How do I tell my mom I want to be a vegetarian?

Question

How do I tell my mom I want to be a vegetarian?

Answer 1

Mom... I know you don't want to hear this... but I'm doing something that is going to really affect my life... I'm becoming vegetarian

Answer 2

"Mom, I've done a lot of research into how animals are treated on factory farms and slaughterhouses, and I've decided that I don't want to support it. I respect your choice to eat meat and I'd appreciate it if you could respect my decision to become a vegetarian."

If she has any concerns about nutrition, offer to see a nutritionist and share these articles / websites with her:

Vegetarian sources of protein, iron, and calcium:

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...

The vegetarian food groups:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...

The American Dietetic Association's position on veg diets:

"Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence." http://eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs....

Offer to help with meal planning and cooking. Be very calm and reasonable, but also confident and firm. If she says "no", keep asking her what you could do in order for her to be OK with it. Good luck!

Answer 3

just tell her and give her the reasons why you are a Vegetarian

Answer 4

I feel it would be better for my health if I were to eliminate my consumption of flesh/animals. Therefore, I would like to pursue a vegetarian diet. I can eat soy burgers, eggs, and dairy products to ensure I get enough protein. I'll start to take a multivitamin (if you don't already) to make sure I get enough B12 and B6 vitamins. I hope that you will support me in my endeavours.

Or, what I said: Mom, I'm not eating meat from now on, ok?

+ I may have had it easy because my mom was a vegetarian until she turned 22 anyway. :)

Answer 5

Simple, just tell her this....

I want to only eat vegetables and no meat.

- - - - -

Answer 6

Talk to her about it.

If you need to - show here where a vegetarian approach is helpful for those that are not only diabetic - but also a healthy approach to those with heart problems.  

It is a healthy choice and that you would like her support in the choice that you are making.

If she has problems with it - suggest that you make an appointment with a dietitian to help setup a healthy diet that meets your needs and your personal tastes in food.

You could even offer to go to the library with her to research it together - or look up information on the internet together.

The most important thing is to keep your mom part of the choice - cause she can and will be a big help if she is with you on the choice your making.

Just be calm and direct.  I believe that if you take such an approach that she is going to be more willing to listen and work with you.  I know that such an approach got my own kids further with me than attempting to steamroll over me and press an issue anyway.  :)

Answer 7

It's always best to go with knowledge then with ignorance.  What I mean is, do your homework on what this means for your body.  What are the dangers of not eating meat and what you can do to stay away from those dangers.  You will probably have to have certain supplements so your body is getting the protein that it needs.  Evaluate why you want to be a vegetarian and bring those points to your mom.  As you want her to have an open ear, you must also have an open ear for what she says.  Address her concerns or tell her you will look into things you don't know that she may bring up.  I'm curious...why do you want to be a vegetarian?

Answer 8

Present your logical & good reasons to her in a calm, precise manner .... and I hope your reason isn't simply because the 'babies are cute, and I can't bear hurting them"

Answer 9

First, be clear about why you want to be a vegetarian: Ethics?  The Environment?  Health?  World hunger?

Then, READ, READ, READ, READ, READ!

The more information you have at your disposal, the more powerful your argument will be, and the better prepared you'll be to counter any objections.

The Vegetarian Starter Kit from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has all the nutritional info:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/i...

Many expert opinions can be found at VegSource:

http://www.vegsource.com

Advice about how to deal with family members can be found here:

http://www.vegetarianteen.com

Answer 10

Congratulations on deciding to go veg!

When confronting your mom, it's always best to go straight to the point. Just say, "Mom, I have decided that I am going to stop eating meat, and I hope that you will support me on this." Then explain to her why you are stopping...for the enviorment, the animals, or even health reasons! It would also be useful to her if you printed up some articles, or showed her some books on vegetarianism.

Here are some websites:

-http://www.goveg.com

-http://www.chooseveg.com

Here are some great books:

-Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, And Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry

-Animal Liberation

Hope I helped, good luck and congratulations :)