Is being a vegetarian deemed as a healthy or unhealthy diet for teens? While this is a complex question, according to kidshealth.org, if done right, a meat-free diet can actually be a healthy way of eating. Since these vegetarian teens are not eating meat, they tend to incorporate more fruits and vegetables which are the two groups that most teens are nutritionally lacking. There are many different reasons why one may choose to be a vegan or vegetarian. For sophomore Adriana Stevens, her mom being vegetarian was a major factor in her own decision to become vegetarian.

“My mom really impacted my decision because she’s also a vegetarian.” Stevens said. “I really admire her. “

Similarly, sophomore Siya Shah grew up her entire life being a vegetarian. This choice was also directly influenced by her mom who is a vegetarian, Shah explained.

“My mom had an impact on me choosing to be vegetarian, because she [is too], partially because of her religion.” Shah said. “[Her family] grew up being vegetarian, following that path that she took.”

Familial ties to vegetarianism are a key factor in teens’ decisions shown in Shah and Stevens cases. Their families are very supportive of their decision to follow this path because of that. Despite this, sticking to vegetarianism can be difficult, making it harder to eat a nourishing, balanced diet because of a lack of protein especially for active teens, Stevens said. For Shah there have been times she’s considered eating meat for the protein because of her constant activity in sports. However, Shah is still a big foodie and enjoys restaurants such as Chipotle and Panera. One place both Stevens and Shah eat at on the daily: the school cafeteria. Steven’s favorite lunch choices include the salad bar, pizza, and bagels. Although, there is room for improvement, Stevens said the panni line could include tofu as a protein option to put into wraps and sandwiches, she suggested. For the most part, South has a variety of options for many dietary restrictions including options for vegans and vegetarians, Shah explained.

“The cafeteria does a really good job providing all sorts of food options, so I would say there’s plenty of options for everyone” Shah said.