parents can't accept me being vegetarian?

Question

recently i've decided to become vegeratian, not only because i pity animals, but because the idea of having dead fleash of a once living thing in my mouth disgusts me. I've never really liked meat, but i ate sausages and burgers to please my parents, though refused to eat steak chicken or any meat in the form of meat itself. now i've decided to stop eating meat completely, because why eat something that I don't like? however my parents are having a hard time accepting this. I really cant stand the comments that they make over the food i try to eat, and the sarcastic jokes that they are making out of me. they say that i've ruined my life and it's just a trail to sickness. my mum kind of accepted what i'm doing now, but my dad is just being horrible to me at mealtimes since. he even said that i'm making myself "disabeled". why can't they just accept the thing that i don't like meat, instead of their constant "you're just being stupid" talks? how can i change this? i'm 15

Answer 1

There have been vegan Olympic gold medalists and a vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lewis
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML_(Draft).htm

There is a Japanese analogy/proverb that goes like this, "The nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down". People are like this everywhere. When you tell your family that it is your personal belief that animals should not be eaten, they take a look at themselves and it can be subconsciously translated into, "What you do is wrong and I choose to be right."

Your parents have probably been taught a huge amount of misinformation by their parents and their teachers while growing up. You really need to research vegetarian diets and health before you even think about saying the "V-word" in front of your parents.

When you have gathered enough information and feel confident in a vegetarian diet's ability to maintain or even improve health, you may mention to them that you have made the decision. They may be shocked, angry, worried, curious or many other things, but you must NEVER react to their behavior and always stay calm. If they are able to speak to you and respect your choice, please tell them everything and answer all questions. If they are rude, inconsiderate, judgmental, violent, or verbally abusive, refuse to continue any conversation until they can speak to you with respect.

The best advice is to study everything that you can about a healthy vegetarian diet and keep yourself in good shape (better than most people your age or than your friends/family if possible). If nobody that you know shows a genuine, positive interest in your choice, don't give them the privilege of the knowledge that you have gathered. Work your way around any attempts they make to trivialize your beliefs and if possible, go shopping with your parents and buy things that aren't obvious veggie fare. Instead of trying to sneak fake meat into the cart, toss in lentil soup, peanut butter, pasta, fruits & veggies or anything else that you have learned is needed to fill any gaps in your diet.

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If you want to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian, 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, seafood) with meat analogs or just leave it out altogether.

You should keep in mind that a journey such as 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 and longer than animals that are raised to a certain weight and then slaughtered.http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
http://meat.org
Some people use the word "vegan" in reference to this idea, but be aware that applying that label to yourself should always come with the inclusion of wise activism and advocacy.http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/index.html
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 a situation that makes it confusing to withhold the information/discussion. Also, if you are presented 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 responsible vegan ALWAYS studies the subject of their own health and how to keep their body completely provided for in every sense. http://www.veganhealth.org/sh
To neglect their body is to define a plant-based diet as unhealthy and is the opposite of helping the animals.

Just to clear things up, the vegetarian/vegan diet is not composed of salads, vegetables, fruit and fake meat. Fruits and vegetables are always important but they DO NOT make up the largest portion of any healthy diet.
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/food_groups.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/eating.html
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.

A vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.

Technically the term "vegetarian" 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-ingredients.html
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.
Depending on your age or reliance on parents or regional options, it may not be best to give yourself a label. The important thing is to do your best to make progress and be committed to your compassion towards animals. Never put your focus onto what you or other people use to describe yourself.

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.

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.

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I'm vegan and these are some of my favorite things to eat:

Breakfast: bananas, cream of wheat with brown sugar and soy butter, cereal, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, vegan "sausage" patties, smoothies.

Snack: BRUSSEL SPROUTS =) no joke

Lunch: VEGAN "SAUSAGE" SANDWICHES, sandwiches with vegan deli slices(Tofurkey is the only one that's kinda funky), fruit, dinner leftovers, couscous salad, vegan sushi, potato or pasta salad.

Dinner: sloppy joes, "sausage" and gravy with homemade biscuits, Spaghetti and Trader Joe's "meatballs" or TVP, lasagna, Thai pad see ew, pad khi mao(drunkard's noodles), pad prig king, tofu+eggplant with basil sauce, yellow thai curry with tofu or vegan chikn and veggies and jasmine rice, Indian dal with homemade roti or dosai, channa masala, aloo gobi, vegetable or minestrone soup, pizza, STEAMED "PORK" BUNS with potstickers or spring rolls, sweet&sour/orange/lemon chikn, vegan pho or wonton soup, baked tofu, BBQ homemade seitan (tastes like meat from boiled+BBQ'd ribs)

I use these sites to find recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://vegweb.com
http://www.recipezaar.com

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After you have done your research and you know that a vegetarian diet can provide you with everything that you need and someone is rude or makes fun of you for being veg, which is very likely to happen at some point...

LAUGH!Do it with a smile!!! When they say something stupid, just laugh. Don't do it at them, or even in their general direction. Completely ignore them with your body language but make sure they are aware that you think what they are saying is funny. If they call on the phone and say something about it, LAUGH! =)

I don't know what is wrong with some people, but if you act like a happy person that is confident in her choices, they will probably not get their childish kicks out of opening their ignorant mouths. Their lack of respect is FUNNY. How can someone be so dumb and rude? It's HILARIOUS. =)

YOU ARE RIGHT AND THEY ARE WRONG. Not because they eat meat, but because they can't let you be different and make your own choices even though you are making a choice of compassion and wisdom. Keep your chin up and keep your face bright and smiling and they can't touch you.

If your dad is a total jerk about it, maybe you shouldn't laugh then, but never let him see on your face that what he is saying is getting to you. Then again If I were you, I think I WOULD laugh if my dad told me I was "disabled" or "being stupid" over not eating meat.

Answer 2

I'm assuming your parents are saying this out of concern but don't realize the problems they are causing by making you feel bad or guilty or different because of your choice of being a vegetarian.

The best way to answer your parents questions or reply back to them when things are said is through knowledge. Are you a vegetarian an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian (do you eat dairy and egg products) an Lacto Vegetarian (do you eat dairy products but no meat and eggs) or a an Ovo Vegatarian (do you eat eggs but no dairy and meat) or a vegan (Vegans eat no animal products - no eggs, no dairy, no honey, etc). I'm sure you know which you are but you didn't state it in your question. It's not real important but important enough that when you do your research you can look up the type of eater you are.

Take notes while doing your research. Make sure to add the website that you found your information on. Read all you can read about being a Vegetarian or Vegan, see if you can borrow a book from the public library or your school library on being a vegetarian and then approach your parents with what your eating style is like, why it will not make you unhealthy, the things that you are willing to eat and not to eat. Sure they may still have a problem with it but when they come out with misinformed information about your eating habits you can politely correct them and assure them you will be eating healthy. What is a worse a person who is several pounds overweight and enroute to becoming diabetic or a vegetarian? If you eat the right foods you'll get all the nutrients you need. Explain to your parents this is one of the reasons you want to become a vegetarian (to be healthy). Their are many studies done that have shown vegetarians to be healthier then then those that eat meat. Just remember don't judge others if they do eat meat as you don't want to be judged. Pack yourself full of information and eventually your parents will realize you're not doing this on some sort of fad or whim and hopefully will accept it. If they don't, there is no doctor they can bring you to that will say you have to eat meat or you'll die or become very sick.

(I have been a Lacto-Vegetarian now for 3+ years and I am very healthy and at the right weight for my height, I am in my 30s with no high cholesterol, no high sugar, I am not diabetic, my pulse is perfect my blood pressure is great, my oxygen levels are at 99%. I've been a vegetarian off and on since I was in the 7th grade and no many people who've been vegans or vegetarians beginning at your age if not younger. As a matter of fact I know a parent around my age who has a 10 year old who won't eat meat, she buys the right food for her child and let's her child eat healthy meatless meals, all approved by her doctor.

Your parents are just misinformed as many people are. Give them some real factual information and you may just see them change their tune all together!

Answer 3

I've been vegetarian for about 6 or 7 months now. (I am 11) My Mom doesn't really approve of it...but I guess she's okay with it. You are definately NOT going to get disabled! Have your parents even done any research on vegetarianism and it's good effects? Actually, humans are supposed to be natural herbivores...we don't have claws, very sharp front teeth, and strong stomach acid like carnivores and omnivores do. Our stomach acid is actually 20 times weaker than that of a carnivore! We weren't exactly made to digest meat. And also, meat isn't healthy...it's concentrated with industrial toxins and it also can lead to obesity, heart disease, strokes....A vegetarian diet helps prevent or reverse:
Pancreatic Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Colon Cancer
Stomach Cancer
Menstrual Cramps
There is SO much more to talk about, but this is getting kind of long already, so I'll leave you to do your researching.
PETA2.com (some of there stuff is a bit extremist, but most of their info is facts) veg101.com, Vegetarians of Washington.....Thats all I can think of at the moment.

Answer 4

www.vrg.org will provide answers that should alleviate your parents' concerns about your health.

Check out Carol J. Adams' "Living Among Meat Eaters" as a guide to dealing with the snide remarks that people may make to a veg*an. She also indicates why some omnis may be hostile to vegans and states it far better than I can.

There are plenty of veggie burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and other analogues that look very much like their cruel counterparts. I don't recommend excess consumption, of course, but if your parents are having burgers, you can have a veggie burger.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I'm so sorry you are going through this. You're not alone though! My parents still think my vegetarianism is a phase and my mother once told me that my brain will turn to mush when I get old b/c I don't eat meat.
Needless to say, I am still a vegetarian. Just don't let them intimidate you. Stick to your beliefs and the rest will follow. As someone else suggested, research and show your views that are backed up by scientific evidence. Just let them know it's your personal choice.
The line I always love to use is, "Didn't you raise me to question things, to think for myself and made well-informed decisions? Well, that's what I'm doing!"
I'm not advising your to say that, per se, but it always makes my parents get quiet. I wish you luck!

Answer 6

Compile studies that show vegetarian diets are better for you (less cholesterol, fewer heart attacks, less obesity which can lead to other things) and show them. Do it in a rational manner. Tell them you have no problem with what they eat and do not knock what they are eating but that you want to try to take care of your body and at 15 you feel mature enough to make the decision. Remind them you are trying to be healthy and make an decision about the environment rather than doing things that make you unhealthy (smoking, drinking, etc). Remind them that everyone has personal choices and you would like them to respect yours. It is possible your dad is so hostile because he sees merit to what you are doing but does not have the discipline to do it himself. Nothing makes us more angry than that which we do not have the discipline to do but see others do.
Good luck

Answer 7

sometimes parents (or people in general) think that because THEY dont agree/believe it, then neither should you and/or that you are wrong/ignorant if you do. i am a meat lover - however, i respect those who decide to not eat meat. its a personal preference. you are old enough to know what you want to eat and why. maybe they just think its a 'phase'. you can get your protein from many many other sources. they should be glad that you chose to make a healthy choice rather than an unhealthy one. which there are many many other options you could have chosen which could be detrimental to your health...

Answer 8

Unfortunately, you can't really do anything but talk to them. It's their house, they want you to be healthy, so its really up to them. I do understand where you're coming from though. I like chicken and steak, but I absolutely can not stand seafood. There's just something about eating something that used to squirm around in the water. Eh! Anyways, just tell them that its not about feeling sorry for the animals, its just that you don't like meat.

Best of luck to you!!

Answer 9

good for you...... they are just having a hard time understanding what they do not know... typical parents.. do your research. make sure you are getting all the proper nutrients. start to do chores and save money to buy your own vegan groceries...after a while they will see you are actually serious about this.... just keep going........ my kid ate some meat one day just because a family member teased her about it. then she puked. and i told her to do what she feels is right for her body.....she will eat chicken, sometimes, or fish, but is not eating the pork and beef anymore... so it is a gradual process for her and i supprt her completely...

Answer 10

I'm 15 too, and the comments I get from my parents cud be irritating! Sometimes, it's hard for parents to accept change from their children, but for your case, explain to them that some nutrients you get from meat could also be gotten from particular veggies, etc.
Even parents sometimes think that their teenage children don't actually know what they're doing, but through mature discussion, you might be earning some respect!

Good luck!

Answer 11

The bottom line: you are 15.
When you live in someone else's house, they set the rules. That is their right.

You should wait until you are out on your own to go total vegan.
You should also talk to a nutritionist if you wish to encourage them to allow you to eat vegan while living in their home. Only a nutritionist can guide you so as to eat a good balanced diet that will keep your body and mind healthy in a vegan diet. At 15, you may not know what you need to know to make your vegan diet healthy.