I want to become a vegetarian...?

Question

Im 13 years old and I decided to become a vegetarian,but my mom doesnt let me.
She sais if I become I vegetarian I need a special diet,and its not good for my healt,at least not in this age.Is that true?

I didnt,I just feel terrible about eating something that once ran around someones yard.

Answer 1

a lot of younger vegetarians have trouble getting ALL the nutrients they need because they tend to skip some important foods. when i was 16 i wanted to try to be a vegetarian, and my mom wouldn't let me do it.

try a compromise with your mom. talk about why you want to be a vegetarian. for me, we worked it out so that i wouldn't eat any red meat, no pork, no lamb, etc. instead, i ate a lot of fruits and veggies and i ate fish or chicken instead, which made me feel healthier without thinking of the cows and pigs going to the slaughterhouse.

Answer 2

I too wanted to become vegetarian at that age. My parents didn't like that idea either because it meant that my mom had to prepare whatever meaty meal she would make for the rest of the family- but then she had to make something else for me, because it wasn't always as easy as just not eating the meat part of the meal.

Here is what I suggest: Learn how to cook, make your own meals. Also, if you parents are concerned about you getting enough protein or other vitamins, tell them you would like to see a dietitian/nutritionist to get help with learning how to eat a proper veg diet.

At first, it seems difficult to know what to eat, but it is just a matter of eating a lot of the same foods without the meat in them, and slowly adding meals that are not meat centered.

The first few months take the most effort on your part, and dealing with things that others say to you. Just remember, don't get defensive, just explain you side and why you are doing it.

I am 26 and have been veg since I was your age. I started off slow the first year- allowing for mistakes when I didn't realize something had meat or a meat product and soon it was easy! Good luck!!

Answer 3

It can be perfectly healthy at any age to be vegetarian. The tricky part is making sure you eat a large variety of other foods to make sure you are getting the proper nutrition. My advice to you would be to research what exactly is recommend as far as nutrients go for a person your age, and then research healthy foods that you can eat to achieve that. It is simply not true that you have to spend a lot of money to have proper nutrition. If you show your mom that you are serious enough to research and present her with that information, she may see how responsible you are being about it, and discuss it. I don't know anything about what your family eats like now, but it could be a positive impact on your whole family if they actually stop to consider different and healthy options. That doesn't mean they need to consider being vegetarians too, but sometimes it's important to stop and think about exactly what we should be eating as opposed to what we are eating. Good Luck!
P.S. I went through this with my mom too when I was 13 or 14, and it was difficult, but it taught me a lot about nutrition in general, and if I had approached things the way I just suggested to you, I would have been much better off.

Answer 4

I became a vegetarian as a teen, and also ran into some parent apprehension. Your mom is right to be worried, a lot (NOT all) teen vegetarians do not obtain all the proper nutrients for growing adolescents. Do your research, get books, look online, etc. Show your mom that you can get all your nutrients and still be meat-free! I would suggest getting a multi-vitamin and/or some sort of Iron Supplement. It makes you feel so much better and if done correctly, going veg is a much healthier lifestyle than the majority of today's teens.

Answer 5

Hi!
I'm a mom with 4 kids and I became a vegetarian over 2 yrs ago. 2 of my children are vegetarian and 2 are not. My husband eats meat, although he has Gout, which is a form of arthritis and it's triggered by eating red meat - so he sticks to fish and poultry. I do eat fish and seafood, dairy products and eggs. It's not as hard as people think it is - you just want to make sure you're getting enough calcium, B12, Iron and Zinc in your diet - otherwise take supplements (most good multi-vitamins will include adequate amounts - teen vitamins would be good for you at your age anyway, regardless)
The main reason I chose this diet was for my health - vegetarians live longer, are less likely to develop major diseases (like breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc...) and are generally healthier people.
All you're doing is restricting meat - I've saved so much money by not having to buy meat for 5-7 of our meals per week!
Eat lots of whole grains, nuts, beans and brown rice, dark veggies - which have the most nutrients. Cheese and yogurt both have protein too - you just want to be careful you don't substitute high fat products for meat. That's a common mistake.
Recipes I like are Tuna Noodle Casserole (I add veggies like peas and onions - plus serve a nice salad with it)
Spinach, Cheese (sharp cheddar) and Brown Rice casserole,
Veggie Lasagna (tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, peppers and onion),
Caprese Salad (fresh mozzarella cheese slices, Tomato slices, fresh basil and olive oil - sometimes I have balsamic vinegar too)
Salmon Patties - with Red Sockeye salmon and vadalia onins! you make them like you would a meat loaf with eggs, bread crumbs and a little milk. Then make patties and fry in a little oil. I cook these in safflower oil - my kids love them!

There are lots and lots of vegetarian recipes on foodtv.com and epicurious.com too. Look some up - volunteer to help your mom cook them and she might see how delicious and economical they can be. If you show her the research (peta.org is a good place) about why it's healthy and that you're going about it correctly, she will support you. It seems like a lot of work to those who haven't tried it. "Changing your whole diet!" "What if you don't get adequate protein" - really most people don't get enough fruits and veggies, or vitamins - so that's something to think about too.
Best Wishes!

Answer 6

There is no reason for her to worry. Just replace your two servings of meat with two servings of some other high protein food like eggs, beans, soy, peanut butter, etc. Remember that all those foods are in the same food group as meat; you don't need meat to get your four food groups in. An egg for breakfast and peanut butter sandwich for lunch and you're covered. Don't forget to eat your fruits and veggies (5 a day). Throw in a vegetarian formula multivitamin for good measure. It's not complicated at all.

Answer 7

im avegetairan ands its not in the least expensive ok your mom just doesnt want you to and by the way to the answer above me I'm a member of PETA. ok but yeah ok like she might be confusing you for a vegan not a vegetarian theres two big differences

vegans-no meat of any kid including fish poultry and livestock no animal products such as cheese or ice cream

me vegetarian no meat thats all or chicken broth or anything like that i became a vegetarian when i was 12 and my doc said he couldnt believe it i had actually gotten healthier i dont think your mother knows exactly what shes talking about

Answer 8

You want to become vegetarian. That means you're most of the way there. Your mom, however, is a big obstical, being 13. I suggest you learn what you can on the health benefits--and ethical if you want to also go that route, and present your findings to your parents. Discuss why you want to change in a logical and rational manner. Tell her how much it means to you. Go see a dietician together to discuss the implications, both good and bad. Good luck!

Answer 9

If you do enough research, no, you don't need a special diet. You just have to work a bit harder to have a balanced diet.

That being said, an animal-rich diet does not guarantee balanced nutrition. Many omnivores, even morbidly obese ones, suffer from malnutrition. The Standard American Diet is not terribly balanced.

Answer 10

When meat, fish, poultry, dairy foods, and eggs are missing in the diet, several important nutrients could also be missing. All vegetarians need to make sure that they are consuming adequate amounts of protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamins A and D, that non-vegetarians normally get in their meat, fish, poultry, dairy foods and eggs.

If you just stop eating meat, fish, poultry, dairy foods, and eggs, without making sure you're getting those important nutrients from other sources, it is very unhealthy!