VEGGIEGUIDE

VEGGIENUTRITION

MINI-POSTERINSIDE!

Veggie Guide for Teens 32 Veggie Guide for Teens

CONTENTS

A vegetarian is… 3Veggie considerations 4Taking responsibility for your vegetarianism 6Veggie challenges 8Tips for veggie success 12Talk to your parents 13Veggie Nutrition mini-poster 14

Note to teens: We use the word “parent” in this bookletto describe anyone who is responsible for looking after you.

Someone who eats all sorts of yummy,delicious food including curries, pizza,pasta, stir fry, Sunday roasts and fry-up breakfasts, chips, ice cream, crisps,cakes, fruits, vegetables, beans,butties… pretty much anything EXCEPTanimals. A vegetarian does not eat anymeat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish, or by-products of animal slaughter such asgelatine or rennet.

If you are reading this it is likely that youhave recently become a vegetarian, or arethinking about taking the first steps tocutting meat and fish out of your diet. Indoing so, you will join millions of othervegetarians in the UK and around theworld.

Here are some of the great reasonswhy you should feel good aboutgoing veggie:

It’s BETTER for you.

A vegetarian diet is known to have a widerange of health benefits, including lowerrates of obesity, coronary heart diseaseand high blood pressure. Vegetarians alsodo not live with the guilt that an animal hadto die for their dinner (or breakfast or lunch)– and that is something to celebrate!

It’s BETTER for the animals.

Every day, in the United Kingdom alone,over two million land animals areslaughtered for their meat. It has beensuggested that a lifelong vegetarianwill save the lives of approximately760 chickens, 5 cows, 20 pigs, 29 sheep,46 turkeys and half a tonne of fish.

It’s BETTER for the planet.

It is estimated that livestock farmingproduces more greenhouse gases than theworld’s entire transport system – and, yes,that does include aeroplanes, cars andtrains! Clearing land for livestockproduction is responsible for 70% of thedestruction of the Amazon rainforest inSouth America.

It’s BETTER for your family.

Having a new vegetarian in the house is anopportunity for the rest of the family toconsider the way they eat and why. Manyof us eat the way we do out of habit, notnecessarily because it’s healthy. Thanks toyour veggie diet, your whole family will beintroduced to a new way of eating andthinking about food.

“Once I realised meatwas from a dead animal,I thought it was cruelso I wanted to stop.”Lois, age 14

>>>GOOD FOR YOU FOR GOING VEGGIE!

A VEGETARIAN IS…

Cover: Nyeleni, age 15 > >

Whatever your reasons for goingveggie, you should feel proud of yourdecision. Vegetarianism is acompassionate, healthy way of life.

Different types of vegetariansThere are several different types ofvegetarian. All vegetarian diets include plantfoods such as fruit, vegetables, beans andgrains, but there are some variations whenit comes to eggs and dairy products.Lacto-ovo vegetariansare the most common type of vegetarian.Their diet includes eggs and dairy products(milk, cheese, yoghurt, etc).Lacto vegetarianseat dairy products but no eggs.Ovo vegetarianseat eggs but no dairy products.Vegan dietsare totally plant-based and do not includeeggs, dairy products or anything thatcomes from an animal, including honey.

Be veggie awareA surprising number of foods that wouldotherwise be vegetarian contain “hidden”ingredients that are made from slaughteredanimals. The main culprits are:Gelatine (or gelatin): usually made byboiling the ligaments, tendons, skin andbones of pigs and cattle in water. Gelatineis sometimes found in yoghurts, icecream and confectionery (includinglots of jelly sweets andeven mints).

Rennet: an enzyme taken from the stomachof a slaughtered calf; used to curdle milk tomake cheese. Vegetarian cheese is madefrom non-animal-based rennet and will belabelled as “suitable for vegetarians”.Cochineal (E120, carmine): a red dyemade from the dried, crushed bodies ofthe cochineal insect. Used to colour food,drinks and cosmetics; it is sometimesreferred to as “natural colouring” since itisn’t made artificially in a laboratory.Animal fat: fat made from the tissue andbones of slaughtered animals. It is used inthe manufacture of some margarines,cakes, pastries and biscuits. Suet and lardare types of animal fat, though you can buyvegetarian suet. Butter is made from milkso is suitable for vegetarians.

Vegetarians do not eat fish!!!!Every step toward vegetarianism is apositive one, but if you still eat fish, pleasedo not call yourself a vegetarian – yet. Itcauses confusion.

Eggs: Many vegetarians choose to eat onlyfree-range eggs from hens with adequateindoor and outdoor space, and the freedomto move between the two. By contrast,caged hens may never experience naturallight or fresh air, and do not leave theircages until they are taken for slaughter.The average caged hen spends her lifein an enclosure with just enough roomto stand upright, and a floor spaceno bigger than this open booklet.

WHY DO YOU WANT

TO GO VEGGIE?

“I realised that therewere alternatives tomeat, and I didn'tneed to cause animaldeaths to satisfy mydietary needs.”Fiona, age 14

>>>VEGGIE CONSIDERATIONS

FOR MOREINFORMAT

ION ON HIDDEN ING

REDIENTS, VISIT www.

vegsoc.org/veggieaw

are

People go veggie for al

l

sorts of reasons. The

main onesare:

> They careabout anim

als.

> They want to be heal

thier.

> They’re worried abou

t the

environment.

> Their religion discour

ages

eating animal flesh.

> They don’t like the ta

ste or

texture of meat.

Patrick, age17

> >

Veggie Guide for Teens 5

VEGETARIAN SOCIET

Y

APPROVEDPRODUCT

S

MUST ONLY USE

FREE-RANGE EGGS.

By choosing to go veggie, youhave made an independent,positive decision for yourself.Well done! Now you need tofollow that decision through withindependent, positive action.

Learn all you can about veggienutrition. It’s not enough to just cut meatand fish from your diet. You must replacethe nutrients you once gained from thosefoods with new, vegetarian options. It’s nothard to do, but you need to know what youroptions are. By reading this booklet fromcover to cover (including the Parentssection), visiting the Vegetarian Society’swebsites (www.youngveggie.org andwww.vegsoc.org), and getting yourself agood veggie cookbook (see below), you willbe well on your way.

Get a good vegetarian cookbook. Go tothe library or your nearest book shop andtake a look through their vegetariancookbooks. As a new veggie, you will wantone that includes a thorough introduction tovegetarian cooking and nutrition. Look forsimple recipes that you think you and yourwhole family will enjoy. Remember that therange of vegetarian cookbooks is vast.Some will be written for beginners, otherswill be targeted at experienced gourmetchefs. Choose a book and style that suitsyour cooking skills and taste. You can alsoemail education@vegsoc.org forsuggestions.

Help with meal planning. Talk to theperson in your home who does most of thecooking and food shopping. Armed withyour new vegetarian cookbook andnutritional knowledge, discuss the veggiemeals you would like to try. Show themsome recipes and explain why you thinkthey are good options – not just for you butfor the whole family.

Offer to do some of the cooking. If yourparents are worried about your newvegetarian diet, one of their concerns mightbe that they will now have to cook twomeals rather than one. Ease these concernsby offering to do some of the cooking.Remember: non-veggies can eat and enjoya vegetarian meal, but a vegetarian cannoteat and enjoy a non-veggie meal.

Help with the washing up.Whether yourvegetarianism is generating more washingup or not, show your parents that you areserious about your new diet – andappreciate their support – by helping withthe washing up. They may start towish you had gone veggie years ago!

The more you can demonstrateto your parents that you areserious about your new dietand are committed tomaking it work, the morelikely they will be to supportyou in your decision.

TAKINGRESPONSIBILITY

FOR YOURVEGETARIANISM

>>>TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

“…there was some initial worrythat we’d have to cook multiplemeals, but there are ways roundit. My family enjoy veggiedishes together a couple oftimes a week (they’ve no choicewhen I cook!). My dad makes abig stir fry mix and thendivides it into two pans, withtofu for me and prawns foreveryone else. And today we allhad pasta but with differentsausages.”Rebecca, age 16 Veggie Guide for Teens 7

Lois,age

14> >

Veggie Guide for Teens 9

Now that you’ve

gone veggie, you may

be asking yourself:

WHY ARE PEOPLE

CHALLENGING

ME ON MYVEGETARIANISM

RATHER THAN

SUPPORTING IT?

>>>VEGGIE CHALLENGES

People may behave in all sortsof strange and mysterious wayswhen you tell them that you havebecome a vegetarian.

It is often difficult to understand why theyare getting so defensive and worked upabout a positive choice that you havemade for yourself, and which has little orno effect on them. It may help to keepsome of the following points in mind:

Your parents may be feeling a sense ofrejection. By choosing to become avegetarian you have rejected the meat-based diet upon which you have beenbrought up. While your choice is an entirelypersonal one, your parents may still see itas a criticism of them and your upbringing.Reassure them that this is not the case,and remind them of your reasons forgoing veggie.

Other family members and friends maythink that by going veggie you are in someway saying that you are better than them,or that their dietary choices are not goodenough for you anymore.

People can become oddly defensive aboutvegetarianism, often for two main reasons:

> They are afraid of things thatare different and, to them,vegetarianism is “different”.

> They are uncomfortable withthe reality of where meat comesfrom, but they choose not tothink about it. By becoming avegetarian, you have forcedthem to think about it.

If a person is feeling threatened by yourvegetarianism, they may try to make youfeel uncomfortable, too, by asking difficultquestions. Don’t be intimidated or put offby their questions. Your ability to answerthem calmly and rationally will only serve tostrengthen your position. And if you don’tknow the answers to their questions, it’sokay to say, “I don’t know. I’ll find out andget back to you.”

READ ON TOFIND OUT MORE >>

“Being a vegetarian is aGOOD thing. It soundssimple but the amount ofpeople who try to make youfeel stupid and like you’rejust being awkward can makethings hard. Knowing you’redoing a good thing helps.”James, age 17

Raven, age 14 >

>

Veggie Guide for Teens 1110 Veggie Guide for Teens

Here are some of the questions mostcommonly encountered by new vegetarians:

> If you don’t eat meat, where will you getyour protein from? Protein is available in all

foods apart from refined white sugar and some oils. Avegetarian’s protein needs are automatically met by abalanced, varied diet. Meat does provide protein,however it is only one source. Nuts, beans, eggs, soya,lentils, Quorn™ and other meat alternatives are allexcellent sources of protein.

> What about iron? Where will you get youriron from if you don’t eat meat? A lack of iron is

one of the most common problems in a typical Britishdiet. It is just as much a nutritional problem for meat-eaters as it is for veggies, and research shows thatveggies are no more prone to iron deficiency than meat-eaters. Iron can be found in leafy green vegetables, chickpeas, baked beans, tofu, fortified breakfast cereals likeFruit & Fibre and Weetabix, muesli, wholemeal bread,

dried fruit, nuts and pumpkin seeds, as well as loadsof other places. (See page 8 in the Parents section,

and the Veggie Nutrition mini-poster in thecentre of this booklet, for more informationon getting enough iron in your diet.)

> If you’re a vegetarian, why are youwearing leather shoes? First of all, it may be

the case that your shoes are not made of leather: theyjust look like they are. There are lots of vegetarian shoeson the market these days. Secondly, many vegetarianshave leather products from their pre-veggie days andhave made the choice to continue wearing them ratherthan have them go to waste. There are also some peoplewho are not comfortable eating meat, yet continuewearing leather. It is a question of where you, as anindividual, choose to draw a line. Of course, if you are notcomfortable with an animal dying for your dinner, youprobably aren’t comfortable with them dying for yourclothes and footwear either.

> I bet you would eat meat if you werestarving on a desert island, wouldn’t you?

Wow! If they resort to this one, they really are desperatefor an argument… In the unlikely event that you everfound yourself stranded on a desert island (or eventravelling through a less-than-vegetarian-friendly country),some vegetarians would eat meat in this life-and-deathsituation and others would not. As with anything, it is upto the individual to make his or her own choice. On adesert island you might also have to run around withoutmany clothes, sleep in a cave, never have a proper wash,brush your teeth with a stick, and wipe your bottom withleaves, but that doesn’t mean you would do those thingsafter you had been rescued!

Avoid the temptation to say things like “Do yourealise you’re eating a dead animal?” to non-vegetarians. It may be true, but that’s not how to winthem over to a veggie diet. By quietly and proudlygetting on with your own vegetarianism, you will besetting an example for others to follow.

>>>VEGGIE CHALLENGES

TO SEE MORE FREQU

ENTLY ASKED QUEST

IONS VISITBEING VEGGIE AT www.y

oungveggie.org

Veggie Guide for Teens 1312 Veggie Guide for Teens

TIPS FORVEGGIE SUCCESS

> Take your time if you w

ant to. Youdon’t

have to gocompletely

veggie all at once.

Gradually replacingme

at and fish with

other foodsover a perio

d of weeksor

months is fine.

> Look for foods labelled

as “suitablefor vegetari

ans”, and

keep a special eye out f

or productswith the Ve

getarian

Society Approved symb

ol. You willbe surprise

d at how

many thereare!

> Don’t get stressed-out.

If you’ve decided to go

veggie and

then accidentally eat so

mething non-veggie, th

at doesn’t

make you abad person

or mean that you are no

longer

a vegetarian.

> You will learn about ve

getarianismas you go a

nd, as

long as youremember

why you went veggie in

the first

place, you will succeed

in adoptinga complete

ly

veggie, healthy way of

life.

> Join the Vegetarian So

ciety for additional

support anda sense of c

ommunity.

Visit www.vegsoc.org/j

oin or email

membership@vegsoc.o

rg to find out more.

> Read the Parents sect

ion of this booklet.

We’ve giventhem lots o

f really good informatio

n, too!

> Answer thequestions o

n the next page and tal

k to your

parents about them.

> Pull out theVeggie Nutr

ition mini-poster from

the

centre of this booklet, h

ang it up, and refer to i

t often.

> Email education@vegs

oc.org for further help

and

advice, andto order mo

re resources.

Don’t forget the Vegetarian Society is always available to offer informationand support. Email education@vegsoc.org for further help and advice.

TA

LK

TO

YO

UR

PA

RE

NTS Talking to your parents about your new vegetarian diet is really important.

Take a few minutes to consider the following questions and write down youranswers. Your parents have some questions of their own to answer, too!When you’ve both answered your questions, pull out the mini-poster on theback of this page and discuss what you’ve written. A good chat will bereally helpful to you both.

Why is being a vegetarian important to you?

What are the steps you are willing to take to make yournew diet work for everyone in your house?

How would you like your parents to support you as a vegetarian?

“…in the end it’scompletely worth it. Itmakes a difference bothto the world and yourbody – both for good.”Raven, age 14

GOOD LUCK!

VITAMINS

A Carrots,spinach,pep

pers,

driedap

ricots

Bgroup

Who

lemealbread

,yeast

extract,leafygreen

vegetables

B12*

Egg

s,milk

andfortified

productssuch

assoya

milk,b

reakfastcerealsand

yeastextract

C Citrus

fruits,B

russels

sprouts,broccoli,pep

pers

D Fortified

productssuch

asbreakfastcerealsand

margarine,eggs,sunlight

ontheskin

E Vegetableoils,nuts,

seed

s,avocad

oK Spinach,cabbage,

cauliflow

er

MINERALS

Iron

Beans,lentils,soya

products,w

holemeal

bread

,driedfruit,pum

pkin

seed

s,molasses,fortified

breakfastcereals

Calcium

Dairyproducts,tofu,leafy

greenvegetables,sesame

seed

s,almon

ds,fortified

soya

milk

Zinc

Sesam

eandpum

pkin

seed

s,greenvegetables,

cheese,lentils,who

legrain

cereals

Magnesium

Leafygreenvegetables

OTHERESSENTIALS

Protein

Peas,beans,lentils,

cheese,nuts,seed

s,eggs,

rice,who

lewheat

pasta

Carbohydrates

Bread

,rice,oats,b

eans,

peas,lentils,p

otatoes,

pasta,b

reakfastcereals,

fruits

Essentialfattyacids

Vegetableoils,seeds,

walnuts

Fibre

Fruitandvegetables,oats,

beans,p

ulses

VE

GG

IEN

UTR

ITIO

Ngo

odfo

ods

ata

glan

ce

*B

12is

not

natu

rally

foun

din

entir

ely

pla

nt-b

ased

die

ts.V

egan

sm

ust

eat

fort

ified

pro

duc

tsor

take

avi

tam

insu

pp

lem

ent.

VEGGIEGUIDE

INCLUDESQUICK MEALIDEAS!

Veggie Guide for Parents 32 Veggie Guide for Parents

About the Vegetarian Society

Established in 1847, the Vegetarian Societyis an educational charity working tosupport, represent and increase thenumber of vegetarians in the UK. We offerspecialist information, free of charge,through our extensive range ofpublications, recipe booklets and websites.Our aim is to make a difference to thefuture of vegetarianism – for individuals,animals and the environment.

If you find this guide useful, please donateto the Vegetarian Society or considerbecoming a member. By doing so you willhelp us support more vegetarians and theirfamilies, provide free information to schoolsand caterers, and give all vegetarians alouder, stronger voice.

Please visit www.vegsoc.org/join or call0161 925 2000 to learn more. Thank you.

The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road,Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG0161 925 2000education@vegsoc.orgwww.youngveggie.org, www.vegsoc.org

Patrons: Rose Elliot MBE, Jerome Flynn, MaryMcCartney, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney,Wendy Turner Webster

Design: Taylor McKenziePhotography of teen vegetarians: Stephen Bingham

With thanks to all of the vegetarian teenagers andparents of vegetarians who helped in thedevelopment of this booklet.

References for the information in this booklet areavailable at www.vegsoc.org/references.

© The Vegetarian Society 2011

Registered charity number 259358Registered company number 959115(England and Wales)

Printed on 80% recycled paper

Note: The word “parent” has been used throughoutthis booklet to refer to any individual caring for ayoung person.

If you are reading this booklet, chances areyour daughter or son has recently made thedecision to become a vegetarian or isthinking about it. If you are not a vegetarianyourself, this may be causing you someanxiety and concern. What will you cook? Isvegetarianism healthy? Is vegetarian foodexpensive? Is your child just trying to annoyyou? The Vegetarian Society has fielded allof these questions – and many more – fromconcerned parents over the years.

Rest assured that your child has made ahealthy, thoughtful choice. A balancedvegetarian diet can benefit a person’shealth, the environment and, of course, theanimals that are not being eaten. And it’sfull of lovely, delicious food, too! Your sonor daughter’s choice to go veggie mostlikely reflects his or her feelings ofcompassion and a general awareness ofthe world. Feel proud of your child formaking such a positive choice, and feelproud of yourself for raising a kind,compassionate human being.

This will be a time of learning and discoveryfor both you and your child. We havedevised this two-in-one booklet with both ofyou in mind. Once you have read the

Parents section of the guide, werecommend taking a look at the Teenssection, too. It may help you to betterunderstand some of the questions andconcerns your child might have.

The centre of this booklet features a pull-out Veggie Nutrition mini-poster. On theback of the poster you will find questionsfor both you and your child. Please do takethe time to answer and discuss thesequestions, then pull out the poster andhang it in a place where you can both referto it often. You will be well on your way to ahappy, veggie-friendly household.

Thank you for taking the time to read thisguide. We hope it will answer all of yourquestions and put your mind at ease. If,however, you have any further questions orconcerns, please do not hesitate to contactthe Vegetarian Society’s Youth Educationdepartment either by phone or email (seepage 2).

Wewish you and your childall the very best.

CONTENTS

Welcome to the Veggie Guide for Parents 3“But what am I going to cook?!” 4Vegetarian myths: busted 6Accommodating the whole family in one meal 10Talk to your child 13Veggie Nutrition mini-poster 14

Welcometo the VeggieGuide for Parents

VVeeggeettaarriiaann ssttaapplleess

Meat alternatives (veggie burgers,

veggie sausages, nut cutlets, etc)

Soya mince

Tinned kidney beans, chick peas,

and other beans and pulses

Dried lentils (red split, green,

brown, puy…)

Nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts,

cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts…)

Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower

seeds, sesame seeds…)

Dried fruits (dates, apricots,

raisins…)

Tofu HummusPeanut butter

Veggie Guide for Parents 54 Veggie Guide for Parents

This is a question on many parents’ mindswhen a young person announces his or herintention to become a vegetarian. “Butwhat do vegetarians eat?” they wonder, asvisions of preparing two separate mealsflash before the eyes of an already busyparent. You needn’t worry, though –vegetarian food really isn’t as strange orunusual as many non-vegetarians oftenimagine it to be. Plus, lots of the “new”vegetarian foods you will be introduced toas part of your child’s change in diet aredelicious, highly nutritious, and can beenjoyed by the entire family.

Your child’s decision to go veggie is a greatopportunity to take a look at the way yourwhole family eats. It is important for anydiet – vegetarian or not – to be healthy andbalanced. If your family’s diet is healthy andbalanced, then it is sure to already includelots of vegetarian food – you just may nothave thought of those foods in that waybefore.

Remember: a food is vegetarian simplyby not including any meat, fish or by-products of animal slaughter.

Some foods that are staples in a healthy,balanced vegetarian diet may hardly ever –or never – feature in the average non-veggie’s repertoire. But that doesn’t meanthey shouldn’t! Foods like soya, lentils, nutsand seeds, and meat alternatives such asQuorn™, are full of nutritional goodness.Anyone can benefit from eating thesefoods on a regular basis. If they are notalready part of your family’s regular diet,now is the perfect time to introduce them.

By exploring with your child how she or hewill maintain a healthy, balanced vegetariandiet, you may just find that your entire familydevelops a healthier, more balanced diet, too.

Did you know… ...that Quorn™ sausages contain12.6g of protein per 100g, while the average pork sausagehas just 11.8g per 100g?

…that 50g of dried soya mincehas over three times the amountof iron as 100g of beef mince, andslightly more protein, too?

But what am I going to cook?!

FFooooddss tthhaatt aarree uussuuaallllyy vveeggeettaarriiaannAll fruits and vegetables Baked beansBreadPastaPizzaRiceAny type of potato (baked, boiled, mashed,roasted, fried...)

EggsCheese MilkBreakfast cerealsYorkshire puddingsIce creamBiscuitsCakeScones

“I think I eathealthier now. I don't eat lots ofmeat or poultry. I actually prefervegetarian meals.”Barbara, Susan’smum

Veggie Guide for Parents 7

FACTS:Most foods contain at least some protein,and it would be very difficult to maintain abalanced vegetarian diet that was shorton this important nutrient. Indeed, one ofthe benefits of a vegetarian diet is that itcontains adequate, but not excessive,protein.

It may be reassuring to keep in mind thatprotein-rich foods should make up justunder 20% of any healthy, balanceddiet. The remaining 80% of a person’s dietshould be comprised of foods that arealready naturally vegetarian, many ofwhich contain significantlevels of protein in theirown right. (See theVeggie Nutritionmini-poster at thecentre of thisbooklet.) By goingveggie your sonor daughter ischoosing to giveup some sources ofthe “protein-richfoods” group, butcertainly not all of them. Infact, the protein content of eggsand many plant-based foods such as nuts,

peas and beans is very high – often as high as meat and fish.

Good vegetarian sources of protein includebaked beans, kidney beans, chick peas,lentils, Quorn™ products, soya-basedmeat alternatives (sausages, burgers, etc),soya milk, tofu, walnuts, peanuts, peanutbutter, almonds, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Some everyday foods that are normallyregarded as carbohydrates (rice, pasta,breakfast cereals, breads, etc) also containsignificant amounts of protein. Forexample, two slices of wholemeal bread

contain roughly 9.4g of protein, theequivalent of 20% of a teenage

girl’s recommended dailyintake of protein.

Vegetarian myths

“She had educatedherself on thevegetarian diet, andwhat she needed toeat to get herprotein and all otheressentials. I wasimpressed, andassured that shewas approachingvegetarianism in aserious manner.”Maxine, Fay’s mum

BUSTED!MYTH:Vegetarians do not get enough protein.

Always try to choose wholegrainvarieties of rice, pasta, breads, etc, as they are often higher in proteinthan their “white” counterparts.

Protein is available in all foods apartfrom refined white sugar and someoils, therefore a vegetarian’s proteinneeds are automatically met by abalanced, varied diet.

Veggie Guide for Parents 98 Veggie Guide for Parents

FACTS:Results from several studies suggestthat the dietary iron intake ofvegetarians is similar to that of non-vegetarians. However, low iron intake isone of the most common problems in atypical British diet. Meat-eaters andvegetarians alike need to pay extraattention to their iron consumption.

Iron is present in a wide variety of plant-based foods, and even the non-vegetarianpopulation relies far more on these foodsfor their main iron intake than they do onmeat. In fact, red meat makes asurprisingly small contribution to iron intakeamongst non-vegetarians – just 12% formen and 9% for women.

Eating or drinking something high in vitamin C (such as broccoli,Brussels sprouts or a glass of orange juice) with a meal containing iron-rich foodscan triple the amount of iron absorbed bythe body.

Iron-rich foods

It is recommended that girls and womenbetween the ages of 11 and 49 shouldconsume 14.8mg of dietary iron every day.Boys and men require between 8.7 and11.3mg. The following foods are goodvegetarian sources of iron:

FACTS:Just like the rest of the population,vegetarians come in all shapes, sizesand varying degrees of health. Likeanyone else, a vegetarian’s physicalappearance and general levels of healthand fitness are caused by genetics,diet, environment and exercise. Indeed,a vegetarian diet is known to have awide range of health benefits, includinglower rates of obesity, coronary heartdisease and high blood pressure.

FACTS:A home-cooked vegetarian meal willusually work out to be around the samecost, or even a bit cheaper, than its non-vegetarian alternative. As is the casewith non-vegetarian food, the cost ofproducing a vegetarian meal dependson the foods you choose to prepare, andthe quality of the ingredients purchased.

Ready meals tend to cost more than ahome-cooked meal, although vegetarianready meals cost roughly the same as non-vegetarian ready meals. An informal survey

in a national supermarketdiscovered that the averageprice difference betweenvegetarian ready meals andtheir non-vegetarian equivalentsworked out to be around 10p.

And if your family has the occasional mealout, you’ll be glad to have a vegetarianamongst you. Vegetarian main courses inrestaurants are almost always cheaper –often by at least a couple of pounds – thaneven the cheapest non-vegetarian main.

MYTH:Vegetarians are pale, skinny and unhealthy.

MYTH:Vegetarian food is expensive.

Vegetarianism and eating disorders

Vegetarianism is not an eating disorder.Unfortunately, a very small percentage ofyoung people struggling with eatingdisorders do use “vegetarianism” as anexcuse for placing further restrictions ontheir diet. If you suspect that your childhas an eating disorder, please contactbeat, the UK’s leading charity inproviding help, information and supportto people affected by eating disorders.www.b-eat.co.uk

Visit www.vegsoc.org/healthfor more information on vegetarian nutrition.

“Hector (right) appears to have considerably more stamina andphysical and mental strength than other swimmers of his age. I happento believe that being a vegetarian certainly has no negative effects onHector and may actually have positive ones.” Jon, Hector’s dad

MYTH:Vegetarians do not get enough iron.

Weetabix®TM

37.5g (2 biscuits)= 4.5mgCheerios®

25g = 2.98mgBran flakes25g = 2.9mgBlackstrapmolasses21g (1tbsp) = 2.87mg

Pumpkin seeds25g = 2.5mgDried soya mince25g = 2.25mgFruit & Fibre25g = 2.2mgDried apricots50g (6 apricots) = 2.05mg

Veggie Guide for Parents 11

“Soon after Gillianwent veggie at the ageof 13, we both didalong with our olderson. This was foranimal welfarereasons. Twenty-fouryears later, we arenow all vegans in thatwe don’t eat eggs ordairy and use soyamilk instead.”Claude and Denise,Gilly’s parents

Your entire family may not wish to goveggie because there is now onevegetarian amongst you – although it hasbeen known to happen! So what do youdo if you need to feed your vegetarian childand the rest of the family?

Here are some tips:

• Remember that non-vegetarians caneat and enjoy vegetarian food, butthe reverse is not true.

• When planning meals, it may help tothink of the non-meat parts first, asthey can serve everyone. Think ofany meat, fish, or meat alternative asadd-ons.

• It is often very easy to replace meatentirely with a meat alternative, or toprepare a meat alternative in aseparate pan.

• Most supermarkets now sell veggiebacon and sausages – perfect formeat-free fry-ups.

• Don’t forget about all of thosealready-vegetarian foods that yourfamily has been enjoying for years(see page 5).

Sunday roast with a veggie

It’s easy to make small changes to the Sunday roast – or Christmas dinner – to accommodate a vegetarian.

• Roast the potatoes in a separate tin from the meat, using vegetable oil ormargarine. They will be just as crisp, andlower in saturated fat, too!

• A shop-bought or homemade nut roast isa filling replacement to the meat portion,and doubles-up as a tasty alternative tostuffing for everybody.

• Yorkshire puddings cook well invegetable fat, or you can buy ones thatare suitable for vegetarians in the freezersection of your local supermarket.

• If you are using meat juices in the maingravy, make some gravy in a separate jugusing gravy granules and hot water.Most gravy granules are suitable forvegetarians, so check your usual brand.

• And don’t forget the dessert! Happily,most puddings are already veggie-friendly, so no one has to miss out. If youare buying a pudding, just make sure it’ssuitable for vegetarians first.

Accommodating thewhole family

INONE MEAL

Veggie Guide for Parents 1312 Veggie Guide for Parents

Take a few minutes to consider the following questions and write down youranswers. We have asked your son or daughter to answer some questions,too. When you’ve both answered your questions, pull out the mini-posteron the other side of this page and discuss your responses. A goodconversation about vegetarianism should be very helpful to you both.

Do you have any concerns about a vegetarian diet? If so, what are they?

How can your son/daughter help to make his/her vegetarianism easier for you?

What else would you like to know about vegetarianism, and what else would you like your son/daughter to learn?

Don’t forget to contact the Vegetarian Society ateducation@vegsoc.org for additional help or support.

Talk to your child

Quick meal ideas:

Bangers ‘n’ mash: fry up veggiesausages in one pan, non-veggie sausagesin another; boil some potatoes then mashthem with butter and milk; boil some peasand mix up some veggie gravy. Dinner’s ready!

Stir fry: prepare lots of fresh vegetablesalong with any veggie and non-veggieprotein-rich foods. (Quorn™ chunks or tofuwork really well in a stir fry!) Heat some oilin two separate pans and cook up all of theingredients along with some seasoning likeChinese 5 Spice. Serve with boiled rice ornoodles, and soya sauce on the side.

Pizza: buy a couple of pizza bases, andtop with tomato paste and gratedvegetarian cheese. Veggie and non-veggiepizzas can be easily created, depending on the additional toppings selected. Serve with salad.

Burgers and chips: buy some veggieburgers from the frozen section of your local supermarket. Prepare according to packet instructions on a separate tray from any non-veggie burgers. Place burgers on a bap with salad, and top with ketchup, mayonnaise or barbecue sauce. Serve with chips.

“I cooked a lot of casseroles,and Italian dishes with cheeseas the star, Mexican dishes,and others. These are disheswhere soya-based meatsubstitutes work very well,and I took advantage of this.”Maxine, Fay’s mum

Visit www.youngveggie.org/recipesfor more delicious recipe suggestions!

Isabel, age 14 > >