Parents won't let me be a vegetarian?

Question

I have been a semi-vegetarian for the past 4 months. Semi, as in I don't touch any meat outside of my house.
My parents found a book about vegetarianism in my room.
This was when I was a 24/7 vegetarian.
They told me "I found some disturbing books in your room about vegetarianism. are you trying to become a vegetarian?" I said "Yes." they said "Why?" i said "Because its healthier." and then they were like "You need a balanced diet to survive." I was like "No,there are a lot of vegetarians that are completely healthy. I can get all my nutrients from vegetables." and they were still like "You need a balanced diet. end of disscussion!" And I was eating stir fry and it had sesame chicken with it. So i was eating stir fry .My dad just stayed and said "i'm not leaving untill you eat it all." So from then on I only eat meat when with my parents. We're going tomorrow for my physical. I'm thinking about asking my mom to ask the doctor about me being a vegetarian. What should I ask her to ask

And even with a word with the doctor, do you think my parents would still let me be a vegetarian?

im 16 years old.

Answer 1

That's a great idea, to discuss this with your doctor. It take work, but a balanced vegetarian diet can be healthy. Ask your doctor for recommendations and have your parents read over materials with you.

Remember there aren't necessarily fixed rules about vegetarianism, and there are different types that fit better for some than others. A room full of people could all be "vegetarians", and all hold a different diet, it's what about works for you, and your reasons for becoming one.

Vegetarian - does not eat any meat, poultry, fish or animal by-products such as animal fats or gelatin.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarian - Eats both dairy products and eggs.

Lacto Vegetarian - Eats dairy products but not eggs.

Ovo Vegetarian - Eats eggs but not dairy products.

Vegan - Does not eat dairy products, eggs or any other animal product. Will also usually not use any non-food items that come from animals such as leather, wool and silk.

Fruitarian - Diet consists mainly of raw fruit.

Macrobiotic - This is mainly vegetarian but macrobiotic diets often contain seafood. All other meat products are excluded, as are eggs and dairy products. There are different levels of macrobiotic diets.

This diet is based on the Chinese principles of ying (positive) and yang (negative), and people may follow it for philosophical or spiritual reasons.

Pescetarians/Semi/Demi-Vegetarians - Generally follow a vegetarian based diet but eat fish.

Flexitarian - This is a relatively new definition, it describes someone who still eats meat but follows a vegetarian based diet for most of the time, or who will only occasionally eat meat.

Answer 2

Well, I think a lot of people still living at home face that problem. Do what you've been doing, and don't eat meat when you're away from home.

Taking your parents along to the doctor might help. You should also learn how to cook, if you don't already. Sometimes parents have reservations if they think it will mean extra work for them.

Don't get preachy, but try to explain why it's healthier. See what kind of meats they think you need. If any of it is fried, smoked, really fatty, etc, point out that you don't feel that eating it would be a healthy decision. Meat can certainly be a part of a balanced diet, but it isn't essential.

Invest in some books while you're at it. When you go to the doctor's, discuss it with him or her before your parents come in. Or, ask him or her for a referral to a nutritionist. Professionals go a long way in helping win parents over to a healthy decision that they don't understand.

Failing that, minimize your meat consumption at home as best as you can. Work on making menus with your mom (or whoever does the cooking) and be sure that you're eating okay sources. (Skip anything processed.) If you can, get organic meats to minimize the passive consumption of pesticides, etc. Working on menus will also help you two collaborate on learning more about nutrition. She'll learn about healthy non-meat sources of protein, and you'll learn about her concerns and habits. See if you can talk her into letting you cook one vegetarian meal a week.

Good luck to you. Get a book specifically on vegetarian nutrition. You can go over your dietary needs and find various sources there. Happy hunting!

Answer 3

If you are 16 years old, you are old enough to ask the doctor yourself about becoming a vegetarian. I became vegetarian when I was 13/14 years old and have been one ever since (I am 24 now). My parents respected my decision and never bugged me about not eating meat. If your parents actually read the books that you had or actually knew anything about being vegetarian, they would know that you can be completely heathy eating a diet free of meat. If this is something you really want to do, you need to approach your parents in a mature way and lay out the facts for them. Do research, explain the nutrition to them, etc. If they are rational people, they should listen to you if you can back up what you are saying and explain why it is important to you.

Answer 4

to be fair here, its your life and if you want to be veggie that is totally up to you. i have been a vegetarian for 8-9 years since i was about 11. my mum had some reserves about it but once she discovered that cooking an extra meal in the evening wouldnt be so bad and found out a little more about it she was fine. she still has her doubts 9 years later but i eat healthy i am a nice weight, i have good blood pressure....i had blood tests done a few months ago and my blood count is good too....etc.
bring the subject up when you in the doctors, say that your thinking of the benifits of a veg diet, there are loads of products out there now that you can get all the nutrients that meat contains high levels of. I dont want to put pressure on, but i do believe you should be able to make your own decisions. if this is what you want, then you should show them how you really feel about it. show them around some veggie websites (ill include a few below and show them some easy recepies)

i wish you all the best with this and good luck @ the docs!


oh you can get vegetarian starter kits from some websites as well which is jam packed full of useful ideas and tips.

Answer 5

It is possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet, but you do have to be concerned about getting complete protein however. Vegetarianism is a good way to eliminate cholesterol and many high fat foods from you diet (if you don't fry things). If you usually eat a lot of fast food or junk food, such as chips and sweets instead of healthy vegetables, salad and fruits it would be hard to stay healthy.

Perhaps your parents aren't convinced that you are serious. If you purchase a book on healthy foods that are vegetarian and cook some dishes for you family maybe they would be more willing to accept the idea.

They are probably just worried about you and think it may be a stage you are going through. If you truly are opposed to eating animal protein then try to educate them as to why, and convince them that you intend to stick to the diet long term.

My neice became a vegetarian at age 11, her parents helped by educating her on what to eat and allowing her to try various food combinations. She is still a vegetarian at age 32. Good Luck.

Answer 6

To bad. My whole family is vegetarian. i agree that you will be healthier if you are vegetarian, as long as you don't just pig out on junk food. Sounds to me like you will eat good food, so it won't be a problem. There is so much fat in meat and with all the hormones and other stuff, you are much healthier without the meat. Hopefully your doctor will agree, some are so traditional that they say you have to eat meat to live. If you look at human teeth and the teeth of carnivores you will see that humans have teeth more similar to an herbivore. Hope you are able to work this out.

Answer 7

You have the choice (usually) if you want your parents there during the physical. And even if they come, you can ask them to leave because you have to talk to the doctor, and the doctor CAN make them leave. That's when you can talk about becoming vegetarian. And that is bull about not getting a balanced diet, because like the other answer, its mainly protein and fat. You can get lots of protein from beans too. It actually is way healthier to be vegetarian/vegan than a meat eater. Good luck, and TALK TO THE DOCTOR, they can kick your parents out if YOU don't want them in there!! GO for it!!

Answer 8

I understand your dilemma with your parents. When I was a teenager, I wanted to become a vegetarian and my family discouraged me from doing it. Eventually I wound up doing it anyway, and now I'm vegan. It sounds like you really need to do some research on how to be healthy as a vegetarian. The more you understand about it, the easier it will be to justify your decision to your parents. Don't listen to people who tell you that you need to eat meat for protein--it is absolutely possible to get plenty of protein on a vegetarian diet, as long as you are eating a variety of foods (veggies, grains, etc.). However, pay attention to your Vitamin B12 (usually gotten from fortified foods), iodine (gotten from sea vegetables and iodized salt), and your Omega-3's (easily gotten from flax seeds). These are the things you most need to be aware of.

I would like to point out though, that you might not want to count on your doctor to back you up on becoming vegetarian. Doctors receive very little training in nutrition in medical school--and some receive no training at all. So even though we think of doctors as experts, in a lot of ways they hold the same misconceptions and myths regarding vegetarianism as the general population. It is very possible that your doctor won't know much about it and may have some of the same beliefs as your parents. That's why it's important for you to do your own research--as you become more educated, you'll be a better advocate for vegetarianism.

I wish you a lot of luck!

Answer 9

My parents was negative & nasty about me becoming a vegetarian when I was growing. I became one after I go to college and moved out. I feel physically & spiritually better. Most doctor will recommend meat eating because that is what they taught in medical school about nutrition. But than, I am sure they will recommend a lot of vegetables, fruits and whole grain, also.

Answer 10

my mom is the only one who really accepts my decision, everyone else in my family feels the need to pick a fight with me about it, or shove meat in my face every chance they get, and it really sucks. but you are 16 and able to make your own decisions. i was 14 when i stopped eating meat.. and even at age 14 without any support, i did it anyway. i went with my mom to the grocery store, shopped for my own food, and prepared it myself.. i still do that now. i think you should try doing that. your 16, you should be able to accept the responsibility to cook for yourself if your own parents wont support you.
what happened for me was, i started cooking my own food so much and got so good at it, i usually will cook vegan meals for my whole family.

one thing that might convince your parents to let you become a vegetarian.. watch a video.. its called "meet your meat" you can find it on the peta website. the moment after i watched that video i became a vegetarian.

are your parents religious? if they are christians-- in the bible, it says that people are not supposed to eat meat at all. and lots of other religions oppose eating meat.

and by the way, Sue... you are very wrong about how if we didnt eat the animals, they would become extinct.. if people stopped eating cows,yes, there would be a lot less.. but that would be so beneficial to the environment. actually, by mass producing these animals we are destroying the environment. the gases they produce are ruining the ozone. and growing all the crops to feed farmed animals requires massive amounts of water and land—in fact, nearly half of the water and 80 percent of the agricultural land in the United States are used to raise animals for food. could you imagine how many people we could feed if we stopped giving it to cows?