Is It Okay For Me TO Become A Vegetarian?

Question

Well, first off I am only 12. Since I was like 8 I have always been interested in the slaughtering of animals. Well, currently, I just saw it at its worst, and I am willing to do my best to become a vegetarian. People tell me that I am too young to worry about these certain unfortunate things that invade the world today, but the truth is, I am heavily concerned.

That is why I want to become a vegetarian, so that I can feel good inside and out. Plus, a vegetarian diet reverses heart disease. But my question is, is it okay for a child my age to go veg? Would it be healthy?

I know I will have to get alot of those veggie foods, but it'll be worth it. But at my age, is it okay for me to live on a vegetarian diet?

Answer 1

well, i am a vegitarian and was ever since age 14. i think that its okay, as long as you make sure to eat right.

Answer 2

I was raised on a vegan diet, became vegetarian at 10 and back to vegan at 12. I am perfectly healthy! A young woman your age has a lot of nutrional needs, regardlessof diet. As a vegetarian, you may have to pay a little extra attention to getting enough iron, b12, and protien. But as long as you eat a balanced veg diet (not just cheese pizza and potato chips, haha) You WILL be fine.

http://www.goveg.com/order.asp<-- vegetarian starter kit.
You may also want to check out the "teens vegetarian cookbook" by Judy Krizmanic it has a lot of yummy recipes and advice and being a solo veg in the house.
www.vegetarianteen.com is a community of like minded kids your age, and can offer advice on talking to the folks, dealing at school, and while hanging out with your friends. It also helps to just have a community where you are surrounded by other non-meat-eaters. Start a vegetarian/vegan club at school! I hope this helps, and remember, you are doing what feels right to your conscience. That means that your folks brought you up with a god heart. They should be proud!

Answer 3

Yes, it's fine for you to become a vegetarian. Some people even raise their children as vegetarians from birth. You'll want to look up some information on nutrition to make sure you're eating a healthy vegetarian diet; being a junk food vegetarian isn't any better for you than being a junk food meat-eater. Making this switch is a good opportunity to educate yourself about a healthy diet as well as a way for you to be strong in your convictions about animal cruelty.

Answer 4

I grew up vegetarian... nothing wrong with me now! It's a healthy choice no doubt. The only concern is if your mom cooks for you and she cooks meat as the main course. You need to make sure you get plenty of protein from other natural sources such as soybeans, spinach, and legumes and nuts.

There are a ton of vegetarian "meats" made from soy products that actually taste very good. Maybe you can ask your mom to buy some of those for you instead of the meat.

Who knows, you just might get your whole family to be vege eaters! :)

Answer 5

You're never too young to be a vegetarian... I became a vegetarian when I was 5 or 6 and I definitely don't regret it. It's a whole lot healthier in many ways to be vegetarian or vegan, also, it's of course nice to animals!

Answer 6

Yes its okay for young kids 2 care about there health:) Im 13 and a vegetarian. But just dont eat meat. Dont stop eating eggs,butter,cheese,milk,etc. They r very good 4 u:) Junk food on the other hand is soooo bad! But thats a diffrent story

And 1 more thing eat tofu because alot of people will say that u need to take pills 2 replace things that u lose from the meat! WELL U DONT!!! Dont lessin 2 them its not true!

Answer 7

yes, it's definitely okay to be a vegetarian at 12.

these people who tell you not to worry about these "unfortunate things" on the account that you're too young sit back and do nothing to help better the world in some way. i applaud you for 1) caring for other living things other than yourself and 2) caring enough for your health to eliminate meat from your diet. it's never too early to start eating healthy.

people think they're indestructible and that they can eat whatever they want when they're young. these are the same people who will also develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diseases in their middle ages... i despite that "oh-well-whatever" attitude.

since you will only be omitting all animal meat (this includes fish and chicken), you won't miss anything at all... unless you will miss having artery-clogging saturated fats and cholesterol. contrary to popular belief, protein can be found in a LOT of veggies, nuts, and grains. even berries have protein in them. if you want info on specific foods, go here: http://www.nutritiondata.com/

you might want to start looking into how dairy and egg products are also not good for you. start here: http://notmilk.com/
http://www.rense.com/about/milk.htm
http://www.eggindustry.com/

eat a well-balanced diet, and read up about vegetarianism. a book i would recommend is "diet for a new america" by john robbins. it talks of how animals are treated in the factory farms and what these animal products are really doing to our health.

best wishes!

Answer 8

The human anatomy is designed for a plant based diet. Eating animal products is not necessary for optimal health, in fact, veganism is essential. I would not recommend milk and eggs, here's why...

Its a myth that milk is a good source of calcium. Its an ok source, but it doesn't have a lot of magnesium, which is essential for absorbing calcium. Soy milk is a much better choice. Egg and dairy products both have animal protein, which shrinks and hardens your arteries. Even worse, they are full of synthetic hormones used to speed up production, and antibiotics to allow the animals to suffer unnatural unhygienic conditions, and live through it. Also, if you care about animals, then you will avoid eating animal products completely. Dairy cows, in confinement, are hooked up to machines that violently suck the milk out of their uterus, leaving sever bruising and scarring. Egg laying hens are kept in confined cages, and de-beaked. Dairy and Eggs producer are not only killed as well, they are treated worse, for years instead of the typical 6 weeks. So by buying egg and dairy products, you are still paying the same farmers that kill the same animals, except that they are more exploited.

For optimal health, I would recommend that you drink flax seed oil (not capsules, which contain gelatin) for fat (good fat), and soy products for protein (good protein). For vitamins, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and you can also take algae supplements like chlorella and spirulina (which does have 15 times the digestible protein as beef). These algae supplements are better than multivitamins. They have trace minerals and phytochemicals that work in a synergistic matter, for absolute peak health. You can even survive of either of them! So don't worry at all about being vegetarian or vegan at a young age. You really should be worried about eating animal produce. Your at a crucial age, and you must not poison your body with dead rotting carcases (Our intestines is way too long for eating meat. This allows over absorption of saturated fats and bacteria growth, causing toxicity in your digestive tract) Instead, you must nurture your body with a nutritious, non toxic plant based diet (organic and raw is best). Veganism is really the healthiest thing you can do, if done properly. Its also the compassionate choice, so good luck!

Answer 9

I've been vegetarian since I was born and now I'm 14 and perfectly healthy, so yes it's fine. Just don't eat salads all the time, you still need protein and stuff. Try pasta and oriental foods :]

Answer 10

its really good to be vegetarian.
this world made by gos is really fair. if you let others live you will also be able to lead a great life.
being vegetarian in such a age is also a gift from god.
As i have seen many vegetarian people. some parents have made fed their kids vegetarian since birth.
there are also children who vomit if they're fed meat. that comes from their compassionate nature.
if you can decide to become a vegetarian (its not easy though) you will grow up to be wise, healthy.
It todays age no doctors say vegetarian foods are not nutritious. they actually inspire people to become vegetarian to be healthy
Follow this link for more info:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgXDeAUToHHXQOwc9OUBqeHty6IX?qid=20070617223645AARAflo&show=7#profile-info-vIUCjAj0aa

Answer 11

Of course it is okay for you to become a vegetarian. Find a registered dietitian to help you with proper meal plans for your age and to make sure that you are getting all the necessary nutrients for your development stage, and you will have no problems at all.
Just make sure you have a complete plan as you begin. Too many people start off in the wrong manner. It is better to talk to a dietitian and work out a complete meal plan for all your nutritional needs. Talk to your doctor and ask for him to recommend a dietitian to help you with your plan to your healthy life style.

Enjoy it.