Why will my mum not let me be a vegetarian?

Question

is there something wrong with being a vegetarian?

i just told her that i wanted to be one and she just flipped out and i was like wtf? whats wrong with not wanting to eat meat? =[

Answer 1

I don't know, but my mother is the same. I just told her yesterday, and she flipped at me and said "NO YOU ARE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN SO EAT YOUR MEAT."

I told her, I didn't want to eat, Chicken, Beef, Lamb, anything with meat anyway. She didn't approve. I felt sad. Best thing to do, is don't eat the meat she gives you.

My mum thought I was copying someone when I ain't, I didn't like the fact that we eat and kill animals.

Answer 2

She doesn't want to go out of her way to cook for you and she obviously doesn't know much about heath foods and stuff.

Answer 3

Your Mum's probably worried that you will miss out on protein and other benefits from meat. But you get all of these in beans (soya etc), tofu, soya substitutes. So you'll be fine. Tell your Mum you'll help out with cooking and/or preparation too, so it won't be an extra burden on her too.

Veggies can be much healthier that meat eaters if they don't change meat for junk and eat tofu, beans, etc.

Tell your Mum this, and hopefully she'll come round.

=]

Answer 4

Your mum probably doesn't understand that you can be a veggie and be as healthy as someone who eats meat and fish. Have a look at the Vegetarian Society's website for stuff about how to replace meat and fish with healthy, veggie alternatives like Quorn, soya, nuts, pulses and stuff. There's info about how to tell your parents and what you and they need to know about a vegetarian diet. Here's the website  

http://www.youngveggie.org/

Good luck!

Answer 5

Well saying wtf to your mom didn't help much. I'd suggest you do your homework by borrowing some books form your library and getting a couple vegetarian cookbooks. I've been a vegetarian for 30 years, but it worries me when I see teens on this forum turning veggie without doing their research first. This site is helpful, but a lot of the information found her is missleading or wrong. If you mom still will not let you, after you have done your research, you could get another adult involved like your school nurse or guidence counselor.

Answer 6

There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian. It's a good thing. By saying you wish to be one shows you are thinking about where your food is coming from, and vegetarian's are more intelligent than meat-eaters (some research has shown). You do have to consider that this will make your eating awkward if you life with meat-eaters, and from your mum's point of view this can be annoying. Talk to her about it and offer to cook your own meals. Also make sure she understands your reasons, talk it out.  

Answer 7

Nothing. She shouldnt be so small minded.

Answer 8

Hello there, sorry to hear you're having problems. Most veg*ns are faced with similar predicaments. The older generation are far more comformative than our generation, I think, and will flip out about things without thinking very much. Don't think badly of them, they're trying to be good parents, they've just got the wrong ideas and were taught to react like that by their own parents, that's the way of life, unfortunately.

What I can tell you for sure is that there is nothing necessarily wrong with a vegetarian or a vegan diet. Provided you take a little care, you shouldn't be deficient of any nutrients. There's lots of information out there on the internet; I'd recommend the Vegan Society's pages on nutrition as a good start.

Here's the link for convenience:

http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutriti...

Oh, just a little personal input. My mother is obese with high blood pressure. She doesn't work because her leg has got into such bad health, influenced largely by her poor eating habits, alcoholism and sedentary lifestyle. She doesn't even read the labels on the food she buys, but as soon as I go vegan she flips "I'm seriously concerned about your health", "Are you eating enough?" etc. etc. It's hard not to get annoyed! So I'd like to think I understand how it can be.

I hope this helps!

Tim

Answer 9

It's a big lifestyle change. I got the same reaction from my dad, and sometimes he still forgets or makes fun of me. The big stereotype is that all vegetarians are skinny, pale, and unhealthy. This couldn't be more wrong. I'm tan, 5'3", and 120lbs. My hair is shinier, my energy is high, and I just feel so much better.

So to answer your question, there is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, as long as you eat right. I would suggest going to the bookstore or library, checking out a book called "Vegetables Rock!", and reading it. Then give it to your mom to read. It answers a lot of questions, gives a bunch of great recipes, and its one of the most helpful things I ever read.

She may be concerned about having to cook two different meals. I would start cooking for yourself most nights, or, when you have some time on the weekends, make a batch of soup, pasta sauce, or bake a few potatoes to have for the rest of the week, so you don't have to cook every day.

Good luck with it! I hope your mom agrees!

Answer 10

She's probably concerned about a couple of things.

The first is ensuring you are getting proper nutrition. A vegetarian diet can be healthy, especially if you continue to eat eggs and dairy. However, all too often people don't know what they really need and end up eating a lot of junk. It is easy for a vegetarian doet to be deficient. Vegan diets are even harder to balance.

Meat and animal fats are the most efficient and effective way of delivering nutrients to the human body. It is the diet humans evolved to eat despite claims to the contrary. Whether a heavy meat diet is sustainable worldwide is another question altogether.

Another reason may be concern that your vegetarianism may be a cover for an eating disorder - either anorexia or orthorexia. It seems to happen a lot.

If I were to go vegetarian, I would make sure I did a lot of research into nutrition and what foods I'd need to eat to stay healthy. Some foods, like soy and other legumes, should be avoided altogether, as should beached flour and sugar. Eat whole grains instead.

Personally I'd stick with meat, at least until I was old enough to strike out on my own. Organic, grass fed meat is probably one of the healthiest things you can eat.  

Answer 11

You have to ask your mom why the idea of you going vegetarian bothers her so much.  At the age of 15, you should be able to help with the cooking.  If she can cook vegetarian sides, you can cook your mock meat or tofu while she makes meat for the rest of the family.

There are also a lot of misconceptions about a vegetarian diet, but many health experts, such as the American Dietetic Association state that well-planned vegetarian diets are perfectly healthy.  Check out www.vrg.org, and it will lay the protein and iron myths to rest.  Google "vegetarian starter guide" to find an organization that can send a guide to your home.

Do your research.  Show her that vegetarianism is perfectly healthy.  Offer to help cook.  Heck, cook a vegetarian meal once or twice a week for the family.  If you can get any work, use the money you earn from that to help pay for the analogues you'll be getting.  If you buy store-brand tofu, it's pretty inexpensive.  One block of tofu lasts me about three meals.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be vegetarian.  And you don't need milk or eggs to be healthy either.

Answer 12

She's your mother and naturally concerned with your health and well-being.  For starters, deciding to alter the diet you've been accustomed to for all of your life up till this point is a major decision, and one that naturally should come from an informed decision.  I'm assuming that your mother is either A) unsure about how much you've looked into this or B) worried that you're doing this for someone else (I do know a lot of people who switch back and forth based on who they're with...pretty loony if you ask me).  

Also, you don't mention your age.  I feel that younger people should have a well-balanced diet of meat and vegetables.  Typically, they're more inclined to just stop eating meat, which is by definition a vegetarian, but you have to keep in mind that those vitamins, minerals, nutrients and fats need to be replaced somehow, and that's where an informed decision comes into play.  Just flat out not eating meat anymore isn't all that healthy of an option if you're not going to follow through and provide your body with what it needs to function properly.      

Do your homework and find out what it is you'll be missing by not eating meat, and what it is you'll need to do.  Also, consider just not eating it often.  I'm not a huge fan of a lot of meats, especially because it can taste like c**p when someone messes it up.  When I do know that I'll be getting good quality steaks for example, I'll get a big one and enjoy every last bit...but it's not that often.  I also replace what I'm missing by not getting a steak, i.e. iron, protein and saturated fats with other foods.  

Make sure you share all of this with your mother and let her air her worries with you.  There's no sense in doing it if everyone's just going to be mad at eachother, but if you can share an understanding, perhaps she'll help you out, and keep you staying healthy.  

Answer 13

Nothing wrong with being a veggie...BUT you do not say how old you are - despite the protestations from the veggie brigade that will no doubt follow....you do need meat - that is why we have incisor teeth - to rip the juicy steak to pieces.

That aside - if you are young - you will not get enough from the veggies -

Look around you at how many of the veggie brigade are like sticks on legs - they look awful.

And if you are to become veggie - are you telling me that you won't eat crisps, sweets, cheese and so on - all have animal products in them

Added - I see the veggie burger brigade are out in force with their thumbs downs - OK veggie brigade - answer this one - How come, nutrtionists, as recently as yesterday on TV, were discussing diet - these are real experts and NOT ONE of them promoted an all veggie diet - each one had meat as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Are they all wrong???  Respond please

Answer 14

say you will cook for yourself and she probably wont flip as much. she probably doesnt want to have to make you special food.  

Answer 15

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 16

She probably just can't face the prospect of preparing separate meals for you and the rest of the family.

This is where you need to show maturity, learn about vegetarian food, prepare and cook it yourself, eat it, enjoy it, and then cook for your family too, to show your mum it's not going to be a big struggle for her.

Answer 17

She is concerned about your health.  There are a lot of vegetarians who do not eat properly.  They think I'll just eat veggies and all is well, but it is not that simple.  You need to do your research and find that you will have to eat things to ensure your body had proper supplies to run.  Get all your facts straight and then approach your mom again with facts and a plan of how you wish to proceed safely in taking on this lifestyle.  Your Mom is there to protect you, even if that means to protect you from yourself.  Love her for that.  Try to understand that.  It is her job.

Answer 18

Your mum wants you to eat properly until such times as your body has grown sufficiently NOT to be affected by the lack of certain things in a veggie-type diet.

Answer 19

She'll probably be worried about you not getting the right nutrition if you give up meat and also that it will be a hassle for her when she's having to cook 2 seperate meals.  She may also think it's a fad and you're being 'silly'.  Try sitting down with her and explain that it's important to you and that you'll help out with the cooking and the shopping.  It's got so much easier to be a vege these days and if you're determined to go for it she'll probably be surprised how little hassle it takes to incorporate your diet into what she prepares for the rest of the family.

Answer 20

http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/c...

Answer 21

Two things.

If your mum does all the cooking it means that she will have to cook two meals, one for you and one for everyone else.

The other is that a lot of anorexics claim to be vegetarian to avoid eating with other people.

Talk to her reasonably and plan a nutritious eating plan to show her you want to do this.  

Answer 22

Your mum just wants you to be like her.