Go Veggie With Style | Teen Ink

Go Veggie With Style MAG

By MelodyBee BRONZE, Tarrytown, New York
MelodyBee BRONZE, Tarrytown, New York
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.&quot;<br /> -Walt Disney


I am a vegetarian. Many people are quick to stereotype vegetarianism as bizarre behavior, appropriate for those on another planet. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that populates it. But that’s only one reason to be a vegetarian.

Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a ­correlation between red meat consumption and diseases ­including osteoporosis, kidney stones, gall stones, ­diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, gum disease, and even acne. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money, and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed.

The most important quality is dedication. We are surrounded by meat. It would be easy to forgo vegetarianism at any moment and devour a steak. This is why vegetarians must be staunch and zealous.

Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It’s easy to tire of eating nothing but ­salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vege­tarian-friendly. Many ethnic cuisines also offer abundant flavorful options. Studying these cultures is an excellent way to generate new ideas. Another is to go to a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian food. This can spark a plethora of creative ideas.

Since creativity is a necessary attribute, it is no coincidence that many vegetarians work in creative fields. Many brilliant individuals were vegetarians, including Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein. Some current famous vegetarians are Madonna, Paul McCartney, ­Natalie Portman, Pink, and Milo Ventimiglia.

Not everyone wants to be a vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others, by subjecting them to long lectures on the nutritional benefits of not eating meat or shoving PETA fliers in their faces, is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to gracefully decline a meaty dish without offending their hosts. Another differentiating quality between the stylish and the un-stylish vegetarian is the ability to stick with it. The latter group can typically be overheard saying things like “I’m a vegetarian – I just eat chicken,” or “I haven’t eaten meat in ten days. I’m a vegetarian.”

Being educated is also important. Do your ­research about different types of vegetarians, and learn as much nutritional information as possible. Your goal as a stylish vegetarian is to be healthy, not trendy. Don’t become a vegetarian solely ­because a celebrity says it’s cool. People who do rarely stick with it for long.

Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me – I’ve been one since I was born. My family is vegetarian, so no meat is available in my house. However, constantly being surrounded by others who eat meat, and sometimes those who are not accepting of vegetarianism, can be a challenge. To be successful, I’ve relied on personal traits like flexibility, since I’m often in situations where the food choices aren’t ideal.

A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the transition. It can be difficult to stay committed in the beginning because of temptation. How­ever, this fades over time.

Another common mistake is quitting because you’ve been misinformed about the ­nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That’s why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it’s impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44 to 55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming triple that amount, which is not beneficial; on the contrary, it has been linked with Alz­heimer’s disease. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs. However, if you’re still not convinced, you can take a multivitamin.

A society in which people have the constitutional right to live freely is well suited for vegetarians. If you need further convincing, read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. In a style comparable to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Schlosser passionately exposes the dangers of eating meat. For great recipes, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman has got you covered.

Vegetarianism is an important cause that more people should support. PETA estimates that every vegetarian saves over a hundred animals a year. Not only is being a vegetarian healthy, but it also has a positive impact on the world.



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This article has 160 comments.


on Apr. 12 2010 at 4:03 pm
TxDragon BRONZE, Saratoga, California
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Come and Take it!&quot; -citizens of Gonzales, Texas, when the Mexicans tried to take away the cannon used to defend their town.

Okay, I've heard how they're ruining the world environmentally, but never that air conditioning, ipods, and other stuff are ruining the world economically. 

on Apr. 11 2010 at 7:59 pm
MusicAtMidnight BRONZE, Shady Side, Maryland
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
I agree that the conditions can be humane and are still improving,  the  author specifically said not to force the lifestyle on other people. Plus, it's said there are health benefits to being vegetarian such as more energy and no risk of getting certain illnesses suuch as E.coli.

on Apr. 11 2010 at 12:47 pm
Green8a8 SILVER, NY, New York
8 articles 1 photo 161 comments

Favorite Quote:
im the author of my life, unfortunately im writing in pen therefore i can&#039;t erase nothing about it.-by some crazy friend of mine

 yeh im trying it again, giving it another try so far i have made a month and a half.  Yey and thanks for the advice

on Apr. 11 2010 at 11:07 am
ElisabethElizzLiz BRONZE, Brookpark, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love is the flower you&#039;ve got to let grow.<br /> -John Lennon

but many of those inventions, such as cars and factories are ruining the world, economically.

on Apr. 11 2010 at 11:03 am
ElisabethElizzLiz BRONZE, Brookpark, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love is the flower you&#039;ve got to let grow.<br /> -John Lennon

I've been vegitarian for 4 months now. You don't have to spend money on other vegitarian foods like tofu and boca or morningstar. You can just eat all the foods you'd normally eat, but just cut out the meat. I do occasionally buy morningstar and boca foods, but those aren't too expensive compared to the real things.

on Apr. 1 2010 at 6:11 pm
DayofRain50 GOLD, Robbinsville, New Jersey
14 articles 0 photos 48 comments
animals came long before humans. And why are certain animals like certain types of birds or fish or other animals that no culture eats on earth if created for human consumption. 

on Apr. 1 2010 at 6:07 pm
DayofRain50 GOLD, Robbinsville, New Jersey
14 articles 0 photos 48 comments
I really hate it when people say animals were put on earth only for human consumption. I am not a vegetarian, but I do feel conditions in which animals are kept should be more humane. Also, animals were put on earth long before humans.

on Mar. 30 2010 at 5:14 pm
burritocat SILVER, Denver, Colorado
5 articles 9 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
What matters an eternity of damnation to someone who has found in one second the infinity of joy? - Charles Baudelaire

Im a 13-year old vegan ,live with my parents and has a pretty normal life. I like your article -Great job spreading the word. still you might want to try going vegan for real. It feels better...trust me. :D

on Mar. 30 2010 at 5:10 pm
burritocat SILVER, Denver, Colorado
5 articles 9 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
What matters an eternity of damnation to someone who has found in one second the infinity of joy? - Charles Baudelaire

Hey, Im vegan. Animals are breed by humans if the entire world went vegeterian (which is a really unrealistic thought) animals would die but then there wouldnt be a need for any of this animals to be born into a cruel world. Farmers :theres growing crops which would bring A LOT of money.There's no need to take care of humans yet many will agree that all human being deserves to be treated with respect.  

Slavery "ended " long time ago yet many people even in the USA are treated as such. people will eat animals but the less the suffering the better. Oh,plus many workers in the meat industry die or ended up badly hurt because the company really doesnt seem to care. I know there are no downsides in going veg. 

Going veg maks you healthier, the more healthy you are the more healthy your brain is. The better it works..... 


on Mar. 20 2010 at 9:51 am
Anne Powdris SILVER, --, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 35 comments
oops, sorry. I meant to so "they would not go through as much..."

on Mar. 20 2010 at 9:50 am
Anne Powdris SILVER, --, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 35 comments
true, but remember that if we treat them kindly and carefully, they would go through as much. Animals will eventually die of old age, and it would be more painful for them to survive.

on Mar. 20 2010 at 9:49 am
Anne Powdris SILVER, --, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 35 comments
I find this a very good article. You give your opinion and support it with some facts.

However, you stated that "many brilliant individuals were vegetarian..." A person's eating habits do not interfere with their creativity and uniqueness. Whether you eat meat or not, you can still be intelligent.

Despite the fact that I truly believe that Americans consume too much meat, having the whole population turning vegetarian has its downsides. For example, imagine what would happen to all of those animals. They would be completely useless. Farmers would no longer have jobs, because nobody is willing to eat their meat. Even if we were to take care of the animals, we would be spending money and time but without getting anything in return. In other words, there would be no need for taking care of them. Nonetheless, this is merely my opinion. I strongly believe that there should be a balance in the environment-- some meat, but not too much.

on Mar. 9 2010 at 7:40 pm
kadyladystone SILVER, St. Petersburg, Florida
7 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
Only in the presence of nature may one find Heaven on Earth.

I applaud you for this well-written article as well. I just may consider going vegetarian for a number of the same reasons you listed. :)

on Mar. 8 2010 at 8:32 pm
naturelover123 BRONZE, San Francisco, California
2 articles 0 photos 50 comments
I like this article...very well written with tons of facts. I like how it shows that vegetarianism can be creative and fun instead of boring, and how it doesn't insult those who aren't vegetarian.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 7:27 am
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.&quot; <br /> &quot;Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.&quot;

Sure, that's true, but I think that if you don't like meat but you do like animals you are entitled to be a vegetarian.

on Feb. 26 2010 at 7:25 am
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.&quot; <br /> &quot;Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.&quot;

I've been a vegetarian since I was 11. I don't know why people think vegetarians have weird issues or something, but we don't sit around nibbling on lettuce at a barbecue. There are tons of vegetarian foods that are ten times better than meat. Besides, being a vegetarian is great at dinner parties- if someone cooked some grotesque meat food, and you weren't a vegetarian, they'd force you to 'just try it'. But as a vegetarian, you can say, 'Oh, sorry, I'm a vegetarian' and they go all, 'How nice it is that you save the animals!'

Also, I didn't know Pink was a vegetarian. Wow, I never stop finding reasons that this musical artist is brilliant.

on Feb. 22 2010 at 10:11 pm
Green8a8 SILVER, NY, New York
8 articles 1 photo 161 comments

Favorite Quote:
im the author of my life, unfortunately im writing in pen therefore i can&#039;t erase nothing about it.-by some crazy friend of mine

ahhh i envy u siriously

i tried to i only lasted a month without meat, i would have gone farther but my parents couldn't affrod to buy different food for me so i gave up on it, wish i had ur momentum siiously

on Feb. 18 2010 at 10:59 pm
caitlin.calamity BRONZE, Houston, Texas
1 article 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress. <br /> -Bruce Barton

I would love to be a vegetarian, but my dad will not allow it. He says I'm not an adult yet and he owns me until I am 18 and out of the house. I am 17 years old. Thankfully I'm moving to my mom's soon. Hopefully she'll allow me to make some of my own life decisions. The only decision of mine that my dad really agrees with is my decision of abstinence and to be straight edge.

laneyj123 said...
on Jan. 26 2010 at 3:38 pm
i just became a veg after hearing about wat they do to get meat i agree with u ppl do treat u wierd at first and than they get used to it and realize ur the same

on Jan. 25 2010 at 8:16 pm
TxDragon BRONZE, Saratoga, California
1 article 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Come and Take it!&quot; -citizens of Gonzales, Texas, when the Mexicans tried to take away the cannon used to defend their town.

I was raised in the heart of Texas. I LOVE meat. I see no redeeming value in becoming a vegetarian.