I'm thinking about going vegetarian...?

Question

So, I'm thinking about going vegetarian. Not vegan, just vegetarian. I want to cut off on meat.

First, because I often feel guilty eating meat, knowing what the animals go through to end up on my plate.
Second, because really, meat is starting to disgust me. I don't know why, but it's just so unappealing to me sometimes.

There are a few factors that get in the way of me going veg though.
I'm only 14, so obviously, I still live with my parents. Sometimes, I can't really control what's for dinner. Also, I've been a meat-eater all my life; suddenly letting go of it seems hard, though I said it often disgusts me. I don't know, it'd just be awkward to give it up, as much as I really want to.


So, does anyone have any advice on what I could do to make it easier for me to go vegetarian? Or what to tell my parents? Thaaanks.

Answer 1

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 or anyone else.

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.

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

Here are some more veg people:
http://www.mikemahler.com/index.html
http://www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com/index2.html
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bios
http://www.andreascahling.com/andreas-about
http://www.billpearl.com/career.asp
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-23-27/Salim-Stoudamire-Runs-on-Broccoli.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Danzig
http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php
http://www.nfl.com/players/rickywilliams/profile?id=WIL271115
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/raceresults/index.html

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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: homemade veggie burgers, 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 BBQ'd ribs), kabobs

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

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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.

Answer 2

I think they just have a problem with the lifestyle. Not to be too stereotypical, but in general, on AVERAGE (note that I'm not EVERY guy, but most, atleast of my knowledge & in my experience) guys are meat eaters. I've heard guys say that that people who are vegetarian or vegan aren't really human, or that they are some sort of "pansy" (as if they are AFRAID of meat). It seems, to me, in the last couple of decades, vegetarianism / veganism has been increasing, more so with females than males. So perhaps some of these guys just feel so overwhelmed by the amoun of vegetarian or vegan people (or girls), that they are just happy to find the odd girl who is still a meat eater. I think the people you are pushing away by being a vegetarian aren't worth your time. If they're gonna get in such a huff over something that doesn't even concern them, and could in fact be HEALTHIER for you (as opposed to an omnivorous diet), really, it's not with your time. If you've been friends for a long time, or are best friends, that's a different matter; they may not agree with vegetarianism/veganism, but they will love you just as much anyway. If a person is not even willing to get to know you because of your eating habits, really, that's a silly excuse for walking away from a potential friendship. Did you ever notice how many horror films have people torturing the vegetarian or vegan girl? Generally a guy doing the torturing also? There's generally clear evidence in such films that the guy is bothered by her lifestyle, and either physically punishes her for it, or starves her until she eats a piece of rotting meat off the floor. Obviously I don't seek these particular movies out (seriously makes me want to throw up), but I see it quite a bit in horror movies, being a horror buff myself.

Answer 3

You're on the right track. I went vegetarian and then vegan a couple of months later. It is really not hard at all. Your parents may think you're weird at first, but then they will learn to accept it after a short time.

It was a little awkward for me too. But trust me, once you get started it will seem like the natural thing to do.

Being vegetarian is a great start. But remember, every time you drink milk, there is a cow somewhere that has a painful machine strapped to it, and every time you eat an egg, there is a chicken that had its beak cut off and is living in a tiny cage. Once you get used to being a vegetarian, you might as well go all out and be a vegan.

It's not that difficult. In fact, I really enjoy being vegan. I've been a vegan for about 3 months now.

Answer 4

The main problems with vegetarian diets come about when people just think they'll eat anything they want--and all they want is potato chips and cotton candy and so forth.

You need proper nutrition. Now, a good vegetarian diet actually provides better nutrition than the typical American diet--most Americans get far too much protein, too much sugar and simple carbs, not enough fiber, and shortages in some micronutrients.

Perhaps the best thing you can do is to educate yourself and present your parents with the nutritional profile of the diet you will follow. Read "Diet for a Small Planet" or some of the other vegetarian standards. Show how your planned consumption of dairy and eggs and vegetable protein sources, and your newfound love of leafy greens, will make you healthier and more fit--and will cost your parents less. Promise you won't lecture at them when they're having a nice greasy hamburger or a big red juicy steak. Suggest that you are doing vegetarianism as a responsible experiment and you'll be ready to quit if there are any negative symptoms.

Answer 5

I went vegetarian at 15, and was a veggie for 11 years. I basically said to my parents that I wanted to go vegetarian because I didn't like meat any more.

Try telling them how you feel about meat and why it makes you feel disgusted sometimes. And say that the reason you want to give it up isn't to make their life difficult, but to make it easier for you to live yours!

And there are plenty of vegetarian recipes out there. But first of all, make it easy by separating meat into those you know you can still eat and those that you can't. Give them a list of "safe" meats. When they're not having "safe" meat, then have the rest of the meal and substitute something vegetarian (cheese on toast with a fried egg on it was my preferred option.)

Best of luck!

Answer 6

I agree with the ppl who suggest that you do some research on vegetarianism & present you info to your parents in a calm & mature way. If you or anyone else in your family has vegetarian friends, they can help you with recipes & meal ideas.
You are probably aware that becoming vegetarian won't hurt your health (it can make you healthier!), stunt your growth or make you weak. If your parents know that too, it should be easier to convince them. If you volunteer to prepare the vegetarian portion of dinner, this will show them you're sincere & will save them the worry about having to fix 2 separate meals every day.
I was raised in a really meat-obsessed family & grew up being told that if I didn't eat meat I'd get sick & die, or @ the very least my hair would stop growing (I was kind of a hair snob). My family was very misinformed, or maybe just trying to scare me. Fortunately there is a lot of really good information available these days so ppl can become better informed. Good luck.

Answer 7

Do your research to find out about vegan nutrition. The Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) has nutritional information. Let your parents know you've researched this and how healthy a vegetarian diet can be.

To make things easier on your folks, as if they will make the sides without meat stock or ingredients you won't eat, you can heat and eat one of the many analogues out there and have it with the sides while they eat their meat. Offer to help cook the meals to make things even easier on your parents. For lunch ideas, check out Vegan Lunchbox blog. It has a link to the Adventist Loaf Studio where you plug in the ingredients you want and get a recipe for a simple veggie loaf. The possibilities are endless!

This is actually advice I'm giving to all teens, even though I was in my 30s when I went veg.

Answer 8

im your same age and i went veg.
at 1st it was hard but i know what the animals go through
and seeing blood on them sometimes before they are cooked made me want to become veg. more

1st i told my parent one morning at 1st they thought it was just all a joke because ,me 2 ate meat all of my life but then they realized i was serious ..

just tell them next time before you have a meal
they might get mad at 1st .. but thats the hardest part
just simply make your own mean so you get everything that meat has in your system

and 2nd at 1st your going to miss all the things you ate (all your favorite foods) but then after your veg. for a little while and try it it doesnt taste so good anymore

i never regret going veg. if you look at some things on peta.com you will no how many animals you save about and if you watch the meet your meat video you most likely will just give up meat and it wont be hard at all.


just try it and see if you can stick to it

Answer 9

i decided to go vegetarian a few days ago myself!!! wich isnt to hard for me .... i didnt eat beef or pork in the first place... i had tried i few times when i was younger but like your self i couldnt control what my parents where making for dinner... so the other night my dad had made chicken for dinner... i didnt take my peice and just simply left it there they questioned on why i didnt take the chicken... i had no responce the next day ... i decide to tell them i want to go vegetarian ... my mom thinking im kidding just laughs it off...but this is how i got the point across we go to the store the other day... i hadnt eaten any meat in 3 days ... and i go to the freezer isle and pick out all the meatless product s i want and put them in the cart...and now they beleive me!! lol ( long story i know) but anywhoo they should support you in doing this... if you cant ditch meat completly but the meatless foods tastes SIMILAR ... lol any whoo good luck ... do what you think is best for you!!

Answer 10

shucks that's easy. Just separate the meat out on your plate and don't eat it. Or you can look at it and decide if you want to. Or separate the meat into types, like separate the chicken from the fish and the fish from the beef, and decide which meat to eat or none of it.

Answer 11

Good for you, just tell to your parents you dont like to eat meat any more thats all!!