How do i tell my parents that i want to be a vegetarian?!


Question: My parents know that i want to be vegetarian, but they keep blanking me out whenever i try to ask them, my dad says that im a growing girl and i need my protien, i try to tell him that i can get protien from other foods but he wont listen. My mum just tells me that the whole idea is stupid.

please help me reason with them.


Answers: My parents know that i want to be vegetarian, but they keep blanking me out whenever i try to ask them, my dad says that im a growing girl and i need my protien, i try to tell him that i can get protien from other foods but he wont listen. My mum just tells me that the whole idea is stupid.

please help me reason with them.

There are lots of websites that have information about the benefits of a vegetarian diet and lifestyle. Arm yourself with knowledge and show your parents you are committed to this.

Be willing to make meals (for yourself and your family). When they have pasta with meat sauce you can have pasta with marinara.
Be direct with them. There are plenty of protein sources for vegetarians (added bonus, they're less expensive than meat--except for the frozen veggie burgers and things like that...)

But mostly, arm yourself with knowledge.
There is a list of websites about vegetarian nutrition at

http://www.myspace.com/animalrightswebsi...

Good luck and stay strong! :o)

I'm a vegetarian. I didn't actually tell my parents they just found out because I stopped eatting meat. I would say that when your eatting dinner don't eat the meat and just eat the other stuff and they should eventually catch on. You can get protein from other food sources other than meat

Well I think you should just do it, don't eat your meat and take it from there.

You need to learn how to mix proteins from vegetable sources, like rice with beans or peanut butter with whole wheat bread. Start learning how to prepare food for yourself, and show your parents you can prepare healthy meals. Go vegetarian one or two meals a day to start, for at least a month. Learn what's healthy and works for you. Start making your own lunches for school and your own breakfast. Don't make a big announcement or anything. Then, you can offer to make a meal or snack on weekends for your folks, and make something like meatless chili -- that's easy and people like it -- and over time show them that you can take responsibility for what you eat and be healthy. But you have to learn how to cook and not expect everyone to do things for you.

A lot of people figure that a meal is "a meat and two veg" and think that vegetarian means taking away the meat. Show them that there's lots of good meals that don't rely on meat, like vegetarian lasagna, spaghetti with tomato and garlic, and Chinese stir fry.

Well, what type of vegetarian? In other words, there are good, readily-available sources of animal protein that are acceptable to many vegetarians, such as milk and eggs. Maybe you can "meet them halfway" with this type of vegetarianism (plus, you will still be able to eat cheese). If you are willing to eat eggs, I wouldn't think that your parents would have a problem with your vegetarianism.

Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com

Get articles,books from m.d.'s, perhaps a credible friend who has adopted the lifestyle. Have lists of ways you can get proper nutrition without meat.
Approach this maturely,and thoroughly,do research,if after all of this,and it doesn't work.... I feel sorry for you..

Maybe they're right.

talk to your parents and say to them that you want to be a vegetarian im sure thell understand good luck.xx
p.s.tell them why and maybe they might become a vegetarian too!

i had the same problem-you should tell them specific foods you could eat to get protein, and remind them that you don't want to be a vegan you just won't eat meat. most importantly, tell them the reason why you want to be a vegetarian.

I didn't have a problem telling my parents when I was in highschool and wanted to be a vegetarian, it was harder at say KFC though. I have been on and off the vegetarian diet ever since. I wish that I knew how old you were. Someone said just don't eat the meat, and that person was right. I do think that you need to educate yourself as to exactly where you can get calcium and protein. Because it is very possible to get those on a vegetarian diet but only if you do it correctly. I would also incurage you to find a dietation to talk to your parents on this matter. Hopefully your parents should be willing to listen to someone who they feel knows what they are talking about.
My parents didn't give me any problems and now my dad is a vegetarian himself. Although my situation growing up was my parents often travled a good 60 miles just to get a load of vegetarian foods. Sometimes even around 120 miles or so to get it.
What ever you do have facts and a respectable auttuide.

Well, you should just do what you believe is the best choice for yourself. If they disagree, then obviously it would be due to ignorance. You can try giving them some books on the subject, but if they are like most other parents, they will refuse to read them and prefer to remain ignorant and think up all sorts of idiotic things to say to make you angry. But, hey, don't let the failure of others stop you from trying. All you can do is try then it's up to them whether or not they want to support you or not. Give them all the info., and see how it goes and in the end you can always say to yourself, "At least I tried."

If they are very stubborn you can always get some backup in the form of other vegetarians/vegans you know at school or whatever. Join the local vegetarian/vegan group, go to their potluck dinner events etc. and take your parents along to meet others that have often managed to live their whole life from birth as a vegetarian/vegan with not problems at all.

Are you being a vegetarian to save animals...?

If so, abandon this idea and enjoy your meat. There will NEVER be enough vegetarians in the world to stop slaughter houses.

If you're doing this to lose weight, explain to your parents that meat has high fat contents and cholesterol, while vegetarian friendly animal products such as milk, eggs, and even fish lack the bad by-products of meat while offering lots of good nutrition.

I became a vegetarian for a while and it is an excellent way to be healthy so long as you enjoy foods other than steak.





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