going vegetarian, but I need your help?

Question

i went vegetarian some time ago but i havent told any of my friends or family because i fear they will dissaproved (i come from a family of HUGE meat eaters) so i need some informational websites to print off and to share in support of being a veggie. i dont want to guilt trip anybody, but i need their respect. please no hateful answers against veggies, thank you!

hey frederick, i think i already said i dont need any meat eater opinions, okay? if you want to, i can argue my point somewhere else.

Answer 1

I have been a vegetarian for 17 years now, having gone veggie when I was fifteen. My parents never understood and still don't. They're meat eaters and have no moral problem with slaughtering animals for food. I do and I also find that way of eating to be unhealthful.

If you are still living at home this is going to be hard. The first few weeks are kinda easy, but when the novelty wears off you have to start dealing with feeding yourself in a creative and interesting way. If your friends want to go to certain restaurants, there's not going to be choices for you. I've always gotten around that by sticking to appetizer menus and the salad selections.

Your family will probably take your decision as an insult to their way of life. Mine did. Fortunately, we simply agreed to disagree, but my mom was not helpful. She never cooked me anything special, I simply had to learn to make meals for myself or eat side dishes. However, back then there were no Morningstar Farms, Boca Foods, Whole Foods, or any of the great selections we have now. God, the vegetarian hamburgers I used to eat were just nasty!! Not anymore!

So you can do this - your family loves you, but I promise they will think you are "wierd" for a while. Just explain your decision, tell them they don't have to agree with it, but tell them you're going to try. They may support you and they may not, but in the end you can make it work for yourself.

Good luck! The world needs more vegetarians. It's a very brave thing you're doing!!

Answer 2

I am a vegetarian in a family of meat eaters, i'm the only one and from what I have found through my own personal experience is that if you are willing to help share in the cooking duties and not force people to make special accomdations for you they are much more willing to accept your choice. Most families have veggies and other items with their meaty dinner, what I do when i don't have the tiem to prepare something for myself before hand I just eat the items not containing meat. I have been a vegetarian my whole life. My mother can atest to this, i refused as a small baby even to eat meat. And what she did before i could prepare my own food for myself was let me eat the non-meat items on the table and not force me to eat the meat. And if for instance the meal was something where there was no way to not eat the meat she would make me a PB&J sandwich.
However you appear to be old enough and have enough freewill that at this point in your life you should be able to make this decision for yourself. Being a vegetarian is nothing to be ashamed of, just remember that it does put a lot of restrictions on where you can eat, but more and more these days restuarants are offering vegetarian options, or you can substitute beans for meat in some foods.
Finally i would just like to wish you luck on your endevore, I love the way that I have great health and heal quickly and you may find that once you are a vegetarian for a while you too will enjoy the benefits of this lifestyle.

Answer 3

This is a great decision. You don't need the approval of other people for doing the right thing. As long as you don't impose it on them or insult them. Many of my friends' family became also vegetarian after a while. You could be positively surprised.
Peta.org of course is very famous. You can also try to find a vegetarian association in your area. They will be able to help you a lot. A very good educational book/video is diet for a new America.
Good luck and be strong.

Answer 4

Advantages of being a vegetarian include: Many potential health benefits, such as 1) reduced risk of chronic degenerative diseases (such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis), 2) Greater likelihood of meeting dietary recommendations for percentage of fat, carbohydrate and protein than in a typical omnivorous diet 3) Less chance of contracting food-borne infections such as E. coli or Salmonella 4) Less exposure to pesticides and other toxins such as dioxins (which accumulate as you move up the food chain). Other benefits are a reduced impact on the environment, and (for many) an increased sense of spirituality or connection with nature and other living creatures.
Research suggests that vegetarians do live longer, anywhere from about 5-15 yrs depending on the study and what type of vegetarian diet (lacto-ovo vs. vegan). This is not surprising given the potential of a vegetarian diet to decrease risk of chronic diseases (as noted earlier). I'm not sure what statistics you want specifically, there are a lot of studies available, all providing slightly different types of information. I would suggest you take a look at the Vegetarian Resource Group's website at www.vrg.org -they have a lot of information and will likely have what you are looking for.

Answer 5

Congratulations!

Check out
http://www.veganoutreach.org/
http://www.vegan.com/
http://www.veganhealth.org/

I came from a large Italian family of meat eaters and caught a lot of BS from them when I decided to go Veg. Apparently it is unItalian to be a vegetarian. After a while though it just kind of passed and everyone just started accepting it. My girlfriend had to deal with a huge family of hunters! They still make fun of her but it's OK because it is all in good fun. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just know your reasons why so you can explain it in an intelligent manner. People can't refute facts and criticize you for making a dietary decision like this. This a great thing you are doing, don't let others discourage you. You are going to get shlt about it but just let it roll off. Be the higher form of being. Peace and good luck.

Answer 6

If they're 'huge meat eaters,' they're probably not going to want to hear about much that suggests their diet might be inferior in any way. I'd concentrate on issues of taste and personal choice over even nutrition, and say not a word about the animals.

And I'd go for the most conservative sources possible -- no flippin' PETA -- and make it seem mainstream.

Try:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian#Nutritional

(note references at bottom of page)

Pick some fairly mainstream and universally respected names from here:

http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html

Read up a bit on controversies, so you can answer objections; see esp Dr Spock, one of the better-known mainstream advocates, I think --

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9806/20/dr.spock/index.html

For amusement:

http://mtd.com/tasty/

Answer 7

I spent 7 years as a Complete Vegetarian(Not Vegan!-That's just self inflicted Torture!).
I never met any objections other than from My Parents!
But I was a Professional Athlete at the time-and It worked Great for me!

I now prefer a Balance of Both Humanly killed Meat(NOT Kosher or halhal) and Vegetarian food!
Moderation in Moderation is the key!!
Hope this helps you!

Answer 8

Don't go vegeterian until you are 21. That's when your body can fully live without it. If you are younger, then you are still 'developing' and need all of the proteins. But, if you just want to practice, cut out on some, NOT ALL of it.

Answer 9

congratz! on being a vegetairan.

HUGE MEAT EATERS might not understand, maybe they eat meat because they think it gives them nutrition. sit your parents down, and talk to them about the benifits of going vegetarian, and tell them IT WILL NOT harm yOur STRENGHTH AND HEALTH, it will only improve it. once they understand, maybe they wont be as bewildered when you announce that you are one.

good luck.

Answer 10

well i know its stuff to confront heck i'm a vegan 2 lol but a website that work 4 me is

http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/vegetarianism.html

plus theres this great site called http://www.vrg.org/ where u find info abt guides, food choices, planners and lots more hope i was of help enjoy <:0) good luck!