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Vegetarian risks?

1K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  runnerveggie 
#1 ·
I'm still slowing getting use to it but from what I've learned and what my friends have said is that with Vegetarianism you loose the protein and iron that you would have when eating meat. Is this true? and if so how can I fix that problem?
 
#2 ·
iron is common in dark leafy greens and many many other plant foods that you already eat, it is absorbed slightly less than iron from meat but shouldnt be an issue. here is good factsheet on iron for vegetarians http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/factsheets/iron.html

Protein is easy and not unique to meat, in addition to nuts, beans, and veggie "meats" like seitan, tofu and tempeh, many plant food contain significant amount of protein. And dont worry about combining amino acids in a certain ratio, that kinda an old health foodie thing from the 70's that isnt supported by modern nutrition.
here is a quick break down on plant-based protein
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

*i cant vouch for the perfect accuracy of the nutritional info on these sites, they appear mostly correct though
 
#5 ·
I have qouted my experience on various threads over the last few years regaurding "meat" intake , when I was very much a meat eater back in the day like 5 years ago or so, we had gotten meat from Angel Food ministry we were on a budget , so we had to get that, when I was eating the meat products always each day, my husband thought I was getting iron from the meat that I ate, it turned out that even the amount of meat I had eaten I would still be anemic, so as I was checking into veg lifestyle, I am finding out that eat lots of meats will harm you and will not allow your body to pull the iron , I agree that some of the plant base and a good amount of Vitamin C will help you get Iron.
I am back on track again with three months back on that junk, it was the way of life and stress that got me to step 10 steps back but, right now I am slowly going on track and using lent as a way to get me back on track.
I think its a myth you need animal products to live a healthy lifestyle and getting iron and even protien there is other sources out there.
I would just ignore your friends reguarding your choice and congrats on starting your Veg lifestyle.
 
#6 ·
You don't lose protein and iron, although depending on what you eat the amount you're getting may decrease. This may not be a bad thing, depending on what you were eating before, as many meat-eaters actually consume too much protein. I easily get my day's protein (and I don't eat eggs or dairy either, which are fairly protein rich). I eat beans, soy products, nuts, lentils, and a lot of fresh fruit and veg. If I'm doing a workout, I will add a couple of extra protein-rich snacks into my day (vegan protein bars, cartons of soymilk, and these chorizo-style things that are 14g of protein each and totally addictive).

Iron's easy as well; leafy green vegetables are the best source.
 
#7 ·
Many young women who eat meat are still iron deficient. It is certainly an important nutrient to pay attention to, but not a reason to not become vegetarian. I take a multivitamin that contains iron, as well as drinking fortified soymilkgetting ting leafy greens, lentils, etc, and have never been anemic in 15 years of being vegetarian.

A vegetarian diet is less likely to give you giant amounts of protein with every meal, but you would really have to eat a limited variety of veggie foods to be deficient in protein. Extra protein does help you feel full, so try things like tofu, seitan, tempeh and faux meats to make your meals filling and add satisfying flavors and textures.

I'd recommend doing your homework and reading as much as you can about vegetarian nutrition. There are real concerns that could become a problem later on if you aren't aware of them -- for example, B12 if you don't eat much dairy or eggs and vitamin D if you don't eat fortified foods. Plus if you read up you'll be able to confidently tell your friends, "Oh yeah, I've read about that but I'm not worried because I eat plenty of X."
 
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