What's a good, healty diet for a vegetarian?

I'm thirteen years old and trying to lose weight. What would be a good vegetarian diet to follow, and what kinds of exercise are recommended (I'm not a good runner, but I'm pretty persistent on the treadmill and elliptical)?

I was vegitarian for over six years, and I found that the most successful diet was one with an equal proportion of vegitables, friuts, dairy, and carbs [yes, carbs-you'll need the energy trust me!] with some tofu sprinkled in. Good ideas for tofu are stir fry, shakes, and tofu burgers [which are available in the grocery store frozen food section] because they disguse the naturally "questionable" taste tofu has by itself. And stay away from Tofurkey-that stuff is unnatrually bad!!

Also make sure that you take vitamin supplements, because unfortunately you cannot get everything you need without meat. I recommend taking a multi-vitamin at the very least, and it probably wouldn't hurt to take iron [especially because you are female].

If you start to feel faint, dizzy, or tired all the time you could be developing anemia [lack of iron] from your diet. You should take some iron pills and also talk to your doctor to make sure that it is taken care of.

As far as excersize goes, walking is always good. Make sure to walk at a brisk pace, and I recommend doing 2-5 miles [assuming you are healthy enough to do so] to get some good weight loss cardio action happening. Once you become comfortable with that, you can also get arm and leg band weights to help increase the resistance while you walk. Other activities I like to do are pilates [I recommend beginner level Windsor Pilates], swimming laps, and jump roping-which are all fairly low impact so they won't be impossible to do if you are just starting to excersize.

Also, because you are thirteen, I would talk to your parents about your concerns regarding your weight-it is really a great idea to have their emotional support behind you.

Good luck and have fun.

Fruits, veggies, sprouts.

Lentils, Beans, tofu, and Peas for Protein
Whole grain cereals like Oatmeal for fiber
Fresh, raw vegetables such as found in salads.

A vegetarian diet should still be a balanced diet, meaning plenty of fruits and vegetables, calcium source (whether dairy or not), and proteins. Depending on whether you want to be a vegan, or whether you will eat eggs or dairy will also determine your diet. If you do not want to eat any animal product, then you should get your calcium from dark, leafy vegetables, and your Omega 3 fatty acids from flax seed oil, preferably the refrigerated type. Bean and soy products provide plenty of protein when combined with a carb (think of world cuisine, beans and rice or tortillas, soy and rice, etc) to provide all of the 20 essential amino acids. As for exercise, if running isn't your thing, you can always walk (and that would not put as much stress on your knees) or do the elliptical. Another great exercise is water aerobics, usually done in a group, to music, and great fun. Best of luck and DONT try to live on salads!