whatever, it is probably becuase you are taller than them.
no your perfectally fine i was veg for 6 months adn im 12 but i stopped casue my dads friends freinds daughter was veggie adn then she was having alot of problems so i got scared adn stopped but its your choice if its to support a cause horray for you! if its to prove a point then y risk gettting sick
There is nothing to justify. Everything lives off something else. People are designed to be omnivorous; if we weren’t designed to eat meat we couldn’t eat it. (yes I can prove it, its long and boring but I can if you wish).
But to deny that fact the people are omnivorous is stupid, we are what we are. Does that mean you can’t choose not to eat meat, no, of course not, but does that make people who eat meat evil, no. It’s a lifestyle choice, you chose not to eat meat, I choose too.
Here something to think about, at one point in our evolution, there were two types of man like apes, one ate plants the other was an omnivore, the plant eater died out, while the omnivore evolved into Homo sapiens. Our nature is to eat just about everything, plants and animals.
Now do most people in the US eat too much meat, yes, most people in the US eat too much of everything.
Yes, I’ve seen the PETA video, many times, I’ve also seen videos of lions bring a zebra and start eating it while it was still alive. Neither one bothers me, do I think animals we kill for food should be killed as quickly as possible, yes. Should they be treated humanely, yes.
But you sound like a nice person, and probably feel that animals have rights. They don’t. Think of it this way. If animals have rights, then the must respect the rights of all other animals, so when a tiger kills another animal it is committing murder and is subject to the law of the land for violating the rights of the other animal. And just how are you going to feed a tiger and not violate the rights of another animal and where are you going to build all the animal jails.
Just something to think about.
jee kiddo try to enjoy munching a 13 year old normal food and that includes junkfoods, meat, pizza, milkshake etc. enjoy life while u can 1st, as for myself i decided to be a vegetarian when i turn 20. and i still have 2 more years to eat pizza!! and meat!!! yey!!!
no , go to Mc Donald and get a double cheeseburger
strict vegetarianism is fine for a few weeks- however
there are benefits to eating meat - like minerals your growing body still needs
here is a great article - look at the writer - he has two pictures
one is a strict vegan for 7 years - and then later after he modified the diet
which do you think looks healthier? OOOOPS
my bad - the pictures are in the copy you buy
all the best!
No it's not okay. Physical and physiological processes in you are still under-developed. You might easily contract a serious anaemic disorder.
It's going to be difficult enough for you to have proper growth, with the additives that in food these days. As you grow you will require enzymes forming proteins for cellular growth just like everybody else on this earth.
At your age it's normal to question and experiment, but you will see the results of some of the things you do more immediately than other things. Your father loves you. He was put here to watch over you. Always remember and never forget that.
I think your dad is correct and most reliable research says that as well. It is best to get a good foundational diet based on moderation and balance. Height and weight is not always a good indicator of proper nutrition. Some of the nutritional deficiencies of the growing years are responsible for physical problems later on in life. Bone development and bone density can be compromised.
Your growing years can consume nutrients more quickly than you can imagine. So you have to be very careful. You might try other meats ... i.e. . . . if you are heavy into "red" meats ... try the lighter meats ... poultry, fish, seafood.
We actually don't need much "meat" in our diets ...but we really need some. Google "Flexitarian Diets" and check out the websites for suggestions.
Moreover, at 13 you need to remember you are part of a family .. .when you get old enough and are out on your own you can do whatever you want.