[daehanminguk1345]

Hm... I don't know if this has been posted before.

If you are a vegetarian (doesn't have to be vegan), what do you do to stay healthy? I know some people who have tried to go vegetarian and ended up getting sick because they didn't know what they needed to do / take.

Sorry if I'm a retard.

Edit:

I'm not actually trying to become a vegetarian. It seems that's what people think when I ask this. I'm just wondering in case I ever do.

...

Well, actually, I do want to, but I don't know if I can. Right now, anyway, because I'm lacking some nutrients and it's starting to show...

[sushiwhore]

excercise adn take daily supplimetns o_O just to be sure you are gettting yrou proper nutrients

o_o and o seee what are substitiutes for food? o_o like alternatives to meat and stuff and eat those...

[saysjessi]

hmm... well i was an on/off vegetarian for several years, and i've been committed to it for real since january. i didn't really change anything in my lifestyle, and i'm still very energetic and healthy...but yeah, make sure you get all your necessary proteins & fats. for me, protein is not really a problem b.c i eat a LOT of soy. i should probably start taking vitamins, though...

This site is really helpful: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777

What are the nutrients to consider in a vegetarian diet?

Protein: You don't need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.
Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal.
Soy protein has been shown to be equal to proteins of animal origin. It can be your sole protein source if you choose.

Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than nonvegetarians. The richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk -- all high in cholesterol. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.

Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer's) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements.

Vitamin D: Vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Vegans who don’t get much sunlight may need a supplement.

Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.

Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc. Take care to select supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.

[evil_bunnie]

i'm a vegitarian and have been for a couple months now. i was on and off cause of iron problems but since taking a multi-vitamin and eating alternatives to protein, i'm feeling better about myself...

*ahem* while browsing the Food Forums, i came upon a huge vegitarian thread with included recipes and just lots of people...and i forgot to subsribe...could anyone post the link to it if they know? thanks

[peachiez89]

i eat tofu- so that's where i get my protein. Seafood, such as fish. That can also be a good source of nutrients too. I also take multi-vitamin supplements. heh. But if you don't take alot of nutrients, you can get anemic...that's what happened to me. lol.

[envyandy]

im a vegetarian but my parents and family dont really like it but i cant stand having a vision of say a chicken's head getting cut of while im eating chicken and other animals. but when im at home i have to at least eat a little infront of like someone and like yeahh. but you know how you are suppose to eat stuff like nuts and to-fu and stuff the like replace it but the thing is that i dont like nuts or to-fu... i am a picky person. all you ever see me eating is like vegies of any kind and all kinds of different fruites ... usually i eat the amount of fruits that a family of six would eat and i have at least 5 oranges at once, like 3 times a day. what to do if im missing so much iron; but i also eat fish... like salmon. but that is the only sea food i like. i exercise a lot tho, i run for everything, and play different kinds of sports. what can i do to keep healthy?

[peachiez89]

^ it looks ur doing healthy. i mean u eat fish, so thats good. salmon is really good for u since it has the omega acids in it. U should try tofu. It's really good. Also- taking veggies like ur doing is good. Take lots of greens so you can take alot of the iron =]

[envyandy]

^.^ thnks ill try eating tofu... kekee

oh i forgot to tell. i have a lot of other problems about eating too. kekee. well ... not so vegetarian but i dont eat weat ... like bread or anything and the only dairy products i like are ummm cheese and soy milk... is it fine to only eat fruites and vegies/greens?

[Awkward Smile]

i think it's great people are vegetarian, i would be one but i don't have the will or the knowledge how to be a healthy one.
i think it's funny when people claim to be vegetarian "for the animals" when they eat skittles or any other gelatin candy.
..that's right, gelatin is made from animals.

[Malice_Kaiser]

Uh, I eat lots of veggies and substitute meat (like Morning Star brand etc)

Been a vegetarian for almost 8 years btw. ^^

[abviolinplayer]

I've been vegetarian for about 4 1/2 years now, and haven't had any health problems. And I certainly don't have any problem getting enough protein...really it's not difficult...eat tofu, legumes, nuts, and other soy products and you'll be fine. I just have to make sure I get enough iron, which is especially important for girls, so eat lots of spinach, beans, whole wheat, etc. I don't take vitamins anymore...but if you want to ensure you're getting the right nutrients it certainly doesn't hurt. You can find vitamins made for vegs at the grocery store or vitamin shop

[sixth.]

i've been vegetarian for a while and i decided to turn vegan last month.
seems i'm actually a lot healthier than i was before, maybe cos all the junk is gone from my diet.
for nutrients, i make sure the stuff i eat will be able to provide me with enough. or i go for subsitutes.
if that becomes too much of a drag, i sometimes take vitamin pills, but it's rare that i do.

[daehanminguk1345]

Thank you everyone!

Malice Kaiser: Ooh, yeah! I heard of Morning Star from my other friend before.

[Belleluvly]

I've been a vegetarian for about a year now..my doctor tells me for female vegetarians..we should take a multi-vitamin with iron since our cycles deplete a WHOLE lot more iron than we can ever consume. ( I tryed to tell her I eat bowls of spinach a day..she sais it's not enough-_-).
I just workout..try to eat small portions..I said try^^....do lots of Yoga and eat lots of legumes, tofu and lots of green veggies and stuff.
when it comes to weightloss..dairy is my biggest problem..I dont drink cows milk or anything..but cheese has been a staple of almost all my vegetarian meals..and its kinda defeating the purpose..so just be concious of the dairy..cause that's what makes u fat..and gassy...and...farty...for me anyway.
haha.

[shar-izzle]

People who get sick from being vegetarian isn't because they don't know what to eat (at least I don't think.) It's most likely because you rushed being a vegetarian. My friend said if you suddenly decide to become a vegetarian, take it slow. Don't cut back immediately on your intake of protein. You just have to slowly reduce the amount of meat you eat everyday..

[CitrusFlower]

i've try to be one, but it was too hard and i ended up eating meat the next day

[&teekayy;]

just a question i had to throw out there...

but i didn't know vegetarians eat fish. because they're considered meat too, right?

[saysjessi]

^ some vegetarians eat seafood.

it's funny because when i'm at a restaurant, and i say "this dish doesn't have meat, right?" and the waiter says "right," and the plate comes out there's like pieces of fish on it. guess seafood is not really considered "meat"

[JunsukParkx]

just a question i had to throw out there...

but i didn't know vegetarians eat fish. because they're considered meat too, right?

what do you think is fish a animal or a plant?

of course they are considered meat you silly goose


i would like to date a girl that is a veggy tho, it shows that she cares and love animals mmmmmm

i <3 nice girls...nice cute girls

[&teekayy;]

what do you think is fish a animal or a plant?

of course they are considered meat you silly goose
i would like to date a girl that is a veggy tho, it shows that she cares and love animals mmmmmm

i <3 nice girls...nice cute girls

well yeah, I consider fish as meat because they are animals too, but some people in this thread apparently still eat seafood/fish even if they are 'vegetarian'...

ie:

im a vegetarian but my parents and family dont really like it but i cant stand having a vision of say a chicken's head getting cut of while im eating chicken and other animals. but when im at home i have to at least eat a little infront of like someone and like yeahh. but you know how you are suppose to eat stuff like nuts and to-fu and stuff the like replace it but the thing is that i dont like nuts or to-fu... i am a picky person. all you ever see me eating is like vegies of any kind and all kinds of different fruites ... usually i eat the amount of fruits that a family of six would eat and i have at least 5 oranges at once, like 3 times a day. what to do if im missing so much iron; but i also eat fish... like salmon. but that is the only sea food i like. i exercise a lot tho, i run for everything, and play different kinds of sports. what can i do to keep healthy?