A teen vegetarian but my mom DOESNT aprove?!
Answers: I've been a part-time vegertarian for alittle over a year now. I'm 14, but my mom is no where near supportive of it and made me give it up. I don't eat meat whenever i can, but i figure if i did some reseach my mom would be more supportive. what are some healthy foods a fourteen year old can eat that will give her vitamins she needs that she gave up from meat? and how can i make my mom more supportive, because she literally yelled at me for an hour and told me i was lucky to have food, her mom made her eat whatever she made, and who cares if an animal without a brain dies. These are sorta hard questions, and thanks for answering:)
Wow. I'm so glad I have the mom that I do. My dad was a little iffy on it, but he's cool with it now.
1. Vitamins. If you're eating enough fruit and drinking enough Milk, giving up meat will be healthier than not. So make sure to drink Water and Milk most of the time, and eat an apple or two a day. Boiled Eggs are great too.
2. Make her more supportive. Well, you have my testimony that you feel a lot better and are a lot healther as a Vegetarian.
3. Animals. Well, PETA literature has some pretty graphic stuff. Pretty horrific. Show her some of that stuff. It doesn't matter if they don't have brains; they feel pain.
Anyway, I'm 14 and I've been a Vegetarian for a couple months now. Good Luck!!
Educate her why being vegetarian is good. . .
i had the same problems when i tried to go veggie [emphasis on "tried," lol].
well, tofu and legumes [beans, nuts, etc.] have proteins that you would normally have gotten from meat, and there are some amino acids that are only found in meat, but i'm pretty sure there'd be some pill supplements to help that somewhere.
try to tell her why you're going veggie, like your ethical stance on eating animals and stuff like that, she might understand you better that way
First of all there is no such thing as a "part-time" vegetarian. You either are one or not. As far as mom not being very supportive she most likely has your best interests at heart. Young people - yup that's you - need protein as well as other nutrients to build a healthy system. You are still growing your body needs all it can get. There are tons of non-meat alternative products that vegists consume - however many do not fill the nutritional needs for someone your age. Be patient - do your homework - talk to a nutritionalist. But most of all patience with mom.
Listen to your mother..
A 14 year old is still the legal responsibility of the parents..
It is her duty and obligation to raise healthy children.
Whether vegetarianism is more, or less healthy for normal adults is an argument we don't need to get into right now..and the choices you make as an adult, is yours to make...then you are responsible for yourself.
However, for a growing 14 year, let your parents feed you a full, balanced and healthy diet...it is their duty, and their blessing, (to you, and for themselves), and their right...
They will not intentionally harm you.
I realize I just wasted 4 minutes of my life here..but you gotta call 'em as you see 'em.
I'm so sorry your mother is not more supportive of your decision.
It sounds like the last thing your mom is going to want is to have you educating her on all the moral reasons why eating animals (and even drinking milk and eating eggs) support deplorable acts perpetrated against animals (animals with brains, by the way, did she really say that? Yikes!). So, letting her know how healthy a vegetarian diet is definitely sounds like the way to go.
You have so many resources available on the web. A few searches will bring up tons of info.
Here are a few to get you started:
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/upd...
http://www.goveg.com/healthConcerns.asp
http://www.veganoutreach.org/health/stay...
Here are some tips on making sure your vegetarian diet is healthy:
http://goveg.com/optimal_vegan_nutrition...
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm
http://veg.ca/content/view/176/112/
Your mother's arguement is hard to argue with because it really makes no sense and uses twisted logic that takes yor feelings completely out of the picture. You may be stuck with a mom who just isn't going to get it. You can only try and appeal to her emotions - most mothers want what's best for their children and the FACT is that a quality vegetarian diet is better for people than a standard American diet. People like Steve M, who posted above me, just don't know about what we have learned in the last few decades related to nutrition. What most people think of as a "balanced meal" filled with meat and milk and cheese and eggs is NOT healthy and it IS hurting people. Parents who feed their kids according to the food pyramid CAN be damaging the health of their children. Breast cancer rates are higher than ever (1 in 20 in the 60's to 1 in 8 today) and diabetes is running rampant. Heart disease is our #1 killer. THESE CAN ALL BE AFFECTED BY DIET. Nutrition is the biggest factor in health. One of these days people will stop being in denial and start realizing the way most people eat is really hurting them!
Here are a few books that I'd recommend as well:
The China Study - One of the world's top nutrition researchers shares studies that the general public hasn't heard about, studies that link the consumption of animal proteins to a host of diseases. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.
Becoming Vegetarian (or becoming Vegan) - a great primer for making sure your diet doen't just eliminate animal products but replaces them with the right combination of healthy foods.
And if your mom seems the least bit open to educating herself, have her watch the video at http://meat.org and maybe that will help her understand why you are so passionate about this lifestyle choice.
Please dont' give up. Just do the best you can, eat the best you can, and know that you won't be under your parents' roof forever and eventually you'll get to live the way you think is best. Hang in there!
You could show her some of the videos on peta.com and goveg.com to show her why you might want to be a vegetarian.
vegcooking.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetar...
are good sites on what you need to eat as a vegetarian
Ignore the people who say you're too young at 14. I was 15 when I went vegetarian.
It's YOUR choice what goes in your mouth. Get a multivitamin (the equate ones at walmart for $10 for 300 works in a pinch). And clamp those jaws together. You'll get punished. I'm sure she'll make life suck. but if it's what you believe, then hold your ground. She'll either respect you or just decide she doesn't care anymore.
ignore her and choose what you want to do!
im your age, and i've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years.
buy vegetarian meals, dont give up and convince her of the pros of being a vegetarian!
:)
I can understand parents not approving. Just wait until you are on your own and they you can do whatever you want. Besides, moms have a lot to do and don't need the aggravation of making their homes a "restaurant". In a way mom is right ... eat what she provides.
I know what that's like. My dad's always asking me if I want meat for dinner even though he knows very well that I don't approve of meat eating. Try telling your mom why you want to be a vegetarian. Good luck!