I want to be a vegetarian but my parents wont let me?!
Answers: I been wanting to be a vegetarian, and I am 13, but my mum gets angry when I dont want to eat meat, she always prepares meals with meat in it, and then I dont want to eat. I dont no what i should do, because my mum wants me to eat, and doesnt want to prepare meals for vegetarians, but i dont no what i should do... My cousins are vegetarians, and when I visit them, i eat vegatarian style, and after a week, I feel great and healthy, my dad thinks I want to be a vegatarian just of boredom, and he doesnt beleive that i want to be one... Help?
I know exactly how you feel. My parent's won't let me become a full vegetarian, either. They think they have a good compromise (Vegetarian for half a week and meat for the other), but that totally defeats the purposes of vegetarianism. I, too, feel good and healthy after eating vegetarian, and it always feels good to know that an animal didn't have to die for your taste-buds.
One thing you can do, if your mum is always cooking meat, try cooking something meat-free yourself! I'm sure you're old enough. Try browsing online for some great vegetarian and vegan recipes.
If your dad isn't convinced that you are serious about changing your diet, try talking with him. Let him know how serious you are about vegetarianism, and tell him about all the benefits of this super-ethical diet. For a start, you're ending cruelty to animals, you're doing a great thing for your health, and the environment will beneit greatly from it!
Make sure that you let your parents know that you don't hate them. You just want to do what you think is best for your life, and the lives of others (i.e. the animals).
If you want to make it extra fun, why not introduce the rest of your family to vegetarian cooking? Cook the dinner for your family some day and if you want, get some of them to help. Introduce them to some meat alternatives such as tofu, quorn, etc, and show that vegetarianism is really more than they think!
Good luck and I hope your parents let you go vegetarian. Be sure to check out these links. :-)
The best advice for telling your parents is to stay calm and know your stuff. Be ready to explain where you'll get all your nutrients. Show them you're serious, maybe by getting a cookbook, and cooking healthy meals. You can't just survive on white bread and potato chips.
Just pick the meat out. Unfortunatley at this age parents do have some control but they cannot make you eat meat if you dont want to. Im sure there are other things in the house you could eat. After awhile Im sure they will come around.
you will just have to wait until you are an adult to make those kinds of decisions. be patient its just 5 more years
hey im your age and i am vegan. fortunatly i did not have to deal with this ,because my parents are vegan to, but here is some advice...
stick up for it !!! it can never hurt to be defensive!!!
show them www.themeatrix.com and then try and tell them
take it easy for a little while. try to find some recipes that can be made without meat or that you can make yourself.
and most importantly stick up for it!!!!!
I think the biggest thing is that maybe your parents don't know how to deal with you wanting to be a vegetarian. Maybe they are worried that you might not be healthy, or that it may cost them more money on special food, and more time in preparing a different meal just for you. Maybe they are affraid that if you are a vegetarian you might judge them for eating meat. First, I suggest you sit down with your parents and explain to them exactly why you want to be a vegetarian. Then I would also suggest that you ask if you can make your own meals and see if maybe you can come up with a budget for the store. If this is something that is important to you, then you need to explain it. As a parent, I don't want to spend extra time and money on something that maybe is just a fad or something that will pass. The other thing you need to be aware of, is that your parents pay for everthing and you may have to wait until you are 18 and move out to be what you want. Good luck and try to be understand in the fact that parents have a hard time accepting something that they don't understand or believe.
It's going to be tough. I didn't become a vegetarian until I was at college, away from home. I wasn't held back by my family, I just hadn't really thought about it until then. But even so, it took my family quite awhile to get used to it, and to actually remember when I came home for meals.
You need to think seriously about why you want to be a vegetarian. Calmly explain all the reasons you have, to your parents. Try to make them understand that this is a serious decision for you... not just a fad. Try to work with them... for instance, if they're making spaghetti, ask if you can have some of the sauce Before the meat is added to it. Ask them to put the sauce in a separate pan rather than pouring it over the spaghetti in the pan.
Write all of this out and ask to have a family meeting to explain your feelings. Your parents should respect them, if you're truly serious.
in some ways you should because then you know that it is one less person that is not eating a dead animal but in other ways there are things in meat that you and i need like protean ex. but it is your decision if you wont to be a vegggie or not!!
i'm kinda in the same boat, but just eat what your mum makes, and don't eat the meat, they can't force it down your throat, also has your mom ever been on a diet? did she ever say, k, i won't eat sugar, or i wont eat white flour, or i wont eat bread, if she has, remind her of that and say you respected her when she made that choice, she should respect you, you can also sit with her and give her a ist of reasons why you want to be a vegitarean
Unfortunately you seem to have quite narrow minded parents.
Give them some information to read in thier own time. The vegetarian society has some information packs for parents of veggies,they also have a pack for you to help explain to your parents.
Check out www.vegsoc.org
Educate your parents, don't preach or argue with them.
A vegetarian diet is perfectly healthy, no supplements, you will not be missing any protien, iron, vitamins or other things people often say.
The veggei soc website has pages on all you need.
You'll get there, stick with it, best of luck
At 13 you are old enough to help shop and cook food so you could reduce the burden on your parents.
Can you buy the vegitarian candy bars to supplement your
vitamins and don't eat the meat she serves you? Why don't you go live with your cousins? You are at about the age you have the right to live where you want to. I can look up the age you can leave if you give me your state. Make sure to ask for extra helpings of salads, fruits and veggies. Can you have snacks? Keep reading. If you don't like what she's serving, she has to give you something, she can't let you starve, it's the law. If it's bad enough, you could go to a crisis center and have them get your parents together with you and them and work something out. Usu. they go with the teens unless it's like drugs, alcohol, knives, etc. See what I mean? I'm at adanaturkey8385@webband.com. I wanted to go vegitarian at a very young age too. I'm now 48 and I'm still changing my diet so I'm more vegitarian every day.
Char
Explain your principles to them calmly.
If rationalizing with them doesn't work, I'd suggest only eating the things they serve that are vegetarian, and politely declining to eat the rest. If it comes down to it, you may have to start making your own meals.
Ahhh... 13.. the age of raging hormones and the desire to be independent and make your own choices. I remember those days with my children. I'm afraid to let your parents know that I tend to side with you however, I believe you need to really look at the aspects of becoming a vegetarian as there are many types. I can sympathize with your parents in their concerns as to your health and the difficulty your mother would have on not only having to prepare her meals differently but also learning a new way to cook.
The first thing I believe your parents would be concerned with is that your getting ample protein. Your at a stage in life where your body is growing and changing and protein is very important.
I would suggest that you research more into the subject, speak with your Aunt to be certain you would really desire to become a vegetarian. That done I would then suggest you make an appointment with your family physician and get his imput. Maybe you could get your Mother to agree to begin with preparing your desired meal two nights a week. You could assist by going to your local library and browsing vegetarian cookbooks. The internet is a great source also.
I believe your parenst should encourage you to make decisions with their guidance. Maybe after trying the vegetarian way of life you might find you aren't ready to copmpletly change your eating style. Remember.. no more McDonalds and such. Be patient with your parents as I assure you, they only have your best interests at heart. Being a parent is the most difficult job your parents will ever have and we don't become good at it untill our children are raised.
I hope I haven't rambled too much and have offered some sound advice.
If you truly want to be a vegetarian, you'll need to prepare your own meals. It's not fair to expect your mom to prepare vegetarian meals for you when nobody else in the house is vegetarian. That's asking a lot!
Maybe you can go shopping for frozen vegetarian meals and heat one up for your dinner. Or even get some high protein frozen veggie burgers, eat the veg side dishes that your Mom makes for the family meal, but substitute a high protein veggie burger for the meat part.
Maybe your mom and dad will take you seriously if you come up with a substantial plan for accomplishing your goal.
My parents weren't very happy when I told them I was going to be a vegetarian either. Next time you're at the grocery store pick out a few vegetarian things and tell your mum and dad that you want to cook them dinner. When you do they'll see that it's tasty. Also, do some research about vegetarianism. Show them that it's a healthy way of living.
When I first started I worked really hard to prove to my parents that I would still be healthy. I cooked my own meals until my parents realized that I was serious about it and it wasn't just a fad diet.
Good luck!
why u wan b vegetarian?may b when u grow up,ur mum will let u