I'd like to convince my mom to let me go vegetarian.....?

Question

but i dont know how to ask her?? id like to try tofu, but i dont know where to get it. also, what if i dont even like it? i made a list of reasons why i want to go vegetarian for her, cuz she is stubborn at times, sooo..... i would like ideas on how to get to the topic/starting to ask her....?

ME AND THE ANIMALS THANK U!!! lol.

Answer 1

ok, so i personally think you shouldnt ask your mom about going vegi you should tell her

i know alot of people dont agree with it, but its your life, your body & your decisions.

Tell your mom you want to become a vegitarian and explain why ... go shopping with her next time an look out for specially vegetarian foods ... make sure she knows your serious about it.

:) if she knows your serious about it and you really want too she should respect your desicion and understand its your life.

=] hope that helps ..

(if not, just refuse to eat anything meat your given xD lol )

Answer 2

you can get tofu at asian supermarkets. i would turn vegetarian, my parents wont let me.

Answer 3

tofu is at walmart where the fresh veggies are...

maybe if she tried a few veggie meals and fresh cheese ..she may tend to like it also.

She needs to see that you will still get proteins like beans do a bean salad.stir fry etc.

Ask her if you can cook a couple meals ...and make them vegetarian..:)she may fall in love with them.

we are meat eaters in our house though.

Answer 4

There is some very good advice above about about talking it over and cooking some vegetarian meals.

Personally though, I'm a vegetarian and I hate tofu. You dont have to it eat if you dont like it. There are other sources of protein.

Answer 5

the best way to start is just to come out and ask her...of course avoid times like when she is really busy etc.  During a quiet time just say"  Mom we need to talk about something important (she might be relieved to find it is only about food)

I want to give being a vegan a try.  It is healthful and even economical because vegetables are less expensive than meat.  Let me give it a try so see if I can do it.  See how much healtier and happier I will be and if it does not work out just tell me and I will change back to a regular diet?  ..........really thank you....I love you....you will not regret it.... etc  but be prepared to gracefully accept it if she says NO.  Good luck

let me know how it turns out.  (e mail at don c)

Answer 6

just compose a diet that will still be healthy for yourself, make sure to include vitamin B and iron pills to substitute for meat, and show it to her, show her your serious about it and you know what your talking about! parents love seeing a plan,

Answer 7

Grace, you are so wrongg!!! i've been a vegetarian since i was three and im 11 now and i wouldnt become a vegetarian unless you are 100% detacated to it! Get tufo at trader joes, whole foods and at your local supermarkets! they sell regular TUFO and products to tase like meat. morning star farms is FABULOUS!! lol they have everythingg and it tastes soo real! some tips on asking your mom, making a list fabulous idea!  =] and also just one day sit her down and say, Mom do you think you would let me try to be a vegetarian and if she tells you its unhealthy tell her to reserch it or ask your doctor. if you need any more help e-mail me: [e-mail]

Answer 8

You sound a lot like me. I had the exact same problem. We are a farm family and she believed that not eating meat was against my family.

First off, I did my research. I took out books, talked to vegetarians and used the internet. I wrote a list of reasons (just like you :P) why vegetarianism was the way to go, then I wrote a pros-cons list. I also wrote things that I would constantly need to think about (like gelatin, and getting my protien).

Second, I chose the perfect time to talk to her. Don't talk to her after work or right when she wakes up. Late at night or when she's kind of cranky won't work either. I waited until Saturday, at lunch, and then we sat on the deck and talked. Suprisingly, she was great about it! She said that although she will continue to eat meat, she will support me! Wow! That was easy!

Third, so maybe for you it won't be that easy. She might say no. Don't pester her. Tell her why you want to and say you want her to be supportive. If she says not to bring it up again, wait a few days.

Fourth, she refuses to let you be vegetarian, you can always refuse to eat meat. I wouldn't recommend this but... Yeah.

Bringing up the topic. If you say "Mom, we need to talk" she will most-likely think it will be a talk about s*x or alcohol/drugs, so when you say vegetarianism it will seem like a tiny topic.

Tell her that it means alot to you. It did to me. If you need anymore help or ideas, just email me! Good luck!

Edit : I forgot! Email me when you tell her!

Answer 9

I advise you not to go vegetarian, my sister didn't eat steak for two months because she said she wouldnt eat meat, and she says they were the worst two months of her life! God put animals on the Earth for us to eat them, so why not enjoy them?

Answer 10

Well you dont have to get her pemision just dont eat it.  And for tofu its just at the grochrey store but like there are good veggie and bean burgers out there

Answer 11

-okay, so you can get tofu at any supermarket in the produce section

-it's up to... you want to do your mother can't stop you

my parents were against it and i started making my own dinners and walking 1 mile to the supermarket to get my food and just stop eating meat

Answer 12

~You need to try to surround yourself with vegetarian and vegan friends so they can help you with your transition and answer all your questions first hand

~Go shop at health food places and farmers markets and ask the people working there your questions they tend to be knowledgeable about the products

~Get advice from your doctor or a professional in like a dietitian or a nutritionist

some sites:

allveggielinks.com

veggielinks.com

goveg.com

vegweb.com

vegconnect.com

veggieconnection.com

www.ecomall.com/eat.htm

vegetarian books:

1. 15-minute vegetarian : 200 quick, easy, and delicious recipes the whole family will love / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay.

2.

Amber waves of grain : traditional American whole foods cooking & contemporary vegetarian, vegan & macrobiotic cuisine / Alex and Gale Jack ; foreword by Michio and Aveline Kushi ; illustrations by Rod House.

3.

American wholefoods cuisine : 1300 meatless wholesome recipes from short order to gourmet / Nikki & David Goldbeck ; preface by Barbara Haber.

4.

A beautiful bowl of soup : the best vegetarian recipes / by Paulette Mitchell ; photographs by William Meppem.

5.

The best of Lord Krishna's cuisine : favorite recipes from The art of Indian vegetarian cooking / Yamuna Devi.

6.

The best vegetarian recipes : from greens to grains, from soups to salads : 200 bold-flavored recipes / Martha Rose Shullman.

7.

Betty Crocker easy everyday vegetarian : meatless main dishes you'll love!

8.

The big book of vegetarian : more than 225 recipes for breakfasts, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, main dishes, sides, breads, and desserts / by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley.

9.

Cafe Flora cookbook / Catherine Geier with Carol Brown.

10.

Carb-conscious vegetarian : 150 delicious recipes for a healthy lifestyle / Robin Robertson.

11.

Classic vegetarian cooking from the Middle East & North Africa / Habeeb Salloum.

12.

Compassionate cuisine : gourmet vegetarian recipes & the philosophy and culture of caring / Vrnda Devi.

13.

The complete book of vegetarian grilling : over 150 easy and tasty recipes you can grill indoors and out / Susann Geiskopf-Hadler.

14.

The complete idiot's guide to being vegetarian / by Frankie Avalon Wolfe.

15.

Complete vegetarian cookbook / Charmaine Solomon.

16.

The complete vegetarian handbook : recipes & techniques for preparing delicious, healthful cuisine / by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley ; illustrations by David Pollard.

17.

The contented vegetarian / Matthew Drennan and Annie Nichols.

18.

Cook 1.0 : a fresh approach to the vegetarian kitchen : breakfast, lunch + dinner / Heidi Swanson ; foreword by Art Smith. (

19.

Cooking the Cuban way : culturally authentic foods, including low-fat and vegetarian recipes / by Alison Behnke and Victor Manuel Valens.

20.

Cooking the Vietnamese way : to include new low-fat and vegetarian recipes / Chi Nguyen and Judy Monroe.

21.

The enlightened kitchen : fresh vegetable dishes from the temples of Japan / Mari Fujii ; photographs by Tae Hamamura ; translation by Richard Jeffery.

22.

Entertaining for a veggie planet : 250 down-to-earth recipes / Didi Emmons.

23.

Ethical markets : growing the green economy / Hazel Henderson with Simran Sethi ; foreword by Hunter Lovins.

24.

The ethnic vegetarian : traditional and modern recipes from Africa, America, and the Caribbean / Angela Shelf Medearis, author of Ideas for Entertaining from the African-American Kitchen.

25.

Everyday Greens : home cooking from Greens, the celebrated vegetarian restaurant / by Annie Somerville.

26.

The flexitarian table : inspired, flexible meals for vegetarians, meat lovers, and everyone in between / Peter Berley, with Zoe Singer ; photographs by Quentin Bacon.

27.

Fresh food fast : delicious, seasonal vegetarian meals in under an hour / Peter Berley and Melissa Clark.

28.

The gluten-free vegetarian kitchen : delicious and nutritious wheat-free, gluten-free dishes / Donna Klein.

29.

The healthy hedonist holidays : a year of multicultural, vegetarian-friendly holiday feasts / Myra Kornfeld ; illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka.

30.

Hope's edge : the next diet for a small planet / Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe.

31.

How to cook everything vegetarian : simple meatless recipes for great food / Mark Bittman ; illustrations by Alan Witschonke.

32.

How to cook everything. Vegetarian cooking / Mark Bittman ; illustrations by Alan Witschonke.

33.

India's vegetarian cookery / Monisha Bharadwaj ; photography of India by Jenner Zimmermann ; food photography by Will Heap.

34.

Living among meat eaters : the vegetarian's survival handbook / Carol J. Adams.

35.

Living in the raw gourmet / Rose Lee Calabro.

36.

Low-carb vegetarian / Margo DeMello.

37.

Low-carb vegetarian cooking : 150 entrees to make low-carb vegetarian cooking easy and fun / Sue Spitler with Linda R. Yoakam.

38.

Mediterranean harvest : vegetarian recipes from the world's healthiest cuisine / Martha Rose Shulman.

39.

Mediterranean vegetarian cooking / Paola Gavin.

40.

New vegetarian cooking : 120 fast, fresh, and fabulous recipes / Rose Elliot.

41.

One-dish vegetarian meals : 150 easy, wholesome, and delicious soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, pastas, rice dishes, chilis, and more / Robin Robertson.

42.

Passionate vegetarian / by Crescent Dragonwagon ; illustrated by Robbin Gourley.

43.

The PDQ (pretty darn quick) vegetarian cookbook : 240 healthy and easy no-prep recipes for busy cooks / Donna Klein.

44.

Quick-fix vegetarian / Robin Robertson.

45.

The Real Food Daily cookbook : really fresh, really good, really vegetarian / Ann Gentry with Anthony Head.

46.

Regina's international vegetarian favorites / Regina Campbell.

47.

Silk road cooking : a vegetarian journey / Najmieh Batmanglij.

48.

Twelve months of monastery salads : 200 divine recipes for all seasons / Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette.

49.

Vegetable soups from Deborah Madison's kitchen / Deborah Madison.

50.

Vegetarian / recipes, Dana Jacobi ; general editor, Chuck Williams ; photography, Bill Bettencourt.

51.

The vegetarian bible / Sarah Brown.

52.

Vegetarian cooking for beginners / Fiona Watt ; illustrated by Kim Lane ; photography by Howard Allman ; recipes by Catherine Atkinson.

53.

Vegetarian cooking for dummies / by Suzanne Havala.

54.

Vegetarian cooking for everyone / Deborah Madison ; [photographs by Laurie Smith ; illustrations by Catherine Kirkwood].

55.

The vegetarian family cookbook / written and illustrated by Nava Atlas.

56.

The vegetarian meat and potatoes cookbook / Robin Robertson.

57.

Vegetarian recipes from around the world / by Sue Townsend and Caroline Young.

58.

Vegetarian sandwiches : fresh fillings for slices, pockets, wraps, and rolls / by Paulette Mitchell ; photographs by Ondine Vierra.

59.

Vegetarian suppers from Deborah Madison's kitchen / Deborah Madison.

60.

Vegetarianism and teens : a hot issue / Kathleen Winkler.

61.

The wild vegetarian cookbook : a forager's culinary guide (in the field or in the supermarket) to preparing and savoring wild (and not so wild) natural foods, with more than 500 recipes / "Wildman" Steve Brill ; foreword by Arthur Schwartz.

62.

A year in a vegetarian kitchen : easy seasonal suppers for family and friends / Jack Bishop ; photographs by Richard Jung

63.

Yoga kitchen : recipes from the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat / Faith Stone and Rachael Guidry..

64.

You don't need meat / Peter Cox.

Answer 13

First, know the reason you want to change.  That way she won't think it's just a fad.

Second, educate yourself.  What do you need to eat to get the proper nutrition?  

Third, let her know how it will benefit you in every way: emotionally, bodily, etc.

If you are well prepared, know what you're getting into and why, she will be more likely to listen to you.

Good luck.

Answer 14

I think you should consider the reasons your mom would not want you to become vegetarian and then counteract them with answers that would convince her that you can do it.

A couple things to consider, if you are asking your mom to prepare your meals or purchase things that she normally would not purchase, you need to consider her time and food budget. You asked about tofu, and while it is pretty easy to find, if your mom does not usually buy it, she might consider it to be expensive and a waste of money. That said, there are a lot of basic foods that are not expensive that will provide you with all of the nutrients you need. Rice and beans are very healthy and packed with protein and fiber. They are also very inexpensive. Lentils are cheap, cook quickly and easily and are also a great source of nutrients.

If you eat eggs and milk, it will be even easier.

You should read some articles online and check the library for books on nutrition. Arm yourself with recipes that have breakdown of the nutrients and calories. You can even compare these to other recipes of foods your mom normally eats. If you are willing to help out and cook your own meals, and prove to her that you have considered all aspects, she might be more willing to let you do this. She might even try some of your recipes herself.

Answer 15

You can buy tofu in the supermarket. It is usually in the chilled section - often near where the other cold foods like cheese, packaged garlic bread, dips etc are. You will also see lots of other vegetarian foods nearby like vegie burgers and meat replacements.

If you dont like tofu, thats ok. There are plenty of other alternatives (like sausages without meat in them).

When I became vegetarian I basically just said Mum I am becoming a vegetarian. and that was it. Just show her some movies on the peta.org website or something so she can vaguely understand where youre coming from.

Also make it clear that you won't be expecting her to cook a separate meal for you every night.

If you want to become vegetarian you have to take some responsibility and can't go and expect everyone do go out of their way every day to make you separate meals.

I cook for myself most nights - it's really easy. I'm in my second last year of school and it is getting serious but I still find time to make my dinner.

If i'm in a rush I get Mum to buy me these vegetarian lentil curries that come in a packet - all you have to do is put them in a bowl and heat them in the microwave.

Hope this gives you a bit of help, feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

Answer 16

How old are you? If you have not achieved your full growth, you run the risk of not attaining your full growth potential. And you have to think of the chances of getting osteoporosis in your late middle age. (Yeah, I know - that's so far away it will never happen.)

As for tofu, you should try it. I doubt you will dislike it, since it is quite bland. Tofu is available in many food markets, and tofu-based dishes are available at Chinese and Japanese restaurants. I rather like miso soup for breakfast, myself.