Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders will soon be bidding farewell to a growing number of young customers who are increasingly shunning meat and chicken, opting for grain- and bean-based food instead.

Society’s growing awareness of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle is making more people selective about the kind of food they put on their plate.

The vegetarian community, which seeks healthy food alternatives to meat, includes a small fraction of the younger generation. These youngsters chose not to eat meat and chicken, which goes against the mainstream for people in their age bracket.

Some even refuse to consume milk- and egg-based foods like Shanti Paramita, 16.

Believing that eggs and milks are also a part of the animal, Shanti chose to become vegan four years ago.

“Consuming those [eggs] means we have to kill animals as well,” said the eleventh grader.

But what exactly makes these youngsters opt for such extreme diets? The Jakarta Post surveyed a number of teen vegetarians, who mostly cited religious principles, which forbid them from eating animal-based foods since they were born, as the reason for not eating meat.

Sixteen-year-old vegetarian Billy Oktananda, who was born Buddhist, says his parents had a strong influence on his diet.

“I was a vegetarian since I was in my mother’s womb. That triggered something inside me, which made me not want to eat meat,” said the first son in the family.

Shanti also became a vegetarian for the same reasons as Billy. But as she was growing up, she also realized there were many benefits to being vegetarian.

“I don’t fall sick easily. I am comfortable with my weight too,” says the 50-kilogram girl who measures more than 1.60 meters.

Billy also says he rarely suffers from any serious diseases.

“Meat is the source of many diseases, so when you don’t eat it, you just don’t get sick that easily,” he said.

Health experts have found a number of other benefits from not eating meat.

Vegan expert Susianto for instance, believes plant-based diets can make increase children’s immunity and also make them smarter.

Susianto, Shanti’s father, cited his daughter as a proof supporting his claims.

At the age of 16, Shanti has an IQ of 131, way above the average teenager.

Billy has an IQ of 125, which is deemed one of the highest in his class.

Given these all benefits, Susianto, also the chief operation officer of Indonesia’s Vegetarian Society (IVS), believes more and more young people will become vegetarians, starting a new trend in Indonesia.

According to data from IVS, the number of young vegetarians in the country has grown significantly over the past few years.

It is believed there are more than 600 vegetarian teenagers across the country nowadays, which may not seem like much, but it is still 10 times more than 10 years ago.

The existence of vegetarian restaurants in malls and other popular spots has also contributed to this new trend.

Twenty-year-old Jeremia John told the Post that his decision to become a vegetarian had a lot to do with passing a veggie restaurant every day on his way to school.

“I discovered this vegetarian restaurant near my high school. The food is delicious and inexpensive. That’s when I started becoming vegetarian,” said the young man, now a third-year student at a private university in Jakarta.

Nutritionist Saptawati Bardosono also predicts there will be more vegetarian teens in the near future, as people increasingly aspire to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Some parents, however, are concerned with this trend, as they fear their children will not eat enough nutritious food when they turn vegetarian.

Young teenage boys need a daily calorie intake between 1,600 and 2,400, and young girls between 1,600 and 2,000.

Responding to this, Saptawati said parents needn’t worry so much, as their children could easily get
this calorie intake from non-meat foods.

“Parents can also add vitamins and supplements to their teenagers vegetarian diets,” she said.

Saptawati also advises parents to ensure their vegetarian teenagers still get the necessary vitamins to ensure a healthy growth, while not eating meat.

Supporting Saptawati’s remarks, Susianto alluded to 2003 report from the American Dietetic Association, which highlights that a well planned vegetarian and vegan diet can be adopted by people from all age brackets, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children and teenagers.

“It has been proven that vegetarian diets can make your children healthier and smarter,” he added.

And not just that, says 41-year old mother Susi Herman.

“Your children tend to have purer heart, that’s what teachers say about my [vegetarian] children.

They don’t get angry easily and tend to be more sensitive,” said the mother of Billy and 12-year old Yolanda Oktavalery.

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