Vegetarians are usually defined as people who do not eat meat, or sometimes no animal products at all. However, there are many different types of vegetarians. This blog is for an Ovo-lacto teen vegetarian, which is the most common. Ovo-Lacto vegetarians must find other ways to give their body the protein meat has, but they still get the nutritional benefits of eggs and dairy products.
There are many different reasons an average teenager might choose to become a vegetarian.
- Health reasons: 1. Vegetarians usually have less weight problems and live longer. 2. Eating excessive meat can lead to cancer and other diseases. 3. Most food poisoning cases are from meat, and slaughterhouses and meat packaging facilities are not usually very sanitary. Etc....
- Ethical reasons: 1. Animal rights, the way animals are treated. 2. They might think eating meat is wrong. Etc....
- Environmental reasons: 1. Meat production destroys rain forests and produces a lot of methane (a greenhouse gas). 2. Half the water in the US is used to raise livestock. Etc....
- Political reasons: 1. If resources from raising meat were Used for feeding people, there could be enough food for everyone in the world. Etc....
- Religious reasons: 1. Some religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, and 7th day Adventists) encourage eating vegetarian. Etc....
- psychological reasons: 1. Some people just don't like the taste of meat, or find it unappealing. Etc....
Types of vegetarians:
- Semi-vegetarians/flextarians: Semi-vegetarians/flextarians usually avoid eating meat red or white meat, but eat fowl or fish.
- Pescatarians: Pescatarians do not eat red or white meat, but eat fish.
- Ovo-lacto vegetarians: The most common type of vegetarian is the Ovo-Lacto vegetarian. They do not eat any type of meat, but do eat eggs and dairy products.
- Ovo vegetarians: no meat or dairy, but do eat eggs.
- Lacto vegetarians: no meat or eggs, but do eat dairy.
- Vegans: Vegans do not eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc….
- Raw/Living foodists: Raw/living foodists eat only raw food to get the enzymes that are destroyed while cooking.
- Fruitarians: Fruitarians only eat fruit, and fruit-like vegetables. Ex: tomatoes, cucumbers, etc…
Because most vegetarian diets lack meat, teens who choose to follow a vegetarian lifestyle are faced with the everyday challenge of coming up with protein-rich foods to eat. Vegetarians can get protein through dried beans, nuts, seeds, dairy products, grains, algae, soybeans, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and many other foods.
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