For teens: how did you convince your parents to let you go vegetarian or vegan?

Question

I let my oldest daughter go vegetarian almost 4 years ago, her younger sister joined in last year. I have no problem with it, and enjoy not having to cook meat. However, a lot of their friends say their parents won't let them. When I ask the reasons, they seem embarrassed and give me vague answers. I would like to know the arguments a parent might give a child against it - and how to counter argue FOR it. I'd just like to be able to give kids information that might help persuade their parents to at least let them try, and actually be supportive of their child. Thank you!

Answer 1

I think they realy don't wnat to. I figured you meant to convince your parents.  I was going to say get a litle puppy and  agun and pretend you are preparing dinner, tha would shake them up. Same thing really, puppy, or baby calf, it's mean.

Answer 2

I am 19, but became vegetarian when I was 14. And my parents hated it at first so I showed them examples of how animals getting slaughtered for food, cut out articles and stories on how being vegetarian is healthy. I made a deal with them that I would give something up just to be vegetarian. Then they started to know I really wanted this and they allowed me. But if I ate only french fries and candy, they said they would have to shove the meat down my throat.

Answer 3

I am a veggie, and have found that if you can make sure your children get iron, calcium, and omega three's, you're on your way to making them healthier.  

First off, why you care what your parent friends say is beyond me.  I'd blow them off, personally, as most parents are not informed well on nutrition.  But, if you do want to tell them why, here are some wonderful starts....

1.)  Vegetable calcium, like spinach for instance, is 40 percent MORE re-asbsorbable in the bloodstream that dairy calcium.

2.)  Beef is the main reason that the rain forest is being cut down.  period.  You cannot be an environmentalist and eat beef.

3.)  Children who are vegetarians actually have been found to be taller and stronger by recent studies done by independent companies, not the USDA or the radical animal rights groups.

4.)  Smoked meats have been linked to Cancer and now it's irrefutable.  Lunch meat can be very bad for you if eaten every day.

5.)  Of the cows' milks studied in California over the past ten years, at least 5 percent of the milk on the shelf had puss in it.  Whether or not it's pasteurized, a cow booger is a cow booger and is gross.  Go soy milk.

6.)  There is a noticeable increase in dangerous metals in sea life now, and pregnant women are encouraged to seriously limit their intake of tuna due to this.  If it's not good for a fetus, it can't be great for your child.

7.)  In actuality, there are no real dangers to your children if they go veggie with your guidance.  There is not one thing they can't get in a vegetarian diet that they get in a meat diet.  They get protein from soy products, bean, and nuts.  They get calcium from leafy grean veggies and soy milk.  They get omega threes from nuts and flax seed, which is super easy to bake with.

8.)  Children who are vegetarians are less likely to be obese or have high blood pressure.

9.)  It makes them feel good about themselves, not eating animals.

10.)  It takes ten times the water to raise a pound of beef than it does to raise a pound of wheat.  Wheat doesn't make manure that has to be dealt with.

11.)  They will live longer.  This has been shown in the lifestyles of the 7th day adventists who are vegetarians, one of the three longest life span-owning groups of humans on this planet.

12.)  Adolescent girls who eat more soy, blueberries, and flaxseed have been found to have easier period because phytoestrogen reduces possible hormone unbalances.  I have found this to be true with my daughter.  She cut back on fatty meats and upped the soy and berry shakes and flaxseed muffins, and her cramps diminish.

13.)  If it really comes down to it, send your friends a link to that ASPCA cow video.  If that's not enough reason to cut back on beef, then well, I don't know what to say.  These animals are treated horribly.  If you can't stop eating meat, at least start using a reputable butcher and avoid slaughterhouse meat.

14.)  The hormones is meat now have been linked to early menstruation.  In Puerto Rico, there have been girls having their periods as early as 7 and 8 years of age.  Why?  They received chickens that were hormonally-induced to grow faster.  I kid you not.    Here's the link... http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factshee...  ... to an article from Cornell University.  While we might not get chickens this juiced, we get them juiced just the same.  

I hope that's enough.  You will always get flack from people who are afraid to think for themselves and WANT to believe that meat is necessary.  After all, how do you think men react to the fact that meat isn't necessary?  I think they freak out a little, not because they're bad, but because they love to eat it so much.  It's hard to consider that something you've been raised to believe might not be true.  The key here is remember that your friends might not be true friends if they're going to judge you on giving your kids the choice to live healthier.

I hope you enjoy learning new recipes and I congratulate you wholeheartedly for being so open-minded with your kids.

PS  I almost forgot..... one of the biggest reasons to go veggie when you're a kid.  CHILDREN WHO ARE VEGETARIANS HAVE NO RISK OF SECONDARY DIABETES.  When you consider that the Coke Company, General Mills, and other food conglomerates donate money to the Children's Diabetes Research Center, it makes one wonder why this hasn't been addressed.  Best wishes!

So, relax, because you're a good mom!

Answer 4

I cooked my own food and ate it ;my mom said she wouldn't let me ;then she said it wouldn't last ,and here I am 1 year later still vegetarian.

Answer 5

well my mom was very eccepting of mee going vegetarian but I know some of the other parents excuses. Here are a couple: you will not get enough protein. WE are not going to spend extra money buying you food. You will eat what we serve. Animals were put here for us. It's basic survival. and so many more ridicous excuses

Answer 6

I just told my mom "I am not eating meat anymore".. she didnt really mind but she said it was a phase. (NOT)

My friend wanted to but her dad told her it was bullsh*t and her mom said it wasnt healthy.

Answer 7

im 13. i just became a vegetarian a few months ago. i have not told either of my parents or anyone outside of yahoo!answers. my mom is catching on, but my dad is still clueless. i think my mom is mad. they couldnt stop me if they wanted to... i mean, they cant force me to eat something. i wish they were a litle more like you as far as this goes. i am just a litle scared, because there is no way that i can go vegan without telling them.

Answer 8

I didn't convince them I just did it. I made my own food and watched what it was I ate to be sure I had enough iron. If your making your own food there's no reason for them to refuse letting you take control of your own diet.

Answer 9

I was 13 and just stopped on my own.Im lucky to have supportive parents that let me make my own decisions.I would tell them to show the parents the videos on peta and educate the parents but if they're still unsupportive,what can you do?they are not going to shove meat down the kids throats.

Answer 10

A lot of people assume veg*n diets are expensive. This is absurd, and totally not true. I think people think of a veg*n diet as all tofu, meat replacements, and fancy health store alternatives. But for the average veg*n, these things aren't the majority.

Parents also might say they're not willing to cook special meals. But if the child is willing to make his or her own meals, this can be avoided. An even better solution would be a compromise. Parents promise to make a few non-meat meals a week, child promises not to complain if the parents want meat. Or there could be an alternative included in the meal. When I was a teenager and my parents cooked, the main dish was usually meat, but there were always enough non-meat sides to fill me up. Vegetables, rice, pasta, salad, heck, even french fries!

The best thing a kid can do is get all the facts: why a vegetarian diet is healthier, easy meals they can make, how it helps the environment (yes, veg*n diets do more than save animals!), etc. If they seem educated, perhaps parents will take them more seriously.

Answer 11

for me it was easy i just sed i aint eatin meat anymore and my mom sed why i sed because i hate eating something that once  breathed and had a face she said okay then its yur choice

Answer 12

I don't understand how you could go against it. I think the parents should respect their children's choice. It's not a bad thing at all.

Answer 13

My parents were actually quite supportive. Of course, I started out by just giving up red meat. Then I gave up birds and fish. I didn't die or lose a lot of weight. So now they're okay with it.

It definitely helps that I don't mind other people eating meat around me, and I will take part in the preparation of meat. As a bonus, since I'm the family cook, I insist that they buy organic, local, pasture-raised. The really funny thing is that they've actually said that it tastes better.

In short, my parents were down with it. I think the biggest objection parents would have is probably a worry that their kids weren't getting all of their nutrition. Kids and teens who want to go vegetarian should really do their homework and be able to demonstrate to their parents that they know what they're talking about. As a parent, I would not be okay with my child making a significant decision regarding their health unless they demonstrated that they had done their research. Show me the benefits, show me the possible problems, and show me how you're going to get around them. While you're at it, show me how it's not going to be a heck of a lot more work for me... If my child showed that s/he was dedicated enough to start doing some things for themselves, I'd be a lot more willing to accept certain decisions.

Answer 14

I didnt convince them, i just refused to eat meat and they eventually caved and bought me a bunch of vegan stuff. I think they still hope i will come to my senses one of these days, but i wont im just stubborn like that.

Answer 15

I didn't have to really convince my parents to let me go vegetarian. I just told them that I decided to become a lacto-vegetarian. They did fuss about it for a while, saying that they thought it was a stupid idea, but now they're fine with it. I just made sure I knew the facts before I became one, so I checked out sites like www.peta2.com - it really helped me a lot. And to be honest, I really see no reason as to why parents wouldn't want to let their kids go vegan/vegetarian.

Answer 16

My son turned vegetarian about 8 weeks ago. He convinced me by doing research by taking out books on being a vegetarian. I told him he would have to cook his own stuff and he was fine with that. I grew up on a farm so the PETA video stuff wouldn't of worked on me, it probably doesn't on most parents.

Answer 17

one arguement I got was that it's not healthy. This is completely untrue if you are eating right, Another wa that they didn't want to buy veggie meat, which they didnt have to.

Answer 18

I didn't convince, I told. Your parents aren't going to be able to make you eat certain foods. Be strong, if they have a cry over your choice just be like "so you don't love me because I'm vegan/vegetarian?" I'm pretty sure they will get over it soon enough anyways. My mum is close to vegetarian, she eats fish occasionally but thats it so she was fairly understanding but still tried to tell me I things like milk and what not. Dad isn't like that though. Make their parents search "meet your meat" on youtube. See what they think, also often parents think vegetarian/vegans cannot get the nutrient they need and stuff. Just prove to them you can. =)

Answer 19

I didn't convince my parents, they thought I was kidding when I told them about vegetarianism. So I ignored them and became a vegetarian myself. That was 3 months ago.

And everyday they still think I'm on day 4, because they never pay attention. They cook their hamburgers and steaks everynight, and even cook some for me. And when I refuse, they say ' Oh yeah your trying to be a vegetarian again. '

My parents think that I'm going through a stage, they have even asked my aunt if her 14 year old daughter ever went through a vegetarian stage. It's not a stage, I'm changing my life and keeping it that way.

Answer 20

tell them when they're relaxed