I quit! I can not and will not eat meat! can anyone help me?

Question

i cant eat meat anymore, its way to sad cause im a HUGE animal lover and it pains my heart 2 c them killed and i just cant eat them so i want 2 become a vegetarian but my parents dont understand how i feel and think im being stupid. I almost started crying at dinner and i wouldnt eat the steak my mom made which just made her really angry at me! How do i make my parents understand and does anyone have any vegetarian recipies? and also i know its not the healthyest thing in the world to be a vegetarian cause animals have lots of protiens
:,-(( so should i b taking vitamins and if so what kind?

Answer 1

It's totally your choice. There are many vegetarians. They cook really good meals and get all their protein.

Check out this site

http://vegetarian.lifetips.com/cat/62070/vegetarian-grocery-shopping/index.html

Good luck and follow your heart. Who cares what anyone else thinks. :)

Answer 2

Firstly, congratulations!! This is a great decision you've made and your conscience and body will thank you for it. You say it's not healthy but in fact it is... if you have a balanced vegetarian diet you'll probably be healthier than your meat eating family.

There's so much information about the vegetarian diet that it's impossible to gain the best understanding of it through yahoo answers. Just search through the internet and you'll find all the information you need. If your parents won't understand your ethical reasoning then tell them all about the health benefits of vegetarianism. Remember nearly the whole of India is vegetarian and their average life expectancy is 84.

Answer 3

I bought a copy of "The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook" for a friend's son, and one for me, too. It's full of really healthy, easy recipes and information. Maybe you could get a copy and it could help assure your parents that you can get everything you need from a vegetarian diet.

Lots of people have a hard time accepting vegetarians. I have family members giving me a hard time all the time - and I'm not all that strict - I just don't want BBQ. It's like they ask, but they don't really want an answer as to why I'm a veggie. Hopefully your folks won't fit into that category, but if they do, you'll just have to do it on your own. Give them notice. Let your mom know that you don't want a steak and that you'll do fine with salad, potato, whatever. That way at least they know not to cook one for you, and hopefully won't be angry with you.

Answer 4

Well, let's get one myth out of the way first. It can be quite healthy to be vegetarian or vegan. The protein myth has got to be one of the most insidious bits of falsehood out there, and it is spread by the meat industry. Unless you eat a junk food diet, or you don't eat enough food, it is almost impossible not to get enough protein. In fact, even VEGANS get more protein than they need. And, really, you don't want that, as excess protein--especially excess animal protein--causes you to lose calcium from your bones.

If your parents are concerned about your health, you need to address all their concerns. If your mom is concerned about cooking for you, you and she should go grocery shopping together. You should find analogues you can cook, and there are plenty of them available. If she makes all the sides vegetarian, you can cook your veggie analogue, and she can cook the meat main dish. If she makes a casserole, help her out. Have her split the recipe between two casserole dishes and make one veggie and one meat so the rest of your family can decide.

Go on to Amazon and see what books there are for vegetarian teens. If you can get them at your local store, do that. They will give you resources as well. Also check out "Living Among Meat Eaters" by Carol J. Adams. In the back, she has an open letter to parents of vegetarian children.

Sadly, most people do NOT care about the animals and won't listen to our concerns about how they are treated. You have to find the right message--health, environment--to convince your parents this is the right thing to do.

Answer 5

Just tell you mom that you want to make your own dinner. Or maybe find some recipes at http://vegweb.com. When you or your mom goes to the store you can get the ingredients.

I'm 17 and I'm in the same boat. My uncle even said to me I was some kind of freak. If you have to just eat what your mom gives you and become vegetarian when your 18.

I only live with my mom so it really doesn't bug her because I'm mostly with my boyfriend. He eats meat and I don't so he doesn't care what I eat.

If you can get your mom to watch some videos on goveg.com and see how the animals are killed this day and age, she'll understand. I'm sorry and I know it stuff dealing with people who don't understand vegitarians and vegans. :(

Answer 6

1. If you truly cared about animals, you'd be vegan, as the animals in the dairy and product testing industries sufferhorrifically as well.
2. Hold tight to your morals, no matter how mad she gets. You''ll respect yourself a lot more.
3. I've been a vegan since conception and have never been sick, so it's news to me that "it's not the healthiest thing in the world".

I love burritos- tortillas, rice, beans (not meat-based) guacamole, salsa, and jalapenos.

I've been vegan my whole life and have never taken a vitamin.

Answer 7

Go to the library.

Go to the Teen Section.

Check out their books on becoming a vegetarian.

Answer 8

Yeah, I know exactly where you're coming from.

It may be kind of hard at first but you'll just have to learn how to cook for yourself. That's what I do. I make my own food or any non-animal food anyone else makes whether it be my mother, father, etc...

And it's not unhealthy for you. Many world class atheletes are pure vegans and they manage to get enough protein while being on very rigorous training regimens. Carl Lewis for one.

Answer 9

I went through this w/my parents over 20 years ago. My dad threatened to talk to my teachers at college, thinking that they put these ideas in my head. Been veg/vegan now for 25 years and now have converted my parents after discovering they got cancer. You do not need to eat meat to be healthy. I rarely take supplements but will occasionally pop a multi. Believe me, you would have to starve yourself to be protein deficient. The PETA website is a great resource. Good luck and please stick with it. Hopefully your parents will eventually adjust to the idea and come around.

Answer 10

parents can sometimes be really stubborn if they dont understand why you're doing what your doing. The only way to get them off your back is to tell them how u feel. I know it might be hard, but sometimes in order to get what u want, you have to do hard things