I want to go vegan but I have no clue how to tell my parents nor where to start. Any tips?

Question

I watched a video about how different animals are treated before they are slaughtered and I was in tears. I'm thinking about becoming a vegan. But my mom always dismisses any ideas she thinks are "ridiculous." How can I bring up the idea of me going vegan to them? I'm 14 and I think I can make my own decisions on what I want to eat.

Also, what is the difference between vegan and vegetarian? Vegan means no animal products at all right? I have no problem with soy milk or tofu. But will my parents buy extra food for me? I love organic food anyway. It's much healthier, but I know it is a little more expensive. Anemia runs in my family, so my parents have always been big fans of steak - my sister loves it! (She's only 11 though, so she wouldn't really care, nor understand where I'm coming from.) I can live without all of these things.

What are some foods that replace non-vegan foods but still have nutrition? Would I still be able to eat fish? Because I always eat sushi. It's one of my favorite things. I would like a list of things I can or can't eat. And possibly a few websites for beginners or one with recipes or products.

Answer 1

First, to become vegan you have to get rid of everything derived from animals. This is impossible for many people, and you are one of those. Don't worry.

I think you should tell your parents you wanna eat foods with more vegetables in them, and less meat. Just because you're interested in veggies and want to eat more of them. Don't cut off meat cold turkey, you'll regret it. So, start small.

Vegans eat nothing that is derived from animals (no meat but also many things you think are find have animal fat or something that comes from animal parts).

http://www.vnv.org.au/site/index.php?opt...

That's just one of the sites I found with the ingredients to stay away from. I can't find the others.

No fish. They have feelings, they are alive and they struggle to survive. They are in pain when you catch them, you see them gasp for air!  

They probably won't buy extra food for you, so try to eat the things that are vegan that meat eaters also eat.

Here's a list:

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

Find some vegan recipes online and see if your parents are willing to make those for you. If not, you can always volunteer to learn to so it yourself. They'll probably help you, too.

Go grocery shopping with your parents and see if you can fins vegetarian meat. Then ask them to buy it for you because you want to try it. If you like it, there are many things you can make with that. I think you can create vegetarian/vegan dishes out of all the meat ones. But it's expensive so maybe if you get an allowance, use it to buy some of those foods.

Search online for "vegan food" or "vegan recipes" stuff like that and you'll get A LOT of information!

http://www.vegan-food.net has a lot of recipes.

(APPETIZERS, BEVERAGES, BREAKFAST, CAKE, ETC.)

Those sites should help enough but you can also do the search if you wish.

Answer 2

Vegetarians do not eat fish, shrimp or clams.

The only definitions worth repeating are from the founders of the words.

vegetarian - http://www.vegsoc.org/info/whatis.html

vegan - http://www.vegansociety.com/newsroom/ind...

If you can, find a skirt without wool. If you are required to wear a wool skirt try to find one that looks the same or just wear it if you have no other choice.

Bread, pasta, cereal, rice, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies can easily offer everything that you need except B12.

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

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

All vegetarians should take a B12 supplement regularly since most people eat meat, dairy AND fortified cereals yet still have a B12 status that is lower than recommended.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12

It may help you if you see proof that vegetarians have the same potential as anyone else.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sto...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.macdanzig.net/bio.php

http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php

If you need meat or dairy during any stage of your life or to live any certain lifestyle, why does the American Dietetic Association say otherwise?

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada...

Answer 3

First of all don't feel bad about the wool skirt if its a requirement. Fish is not vegan, but there is such a thing as vegan sushi- i love it! If your anemic take a supplement with iron. you can find good vegan supplements here: http://cosmosveganshoppe.com/  You can find all iron supplements- just make sure they're vegan- some pills aren't. here is a list of all animal by-products: http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-in...

I would strongly suggest you read the book Vegan Freak. It will help you a lot, even with how to deal with your parents. check out the author's website too: http://blog.veganfreak.com/  

There's this really great online vegan cooking show, it's called the Post Punk Kitchen. Here's the site: http://theppk.com/

There's tons of delicious recipes.

If your worried about the cost of vegan food there's a really great dvd  with a guy who shows you how to cook cheap vegan meals it's called The Hardcore Chef. He swears a lot, but he has really good recipes.

There are tons of sites that you will find along the way that will be helpful to you. And remember don't apologize to anyone about your decision, even if it's your parents.I don't know them, but If it's something you really care about and you do your research your parents should respect you. Maybe you could suggest that you could try it for a year, or maybe six months just to see how it goes.

I hope i helped!

Answer 4

First, you must give up all your clothes that have wool, silk or leather if you are going vegan. Vegans do not wear anything that came from a animal. Vegans do not eat eggs or anything with milk.  Vegetarians will wear leather but do not eat meat. There are some vegetarians that will eat fish and or chicken.   They do eat milk products. Eat peanut butter, beans, and lots of fresh veggies.  

Answer 5

Vegan and vegetarian mean no meat (that means no sushi), and vegan means no animal byproducts (that means no milk, cheese, eggs, etc...).

Animal products are far more prevalent than you might think. Chocolates, marshmallows, Jell-o and many other jellies have gelatin in them (ground animal bone). Many others have butter, eggs or milk in the recipe (see just about every bread and cake on the market).

Rather than sticking to a label, just eat what you think is right (so you can enjoy your sushi). You may need to a refer to a vegan website for information on how you can stay healthy without the protein and other substances from meats.

As for recipes, I'd recommend the source below. Searching "vegan" brings up more than 250 links.

Answer 6

What you wear and eat is entirely up to you.  Deciding that you want to make a difference, or that meat is in conflict with your ethics does NOT mean that you have to adhere to a list of demands or guidelines set down by someone else.  Do your own research, and make up your own mind.

If you find beef/pork/poultry repulsive but not fish, that's fine- eat fish.  You won't be a vegetarian, but that's just a label.

Being a vegetarian or vegan is about doing what you can.

For instance, there isn't much you can do about your uniform skirt, but if you have an ethical objection to wool (and I suspect that at the moment you do not) just avoid buying it in the future.

A website you may find helpful:

http://www.vegetarianteen.com/

Answer 7

Vegans and Vegetarians DO NOT EAT FISH.