I haven't even been vegetarian for a week yet, but so far I love it. I went cold turkey, easiest thing ever. Makes me feel powerful and healthy. :D

I think I need some tips on how to stay healthy, though. I have a vegetarian friend, but I don't get to talk to him as often as I'd like. My parents aren't supportive at ALL. They think vegetarianism is the damned stupidest thing ever and that I won't last even a few more days, even told me I'd get a protein deficiency (as I crammed nuts down my throat). So I figured, "Why not ask the awesome people at 3FC?" I need to know what foods are high in protein, don't taste like butt, and won't make me blow up like a balloon (Mother was suggesting that I eat honey-roasted peanuts, omg).

Gosh, there is tons of great info out there--it can be hard to know where to begin.

A wonderful online resource is The Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org). It is a reputable organization run by registered dieticians. Its site has a ton of online nutritional information and recipies, as well as a bookstore through which you can order cookbooks. I highly recommend that you spend some time there! They have a page about protein (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm) as well as one about calcium (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm).

I find that negative attitudes about veg*nism are either based 1) on ignorance about nutrition or 2) the feeling of personal discomfort that many omnivores feel about their own dietary choices that surface when they meet someone who has chosen a different path. Which is the real issue with the people in your life?

I have found that the easiest way to allay concerns about veg*n nutrition is to give them a copy of the position statement of the American Dietetic Association/Dieticians of Canada (the most expert experts out there!) on vegetarian diets.

Their position is (in part):
The paper also notes that vegetarian diets have been given the stamp of approval by both the U.S. and Canadian government, FWIW.

The HTML version of the paper is at http://www.eatright.org/Public/Gover...s/92_17084.cfm. The PDF version is at http://www.eatright.org/Member/Files/veg.pdf.

Give the paper (or the link to the paper) to the people giving you a hard time, ask them to read it. Invite them to discuss any concerns they may have about your health AFTER THEY HAVE READ THE PAPER. If their negative attitude is truly based on health concerns, then they should stop bugging you after they read about how a vegetarian diet is typically more healthy than the standard American diet. (This paper is valuable for veg*ns to read, as well, as it contains some of the best nutritional information out there, and synthesizes the research.)

But if their problem with vegetarianism not related to nutrition, they may still get on your case with all sorts of "What if..." questions and philsophical debates. The best defense against those sorts of attacks is to know why you are vegetarian, educate yourself, and to stand firm in your beliefs.

Good luck, and welcome to the veg club!

I've been veg for years and years, do heavy weight training as well. Don't need to worry about protein. Just eat beans and grains and brown rice. Be careful of nuts. They are high in fat. Stay away from processed sugar and flour! http://vegan.com/ is also a very good site. This is good too -- http://www.veganbodybuilding.org/veganbasics.htm
Good luck, kid. I hear you on the non-supportive parents. I battled them all through childhood and my teens.

I just went vegetarian recently too! lucky for me, my parents are supportive (my mom was a vegetarian through most of her teens) although my mom refuses to cook me anything special if she's making meat for dinner. a good protein suggestion- try frozen meals and meat substitutes by gardenburger/boca/morningstar- I especially like the morningstar veggie chicken and sausage. the burgers are alright, but they don't taste nearly as close to the real thing. they have all kinds of protein and good stuff in them. good luck and pm me if you ever want a veggie buddy!

In addition to meat "replacers" like veggie burgers, etc., get your protein from several little servings. A lot of people think that a serving of protein means one slab of food that has a whole lot of protein in it. Try finding foods that have some protein, that you can combine to get an overall good supply. For example, a whole grain with some leafy green vegetables and a handful of nuts. None of those ingredients by itself has 10 grams of protein like a slab of meat might, but put them all together and you will get a fair amount of protein.

You can get protein from dairy, but beware combining calcium with animal protein. Kidney stones!

For a zillion recipes, try http://www.vegweb.com .

As for people who bug you about a vegetarian diet because they think that you are not getting enough protein... I don't like preaching to omnivores, so if they are honestly curious, I will explain to them a little about nutrition and the various sources of protein. But some people are asking questions just to be rude. Like mamakaydee says, sometimes people think if you are different than them, then you are judging them. If that happens, wait until they are eating hamburgers and then ask them how much vitamin A they're getting.

First of all, congrats!

There are tons of recipes here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/vegancooking/ and here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/cheapvegan/

This is about vegan weight loss: http://www.livejournal.com/community/veganweightloss/

I find a lot of healthy recipes in vegancooking, though it's a little hard to bypass all of the dessert/fattening recipes. Everything is so delicious!

Lets see...I've been a vegetarin for 4 1/2 years now, but I'm trying to go vegan. I haven't taken a multivitamin at all these past few years, but now I am starting to. I'm not really worried about not getting enough nutrients, but I just want to make sure.

I'm not really thinking too well tonight. Hope I could help out a little bit.