Is it okay for a 14 year old to become a vegetarian?

Answer 1

Sure, provided he/she follows a balanced diet -- and that is a challenge for young people, whether they eat meat or not. Frankly, most young people don't eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains, which are plentiful in a vegetarian diet. There are also a lot of low fat proteins in a vegetarian diet, such as tofu, texturized soy protein, seitan (wheat gluten), and other nuts and legumes. Iron can be acquired in green veggies like broccoli and spinach. If you aren't going vegan, you can include dairy and eggs for fat, calcium, protein, etc.

So, if the 14-year-old in question likes eating vegetarian food (fruits, veggies, tofu/seitan/nuts/eggs, dairy, etc.) then it would work great. If they already have poor dietary habits (don't like green veggies, eat a lot of overly greasy or carb-laden foods, tons of sugar), then making the transition to vegetarianism will be doubly hard -- because you would be transitioning both to healthy food choices and also to replacing meat with non-meat. The latter (at least for me) is really not that hard. But if that shift is going on alongside a broader dietary change, that could be tough. I guess the maturity of the child is a major factor.

Answer 2

That is still an age where much growing, esp. of bones, is going on.

If you reads up on combining proteins, how to get certain nutrients normally obtained by meat and will consume those foods regularly, then it's probably ok.

At this age I'd be most worried about protein, calcium, iron, folic acid.

Being vegetarian mean smore than just "not eating meat." You have to plan meals to get complete proteins. Your body needs 20 different amino acids to make protein. 11 your body can make if you eat the right things; 9 must come from food. Find otu what they are and be willing to eat those food sources and you'll be ready to be a vegetarian.

Answer 3

Yes this is perfectly fine. Just remember to have a lot of variety in the diet. I became a vegetarian at 14 and didn't seek advise of what I should eat to keep myself healthy. Now I have a glass of multivitamin orange juice each morning and I am very healthy. Remember Vit. C helps keep Iron in the body and Watercress has more iron in it than spinach. People don't have to eat tofu to be vegitarian. Just experiment with your cooking and cook for the whole family. I do alot of cooking and my mother sometimes goes 2 weeks without meat without realising. If you get stuck for recepies just contact me and I'd gladly give you some of my recepies to get you started on a whole world of food you never thought of before.

Answer 4

Why not? According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians get all the vitamins and nutrients they need. Vegetarian diets are considered extremely healthy by medical experts. In fact, it is better for a 14 yr old not to be eating meat, since it isn't healthy for you.

Answer 5

Yes, definitely! I married into a vegetarian family...so many children that have never had meat, milk or eggs & that's how we are raising ours and everyone is healthy.

My husbands only had meat 3 times in his life (as a toddler) and he's over 50 and in construction - more energy & muscles than those meat-eating co-workers.

Don't worry about protein. Eat a variety of foods and you'll be fine. I've heard it called "Eat the colors of the rainbow."

Answer 6

I don't see what age has to do with it. People all over the world are vegetarian their whole lives. No, no need for vitamins etc. if eating a well rounded diet. Meat is not magical nor is it a multivitamin as many suggest.

Answer 7

You can become a vegeterian at any age. Make sure you and your parents have talked about this and that they agree to how you feel. Next, find some info about it on the internet. The most important part is going to a doctor, and most people don't go. Most people believe that becoming a vegeterian is no big deal, but it totally changes your vitamin, ect. intake. Talk to a doctor and he may tell you to start taking vitamins and explain a safe diet. Good luck!

Answer 8

It's an excellent diet for teenagers, children, babies, all humans! The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada have declared it a "healthful, nutritionally adequate diet", provided that it's well planned. Some of us adults wish we grew up vegetarian.

Here's a page for young vegetarians:

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/teen/index.html

Of course, make sure that you eat a wide variety of fruits, veggies, nuts and whole grains, and include tofu.

Answer 9

If your parents think it's ok then you should go for it. I was a vegetarian for three and a half years and never felf better. I maintained a healthy weight, never got sick, and had tons of energy. I gave it up for my husband. I really regret it. Just be sure you eat pleanty of meat substitutes. I ate eggs and milk products. Some vegetarians don't but i think it's healthier.(animals don't die for it either) Just educate yourself first, Good Luck

Answer 10

im 14 and vegetarian, i have been my whole life. you might want to expand on your question because its unclear what part about being vegetarian at 14 you are concerned with.