How can I be vegan when my family doesn't support me?

Question

Hi, I'm fourteen and I really strive towards being vegetarian or vegan. My main problem is that my family doesn't support me like I need them to. Everyone in my family eats meat, and they make fun of me when I say I'm not eating meat, and it gets incredibly awkward. It's hard, and because of it, I've been on and off vegetarianism for a couple years now. I want to do this for the animals, but how can I when I barely get support from the people who love me the most? I know they're trying to say something supportive, I can see it in their eyes, but could they at least be kinder about it? Any tips on what I should do or say, and how to be a vegan/vegetarian?

Answer 1

I was in your shoes. I wanted to be a vegeterian since I was 10 years old, but I at that time in the country I was living in there was not much info available about the health benefits of vegeterianism, and so my parents convinced me that I needed meat as a source of protein. I finally discovered the health benefits when I was 18 and I've been a vegetarian ever since. My family still makes fun of me occasionally and the beginning was very hard. You can try to convince them, but don't count on that too much. Just stop eating meat. It's not that hard, and I didn't even have cravings. Your family will stop making fun of you, if you don't react, or if you play into their jokes and start laughing with them too. It's your life, not theirs, so take control of it.

Check out doctoryourself.com for different health tips and health benefits of vegetarianism.

Answer 2

Show them this video.

http://www.meat.org/

Answer 3

I am an Indian and I belong to a vegetarian community and i am against the belief that non-veg is more healthier.So what I can advice is that you collect various info about vegetarian diets and  show it to your parents and convince them that it is healthier too and tastier too ( believe me its easy to cook and is more tastier).Though convincing them will not be easy ,try to argue with them stating  the facts rather than stating your openion and make them believe your cause.

I think they will agree bcoz I know a friend who tried this and it helped her as her parents were surprised that she was showing them articles rather than arguing with them.

So I hope it helps you.

And for any grammatical mistake in my answer forgive me.

Hope you dont give up vegetarianism

You could even ask them to try some dishes.And if you have an Indian restaurant nearby try it.To my knowledge only India has many tasty veg dishes.And this has nothing to do with me being an Indian

Answer 4

I've totally been where you're at.  I finally learned to just tell people that being a vegan makes me feel "cleaner" in my heart and soul, but that doesn't mean I am judging THEM (which is really what most people think of vegetarians because we make them feel a little guilty).  Here's what's funny - I have turned out to be SO much healthier than the rest of my family, that NOW they're all interested in the way I eat and finding it pretty tasty.  That's the other thing I tell people to shut down controversy - that I just plain don't LIKE meat - never really did - and that I have always really LIKED veggies!  If you have to - buy your own food.  AND - be very careful to get enough protein and amino acids so they can't come back on you about not being healthy - read EVERYTHING about being a healthy vegan.  Your vegan community supports you!

Answer 5

You must learn to quietly prepare your own meals research recipes on the internet make a few on the weekend and freeze for the week then you will have control of what you eat maybe grow a little salad garden for yourself .  In order to go vegan you will need to learn to enjoy preparing food and get innovative to make sure you dont fall into the junk food trap . Quinoa is an awsome grain to start with as it provides alot of protein.

Answer 6

You should try and gather them and have a heart to heart, tell them how you feel, what they make you feel and try to come to some sort of agreement with them for them to support you. You said "I know they're trying to say something supportive, I can see it in their eyes" so it look slike you should be the one who is brave and steps forward first. Maybe they will then open up and be more supportive. Just remember not to waver over your beliefs, collect them in your head so that you know what YOU want. If you keep on switching back and forth then you can see why they do not take you seriously even if it is their fault. My advice at the end of the day is to know what you want and to stick by it firmly, and let them know it.

good luck

Answer 7

You are a minor living at home.. You say they love you so they give you what they think is best but this is not enough for you.. You say you want and are determined to be a vegan then change your mind and hour later and  say no, not vegan, vegetarian.. You think they know something about you that makes them think this is just another phase?

thid is the v&v so you are liable to get "ignore your family ..." or "they are ignorant.." comments here. The fanatics don't care that you are a minor. They hear "I wanna be a vegetarian.." and tey flock like flies to you-know-what.

But ask any of them to talk to your family personally and all you will hear are doors slamming shut.. Remember that despite your family being "unsupportive" ( i don't hear you thinking of how YOU can be supporrtive of your family though), they will be the ones to face any consequences, good or bad, if something happens to you. But not a single one of these fanatics will ever be there.

How can you tell then about being a vegetarian? Try honesty. if your parents say no, then it's a no. You are a minor living at home. Adultd telling you to do what is contrary to what your parents think is best for you is adults being totally irresponsible

Answer 8

I think you should look at a couple vegetarian recipe sites and find a few things you wanna try. Ask your mom to get those items needed and make something yourself. You're old enough to be learning to cook, and this would help you learn so that by the time you're on your own, you'll know exactly what you need to eat and won't have health problems.

Look at these sites http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=vegetar... and see if you can find some you like and just try it out. You can also let your parents know that you'd be willing to cook it if they let you, and they might just let you do it. They wanna support you, maybe they just don't know what to make for you, so these sites may help you convince them to help. You never know, they might also decide to go vegetarian a couple times a week for you.

Answer 9

Hey.

I had this exact problem when i turned vegan, I'm also 14 by the way.

My family didn't support me one bit, they kept saying stuff like 'where would i get my protein' etc, and they just didn't support me at all.

What i did is this, i showed them that i could still get plenty of protein, iron, vitamins etc, from plant foods, pulses, grains, fruit, vege meat and even supplements to.

I showed them in the shops food that i can eat, and i cooked my own meals, and showed them what i put in my food, i also tried showing them sites.

If you can show your family some sites:

For vegans(recipes, lifestyle, food, people, nutrition, benefits, etc) :

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/home.ph...

http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/

http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/he...

For vegetarians(recipes, lifestyle, food, people, nutrition, benefits, etc):

http://www.vegsoc.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetarian_and...

http://www.viva.org.uk/

Hope this helps and best of luck to you.

Answer 10

hi, look, don't make it a rebellion of any sort.  convince them your choice is an act of conscience.  learn some great recipes and introduce the family to these.  stress to your parents the importance of maintaining a good diet.  if they have any feeling for you at all they cannot let you starve.  learn to (gently) assert your beliefs.

good luck with this.

Answer 11

I encountered this problem, too. What you need to do is give a list, to who ever grocery shops, of what you will eat. This will help them out and have food there for you. Another thing, let them know how to cook it, if your not going to be doing the cooking. Don't give them c**p about eating meat. They don't want to hear it, just like you don't want to hear about you not eating it.

Answer 12

1. Conviction

2. Willpower

3. Education (Do lots of research on the whys and how to's of vegetarianism. Obviously the internet is a good place to start). I like this organization for both.

http://pcrm.org/

4. Your Life as a Testimony (If they see vegetarianism has changed you for the better they might be more willing to listen).

5. Mindfulness

6. Chose your words carefully

7. Autonomy (you're your own person)

8. Endurance (the universe will test you in many ways. If you falter try try again).

9. Community (spend the most time with those who have healthy ideals and lifestyles. Others only drag you down).

10. Faith (believe in your self and your ability to lifve the lifestyle successfully. If you project positive emotions and thoughts you are much more likely to accomplish this most virtuous desire).

Answer 13

ok i know how you feel few of my friends and family give me c**p about it, but maybe you need to explain it to at least some of yours friends so then you wont have family support but you will have them, most of my friends are very respectable of my choice.  your family in no way should have to change their eating habits for you but it is completely wrong that they mock you about it, maybe you should tell them how much it means to you and how you find it degrading when they make fun of you.

if you choice to go veghead again try to stick with it, cuase maybe they give you c**p cause they think its just a phase thats how it was for me for awhile till they realized i was serious about it,

you have my support in becoming vegetarian! :)

Answer 14

start with jsut being a vegetarain cos vegan is very very hard.

just refuse to eat the meat and stand by it, show them that your not going to change your mind

Answer 15

You're going to need to do some research, first of all, to show it's perfectly healthy to be vegetarian.

Second, check out Carol J. Adams' "Living Among Meat Eaters." It will help you deal with the people in your life who are hostile.

Third, learn to cook.  Even if all you do is stir-fry some tofu and veggies, at least you have something to eat.  Help your mom do the cooking--make the sides to make sure they're veg, and eat a veggie analogue while they eat their meat.  Hopefully, they'll buy them for you.

Answer 16

I really think if this is the path you choose to take and are serious about it you just need to stand up for what you think is right, do research and arm yourself with knowledge about being a vegetarian so you will have the right things to say to your family, some of my family does not support me being vegan and throw stuff at me about not having enough protein, the studies that have been done on what happens to brain if you have no meat! Its a bunch of nonsense!! And just remember people are afraid of things they don't know anything about and they tend to lash out in an unkind manner, ignore the idiots that post stupid things here, and turn the tables be supportive of your family educate them on being a vegetarian and in time they will hopefully support you and have a little knowledge about the subject!!

Good Luck

Answer 17

my family eats meat too

and they always worry that i have a protein deficiency

and they enjoy offering me meat as a joke

but i really did not need their support to become one.

i just started making my own meals

and i became a vegetarian when i was 15 now im 20

and i feel great and healthy

they will realize sooner or later that what you are doing is what you choose to do and by they making fun of you or not supporting you will not make a difference on you making your decision

you should definitely do what you feel is right.

Answer 18

Ignore them!  I had the same problem.    The world isn't always supportive when when we make a choice that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Deep down they feel threatened by your choice. It also makes people think about what they're, and some people don't like to be reminded they're eating carcasses.  

Next time they pick on you, pick on them back.  Ewww dead meat!   Gross roadkill!    Poor deceased bird - we should give him a funeral!     LOL.... Laugh it off and it can't hurt you.

The important lesson you're learning is to stick to your beliefs despite lack of support & peer pressure.   This is a great thing to be doing.  Kudos to you!

Answer 19

When you pay the bills then you can expect their support.  Until then you just do what you can without their help.

Answer 20

i think you should conduct some debates every four days. make this activity interesting. take the topics which your family members like. be with everyone's side. and one day conduct a debate between veg and non-veg food. and by this time make a good collection of the advantages of vegetarian food. i am sure that in this debate, you will win. make various veg dishes ( don't make something simple as salad ) . as one of the answerer said that try some Indian dishes, yes try one of the Indian dishes. make or buy the veg dishes which have the things which the members of your family like.  example, if some one likes cheese alot then make some veg dish which has cheese.

in this way your family members will not straight away reject your idea.

one more thing, eating veg food makes the person more active so eat veg till you succeed in your mission.

take information from:-

http://www.goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp

http://www.innerself.com/Health/advantag...

http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/upd...

http://www.statssheet.com/articles/artic...

best of luck!

Answer 21

i've heard from a few different sources that starting a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle isn't healthy for people under 18.  It limits a lot of the vitamins/nutrients, etc that a growing person needs.  I'm not saying it can't be done or vegetarianism is bad or anything (my bf is vegetarian), i'm just saying maybe just do what you can and eat healthy till you're 18 and out on your own, it will be easier to transition that way.