I became a vegan at a very early age. I went into it not knowing exactly what my body needed as I was growing. To this date I got so sick that my doctor said if I didn't revert to an omnivorous diet, he would seriously consider admitting me to hospital.
There are plenty of well-written vegetarian cookery books out there that let you know exactly what is in food and what you need to remain healthy. I would suggest buying her one of these and letting her read it, to better prepare herself for the work required.
While I believe that one can stay healthy on a vegetarian diet, she needs to know that it needs a lot of work. I would also suggest telling her that she can prepare her own meals (most kids can't be bothered and would revert to what ever is being cooked for the rest of the family).
I would keep an open mind though. If, this time, she is more serious about it, perhaps she is willing to put in the work.
One last thought, please let her know that stopping eating meat straight away is a very dangerous thing to do. When starting on a diet like this, you must slowly decrease the amount of meat or animal by-products you are consuming over a few weeks.
Hope that helps. :)
I am a nutritionist
there is no reason you would need to "take it slow"
there are no negetive effects from cutting meat out of your diet "cold turkey" although starting slow may help you adjust to your daughters new diet, it will have no effect on her
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My 11 year old wants to be a vegetarian?I am 11 and I am a very healthy vegetarian! I say let her try it! It is very healthy to be a vegetarian and it isn't as hard as people make it sound. But you, as her parent, need to make sure that you buy her foods that give her the nutrients she needs. I would reccomrnd buying a good vegetarian cook book with recipes that are appealing to the entire family. And there are plenty of resources online that give all the information and stuff that you need.
http://www.petakids.com/
http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/p鈥?/a>
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/goingveg.html
http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/articles/ve鈥?/a>
http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vegetari鈥?/a>
http://www.britishmeat.com/49.htm
GOOD LUCK!
Convince her to just eat the right things (low fat, low calorie, high protein, fiber, etc.) Her body needs certain nutrients that a vegetarian diet will not provide. My 17 year old daughter did it for a while and while she lost weight, she was miserable. She lost energy (she runs for school and her times went down) and her body craved protein. Tell her to just eat smart.My 11 year old wants to be a vegetarian?
If she wants to be a vegetarian then I'd say good for her! I'm not a vegetarian and don't know anyone who is, but I think it's a great thing to be a vegetarian. If I didn't think I'd die without my bacon cheeseburgers then I'd go for it too :-)
Anyway, if this is what she wants then encourage her. Vegetarian is the way God intended it!
I don't know if it's a good idea for a growing, developing person to eliminate heme protein (the complete protein found only in meat products) from her diet altogether. I know vegetarians believe that eating two incomplete proteins together makes a complete protein like that found in meat products, but these are not used as efficiently by the body as heme protein. If I were you, I would do a lot of research on vegetarianism--not just from the point of view that supports vegetarianism, but also discussions of what is missing from the body that has no meat in its diet. And talk to her pediatrician about whether this is a good idea.
Maybe you can reach a compromise with her whereby she cuts out certain less healthy pork and beef products, but continues to eat chicken and fish. After all, people are omnivores for a reason. Good luck!
My mom is a vegitarian, and so is one of my best friends. It isnt unhealthy, and it brings a lot of different cultures and reciies to the dinner table. She can eat rice, soybeans, and a lot of cookbooks have things like veggie chilie and stuff.
my whole fam ily is vegetarian except me. they are perfectly healthy. you get protein from beans and carbs from bread and calcium from yogurt and vitamins from fruit...it will not affect your health adversely...
One word: Nutritionist!
If she wants to follow the "trend" of her older cousin, then allow her to explore the lifestyle of vegetarianism in a healthy way. I have been a vegetarian and it is REAL EASY to get a defenciency such as low iron or protein. There is nothing bad about being a vegetarian, and it is definately a great path to take. Good luck!
That's the same age I was when I stopped eating meat. Just make sure she still eats all of the daily recommendations on the food pyramid, instead of meat, she can have beans, nuts, or tofu. Make sure she doesn't go on the become a junk food vegetarian. If this is what she really wants, help her make the right decisions and be supportive, there is nothing wrong with becoming a vegetarian, its a very healthy lifestyle. I haven't eaten meat for over half of my life now.
im 13 and im a vegetarian plus i play like 4 sports and i have enough energy to get through the day one this is that when i first began i lost some weight and i have kept it off
You don't have to worry.I'm a vegetarian and started at 12.I'll be 13 next week.Being a vegetarian is healthier than being a meat eater because heart disease starts as a child and a vegetarian diet reduces the risks.Also the child will need alot of special foods like Tofu and protein since she won't eat meat.There is also a difference between being a Vegan and vegetarian.Vegan like myself don't drink milk or eat fish.Vegetarian's eat fish and drink milk/dairy.Soy milk is not regular milk.My parents and friends worry about me but they shouldn't because I do my research.If you go to Pet2.com then you can find out some facts.If you need more e-mail me at Vegi_tarian@yahoo.com.
I would first make her research it so that she knows exactly how and what she can eat in order to stay healthy. Then if she still wants to try it, let her. But monitor what she's eating, and you may need to change or add foods to your family menu in order to satisfy her nutritional needs.
No matter what your reasons for eating a more vegetarian diet, there鈥檚 no denying the obvious health benefits that are derived from removing of red meat from your diet. On average, vegetarians have lower levels of the blood fats, cholesterol and triglycerides than meat eaters of similar age and social status. High levels of blood fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, those who eat eggs and dairy products, which contain cholesterol-raising saturated fats and cholesterol, have higher cholesterol levels than vegans. But even among lacto-ovo vegetarians, cholesterol levels are generally lower than they are among meat eaters.
Researchers have found that older men who eat meat six or more times a week are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who abstain from meat. Among middle-aged men, meat eaters were four times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, according to the study. As for women, who are partly protected by their hormones and generally develop heart disease later in life than men do, the risk of fatal heart disease has been found to be lower only among the older vegetarians. In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of suffering a heart attack. Though eliminating meat from the diet is likely to reduce your consumption of heart-damaging fats and cholesterol, substituting large amounts of high-fat dairy products and cholesterol-rich eggs can negate the benefit.
To glean the heart-saving benefits of vegetarianism, consumption of such foods as hard cheese, cream cheese, ice cream and eggs should be moderate. And the introduction of more vegetables, fruits and raw foods will definitely enhance the benefits of abstaining from eating meat.
If your child wants to be a vegetarian let her you should support her on anything she wants to do.Actually being a vegetarian is a lot healthier then you think that means she will get to eat more vegetables and fruits then she thinks.There are many recipes you and your whole family can enjoy without meat,poultry,and milk.Soy milk is recommended for a vegan.
Let her do it, nothing wrong with vegetarian, but may be you have to help your sister by browsing to the net, find good food and health advice for vegetarian
I say let her do it! Now I LOVE meat!!! But if she really wants to eat that way then why not? I WOULD however make her do research on the best way to get all of her dietary needs taken care of!!! Good luck.
being a veggi is not unhealthy, i have been 1 since i was 10, and i am heathier than ever.but my only warning is u will get stomachaches 4 about 1 week while ur body is adjusting to the change. it is also flushing out all the meat toxins. i am glad to go veggie and would never change back.sum suggestions r try the only meat u eat is poltry or fis or ham. thats wat i do. i still eat fish(the truth is i couldent give it up). if she doesnt like beans or nuts eatin 1 meat is a good idea.try getting her a good veggie cook book like: the essential vegetarian cookbook by diana shaw.book like this will give yummy ways to get all the nutrients.or 4 christmas wrap up a book and anownce u will let her go veggi.if no 1 in the HISTORY of our family(yes i checked) has gone veggi until i came around. GO VEGGI IT IS GOOD. but i'm not 1 of those 'every 1 in the world should be veggis' person- i belive there should be a healthy balence between the 2
Insist on a visit to the doctors office for a discussion with him/her!
Then maybe a nutritionist- if you have health insurance this should be covered- if you don't allow her to explore this option now she will rebel at every opportunity
hey that reminds me of, me. yeah my cousin made me a vegetarian,but after like a two years i stopped. i was trying to follow my cousin cuz she said that eating animals is nasty and hurting them just for food. she made me stop eating meat, but i got over it. i dont insist on ur daughter to be a vegi, its bad and u eat less and less
I am a nutritionist
Being vegetarian is a great way for your child to improve her overall health! If it is something that she is really interested in encourage her to make appropriate meal plans for herself and to keep a food diary so you can assess that she is eating correctly.
If you need help you are welcome to contact me.
I would also recommend a free vegetarian starter kit http://www.goveg.com/order.asp
Everyone is different, and it is normal for her to have her own opinions on stuff, and you should support her on that. It may last her whole life, or it may just last a couple days, she is young yet it is probablly just a phase.
If she wants to be a vegetarian she needs to eat properly. Have her read books on healthy eating, and ask her how she is going to eat a balanced diet. She will have to eat more than just the vegitables from the dinner that you cook. She can learn to cook vegetarian dishes for herself. It's a much healthier way to eat, but she has to do it right. Also, make an appointment with her doctor so she can discuss any health concern you or her doctor may have with her new diet.
If she wants to be a vegetarian, tell her that it is not easy. She will need to give up hamburgers, chicken, fish, etc. Tell her that she will have her health at stake too. I used to want to be a vegetarian, but when I found out all the things I needed to give up, I was like, forget about it. Vegeterians have a good cause, not to kill animals, but God intended for us to eat meat, or else he wouldn't have given it to us. I mean, killing animals like tigers and elephants are different, but chickens and sheep and cows, we're supposed to eat it. You know what I mean?
so let them be. there is no harm. if she wants to be let her be. it just might be phase. there is no harm in being a vegetarian.
let her. she is old enough to make her own eating habits. im 11 and a vegetarian. there is a lot of good meatless food,like Boca burgers. they r yummy and more healthy than reg meat. im proud of ur daughter for making that choice.just make sure she has vitamins and healthy foods to make up for no meat.
Let her become a vegetarian, people who don't eat meat have fewer health problems and it also lowers your risk of certain cancers. Just make sure that she eats other proteins and irons in other foods that she may be lacking in a vegetarian diet. And make sure she takes a multi-vitamin everyday and she will be healthy. I have been a vegetarian for 9 years now, and I feel better than I ever have. I am also the only vegetarian in my family so far, it is pretty easy to adjust to.
well first i would tell her that you don't get all the things you need to grow tall and ask her if she is sure if she really dose let her do it she will get tired of it eventually
mabye you should let here be a vegatarian if she pays for her special foods, and since health is an issue mabye you should make her eat chicken or fish once a week just so that her calcium level stays up.You could also try asian foods more it tastes great she gets her vegatarian and you get to try somthing new. you could also make like a rice and vegatarian dish and a meat dish. you get what you want she gets what she wants!
indian food has great vegatarian foods.
its a good idea- america is obese and the children are veryyyy obese but make sure she gets nutricien (sp) such as beans and such.
Being a vegetarian is not bad for your health, as long as she gets enough vitamins that she lacks from food in a daily multi-vitamin. If she doesn't want to eat meat, don't force her. You might even speak to a nutritionist at your local hospital on recommendations for vegetarians. Learn more about it before you refuse to allow her to be one. Best of luck to you!
no, we are omnivores she is growing and needs meat.
when she has her own household she can eat what she wants until then , she eats with the family
apart from it may be harmful to her development it means more work fo ryou, two menus two sets of buying she has no right to demand that of you
for everyone below if they want her to be a vegitarian let them cook for her, let them buy for her
great of them to offer advise that means more work for you
