I just became a vegetarian yesterday and I am 17 years old. What do I do?

Question

I know I'll have a hard time becoming a vegetarian for two reasons. 1-my mom would become a vegetarian so she'll still always cook meals with meat in it. and 2-I grew up eating meat. and being black (even though its not really a real reason), a lot of the soulfood that is cook consists of a lot of pork and chicken, and beef too i guess. and it's hard for me to escape that in my family.
anyways, what I'm asking is, what should I do? my entire family eats meat with every meal. someone please help.
oh yeah, and 3- I loooooove shellfish how can I break that when going to Red Lobster? do i really have to so i can be full vegetarian?

in number 1, i meant that my mom WOULDNT become vegetarian

Answer 1

Being black isn't an obstacle to being a veggie. In veggie unfriendly Houston,TX there's a damn fine veggie soul food joint! You might look up Matt H ( a V&V regular) since you're in Chi-town about veggie soul food in your area (been several years since I visited there) but I know there used to be one on the Southside. If you're 17 you should already know a little cooking, time to learn to cook for yourself (and give mama a break every so often!). You could also consider learning a little cajun or creole cooking since those aren't hard to 'veggie-ize'. You might find it helpful to know that lot's of folks think the Morningstar Farms patties taste like Boudin! That should make soul food a little easier (it makes for a *damn fine* dirty rice too!).

Hit that link to vegweb that Tearsofthemoon00 gave you to get some support information! You can also look through all the resolved questions here at YA to find links and see that you aren't alone!! I was veggie in the middle of Texas beef country so you can see that things could be worse.

You need help cutting out shellfish? Just remember that lobsters are boiled alive and they SCREAM when they hit the hot water!! Just remeber that they do exactly the same thing YOU would do if tossed into scalding boiling water, they even turn red like people do when scalded to death. Keep that in mind when you start to any shellfish and I'll bet you won't be able to eat them. If you need more, think about shrimp being snatched from their watery home, gasping for water as they dry out in the air and then being tossed to freeze to death in a shrimp boat cooler. Raw oysters are still alive when their shell is ripped open with a knife, so that you can devour them. Would you enjoy being treated that way? Remembering those visual images should help you be a vegetarian!

If you are going eat any dead animal, whether land or sea based, you aren't going to be a vegetarian. If you do decide for yourself to continue eating animals, don't call yourself a vegetarian please.

The *only* way we'll think less of you is if you use one of those cop-out titles like flexitarian or pescatarian. That's how you feel our wrath. If you must, use a title like omni-vore or flexi-vore or pisca-vore and we'll be much more understanding since those of us that are vegetarian have constant problems with people shoving slaughtered fish in our faces and getting mad at US when we won't eat our killed friends!

Answer 2

He likes being homeless because he has you supporting him all the way! Let him get a feel of what it is like to really be homeless without you paying for every whim he gets and deliver food packages when he feels like it. If he wants to go to the program he can get a job, save up and pay for it himself. Like adults who have moved out do. You will pay for him so he can be Street minister which will make him earn how much money a month? For him 9 months will be a long time and he might not be that interested after it is done. It's very possible he has a physical condition due to his mothers cocaine use which makes him act this way along with his feelings from that time. And don't say you can afford it because he is only 19 and there will most likely be other things in life he will really need help with so don't waste it on things he is just too lazy to get himself. Saying "NO" is not abandonment. Putting up limits is not abandonment. Don't fall for him trying to guilt trip you into anything. And the way he is treating you is not excusable just because he has been adopted. He sure will need help but you are in charge of that help, not him. So if he wish to keep on living at the shelter and make $200/month that is his choice. Clearly that means he can not afford a class he wants to take, a car, dining out every day etc etc. He will have to do what everyone else does and get a job. That will in no way hurt him, quite the opposite.

Answer 3

I had a difficult time when I was a vegetarian at your age also. My family would not cook for me, but they ate my food when I made extra to keep for the next meal. It was very unfair, but I did it. One thing to make your family understand is that you are trying something new and that it will mot harm your body to not eat meat.

I wat meat now on occasion, mine was never a 'save the animals' approach, I actually became vegetarian while I was researching food combining, and it was just easier not to make meals with animal protien in them. I lasted about 3 years until I moved to a country where there are NO good v egetarian restaurants to eat at. Now, I probably average eating some type of meat or animal type food every other day at most, and red meat is maybe 1 time per week.

Answer 4

Well, since you are close to leaving the house age, maybe you can pick the meat out of your portions until you buy and eat your own food. You have to decide if it's worth the trouble of picking pork out of your greens or standing by mom and cooking your own smaller portion. If you can stand the thought of animal food mixed into yours, then there isn't a problem picking out the chunks. Buying meat substitutes can be expensive unless you go to Super Walmart or can find a Seventh Day Adventist church nearby (Seventh Day Adventists are vegetarian and sell fake meats at great prices). I don't think there is anything to eat at Red Lobster other than french fries. You either have to find a new favorite restaurant, give yourself the indulgence of saying "I'm a vegetarian except for two days a year when I treat myself to Red Lobster," or accept eating french fries and a grilled cheese. There's nothing wrong with doing the best you can and calling yourself "mostly vegetarian." Every time you choose a meatless meal you are doing something positive for the planet, animals and your arteries. Read "how vegan" at www.veganoutreach.org. Give yourself time to ease into it so you don't give up in frustration. College campuses have lots of vegetarian options, go to college!

Answer 5

you should eat what you want to. if that means that for now you eat shellfish, but choose to start not eating other meat, go for it. i stopped eating meat when i was 13, but for very similar reasons to yours, it was hard to quit 'cold turkey'. so i first stopped eating beef untili t wasn't hard anymore, then a few months late i took chicken out of my diet. then over the next year i started paying a lot of attention to the little things, like stocks and flavorings that have meat in them that are put into other dishes like soups, casseroles, greens, etc. i still eat shellfish, because honestly, i don't feel as bad for a fish as i do for a chicken or a cow. it's a personal choice.

I prefer to not eat meat because I have the luxury of choosing to not have animals killed for my meals. if I were stranded on an island with a pig, the pig would get eaten at some point probably. Since I'm not, I can choose to show more respect for the lives of other animals instead of doing the whole carnivore thing.

go to the bookstore and get some vegetarian cookbooks. maybe your mom would be more interested in cooking foods you can eat if you helped her - or offered to make food for the family sometimes.

i grew up eating a lot of side dishes and then supplementing the missing protein from the meat with other cheese, beans, fish, soy products, etc.

there are great meat replacements available in a lot of big grocery stores - Morningstar Farms makes great fake bacon, corn dogs, hot dogs, fake ribs, burgers, groud meat (for sauces and tacos, etc). Try a few of them and find ones you like. Research other snacks and ways you can add protein for your diet during the day so its easier to eat with your family but avoid meat.

it takes work - but every time i see an animal that's alive and happy i smile :)

Answer 6

I guess maybe the question to ask is why did you suddenly decide to become a vegetarian? Is this for health reasons? Do you know someone else who is and decided you wanted to do this too? If you like certain meats, and particularly shellfish, why refrain from eating them if you've done this all your life? If everyone in your family eats meat, and you have meals with them, you are going to have a hard time doing this unless they have a lot of side dish vegetables to choose from, and even then, you may not get the protein your body needs. If you do become strictly vegetarian, be sure and eat plenty of legumes, nuts, etc to get some of that protein. Eating red meat is not always the most healthy thing, but I'm not sure that being strictly vegetarian is either.

Good luck.

Answer 7

start cooking your own meals, thats what i had to end up doing. if thats difficult for you, there are some brands that sell frozen veggie/vegan meals. one brand is amy's. its really pretty good. im glad you went veggie! its a great lifestyle choice. umm and yes, in order to be considered a vegetarian you need to give up fish. but there are other forms of vegetarianism. sorta. you can eat fish and be a pescatarian (sp?). you should just try to experiment with recipes. you'd be surprised at how many meals that originally arnt veggie, taste great with a few tweaks (and no meat of course!). dont listen to the people who tell you this is a horrible decision. they are too ignorant to open their minds and try to see the good that can come out of a lifestyle such as this.

Answer 8

Hi, I'm a vegetarian too. Have been for four years. I can't even remember what meat taste like. I became a vegetarian at twelve years. Some of my favorite foods were sweet and sour chicken and cheeseburgers. I don't remember what the stuff tasted like so ask yourself this.

Will it matter what it tasted like a year from now? If eating meat makes you feel bad, don't eat it. You can email me at [e-mail]

Answer 9

Start skipping the red meat, work your way down white meat, to those shellfish. Some people are considered vegetarian even though they eat fish. Look at many Restaurants Vegetarian Menu. If you lose the fish, you can become vegan.

Answer 10

You can eat veggie soul food girl! I love veg soul food!
collard greens and other greens can be cooked in vegetable broth instead of pork. It doesnt seem your vegan so you can still eat baked mac & cheese. Corn, butter beans, corn bread of course! Beans and rice of course, you can prepare fake meat and tofu in a fried chicken breaded fried way. it'll be great!