[vegemarium]

im almost 18 and i have become vegetarian in the last two months although i still eat chicken and fish because i want my body to get used to the idea of not eating meat.<br><br>
i was never a big meat eater anyway and i do not miss eating meat.<br><br>
i will gradually begin to take fish and chicken out of my diet and i will be a full vegetarian although i will still be having dairy products because of my lack in calcium over the years.<br><br>
i try my best to avoid products tested on animals although sometimes it is hard because i do not know what is safe and what is not.<br><br>
any feedback would be great<br><br>
all the best

 

[troub]

i don't even know where to start...

 

[karenlovessnow]

There's nothing wrong with going slow...not everyone makes it going cold tofurky....Good luck and welcome and to VB! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[MaryC1999]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/hi.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":hi:"><br><br>
Not to sound snarky but be careful using the term vegetarian when you still eat meat. If you do it with strangers or in restaurants you can give the wrong impression about what vegetarians eat. On here, some people get snarky about it.<br><br>
Good job on cutting back. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":up:"> Some people find more luck going slow, I just stopped all at once. It worked for me.<br><br>
Also I urge you to do some reading on calcium and dairy products. i've read dairy actually leeches calcium from your body, making it harder to absorb. I just threw that in because you seemed to be keeping dairy only from a health standpoint. Dairy isn't the best choice for calcium. It has even less absorbable calcium then most veggie sources.<br><br>
At any rate, I hope you find lots of info here to make your transition smooth!<br><br>
Mary

 

[Sunny]

As Mary said, you can get your calcium from non-dairy sources. Here's a list:<br><br><br><br>
Fortified ready-to-eat cereals , 1 oz 236-1043 mg<br><br>
Soy beverage, calcium fortified, 1 cup 368 mg<br><br>
Tofu, firm, prepared with nigari, ½ cup 253 mg<br><br>
Collards, ½ cup 178 mg<br><br>
Molasses, blackstrap, 1 Tbsp 172 mg<br><br>
Spinach, ½ cup 146 mg<br><br>
Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup 130 mg<br><br>
Turnip greens, ½ cup 124 mg<br><br>
Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup 106 mg<br><br>
White beans, canned, ½ cup 96 mg<br><br>
Kale, ½ cup 90 mg<br><br>
Okra, ½ cup 88 mg<br><br>
Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup 88 mg<br><br>
Beet greens, ½ cup 82 mg<br><br>
Pak-choi, Chinese cabbage, ½ cup 79 mg<br><br>
Dandelion greens, ½ cup 74 mg<br><br><br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">

 

[chiaraluna]

Major congratulations on taking the first step toward vegetarianism! Good luck throughout your journey. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rockon.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":rockon:"><br><br><br><br>
(It will be repeated again, I'm sure, but vegetarians don't eat fish or chicken. There's nothing wrong with taking things slow, but don't call yourself a vegetarian until you've phased these foods out of your diet. "I'm an aspiring vegetarian" is always a good way to go! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">)

 

[codemonkey]

Cutting out meat gradually is definately a good start. I had initially planned on doing it that way but actally found it easier to do it all at once. And yeah, dairy is NOT the best way to get calcium. Leafy dark green veggies are the way to go. If you're still worried, take a suppliment.

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/hi.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":hi:"><br><br>
Try out new recipies and gradually exchange for your meat ones. Go vegetarian for a day, for a couple of day, for a week, and somewhen decide to stay Veg*n.<br><br>
Good luck! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/carrot.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":vebo:">

 

[honeyfugle]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>chiaraluna</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
"I'm an aspiring vegetarian" is always a good way to go! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">)</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
another good one might be "mostly vegetarian". <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rockon.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":rockon:"><br><br><br><br>
good luck with vegetarianism!

 

[Mr. Sun]

I haven't posted this in a couple of weeks and you may find it helpful as you explain to others that a veg*n diet is indeed healthy. This is from the American Dietetic Association website which is good because people cannot pass it off as veg*n propoganda:<br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm" target="_blank">http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg...3_ENU_HTML.htm</a><br><br><br><br><span style="color:#0000FF;">It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Approximately 2.5% of adults in the United States and 4% of adults in Canada follow vegetarian diets.<br><br><br><br>
A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat, fish, or fowl. Interest in vegetarianism appears to be increasing, with many restaurants and college foodservices offering vegetarian meals routinely. Substantial growth in sales of foods attractive to vegetarians has occurred, and these foods appear in many supermarkets. This position paper reviews the current scientific data related to key nutrients for vegetarians, including protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids, and iodine.<br><br><br><br>
A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, use of fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in meeting recommendations for individual nutrients. Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.</span>

 

[vegemarium]

thanks to everyone for the feedback and advice!!!