Please help!!! vegitarian....?!
so my brother is a vegetarian
has been for almost a year now...
because he watched videos on peta.com
i just saw them
and now i am 100% sure that i want to go vegetarian
its disgusting really
!!!!
but anyways
im worried my mom will think im doing it because my older brother is
and its hard
so please just help me out a little
oh
btw
im 13
if that changes any advice you might give me
thank you so much =]
Answers: mkay...
so my brother is a vegetarian
has been for almost a year now...
because he watched videos on peta.com
i just saw them
and now i am 100% sure that i want to go vegetarian
its disgusting really
!!!!
but anyways
im worried my mom will think im doing it because my older brother is
and its hard
so please just help me out a little
oh
btw
im 13
if that changes any advice you might give me
thank you so much =]
Becoming a vegetarian is a lot easier than some people may think.
Just let your mom know why you want to become a vegetarian. And explain all the benifits.
You'll be eating a lot healthier!
Try soy products and fake meat. {tasty}
Go to GoVeg.com and ChooseVeg.com for meal tips and a free starter kit.
And if you need any more support just let me know;)
Who cares what mom thinks, it's your life.
No! Don't worry about what your mom thinks.
I became a vegetarian when I was in the 4th grade.
My mom didn't approve at first and thought I would give up in a matter of weeks. But it has been years and I am still a vegetarian and now my mom is one too!
But if you choose to be a vegetarian make sure you get enough protein. It is ESSENTIAL for people who are your age because it is important for your development. I would definitely talk to your family doctor about how to stay healthy.
Just talk to your mom about your decision and your reasons for it.
You should also ask her to make you an appointment with a nutritionist so that you can make sure that you are still getting a balanced diet. Given your age, it's especially important to make sure you are getting proper nutrition.
Go get the book "A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian" from the library. It has a lot of great info for you and some good ideas on how to deal with concerned parents.
DEFINITELY talk to your doctor about your decision. He or she will help make sure you know how to get what your body needs (and quell your mom's anxieties, to boot).
Good luck!
Being vegetarian isn't just a decision, its a major lifestyle change. I know, and have seen the PETA videos, and yes, they are crappy to watch... But PETA flips things around a ton! almost like the paparazzi about the celebs. Many animal farmers who raise our food are very good, responsible, and humane. Think about it some. I don't know if you are religious, I'm not that much, but eating meat is in the bible etc... And they aren't going to stop killing the animals just because YOU don't eat it. Its your decision. Good luck.
You're at a stage in your life where it's your decision what goes into your body, and no longer your mother's - she may still have some influence, but ultimately it's up to you.
But as some above have suggested, see a doctor for advice on a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet. If the doctor, instead of giving that advice, tries to bully you out of becoming a vegetarian, then it's time to find a new doctor.
Everyone thought that being a vegetarian was just a phase for me. Mostly because the year before I went vegetarian I was a vegetarian for about two days. Everyone cracked jokes about it and thought I was crazy.
Now I've been a vegetarian for over a year. No one's making jokes anymore.
Maybe you could ask your mom if you could have some alone time with her when she's not stressed out or distracted. Explain why going vegetarian is important to you, how the way animals are abused on factory farms goes against your ethical beliefs. Make sure you stay calm and rational... find out what her concerns are and try to address them. It helps to have some printed information to show her -- then she'll see that you're serious and that you've done your research. Here are some sites:
Health benefits of vegetarianism:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/v...
American Dietetic Association's position: "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence."
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada...
Vegetarian nutrition for teens:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutriti...
Recipes:
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...
Fake meat products:
http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp
Transition tips:
http://www.vegcooking.com/makingthetrans...
Remember that being vegetarian does make a huge difference. The number of animals that are bred and slaughtered depends directly on the consumer demand for meat. It's been estimated that the average vegetarian saves about 100 animals a year. Good luck!
In my opinion, if most urban meat-eaters were to visit an industrial broiler house, to see how the birds are raised, and could see the birds being ‘harvested’ and then being ‘processed’ in a poultry processing plant, they would not be impressed, and some, perhaps many of them, would swear off eating chicken and perhaps all meat.
http://www.veganoutreach.org/EIYLM.pdf
For modern animal agriculture, the less the consumer knows about what’s happening before the meat hits the plate, the better. If true, is this an ethical situation that make them work for us. Wear them, eat them-without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret? SHOULD WE BE RELUCTANT TO LET PEOPLE AND KIDS KNOW WHAT REALLY GOES ON, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY PROUD OF IT AND CONCERNED THAT IT MIGHT TURN THEM TO VEGETARIANS?
If the public knew more about the way in which agricultural and animal production infringe on animal welfare, the outcry would be louder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o01RnDZh...
I admire the people who make this decision so young. I wish I was more aware when I was younger. Like others suggested: Just make sure you talk to you mum and see a nutritionist.
Good Luck.
=0)
Talk with your brother. Can he help support you in this? I tried going veg when I was a kid. However, growing up, I iddn't feel as though I had much support from my parens for anything. (I pray that my daughter feels differently.)
I agree with the PETA comments. I'm also not religious, but I am a Christian. There are things in the Bible that are mentioned, but not necessarily right, even over all time, or for today's standards. (I do think that God gave some of the dietary laws for a reason.) Back when Paul roamed the earth (or at least the Middle East aera, possibly Northern Africa, and parts of Europe), factory farms did not exist. Things were grown more naturally and humanely.
I'm currently reading "The Way We Eat Why Our Food Choices Matter" that makes a comment similar to what King said that if people saw modern farming practices, they wouldn't be eating meat.
Anyway, I know it can be hard sticking to what you believe in in front of your parents. When I first told my parents, it was hard and I was 27, married and on my own. When I announced my pregnancy (at the age of 29), they both asked if I would at least start eating eggs and milk again. I said, no, and that if i thought the way I eat would be harmful to my baby, I wouldn't eat that way. When I, at the age of 30 told my mom that my doctor thought my daughter would be born small, she asked if the way I eat had anything to do with it. I said probably not.
Last night my parents, sister, niece, husband daughter and I went out for dinner. My dad, very casually, asked me if there was anything on the menu I would eat and I said that I would just get a side salad and a baked potato. They've accepted it and they see that my breastfed baby is healthy and happy. (Though the last time we were at my parents', my mom did ask if I would give my daughter cow's milk when she was older. That was not the time to get into a discussion, though.
Even my in-laws think I've gone a bit wacky, even after my younger SIL has become a vegetarian. However, unlike my SIL, I make sure everything I put into my mouth is whole and real, as does my husband (who still eats meat and dairy, but mostly when we go out for dinner). We're going to my in-laws' tomorrow for my daughter's baptismal lunch and my MIL asked my husband if he was going to eat meat. As there will be white buns there, I'm taking some of my all-natural whole wheat bread with me and all-natural organic ketchup.
It's hard at any age. Do a search for "vegan teens". Veggie Boards has teen aged members who might be of some help, well, any of the members.