So you wanna go veggie?

Did you know that if you become a vegetarian, you will be one of over three million other veggies in Britain alone? You will also be in good company as famous vegetarian actors include: Brad Pitt, Kim Bassinger, Richard Gere, Alicia Silverstone, Alec Baldwin, Drew Barrymore, Paul Newman, Liv Tyler, William Shatner, David Duchovny, Daryl Hannah and Dustin Hoffman. Nowadays, cafes, take-aways, restaurants, school/college canteens and supermarkets all provide veggie meals so you definitely won’t go hungry or be stuck for choice. If you want your new diet to be taken seriously, it is important to get your parents to understand why you have gone veggie. Your choice to go vegetarian will affect them in many ways, including shopping, planning meals, cooking and washing up! They may also have concerns about your health. Initially parents may think that you have gone veggie to be awkward or that you are going through a stage. The following tips will help towards calming the waters and allow you to get the best out of your new diet: Reassure your parents that every essential vitamin, mineral and protein is available in a balanced vegetarian diet Be clear as to the reasons why you have turned vegetarian. Perhaps it is health, the environment or concerns over animal welfare? When it comes to the preparation of food, always help out. Making extra work is a recipe for disaster! Buying a good cookbook will provide interesting recipe suggestions Talk to you parents about the sort of food you would like to eat. When you decide that you want to go vegetarian it may be better to do it over a number of weeks, gradually replacing meat and fish with other foods. Some people are very strict and give all meat and meat products up in one go. It is important that you go at your own pace. Most of your favourite recipes can be adapted to become suitable for vegetarians. Mushrooms, pulses and grains all make excellent substitutes for the bulk and texture of meat. Should you prefer, there is also an excellent range of meat substitutes now on offer. These are not all expensive or difficult to use and taste quite authentic, if that is what you are after. Add them to casseroles, curries, pasta and rice dishes instead of the meat or fish. NOW FOR THE SCIENCE BIT… A vegetarian diet is a healthy diet as long as it is balanced. It is recommended that vegetarians should follow these guidelines: FRUIT AND VEGETABLES 5 portions daily This includes canned fruit and veg, dried fruit, salad and fruit juice. Fruit and veg supply vitamins, minerals and fibre. Potatoes do not count in this group. BREAD, CEREAL AND POTATOES 5 portions daily These starchy foods make up the basis of most meals. This group supplies carbohydrates, fibre, protein and some vitamins and minerals. PROTEIN RICH FOODS – ALTERNATIVES TO MEAT 2-3 portions daily This group would be traditionally looked at as the meat section. Vegetarians get a plentiful supply of protein and iron from pulses, nuts, seeds, eggs, tofu, soya, mycoprotein and wheat protein. MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS 2-3 portions daily Milk provides a good source of calcium, protein and vitamins. Check to see if the cheese you choose is made with vegetable rennet rather than rennet which is an animal derivative. SUGAR AND FAT Although some fat is needed in the diet, too much fat can lead to health problems. Fat and sugar occur naturally in foods, therefore it is important to watch intake of this group. Most chocolate and chocolate bars are vegetarian, but remember, cakes, biscuits and some puddings can be made with animal fat. If a recipe lists beef suet as an ingredient, replace this with vegetable suet. Likewise with gelatine, swap with a veggie alternative: agar agar, carragheen and VegeGel. Gelatine can be found in some sweets, jellies and puddings.

The vegetarian food pyramid DO YOU HAVE A QUERY? If you or your parents want to call The Vegetarian Society, we will be happy to answer any of your questions. If you would like a starter pack containing information on how to go veggie, please do not hesitate to give The Vegetarian Society a call on 0161 925 2000 - that’s what we’re here for. Phone lines are staffed Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm For recipes and further help, check out the booklet “A Parent and Teenager Guide to Vegetarianism” The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom Parkdale Dunham Road Althincham Cheshire WA14 4QG or email: info@vegsoc.org www.vegsoc.org