I recently decided to become a vegetarian...?

Question

I'm 17 and live with my mom, and she is more than a little worried about this. She wants to know where I'm going to get protein. She wants to know how much I need of protein and fat, and how many calories I need. Isn't it the same as a non-vegetarian diet? I'm having trouble finding the exact information my mom wants, any info or websites would be greatly welcomed. Thanks!

I know it's prefectly possible to get the right amount of protein, it's just my mom doesn't. Oh, well, I'm gald she's being supportive!

Answer 1

try the veggie society's webpage on protein

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html

It says how much you need, what it does and where you get it from

We don't need as much protein as some people would think.

Your mums reaction is a trypical meat-eater response. Its as if thats the only thing they can say in response to "I'm a vegetarian"

The page has info about talking to parents, you might find it useful
http://www.youngveggie.org/being_veggie/talking.html

and this page to help smooth things out with friends and family:
http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/kickstart/friends.html

Answer 2

If your mom is open to reading up on this, a great book is "Raising Vegetarian Children" by Stepaniak and Melina. You're not really a child anymore, but it does cover adolescent nutritional requirements. Lots of great nutritional information (your mom won't be worried once she sees all the great food that you can eat that will satisfy your requirements) and good recipes, too.

Most parents of newly minted teen vegetarians are worried about protein... unnecessarily. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine publishes a flier called "The Protein Myth." Check their website for it (www.pcrm.org). It covers our culture's obsession with protein, the health consequences of too much protein, how much you actually need, and how easy it is to get enough on a vegetarian diet.

Tell her you can get more than enough protein from eggs and dairy if you're going to continue to eat them, from soybeans and the many products made from them (tofu, tvp, edamame, meat replacements,) from whole grains (quinoa is great - it's versatile like rice, is a complete protein, and is also a good source of calcium and iron, two other nutrients that your mom might be worrying about,) from nuts and seeds, from beans and other legumes (lentils, peas, peanuts and peanut butter, chickpeas,) from fruits and vegetables (especially dark green ones,) and even from mushrooms. Not a short list, is it? :)

Answer 3

tell your mum that whether you are on a vegge diet or not you still eat a very similar quantity of things that give you protein, whether it be from meat or in this case, soy products.. dont be scared of the name lol soy products are actually very nice and sometimes even taste like their meat counterparts...without the guilt of killing the animal... for protein eat things such as tofu, beans and lentils, sprouts, nuts and seed (lol sunflower seeds and such...) and chick peas are also great. sprouts actually have alot of protein (actually more usable protein than that of meat), theres also many dairy products that you can eat for protein and calcium...that is assuming you are becoming vegetarian and not vegan (vegans dont eat eggs or cheese or milk or any animal products at all, where as vegetarians simply do not eat anything that involved the death of an animal) so tell her not to worry, you wont be left behind in the protein department :)..another thing is iron, lots of veggies have iron, including spinach and other similarly coloured veggies :) welldone with you choice of n ot eating meat it is a great choice indeed

Answer 4

Okay, there are numerous questions floating around about "will I get enough protein?" on YA; a quick search will allay all your fears and your mom's fears. As long as you eat a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, nuts/seeds, grains, and beans/pulses, you will get enough protein. Protein deficiency is practically unheard of in industrialized nations. In fact, most people, even veg*ans, get too much protein. An excess of protein, especially animal protein, taxes the kidneys and leaches calcium from your bones. So don't worry about protein.

Answer 5

www.peta2.org has a lot of vegan and vegetarian recipes and you can sign up for their email and every Monday they'll send you a new recipe. I also buy Vegetarian Times magazine at the grocery store or bookstore. With so many good recipes in there, your mom may want to become a vegetarian! Good luck!

Answer 6

Being that there is extra fat and energy in meat than the replacements you pronounced consisting of vegetables, fruit, or tofu, then i could anticipate you are able to shed some pounds. be sure you keep in mind ultimate factor sizes besides. in basic terms because you narrow back out meat does no longer mean you are going to shed some pounds. there are loads of intense in calorie, intense fat meals that could desire to be seen vegetarian. good success! I want i did no longer love pork plenty so i could desire to connect you : )

Answer 7

This magazine is a great source for beginning vegetarians of all ages: http://www.vegetariantimes.com Click on "Vegetarian Starter Kit" in the yellow tool bar on top.

Good luck.

Answer 8

woman on site below writes vegi cookbooks and raised her kids vegi. 5 ingredient cookbook has easy normal vegi recipes with easy to obtain ingredients. you're mom might want to be vegi too, who knows?!(sometimes anyway)good luck

Answer 9

well u can eat veggies and soy cause u can get soy chicken nuggets and boka burgers!there is this brand called morning star and it vegertarian and there is this other brand called boka try them!!!!!!!!!im vegetarian too im fine and healthy!

: ) : ( : - ) : - ( = ) = ( peace out

Answer 10

EVERYTHING has protein in it. =) Eating stuff like twinkies is the only way to miss out on protein. Beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds and even some pastas are VERY high in protein. If you eat a balanced diet and only eat junk food less than a couple times a week, you will never be deficient in protein.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

There have been vegan Olympic gold medalists and a vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lewis
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML_(Draft).htm

Here are some more veg people:
http://www.mikemahler.com/index.html
http://www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com/index2.html
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bios
http://www.andreascahling.com/andreas-about
http://www.billpearl.com/career.asp
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-23-27/Salim-Stoudamire-Runs-on-Broccoli.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Danzig
http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php
http://www.nfl.com/players/rickywilliams/profile?id=WIL271115
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/raceresults/index.html

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There is a Japanese analogy/proverb that goes like this, "The nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down". People are like this everywhere. When you tell your family that it is your personal belief that animals should not be eaten, they take a look at themselves and it can be subconsciously translated into, "What you do is wrong and I choose to be right."

Your parents have probably been taught a huge amount of misinformation by their parents and their teachers while growing up. You really need to research vegetarian diets and health before you even think about saying the "V-word" in front of your parents or anyone else.

When you have gathered enough information and feel confident in a vegetarian diet's ability to maintain or even improve health, you may mention to them that you have made the decision. They may be shocked, angry, worried, curious or many other things, but you must NEVER react to their behavior and always stay calm. If they are able to speak to you and respect your choice, please tell them everything and answer all questions. If they are rude, inconsiderate, judgmental, violent, or verbally abusive, refuse to continue any conversation until they can speak to you with respect.

The best advice is to study everything that you can about a healthy vegetarian diet and keep yourself in good shape (better than most people your age or than your friends/family if possible). If nobody that you know shows a genuine, positive interest in your choice, don't give them the privilege of the knowledge that you have gathered. Work your way around any attempts they make to trivialize your beliefs and if possible, go shopping with your parents and buy things that aren't obvious veggie fare. Instead of trying to sneak fake meat into the cart, toss in lentil soup, peanut butter, pasta, fruits & veggies or anything else that you have learned is needed to fill any gaps in your diet.

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There is a Japanese analogy/proverb that goes like this, "The nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down". People are like this everywhere. When you tell your family that it is your personal belief that animals should not be eaten, they take a look at themselves and it can be subconsciously translated into, "What you do is wrong and I choose to be right."

Your parents have probably been taught a huge amount of misinformation by their parents and their teachers while growing up. You really need to research vegetarian diets and health before you even think about saying the "V-word" in front of your parents or anyone else.

When you have gathered enough information and feel confident in a vegetarian diet's ability to maintain or even improve health, you may mention to them that you have made the decision. They may be shocked, angry, worried, curious or many other things, but you must NEVER react to their behavior and always stay calm. If they are able to speak to you and respect your choice, please tell them everything and answer all questions. If they are rude, inconsiderate, judgmental, violent, or verbally abusive, refuse to continue any conversation until they can speak to you with respect.

The best advice is to study everything that you can about a healthy vegetarian diet and keep yourself in good shape (better than most people your age or than your friends/family if possible). If nobody that you know shows a genuine, positive interest in your choice, don't give them the privilege of the knowledge that you have gathered. Work your way around any attempts they make to trivialize your beliefs and if possible, go shopping with your parents and buy things that aren't obvious veggie fare. Instead of trying to sneak fake meat into the cart, toss in lentil soup, peanut butter, pasta, fruits & veggies or anything else that you have learned is needed to fill any gaps in your diet.

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I'm vegan and these are some of my favorite things to eat:

Breakfast: bananas, cream of wheat with brown sugar and soy butter, cereal, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, vegan "sausage" patties, smoothies.

Snack: BRUSSEL SPROUTS =) no joke

Lunch: vegan "sausage" sandwiches, sandwiches with vegan deli slices(Tofurkey is the only one that's kinda funky), fruit, dinner leftovers, couscous salad, vegan sushi, potato or pasta salad.

Dinner: sloppy joes, "sausage" and gravy with homemade biscuits, Spaghetti and Trader Joe's "meatballs" or TVP, lasagna, Thai pad see ew, pad khi mao(drunkard's noodles), pad prig king, tofu+eggplant with basil sauce, yellow thai curry with tofu or vegan chikn and veggies and jasmine rice, Indian dal with homemade roti or dosai, channa masala, aloo gobi, vegetable or minestrone soup, pizza, STEAMED "PORK" BUNS with potstickers or spring rolls, sweet&sour/orange/lemon chikn, vegan pho or wonton soup, baked tofu, BBQ homemade seitan (tastes like BBQ'd ribs), kabobs

I use these sites to find recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://vegweb.com
http://www.recipezaar.com