For Vegetarians: How do you get the nutrients to stay healthy?

[EverythingReal]

I two friends who are vegetarians who seem to be sick ALL THE TIME. Our friend group thinks this is due to them getting a lack of vitamins/nutrients due to a limited diet. So, for all the vegetarians out there, how do you make sure you get what you need to stay healthy?

Updates

+1 y

For clarification. They do not eat very many vegetables, and not a ton of fruit. Their diets are mainly noodles and pop tarts (one eats cheese pizza rolls too). I'm not trying to say that all vegetarians get sick a lot or anything like that.

[Anonymous]

I have been a vegetarian for 6 years and I am now 23 years old. I get sick like I used to get sick before I became a vegetarian. Which is not often.

I eat cereals for breakfast with milk (I drink milk, cheese and eggs).

During the morning maybe an apple.

For lunch, it could be anything, sometimes pizza (favorite food), but mostly big salads that include all the vegetables that you can imagine and some that you probably don´t know exist. I also eat a lot of rice with lentils, which are really important. Then, for dessert, chocolate or another fruit, mostly tangerines (favorite fruit ever and a Zeppelin song).

During the afternoon, cereals again or tea with milk and toasts with butter or a kind of cream we have where I live.

And at night, usually the same thing I ate at lunch.

I think pasta is very important, I eat a lot of that too. I also drink a lot of water and once a year I take some vitamins that my doctor gives me. But he used to give them to me before I became a vegetarian, so it´s not related, but I´m sure it helps.

Also, I exercise, I don´t smoke and I don´t drink. I´m very healthy lol!

[Tripz]

You drink Cheese? Gross :D

[Opinion Owner]

Lol! I didn't realise! Ha ha! I meant I drink milk and I EAT cheese and eggs. Lol still

[vishna]

I don't get sick often :)

-they should first step up the anti-bacterial soaps, germ-x, using rails then washing hands, not touching their eyes (rubbing) them as often before they attribute it to being a veg head :3

As a veg head I get lots of protein and nutrients from juices and beans and leafy greens :)

yum

I know some people do use vitamins but a lot also don't I don't and I'm a healthy person but hey it's almost never a bad thing to use a vitamin pill

The easiest way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet :)

[EverythingReal]

We think it is associated to the vegetarian thing because they have very limited diets (they are also picky eaters, their diets mainly consist of pop tarts and noodles) and suspect that they are missing nutrients. Thanks for the response!

[vishna]

pop tarts and noodles..yep this is why the person is sick they eat crap. They should eat a balanced diet, vegetarian or not.

You should serve them some tough love ...being nice is terrible when trying to persuade a friend that their lifestyle is unhealthy :)

[MystiKaL]

I've been a vegetarian for 28 years and I'm only 26, never once have I suffered sickness due to being vegetarian. Yes when I was a child giving up meat, the shock to the system meant a drastic weight loss but I was still very healthy and I gained a lot of weight in my adult life due to office work and eating vegetarian junk food lol

Anyway, eating animal flesh is not the only way a human can survive on this planet. There are many other factors why your 2 friends are sick all the time, such as IBS and gatric problems, so if they have suddenly become veggies and are not watching what they eat, of course they will feel sick. Also if they starve themselves of food by missing on breakfast and lunch, then suddenly start eating bananas and oranges on an empty stomach, of course they will feel sick.

Your friends need to see a good dietician for advise, if's not the fact they are vegetarian that is causing this, it's what they are eating, their eating habits and disorders that may be causing the sickness.

[MystiKaL]

whoops meant I'm 36 ha ha

[EverythingReal]

I was a little curious on the age thing. They have both been vegetarians for about 5-7 years. Thanks for the response!

[Aryan_Rastogi]

It's not true.I m a vegetarian.Many of my friends are vegetarians.But I don't think that I look like a sick person.I take green vegetables in every diet.But those vegetarian who don't take green vegetables and milk seem to be sick.

We get nutrient from milk,soya products,green vegetables,fruits.Potatoes,tomato paste and carrot provide pottassium and vitamin A.Orange,mango etc provide Vitamin C,Soya product provides iron.Beans provides fiber.And fruits like apple,orange,banana,are also good for health.

[peace-love-couture]

My roommate is a vegetarian and a dancer at that, and she's healthy.

ALOT of vegetarians and vegans are unhealthy because they go about it in an unhealthy manner. There's a right way to go veggie and a wrong way.

Being a vegetarian/vegan is not only about eating fruits and vegetables, although vegan or not, you should get your fair share of fruits and veggies.

My roommate keeps fruit around and eats about 3-4 fruits a day, because they let us take however many fruits we want from the dining hall.

Because she's a dancer and they've had intense auditions this past week, she's also been drinking this tonic type thing which has proteins in it.

She does eat fish(so she's more of a pescatarian) and veggies on a regular basis. She's Chinese, so the fish is inevitable.

She's really healthy.

She also eats a lot of egg substitutes in the dining hall, for protein. She keeps bags and bags of almonds around here and snacks on them periodically.

[kennyk]

It's actually very easy so long as you don't eat nothing but junk food. They might have anemia from low iron. Certain plant based diets can br deficient in iron but it can also be caused by other factors too. I've always had good iron, I have carnivorous friends who have low iron.

[kennyk]

@update: Then getting the nutrients is about the same as for a non-vegetarian. Eat less junk, more good stuff. It doesn't change too much. Take what you'd consider a healthy non-vegetarian diet, substitute out the meats and replace with tofu, mushrooms, fake meat product, etc. and you should be fine! :)

[lace1228]

My boyfriend is vegan and never sick. We eat Yves products and most have higher protein then meat. We get calcium from soy milk or coconut milk. We can get most other vitamins from eating fresh fruits and vegetables, grains from pasta and mulitgrain bread. Soy milk is a good source of vitamin D and other crucial vitamins and minerals like zinc and iron. You can take a daily vitamin if needed.

[lace1228]

Well no wonder their akways sick that not a proper diet and it has nothing to do with being vegetarian. Pop tart isn't exactly food.

[MAJ4251]

A friend of mine is a vegan. In order for her to stay healthy and get the nutrients from meat and whatnot without eating it, she takes some type of vitamin. It has all the proteins and stuff that meat has so she stays healthy. If they don't take the vitamins, their immune systems get weak, leading to being sick all the time.

[Eva_Grace]

Well I've been a vegetarian for years, I don't and haven't had any issues of getting sick from it. I didn't grow as tall as I might have though. I really just eat what I feel to I don't specifically make sure I have everything in my meals(:

[Misty_04]

People don't need meat to survive. I was brought up vegan than switched to vegetarian. I eat fresh organic food, nothing overly processed. I hardly ever get sick :/

[Anonymous]

i eat tempeh, tofu, oat meal, soy, bean, carrot... but sometimes, I break rule. I drink fresh milk.