I used to be vegan and my parents made me quit!? i'm 13!?!
i am 13. so 3 mpnths ago i went vegan. there were 2 reasons why i did this: 1) i saw a very scary video about animal slaughter 2) i have TONS of food restrictions due to medical reasons. i was embarassed to tell people about it so i kind of wanted to "cover up my secret i was afraid to share" so i could just say "oh i am vegan i don't eat that" instead of "no i can't eat milk egg and dairy and all nut products"
there are endless pages of foods i cannot eat :(
ok, so i was vegan for about a month until my parents made me stop. they thought i wasn't eating enough (i did drop like 7 pounds) and that i wasn't getting required nutrition. and they didn't like the fact that i "lied to people" about covering up my food allergies. they probably won't ever let me do it again. i want to though really badly. i am afraid to ask because they will probably say "emily, we've been through this before. you can't just basicly lie to people" and i stil eat meat now and i got to the point where i don't even think about the animal that suffered. but i really believe that animal slaughter is TERRIBLE and absolutely unneccessary. i think i will wait until i move out to college to be vegan again. it is very sad, i really want to be one again but my parents will not let me. any suggestions? thanks! and if you have any questions i will add details!
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
I think that animal slaughter is cruel, but I still eat meat! One of my friends once said to me that if the animals don't get slaughtered, they sometimes could live worse lives, such as locked up like battery chickens! Your parents could just be worried about you, as you're getting older you need the required nutrients to healthily go through puberty otherwise you stop growing. Having lots of allergies must be hard, but eating meat is good to put protein in your body, and protein builds muscle and keeps you strong! My advice would be to eat normally until you're 18 then if you still want to be vegan then revert back then, so you'll be healthy :)
You dont have to be vegan to be vegetarian , there are different kinds. Just cut out the meat , and keep the dairy and cheese and eggs and soy for protein and that will make them happy. That seemed to appease my parents.
they can't make you quit, unless they are force feeding you.
You have to stand up for yourself and your beliefs.
But if you are not eating good food, like if you're only eating salad and soup, then they have a right to complain .
SOme people, maybe you, who start eating a vegan diet, miss out all the things that make them stay healthy and well- like nuts, seeds, seed oils, whole grains, rice, lentils, pasta, legumes of all kinds, fruit, bread, soyproducts daily, proper real hearty food. It sounds like you're not eating well, or enough of the right stuff.
All nuts aren't the same. BUT if you really trulycan't eat nuts, then eat pumpkin seeds, sunflower oil spread, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, avocado, coconut, cashews, they are not all allergens.
Also, if you ARE lying, is shows you have issues about this diet, and feel embarrassed, and have to hide. That is a bad thing. Why be embarrassed to eat lentils and rice and soycheese? Why be ambarrassed to eat oatmeal with soymilk and sunflower seeds and coconut?
You shouldn't be embarrassed that you have food allergies. You are not alone, many people have them. You shouldn't not eat meat just because you are embarrassed about an allergy either. Yes, it is horrible how those animals are treated I agree. However, without your parents help you will not know if you are getting the proper nutrition so I suggest you talk to them for your other reasons and maybe they will be a bit more understanding and open minded about the situation. Good luck!
Here is how I feel. Humans have been killing animals for food since forever. I would think that the way we slaughter animals for food today is much more humane that in days of old. When all people could do is slit the animals neck and let it bleed out and I don't deny that it is still done that way in many undeveloped countries. But think how other predators bring down their food, like a lion it will pounce on a creature and latch onto its neck crushing its windpipe and/or severing its arteries. Nowadays in a properly run slaughterhouse the animal is shot in the head and dies quickly. Humans are omnivores we eat meat and that's just the way its been weather you are on the side of creationism or Evolution. But when you move out of the house it's your life and choice. But you should be sure you are getting the a balanced diet also.
The same thing happened to me when I tried to go vegetarian.
Reasons Parents would do this:
1) They are concerned about your health
2) They hate grocery shopping for a vegan
I would talk to your parents about what they don't like about you going vegan. They are probably concerned about you needed the proper nutrition as a kid, and strict diets like a vegan diet can harm your growth. Talk to your parents about possibly becoming a vegetarian or vegan when you are done growing or in high school. Also, volunteer to accompany your parents grocery shopping and make your own meals.
Obviously if you lost 7 pounds in 1 month, you were DOING IN WRONG.
That's a lot of weight to lose in 4 weeks.
So basically your parents are correct.
And what's the big deal anyway?
LOTS of people have food allergies now. Like Celiac disease, where you can't have gluten (sometimes, soy, dairy as well).
It's not that big a deal.
Grow some stones. Tell the truth. It's MUCH easier than lying anyway, because then you don't have to remember who you told what.
Someone who doesn't eat meat is a vegetarian
Someone who doesn't eat anything any animal product- eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, meat, honey etc is a vegan.
I can understand why your parents would be concerned with you not eating meat, teenagers need good nutrition to develop healthy and strong!
But you feel bad for killing animals even though you need the nutrients... what if you just tried out eating meat 2 times a week (thats just an example), so you have enough to grow healthily. Think about it as survival! Since the start of humankind, animals have suffered for us to survive but now, there are people who eat meat 2 times, everyday, and its not necessary < thats UNNECESSARILY killing animals.
These days farmers have adopted more humane ways of producing meat like free range animals, so maybe you could try that out too...
The animals that you eat aren't any different than the vegetables. They are farmed. They exist as sustinence. I know that human emotions and empathy get in the way but the reality is that they are only there because of you, so eat them.
Any kind of diet should be only for nutrition so figure out what you like to eat and find things that are good for you. Having many allergies is really difficult. I would start learning how to cook things that you are allowed to eat and shopping for them. It will help you out now because you will be able to find all the different things you can eat and the things you can't. Cooking will help because you will be able to monitor and make sure nothing gets in there that shouldn't and you will be able to make everything the way you want it. (After a little practice.)
Most importantly, don't ever be afraid to try new things and don't ever decide that you will not eat something unless:
A. It would be harmful
B. You don't like how it tastes
C. It is not nutritious.
Those are the only reason you shouldn't eat something. All of the things you eat are dead now you owe it to them to eat them. Its what they would have wanted.