How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian: A Guide for Teens

How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian:
A Guide for Teens

What is a vegetarian?

A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat, including, beef, chicken, pork, or fish. There are different types of vegetarians:

Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat no meat but do eat eggs and dairy products (ovo means eggs and lacto means dairy).
Lacto vegetarians eat no meat but do eat dairy products.
Ovo vegetarians eat no meat but do eat eggs.
Vegans avoid eating any animal products. Vegans do not eat any meat products, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, or gelatin. Many vegans choose not to wear clothes containing animal products, such as leather, wool, or silk.

Why do people decide to be vegetarian?

People decide to become a vegetarian for reasons, such as the environment, animal rights, and health. You may have different reasons. Going vegetarian is an individual decision.

Are vegetarian diets healthy?

Vegetarian diets can be very healthy, but eating a balanced diet usually requires a little extra attention. Because vegetarians eliminate certain foods from their diets, they often need to add the following foods into their diet to provide the nutrients found in meat products.

fruits, vegetables
whole grains
legumes
soy foods
nuts
eggs
iron
calcium
vitamins D
Vitamin B12

Carbohydrates Grain products, especially whole grains, fruits, and certain vegetables are very important because provide energy and vitamins for your brain and muscles.

Fat provides essential fatty acids and helps your body absorb certain vitamins. Vegetarians need to include sources of fat such as nuts, oils, or avocado.

Protein is needed for your muscles to grow. Vegetarians have to replace meat with high-protein vegetarian foods like nuts, peanut butter, soy food, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. Protein is also found in dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese for vegetarians who eat these foods.

Zinc is important for growth and your immune system. Zinc is found in whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products, soy foods, and legumes.

Iron is important for your blood and is found in beans, seeds, soy foods, fortified breakfast cereals, and dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach. Vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron so eating foods rich in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and certain vegetables (like tomatoes) is important, as well.

Calcium is important to build strong bones. It is found in dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese and dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Some foods are not naturally high in calcium but have calcium added to them; they are called calcium-fortified. Some soy products, orange juices, cereals, and cereal bars are calcium fortified.

Vitamin D is important for strong bones and is particularly important for people who live in colder climates because you need the sun to make it. During the winter, when the sun is not as strong, it is especially important to make sure you get Vitamin D from the foods you eat, such as fortified dairy products and soy milk.

Vitamin B12 is the only nutrient that needs to be added to a vegan-vegetarian diet. Nutritional yeast flakes, fortified soy milk and cereals contain vitamin B12.

How can I convince my parents that being a vegetarian is healthy and right for me?

Your parents may be worried that you are choosing to follow a vegetarian diet without knowing how to do it in a healthy way. If you can explain your plans to stay healthy, your ideas about vegetarianism, and your reasons for wanting to become a vegetarian, your parents may be more likely to understand.

Resources for Vegetarians

Websites

Vegetarian Recipes: http://vegetarian.allrecipes.co

The Vegetarian Resource Group: http://www.vrg.org

Veg Web: http://www.vegweb.com

Vegan action: http://www.vegan.org

Books

A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian by Judy Krizmanic

Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians by Stephanie Pierson

Written by the CYWH and YMH Staff

Updated 2/15/2008

Related Information: