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Becoming a Vegetarian
There are actually different levels of ‘vegetarianism’, depending on how far you want to go. There’s more to it than giving up meat!
The three main kinds of vegetarians are:
Pescetarians - people who don’t eat any animal flesh apart from fish. This is a good option if you are looking at going vegetarian for health reasons (eating fish can be really good for you), or if you’re easing into going fully vegetarian.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians - this is what most of us would call ‘vegetarian’. Lacto-ovos don’t eat animal flesh of any kind (including seafood), but they do eat eggs and dairy products. If you cut out eggs as well you can drop the ‘ovo’!
Vegan - people who don’t eat animal flesh of any kind or eggs, dairy or anything containing ingredients derived from animals - like gelatin. A number of vegans also cut out products that have been made using animal products.
It’s good for you!
A vegetarian diet can be incredibly good for you! While meat and other animal products like dairy are beneficial in the right amounts, eating too many of these foods can lead to a number of health problems, including heart and bowel problems. Cutting down on meat or eliminating it from your diet entirely also benefits the environment in a number of ways.
Don’t think you could give up meat completely but want a more Green friendly diet? Go meat free one day a week! Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney started Meat Free Mondays a year ago in the UK and they’ve really taken off. Find out more here!
Careful though, ‘cause…
A vegetarian diet has the potential to be one of the healthiest around - so long as your body’s getting enough of the following:
Protein: your body needs it to keep in good nick; the recommended daily intake for teenage girls and women is two servings. Get it from tofu, veggie burgers, soy, lentils, chickpeas, hummus, beans, nuts, brown rice and other whole grains.
Calcium: spinach and other leafy greens, fortified soy/rice milk, fortified orange juice, sesame seeds, broccoli, almonds and carrots are all good sources of calcium. Calcium’s very important for girls, vegetarian or not. For more non dairy sources of calcium check this out!
Iron: another essential for all of us! Good sources of iron include tofu, lentils, spinach, soy, chickpeas and hummus. Also, caffeine limits iron absorption and Vitamin C helps it along - so go for OJ over coffee or tea if you need a boost!
Vegetarian superfoods - keep these in your kitchen!
Tofu - try it scrambled.
Broccoli - packed with goodness.
Rice/couscous - a great base for any meal.
Nuts - good energy source and high in calcium and protein.
Tasty vegetarian meal options - they’re everywhere.
Even if being vegetarian isn’t for you, there are so many great veggie food options now available, it’s easy to eat vegetarian some of the time!
Article by Sarah Illingworth. Who is Sarah? Find out here and meet the rest of the 24/7 Girl team too. And don’t forget to check out Sarah’s blog here!
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Sooo happy I’m a vegetarian it makes you a lot healthier  Posted by sapphire :) "on" 11/19 "at"07:17 PM |
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really interested in trying out a vegetarian diet just to see if it will help improve my well-being in any way. Any recipe ideas?? Posted by sianyrose "on" 07/29 "at"09:44 PM |
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I have wanted to become vegetarian ever since I was 10 however my Mum thinks that it is unhealthy.( as I got the flu the week I tried it) Mum was determined that being vegetarian was the cause. I really want to become vegetarian, but my Mum won’t let me and she is the one who pays for the food so I can’t really without her permission. Any tips to persuade her or cheap vegetarian recipes? Posted by aspiring actress+writer "on" 07/10 "at"06:39 PM |
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I am 14 years old and I have been a pescetarian all my life. All my family are pescetarians and none of us have any wish to become meat eaters. Interesting fact: there is more iron in a plate of kale than a plate of steak. Posted by TheAssassin'sDaughter "on" 03/13 "at"04:26 PM |
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i thing im gonna go veggie, but i can’t live without meat! if i do eat meat, though, it will only be on special occasions Posted by emilyL "on" 03/11 "at"12:35 PM |
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I’ve been vegetarian for one and a half years now, and I’m going to go vegan in March. (: It made me feel a whole lot better, inside and out, once I went vego. It’s great :D Posted by 34392 "on" 10/01 "at"04:49 PM |
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I’m 14 and I’ve been vege for about a month now, it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Sometimes it is hard to resist the taste of meat, especially when I’m hungry and it is the easiest option, but the feeling is great, knowing I have not been part of an animals un-needed death Posted by 37977 "on" 08/21 "at"03:09 PM |
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I’m not a vegetarian, but going on an occasional fruit & vegetable only diet is really quite refreshing. Posted by Jules "on" 08/12 "at"12:08 AM |
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I am simply not cut out to be vegan. I have friends who are and good on them I say..me tho..not a chance, lol Posted by tkennard "on" 08/09 "at"01:08 PM |
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I remember wanting to become a vegetarian when I was younger, but It only showed me how silly the idea was when I simply couldn’t resist the taste of greasy bacon on Sunday mornings. Yum…...... Posted by Sugaax! "on" 08/08 "at"01:48 AM |
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I would like to try being a vegetarian but it’s sorta hard b/c of my family Posted by Soogur "on" 07/16 "at"06:08 PM |
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Have been vege for a year, really enjoy it and never had any of those ‘meat cravings’. To everyone who says that ‘humans are designed to eat meat’, well maybe we were thousands of years ago, but I like to think as a species we have evoled past the stage where we heavily rely on disgusting factory farmed food, as there are other options of obtaining protein out there. Posted by 22906 "on" 07/09 "at"09:32 PM |
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Went veg when I was 13. Easier than expected. Definitely the way to go. But, just wanted to say gelatin is not vegetarian. Think animal dies, not vegetarian; from an animal in any way, not vegan. Posted by Larawr "on" 07/09 "at"07:27 PM |
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us humans are designed to eat meat Posted by 17090 "on" 07/09 "at"06:30 PM |
Best of the rest
