Help! I want to become a vegetarian, but my parents think it's absurd.?!
Help! I want to become a vegetarian, but my parents think it's absurd.?
I am scared of telling my parents I want to be a vegetarian, for fear of how they might react. I am a teen, and my mom usually is the one to cook. How can I convince her that I can get the same nutrition as someone who eats meat, and most importantly how can I tell my parents?
Answers:
IT's never easy. I had the opposite problem. I had a brother who became vegetarian, (EDIT: HAVE!! LOL, it's not like he's dead LOL) followed shortly by mom. Mom then proceded to pressure me. To be honest, that was the original reason I went veggie at age 10. BUT when I was older, I found my own reasons for wanting to be vegetarian, why I WANT to live that way, and now I'm proud to be Veg-E. Wouldn't want to turn back.
Before you "come out" to your parents...
What you need to do is some research.... Study a bit into nutrition and your body's needs, especially at your age. Find out what you need to have a healthy, balanced diet, and how to best get it from plant sources. Then you can take that research to your parents to show them that you're serious about making sure you have a healthy diet and getting proper nutrition. Tell them gently that this isn't just a phase, and ask for their support. Explain your reasons gently. Offer to do a LOT of help in the kitchen, so your food preferances won't be an inconvenience and make more work for your mom. If you do all this, your parents are alot more likely to support you.
Good luck!!
Yeah, offer to consult with a nutritionist if that will make your parents happy (to know what you should be eating if you won't eat meat)
Tell the Truth. Take Vegetarian Cooking Classes, Break it to your parents, and tell them you'll cook for yourself, if your parents can't. Do research. If your parents force you toeat it when they aren't looking.
I don't know how old you are but if I were your mom I would respect your desire to try. If your mom's the cook, you may need to be as knowledgeable as possible concerning your dietary needs and don't expect her to change her menus to suit only one family members requests. maybe you could help more in the kitchen and learn to cook your meals (or part of them )yourself.
good luck
oh yea i kno wat u mean. wen i was 13, i decided to dead meat and everything animal related. it took a while to get used to, but it was totally worth it. i didnt get sick as often. it was kinda awkward because my parents were always stuffing chicken and turkey in my mouth. but never any red meat, like pork and stuff. so heres wat i did:
FIRST i refused to eat anything animal related. my mom was like "OMG shirley you're going to stay short FOREVER!!!"
SECOND i stayed consistent. i totally quit that stuff. my mom was worried so we went to the doctor and she told me about vegetables i could eat to stay healthy. and she offered vitamins and stuff, but i dont like em. so yea.
THIRD my mom was really obsessed with feeding me wat the doctor said. but she was really proud of me, so she went around telling everyone.
FOURTH kinda irrelevant, but like 2 years later i went to my aunts house and she FORCED me to eat her pork. it was sickening and i puked everywhere.
do the research on vegan lifstyle, make sure that it is what you want and it is for the proper reason...then present the information to your parents....if you are educated on the subject and can educate your parents also then maybe theyll come around, ~ and remember~ being a vegan doesnt just mean no meat....it also means no eggs and dairy products which are byproducts of animals....also this can mean no leather clothing, bags etc as this is also an animal product....if you are going to do this be aware of what you are in for....is it because you want to feel as though you are eating healthier? or is it because you are an animal rights activist?
I would say that if you explain WHY (e.g. you don't want to be responsible for an animal's suffering, or you don't like it), if they see that it is not just a fad, they will respect your decision... and remember, vegetarians are in the majority on this planet (OK, so that's not by choice...). Good luck (P.S. I am a meat-eater myself, but I respect your choice)
Let your mom know that vegetarian is a healthy alternative to eating. If you need recipes and other supportive material, check out the website below. They have recipes and an online journal. They even have an article on vegetarian nutrition for teenagers. I've used their information before and and it has been really helpful.
Several concerns for vegetarian teens are getting enough iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D and folic acid. Taking a multi-vitamin/mineral will help you meet these needs.
The other major concern is protein. We generally think of protein foods as meat. However, many other foods contain protein -- soy, milk, cheese, beans, eggs, peanutbutter/bread, nuts and others.
If you show your mom that you know how to add the protein and vitamins/minerals to your diet, perhaps they won't resist your desire to be vegetarian. I grew up vegetarian and I know that is possible to eat healthy AND be vegetarian.
Good luck!
do some research to prove them wrong
Tell your parents straight up but most importantly tell them WHY you want to be a vegetarian.
It's healthier in most ways (less cholesterol)
Here's a site that may convince them that you can get the same nutrition being a vegetarian
http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php...
hope tht helps and best of luck
p.s. it's not too difficult being a vegetarian and stay at it!!
Ha ha I'm 15 and I'm going through this right now. Just tell them u have researched it and if all else fails starve yourself until they realize that you are serious.
Explain to her that all nutrition in our world comes from plant sources originally for the exception of vitamin D and b12.
When you eat animals, you're only feeding off an animal that has already eaten those foods and you are taking the nutrients its body uses for yourself by assimilation. Basically we are leeches if we choose to eat animal flesh.
Instead of having to prove to your parents why its healthy enough..when you bring it up if they disagree ask them to at least find you evidence that a vegetarian or vegan diet is inferior or dangerous compared to an omnivorous one..(then if you dont know come back here =p) The following is an answer to someone in a similiar situation that I posted a day or two ago, I will paste it below as it may help you too :)
Make sure they watch this.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...
It's a video done and narrated by Joaquin Phoenix (walk the line, the village, signs, commodus in gladiator and many more if not familiar.)
Then ask them why you should feel OK about eating meat. Explain to them that the only reason we keep cats and dogs as pets is because they have pack instinct, are loyal typically and are more social then a cow..and the reason we domesticate cows is because they are plump, easy to fatten..docile and easily manipulated.
Then make the point that either of these animals are meat..that we can't be hypocrites and favor the life of one animal for companionship over the life of another as a food source based on this. If dogs were plump and cows were smaller, social and loyal they're roles would be opposite..theres no need for this discrimination.
Just because we've done things in the past and continue to do them successfully doesn't mean there aren't hidden consequences or that it isn't due to our own naivety.
Explain to them we are most likely the world power we are because we exiled here from another established country, pushed out and combated the native people who had no say in what we did..then we brought in people from another country to do our work for us.. slaves. We wouldn't be where we are today without these things..but we don't continue to do them do we?
We 'could' still be doing them and perhaps be more advanced/powerful..but we learned better or at least to say the educated compassionate mentally awake population fought and woke up the naive misguided people who were in a slumber over the true rights and wrongs.
I hope this gives you a headstart.. if you need answers to questions or arguements they present please email me and I will do the best for you that I could - I'd even be willing to talk to them over an instant messenger program if you'd like.
-VC
goodluck!
Talk to your mother about it. Help her to understand that this is your decision. My mother is a vegetarian and I like her cooking.
Just be open about it.
well, I didn't listen parents at all, you tell them reason why you need to be vegetarian (make you're motivation why and reasons enough strong) and just tell her that you won't eat meat no longer, that you'll eat healthy and only definite food and that's it, or you won't eat at all. they'll have no choice then. and bytheway parents should respect your choice no matter how old are you. and we teens are enough conscientious already to make our conclusions, just tell her this..
Be respectful. Remember they are just following Tradition, 1 that has been main stream since The Flood.
Here is a good site for educating yourself in this. Sign up for their newsletter, it's free.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/
my parents were the same way. my dad thought it was retarded and my mom thought i was anorexic. they'll get over it (whatever there excuses are) now my mom actually buys me more fruits and vegetables, because she knows i will never go back to eating meat. we put up one heck of a fight. and i won.
tell them the truth and here is the list you can show them,we are jain one of the oldest religion on earth to promote vegetarian which is more than 10000 years old
Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.
Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.
A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.
Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.
Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.
Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.
Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.
Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.
Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.
ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:
More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.
1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.
" Source: Seventh day Adventists study
2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.
4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.
5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to obesity.
for more at my web site at http://jainism.co.nr
Tell them I hate meat but I love to eat veges.