do i have to eat meat for my health?

Question

i am a vegetarian not for religious reasons just because i don't like meat much. but i hate beans more, so do you think i should eat meat to get enough protein? is protein that important?

Answer 1

Protein is indeed important, but you can find other sources for it than meat and beans. Look around on the web for other foodstuffs that contain high protein elements, and move towards something you like.

Answer 2

I too am a vegetarian, also because I don't like meat too much. But I have to agree, protein is very important part of daily food consumption. Most everybody thinks that vegetarians get too little protein, but you have to understand, there are a lot of ways that you can get protein other than meats. If you are not Vegan, then you can get protein from milk, cheese, eggs, etc. Those are great sources of protein. Although most people think it is gross, tofu also has lots of good protein in it. Beans are also great sources of protein.

But in answering your question, "is protein that important?", the answer is yes, protein is one of the most important parts of food. It gives you energy, helps you build muscle, and is good for your brain.

If you would like more information, I found this link in a search engine: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
Although that site is about vegans, it looks like it contains good information. I haven't read the whole article, but it might be a good resource if you want to know more.

I hope this answers your question!

Answer 3

Protein is one important nutrient of many.

You don't necessarily have to get a lot of protein in every meal, but it's generally a good idea. As far as beans go, maybe you need to try some different kinds; there might be some that you will like.

Various soy products are a good source of protein.

Peanuts are a good source of protein.

Allergies to soy and or peanuts are fairly common, though.

Answer 4

You don't need to eat meat to get enough protein. There are many other foods you can eat to get your protein in. Yes, it's THAT important.
If you're new to the vegetarian diet, you should consider talking to your doctor or to a nutritionist. They'll be able to suggest foods and help come up with a meal plan to include enough protein just for you.

Answer 5

Yes protein is important (though not to the degree that the beef industry would have us believe.) Legumes are among the best sources of plant proteins so you might want to keep exploring the world of beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, etc... There are dozens of them so you might find some you actually like. Peanuts, peanut butter, nuts and seeds are alos a good source, as are whole grains (try quinoa, it's a complete protein and is just about as versatile as rice.) Of course, there is a whole world of soy products that are rich in protein and even fruits and veggies even have protein in them. You might to keep a log of what you eat for a few days and then look up the protein values for everything to see how you average.

Answer 6

Protein is VERY important, but the thing is, 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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A responsible veggie ALWAYS studies the subject of their own health and how to keep their body completely provided for in every sense. http://www.veganhealth.org/sh
To neglect their body is to define a plant-based diet as unhealthy and is the opposite of helping the animals.

A balanced plant-based diet includes grains(breads, pasta, rice,cereal), legumes(soy, beans, peas, lentils), fruit and vegetables.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_groups.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/eating.html
Being veg can be an art, one whose challenge is to take things that involve the suffering of the innocent and change them into something free of cruelty.

Answer 7

Yes, protein is important but you don't need that much. Tofu, nuts and fake meats all contain lots of protein. Beans do too, but too bad you don't like them. Perhaps you're not cooking them the right way? Just a thought. A little known fact is that grains alone (wheat, rice, corn) provide 50% of the protein in the normal diet.

Answer 8

Not really. Even vegans get more protein than they need. I have never been a big fan of beans, but if I eat something crunchy with beans or have something with which to cut them, I can stand them.

Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods, you'll be fine.

Answer 9

You have to have protein - Soy based vegetarian products or incorporating tofu into your recipes will help a great deal. One word of caution though - Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day if you eat these things or you will feel very puffy - They are high in fiber as well as protein.

Answer 10

Protein is in lots of things, and meat is not your only protein source.