I think I want to become a non-meat eater.....?!
I think I want to become a non-meat eater.....?
I am only 13 years old but I don't like the idea of people killing helpless poor animals just to pleasure our taste buds. I dont know what my parents will think but Do you have any advice on how to tell them?
Answers:
That is great that you are trying to live your life compassionately. The best advice to give you is to know as much about the subject before you try to speak to your parents about it.
There is a huge amount of unfortunate misinformation that your parents were taught by their parents (because they cared about them and wanted them to be as healthy as possible of course) and even by their teachers in school. As a result, there is a ton of information you should have ready to convince your parents that your decision will be a healthy one.
Be sure that you NEVER try to accuse them of anything for eating meat if you happen to get upset by their arguments against you. That will make it way more difficult for you to spend your coming years with them the way you believe is right. I hope that the following will help you be prepared for the fight that may be ahead of you:
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If you want to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian(consume eggs, dairy products, etc.) , the transition should be quite simple. Almost all meats have widely available commercial replacements. All that you have to do is replace any flesh in your diet (beef, pork, poultry, fish/seafood) with meat analogs or just leave it out altogether.
BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG AND STILL LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS PARAGRAPH AND LINK UNLESS YOU JUST USE IT TO GET AND IDEA
OF HOW MANY ANIMAL DERIVATIVES THERE ARE
Technically the term does imply that you don't consume anything that comes from the body of an animal that requires killing it. Many ingredients such as gelatin and glycerin are found in many candies, Fig-Newtons, and many of other foods as well as rennet found in many cheeses.
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-in...
The best thing to remember is to take your time so that for example: when you are comfortable not eating beef and pork you can then give up chicken when you are sure you can make the commitment permanently.
You should keep in mind that a journey such as this this can be quite short but should just be the beginning of a longer one to a plant-based diet with no animal products. This is because of the reality of factory farming in which animals that are kept alive to produce milk, eggs, etc suffer much more than animals that are raised to a certain weight and then slaughtered.http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/...
Some people use the word "vegan" in reference to this idea, but be aware that that applying that label to yourself should always come with the inclusion of wise activism and advocacy.http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/in...
Two extremely important examples of this are that you should never speak to someone about vegetarianism/veganism without their consent and genuine interest or as a comment on what they are eating AND your dietary beliefs should never be used as an introduction or explanation of who you are as a person. Veg*ism should be something that comes up AFTER people get to know you and they offer you something that you choose not to eat or you are
ordering food/eating together somewhere/picking the best place to eat.
When you you hold off on the subject until it's necessary and then act like it isn't a big deal at all, people are usually surprised and WAY more interested and curious than if you were to bring it up when someone's eating or just using it as a conversation starter.
A balanced plant-based diet includes grains(breads, pasta, rice,cereal), legumes(soy, beans, peas, lentils), fruit and vegetables.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyvegan/...
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/ea...
Being vegan can be an art, one whose challenge is to take things that involve the suffering of the innocent and change them into something free of cruelty.
If you meet someone that talks down to people for eating meat, dairy, etc or to you because they think they are "more veg" than you, laugh in their face and tell them they are a disgrace to the entire philosophy. People like this only hurt the idea of veg*ism AND the animals. The point of all of this is to live compassionately and and as free from cruelty as you can, all the while maintaining your health and a positive attitude. People who don't maintain either, need not open their mouths and represent our beliefs.
REMEMBER BABY STEPS CAN BE KEY!!
If you actually choose to read all of this, I hope it helps. If not, feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.