Decided to become vegan...any tips/suggestions?

Question

I am a 15-year-old girl. I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for about 5 and a half years now, and I've decided that I want to become vegan for ethical reasons. The problem is, I don't really know where to start. My mom, who has been vegetarian for 20+ years and works for the FDA (she knows a lot about food) is worried that I won't get enough nutrients, especially calcium. While she's willing to support me in this transition, she wants me to do my research to make sure I'll be keeping myself healthy and wants me to see a nutritionist before making the full switch to veganism. I consider my choice very serious, as being vegan is not only a way of eating but a way of life. I'd like some feedback from other vegans on how to make the transition, tips on staying healthy, food ideas, book/other reading suggestions, etc...basically any input you can give. Thank you for all your help!

P.S.- non-vegans/vegetarians, please don't criticize me on my decision...this is my personal choice. Thanks!

Answer 1

Smart Mom! It's always important to check with your doctor before changing your diet.

You may want to check out a couple of books from your library on vegan nutrition, such as Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-based Diet by Brenda Davis, R.D. and Vesanto Melina M.S., R.D. and Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple by Michael Klaper, M.D. Also, search "vegan" on amazon.com for more titles.

I have a vegan cookbook called CalciYum! by David and Rachelle Bronfman. It has great recipes high in calcium. Some good plant sources for calcium are almonds, bok choy, collard greens and kale. A lot of soymilk brands are fortified with calcium. Check out the Vegetarian Resource group website below. There is a table listing the amount of calcium in a variety of plant foods...a lot more to choose from! The table of sample menus is helpful, too.

Basically, just try to eat the same things you eat and enjoy now, but replace the dairy and egg ingredients with vegan versions. If you like cheese, try the Tofutti brand. It is the best vegan cheese I've had. If you like dessert foods, my favorite cookies are Uncle Eddie's (baked in California, available at Whole Foods Markets). Trader Joe's also has their own brand of vegan chocolate chip cookies (I like the oatmeal choc. chip). I'm not sure if you have a Trader Joe's in your area, but they have some great vegan burritos and enchiladas, too. I love So Delicious non-dairy ice cream...lots of great flavors to choose from. Other vegan ice cream brands are really good, too. If you like eggs, try Tofu Scramble seasoning packet which you mix with tofu...it's a really good substitute for scrambled eggs.

If you'd like to take a vegan multivitamin, try Veganlife vitamins available from Pangea (website below).

I have been a vegan for 15 years. I am healthy and donate blood to the American Red Cross every 2 to 3 months. I hope this helps. Overall, don't feel you need to rush yourself. Take as much time as you need to make a healthy transition. And never let yourself go hungry!

Answer 2

Pick up a copy of "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. They are both registered dietitians and have written a thorough, comprehensive volume on vegan nutrition. Go through it with your mom and work out a diet plan that covers all your bases. B12 is the only nutrient that you cannot get on a vegan diet; you'll need to use nutritional yeast or take a supplement to get it. There are a few others that bear attention, like iron. Once you know what foods are sources for what nutrients, you and your mom will find that you can be very healthy as a vegan.

Answer 3

I have been a vegan for 4 years and am perfectly healthy. Here's my advice: a varied, whole foods focused on raw foods diet will cover pretty much every vitamin and mineral necessary, except for B12 (from bacteria).

Vitamin B12 should be supplemented sublingually for the most effective absorption.

If you don't get year round sun, buy some vitamin D2. Remember the vitamin D that is enriched in brand name cereals is not vegan.

If you don't eat many dark leafy greens and tofu, get a Calcium/Magnesium supplement. Vegan calcium needs are lower than meat eaters.

Protein is not a concern if you eat beans, nuts, seeds and overall enough total calories. Contrary to what you might hear, you do -NOT- need to worry about combining amino acids, as long as you eat a varied diet. If you are worried about this anyway, quinoa and hempseed are both "high quality" proteins with all 8 aminos.

Optimal health is easily achieved on this diet, but be aware that misinformation abounds. Good luck with your transition to veganism. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Answer 4

Well, your mom may not know that drinking cows' milk actually causes a calcium deficiency because of all the protein. Soy milk is often fortified with calcium, and tofu is often coagulated with calcium salts, so you can find a type with a good calcium percentage.

Check out www.vrg.org for tips on a healthy vegan diet. They even have information geared towards teens.

Dreena Burton's cookbook, "Vive le Vegan," has tips on raising vegan children from birth to adulthood. You should be able to find information there to allay your mother's fears.

Answer 5

Go for it. Read, read , read. A friend of mine took some cooking classes at a local health food store. It helped her learn some new things. Her whole family is vegan, kids included. They are as healthy as can be. I'm sure you and your mom know that calcium is found in many veggies, after all the cow eats plants from the ground therefore it ends up in their milk. In addition to eating a balanced diet you can supplement with a good multivitamin. Will you also not be wearing animals?

Good luck with this.

Answer 6

I strongly suggest you see a registered dietician. Each individual is different. But if you've been vegetarian for 5 1/2 years, you know what to do for the most part, so you'll have no problem.

Answer 7

Tofu is an obvious choice
both tofu an soymilk is pretty high in protien which i think is what u get from meat
plus... can't u get protiens from nuts???

Answer 8

I have recently switched to a Flexetarian vegan lifestyle. I eat very little meat, some dairy and only wear leather on Mondays and Thursdays.

I'm happy with the choice I've made and I'm sure you will be happy too.