I've started on the vegetarian road last week, and I wanted to know what special stuff I should take?

Question

I know some people say it's dangerous, so I wanted to know what type of vitamins I should take, and any precautions I should take?

I know I won't get the same amount of protein by eating meat, but I don't wanna stay healthy due to the slaughter of animals

Answer 1

People can have a have a hard time excepting that the vegetarian lifestyle can be healthy.. but it IS! What special stuff should you should take? Well, if you're doing it right, virtually nothing! Multivitamins are actually often not that beneficial - as they contain vitamins which can counteract each-others absorption and so you don't end up getting that much out of them! The key thing to being vegetarian is variety - a range of vegetables, fruit, dried fruit and nuts - potato is not meat, but you can't live off mashed potato, although I've notcied a lot of omnivores attempting to (along with peas and sausages, which doesn't really increase the nutritional value that much!).

Some of the things which non-vegetarians harp on about are iron and protein -
If you're still eating dairy products, milk, eggs.. well, they've all got protein! But nuts, corn, beans etc are good sources as well!
And iron can be found in lentils, egg yolks, dried beans, dried peas, currants, almonds, spinach, dates, raisins, figs, prunes, chocolate, green peas, peanuts, broccoli... (that list goes from most-iron rich at the start to those which are still sources of iron but not as good at the end.)

I have been vegetarian all my life, and am a fit healthy 20yr old uni student (with good grades) - my bmi is perfect, as are all those things like cholesterol, blood pressure etc - I know this because I get checked every 6 months when I need a repeat for the contraceptive pill... If you eat like a vegetarian, and not like an omnivore-minus-the-meat, the vegetarian lifestyle is incredibly healthy and not at all dangerous.

The things I WOULD recommend - as a woman, iron can get low (vegetarian or not - due to good old menstruation - but as a vegetarian you may need to actively make sure you're eating enough iron-rich foods) - so if you find yourself feeling really run down and tired, you may want to get a blood test to check your iron levels. Vitamin C aids the absorption of iron, so if you DO need to take iron supplements (you can get them over the counter but I would recommend a test first because too much iron can be incredibly dangerous to your health and some people DO suffer from iron overload (http://www.ironoverload.org/facts.html)) - it may pay to take them with a glass of orange juice or an orange or mandarin or something, or just make sure you're getting enough vitamin C in your diet generally.
B12 is something that can be risky apparently - I've never been low on it myself though. Yeast is a good source of it, if you want to take supplements of any sort I suppose B12 would be the one, though I've personally never had to.
'Flaxseed oil' - like a tablespoon or teaspoon or something a day - is supposed to be a really good supplement to any diet - I've never tried that either, it's pretty expensive I think, but it's recommended for all people, veggo or not.

Here are some links which also may be of use:
http://www.vrg.org/
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777
http://www.vegsoc.org.nz/v2_fctsht_nutri_gen.html
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/

Best of luck :)

Answer 2

Please don't listen to the people who say you have to eat meat. That is a complete myth and has been disproved years ago. Those people are still living in ignorant bliss. A vegetarian diet is far healthier and the research is there to prove it - less cancer risk, less heart attack risk, less obesity , less IBS - youb get the idea.
Contrary to ideas about protein, it isn't necessary to get it from meat, and you dont actually need as much protein as you'd think. Most people consume far too much and end up with health problems as a result. In a vegetarian diet yu can get protein from beans, lentils, grains, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, and eggs(if you eat them). Soya beans and the quinoa grain are both complete proteins like meat, but it doesnt matter about eating complete proteins at every meal as your body will take care of itself naturally as long as you're eating a well balanced diet. You've got loads of choices for recipes if you check out the internet and also get hold of a goof diet book. Don't be swayed by the meat brigade - all the need to do is research it themselves to find out the true facts - they're in denial. You're eating the best way possible for your health, for the animals and the planet which is great.

Answer 3

It amazes me how lacking in knowledge some people are... and how anxious they are to share their ignorance.
Even the mainstream media now comes out strongly in favor of a vegetarian diet for many health reasons. Sure, you need to choose healthy balanced food--- but you omnivores should do that too.
If you become a vegan (no dairy food at all) there is a chance you could lack one of the B vitamins. Many vegans either take a vitamin supplement or add a bit of nutritional yeast to their diets.
Get on the Internet and do a little research. Or check out a vegetarian cookbook for meal suggestions etc.
I've been veg for over 30 years---my mother said I'd die without meat! I'm 10 x's as healthy as she was at my age and I raised seven healthy kids, too. Even as adults, they've chosen to not eat meat, fish or eggs. Now I have 5 healthy energetic and robust grand kids who are also vegetarian.
Don't listen to fools who spit out their fact-free opinions.

Answer 4

"Contrary to what Michelle118 would like you to believe, I'd bet the fat lady and the farm that she's NOT fine. It's not possible to get complete protein nutrition without eating any kind of meat. " And who's fatlady that you just lost in this ill advised, undereducated bet? Andie is either outright lying or is seriously undereducated. It's 100% possible to get "complete protein nutrition" without eating any kind of meat. If it weren't, wouldn't all vegetarians be dead several weeks into their conversion? Wouldn't people like Stella McCartney and Joaquin Phoenix not have seen their 1st birthday? Americans currently get at least 3 times the amount of protein recommended by the FDA. As long as a vegetarian eats a well-balanced diet, protein is not an issue. Sorry Andie, but it's time to start learning rather than preaching incorrect and well disputed facts.

"Getting enough protein on a true vegetarian diet, by eating no meat at all, is not possible. Abandon the idea and go back to being healthy! " And Demon Doll is obviously being taught by a demon - someone or something that wishes to corrupt. A True vegetarian diet can easily supply enough protein. Again, if it didn't, vegetarians simply wouldn't survive. Another myth of the undereducated morons. As far as being healthy - does Alicia Silverstone look unhealthy? How about Natalie Portman? Maybe Alec Baldwin? How bout Daryl Hannah, Josh Hartnett, or Alyssa Milano?

Just to clarify Kristina's comment on Carl Lewis - he's actually vegan when he trains, I don't know about being full time veggie.


Precautions to take - read up on vegetarian nutrition. Vegetarian does not mean French Fries, Cheese Pizza, and Taco Bell Burritos. It means a well-balanced diet full of vegetables, grains, fruits, legumes, and other plant based nutrients. Cheese, dairy, eggs, and other similar ingredients are fine on a limited basis. I'll give you a few links to help you out.

Remember that meat by-products live in odd locations. Yogurt frequently contains gelatin (cow bones), make-ups frequently contain carmine (bug carcasses), soups often contain beef or chicken stocks, etc.

Don't beat yourself up if you regress every once in awhile for the first couple years. Everyone has their 'craving', but they do eventually do go away. And soy foods are so good now that often cravings can be met by using 'fake' meats in recipes.

Good luck in this!

Answer 5

You can get your complex proteins by combining two of the three groups of either grains, beans, or nuts in a meal. Soy protein, such as tofu, tempeh, or seitan is also another good alternative to meat protein, but since you are not a vegan and a vegetarian you have more options and can also get your proteins from dairy derived products such as milk, cheese, or yogurt.

Answer 6

Dangerous? No, not really. Even when I eat poorly I am healthier than when I ate meat. You just need to make sure you aren't just taking the meat out of your meal & not replacing it. Eg. having three veg instead of meat & three veg.

You CAN get the right amount of protein & iron. Easily.

Protein you can get from mushrooms, beans (like red kidney beans, chickpeas, barlotti & soy beans), tofu (but many vegetarians don't like this too much. I do.) lentils.

Iron you can get from leafy greens and beans. These are higher in iron on a per calorie basis than meat. I like baby spinach to keep my iron up, it is tasty and is great on sandwiches, gourmet pizza, in salads etc.

You don't NEED to take a multivitamin, but it probably wont do you any harm to be extra safe :)

I came into vegetarian from HATING nearly all vegetables, so if you are a little hesitant, that's okay, you will pprobably come to like a lot of things you would have never tried before.

A lot of indian meals are great, there's a lot of hearty vegetarian stuff.

People may warn you about developing a B-12 deficency. This generally arises in vegans after 5 years. If you eat eggs (barl laid are better than free range & MUCH better than cage eggs) that will help you keep up your B-12. The leafy greens will also help you there.

Here's my favorite veg recipe with tofu. You can mix & match the ingredients, deppending oon what you like.

Thai Tofu Stir-Fry:

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
I red capsicum, chopped
I medium carrot, sliced diagonally
I bunch asparagus, sliced
1 zuchinni, quartered
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups broccoli florets
200 g Thai spicy tofu, cubed (I use plain tofu normally, but the flavoured one s easier to adjust to if you're new to it)
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoons sugar
1'/z tablespoons soysauce

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 1 minute.

2. Add the capsicum, carrot, asparagus and squash and stir-fry for 2 more minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms, broccoli and tofu and stirfry- until the vegetables are still crisp, yet tender.

4. Combine the cornflour and sugar. Slowly add the soy sauce and 1 cup of water, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the liquid to the vegetables, stirring until it boils and thickens.

6. Serve immediately with boiled rice. Serves 4

It has:
960 kJ (230 cal)
Protein - 18 g
Fat - 10 g
Carbohydrate - 16 g
Sodium - 650 mg
Calcium - 80 mg
Iron - 4.4 mg
Fibre - 8 g
Estimated Isoflavones - 19 mg

From "Sensational SOY Cookbook" By Sanitarium. Costs less than $5 I think & has quite a few really nice vegetarian recipes.

Answer 7

Look for an organic store in your area. They have specialty vitamins for Vegetarians. Try nuts, soy, and Boca Burgers. Try to eliminate red meat first, then the white meat. That just leaves eggs, fish, and milk. Fish is easy for some people but hard for others. Like my mom. She loved lobster, she gave that up to maintain her weight. Good luck with the milk and eggs. I switched to hormone free, because I just can't stop with those.

Answer 8

Oh dear, you REALLY do not want to listen to people who say its dangerous, thats the funniest thing i've heard for a while.

I've been a veggie for 26 years, no suppliments, no tablets, no illness. And I'm not a sickly pale faced weakling as all the idiots would have us believe. I'm an arable farmer who spends a good part of my time outdoors working the land.

As with any diet, you need a balance, ensure you get plenty of veggies, protein and fibre....no problem

Answer 9

All right. I know I am going to get insults from the anti vegetarians. I am really happy for you. There is no danger in becoming vegetarian on the contrary the health benefits are great. I mostly hang out with vegetarians and they are the healthiest people I know. Even kids who were raised on a veg. diet. You will notice that you have no digestion problems, less headaches... It has been proven. Listen athletes such as Carl Lewis live on a vegetarian diet so that tells you something. No?
If you eat a balanced diet, your body will get all the nutrients you need. I went to a dietitian when I decided to become vegetarian and she guided me a bit.
I guess you just have to be careful to get enough iron, protein and vitamin B12. You can get iron from beans, leafy green vegetables.
I suggest that you read the book becoming vegetarian. It is a great book for beginners and it will explain everything you need to know. It also includes recipes.
Also to to the public library and browse some vegetarian cookbooks in order to get familiar with recipes...
The Internet has tones of information and recipes.
visit:
www.happycow.net and get familiar with the restaurants and health food stores in your city. Try to befriend some people who have been vegetarian for few years and who can guide you.
I wish you the best of luck. If you need more help do not hesitate to post it here.
P.S: Never post your questions on this board late at night. That's when the nasty people attack the most.

Answer 10

Vegetarians get more readily digestible and usable protein and calcium then meat eaters. They just don't get one of the Vitamin B's. So take Vitamin B suplements and you will be fine.