My parents dont know im a vegetarian. What to do?

Question

My parents dont know that im a vegetarian. I asked if i could be one and they said im too young. I have really strong feellings for animals and their rights. Theyve started to notice i havent been eating meat, and keep trying to get me to eat it. All i do is pretend to chew it (which KILLS ME) and then spit it out.What should i do?!!!!

Answer 1

your parents can't shove the meat down your throat. take a firm stand and tell them no. i know it's so much easier said than done because of all the ridicule and lecturing you have to go through, but it's important to you and they *SHOULD* respect that. get educated [if you haven't already] on every aspect of vegetarianism so you can defend your beliefs, and don't let anyone put you down for what you believe in.

*no person is ever too young to be a vegetarian*

best wishes! :o)

Answer 2

My daughter is 4 years old now, and has been vegetarian since she was born. She's one of the healthiest children I know, so there's no such thing as being too young. Your parents are trying to do the best for you, as they see it though. The problem is that most meat eaters don't understand that a vegetarian diet is a healthy one. Also, especially if you have siblings, they may see it as a lot of hassle to make special meals for just one person.

The answer is to do your research first, then sit down and talk to them again. Find good websites, and make sure that you can show them how you will get good sources of protein and iron (which seem to be the biggest myths that veggie diets are somehow deficient in these). If you can find prominent people like atheletes, doctors etc who are vegetarian, you can show that vegetatians are healthy and successful (Einstein is a handy one!!). I wouldn't suggest movies stars though, or they'll think you're just following a trend.

Finally, if you can show that your turning veggie won't result in extra cooking or mealtime hassles, then it will show that you really have been taking them into consideration as well, and have covered all the bases. Talk to them about your feeling on animal rights too, but keep that light. They're much more likely to respond to a well thought out talk about how healthy vegetarians are and how simple it will be for you to become vegetarian, than a lecture on animal rights.

Good for you in deciding to take a stand, and good luck with your parents!

Answer 3

I can understand why your parents probably don't approve, especially when still living at home. It would be twice as hard at meal times if everyone ate meat except for one, so maybe she isn't trying to force you, she may just find it hard to know what you want. If you're dedicated to being a vegetarian, maybe you could ask your mother if it's ok if you make your meals from now on? It will take the weight off her shoulders, and just explain that just because you don't eat meat, you can still make up for the protein loss with legumes, tofu etc, you will still be getting the same nutrients. Try to see it from your parents point of view and go from there. Just think you might have to deal with the same problem when your children are the age you are now, but everyone in your family is vegetarian, except for one that wants meat!!

Answer 4

I would suggest getting ahold of some evidence from books about childhood vegetarianism. Peta has a great website for vegetarian teens. They offer some free information about it that you could order by mail. Your parents are probably just concerned about your health. If you show them that you can be healthy and vegetarian, they'll probably support you. It might also help if you learn to cook some vegetarian proteins that would eliminate the need for them to make you extra food. My children are 5 and 3 and they have been vegetarian since birth. They are both really healthy and growing well. They have never had low iron or anything. You may want to have your family doctor test your iron levels for the first few months to make sure you're getting enough protein. It's just a simple finger poke (like they do for diabetes.) I've been a vegetarian since I was 14 and I have always been healthy. Good for you for standing up for your beliefs! That shows that you're a strong person! Keep on trying!! Good luck with telling them.

Answer 5

A vegetarian diet is healthier than a diet with meat, if done properly. It is not hard to do it properly. Many scientific studies have proved that it is healthy and moreover, beneficial, to follow a vegetarian diet.

Your parents are hesitant to allow you to become a vegetarian because they are worried about your health. The solution? Educate them. Educate them on a) the safety and benefits of a vegetarian diet for children and teenagers. There are many websites, including peta.org, with this kind of information. Also educate them on your reasons for becoming a vegetarian. Show them the videos at http://www.goveg.com/feat/chewonthis/ and www.meetyourmeat.com.

Feed them information about the reality of the lives of animals used for our food, the safety and benefits of a vegetarian diet, and the ease of a vegetarian diet. It is a surprisingly easy diet to follow.

If they're still worried, you could suggest having them take you to a nutritionist to discuss it. The nutritionist can assess your needs and provide professional advice on how to maintain a healthy vegetarian diet. They will not, under any circumstances, tell you that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy. In fact, on the contrary, I had a nutritionist tell me that "dairy isn't that great for us" anyway. They can also provide you with easy and healthy vegetarian recipes for you and your parents to cook. If your parents try some vegetarian meals too, they may also come around to the idea more willingly.

Remember to discuss it calmly and rationally. Throwing tantrums will not give them the impression that you are mature enough to make such decisions about your diet and health.

Don't compromise your values because of your parents. You are your own person and have the right and responsiblity to make your own choices like this. And making the choice to be a vegetarian is a wonderful one. Good on you.

Answer 6

Just tell them, dear heart. They'll probably irritate you with their answers, but they will accept it. Nobody can argue with good health choices. All they will care about really is that you are indeed planning to stay healthy. You can tell them that there are lots of vegetarian resources on the internet they can look into if they need more information, such as tryveg.com for example. Also the website vegetariantimes.com introduces newvegers to an online magazine promoting healthy eating, a food diary, intelligent articles such as the "The Environmental Impact of a Meat-Based Diet." And more.

Answer 7

Tell your parents the facts,also why you have decided to become a vegetarian, & that you hope thet will see things your way even if the immediate response is not positive,it will be easier for them to understand than to come to terms with the fact that you have not been honest with them .

Answer 8

i really think that if you choose not to eat meat then your parents should respect that no matter how old you are. Sit them down and explain to them that you respect them and the fact that they want to eat meat, and ask them to extend the same gratitude to you. Let them know that right now you choose not to eat meat and that if they respect you then they need to allow you to make this decision on your own and not try to push you to eat meat. Good luck I hope it helps.

Answer 9

I said the same thing at 15 and my parents response was the same. When I turned 16 I just stopped eating meat and educated myself on other smart food choices, recipes, etc. They slowly started to accept my position. It also important to let them know you respect their food choices and hope that they can respect yours.

Answer 10

just tell the true.. tell them eatting veggie or beans or chick peas give protein.. there food that is fake and it take like that food... it pretty good.. but you should talk to your parents.. My friend is vegatarian and i marry to family of vegatarian.. which i grow up eating meat.. my husband is not vegatarian he doesn't eat beef so i do not either.. We only eat chicken and fish sometime lamb.. but mostly vegetarian dinner...
Depend how young you are.. doesn't matter how old you are.. JUst think of pam anderson she vegetarian... but i think you do have to drink milk but that ok because my-law drink milk...