Thursday, 01 January 2009
-
Parents Don't Believe I'm a Vegetarian
Guest blog by MyLifeAsABoringBookworm
So, I have recently decided to become a vegetarian because 1) I don't really like meat and 2) because of the crappy conditions animals are forced to live in.
Even though I don't eat meat, I am finding it hard to not eat it because it is a part of my everyday life.
Every night my family eats meat and a potato or pasta product (my dad hates most vegetables and fruits, he only eats potatoes), and that's it. It truly disgusts me.
So why is it so hard to not eat meat? Probably because everyone is mocking me for becoming a vegetarian.
They think I’m going to quit, and that the whole thing is stupid to begin with. Plus there’s the whole thing family eating situation.
My parents have always been the Co-Presidents of the clean plate club, so they get extremely pissed when I don’t eat what they make for me.
So I don't know what to do. I really want to do this (be a vegetarian), but I have no one supporting me.
What should I do next? How do I get my parents to see that I am serious about being a vegetarian? Have you ever been through such a scenario? What did you do?
-
recommend
- recs 1
-
share
-
email
- sent 0
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to healthkicker's Healthkicker Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in healthkicker's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: MyLifeAsABoringBookworm@xanga
- Name: Liz
- About Me: Hey, my name is Liz, and i am about the most boring person you could ever meet. My day normally consists of the following- Get up, go to school, come home, do homework, read, go to bed, repeat. And the weekend is not much better- i don't go to friend's houses, i don't have them come here, i just sit here and read and watch tv and go on the computer. Sounds fun, right? Well, i know it's not true, and my feelings won't be hurt if you think i am so boring that i am bad for your health, and my pride will not be shot down if you block me and never visit my site again. but i didn't really make this as a popularity contest. i get enough of that at school. i made this site so i could write about my feelings, and get them out into the world.
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 1 Views: 0 2525 Comments: 0 69 View all posts by MyLifeAsABoringBookworm@xanga
Comments (71)
i had the same situation but no matter what anyone said or cooked for me i would not eat meat..if they made meat for supper which they usually do i jsut ate the veggies or made myself a salad..now they just accept it and are used to it..don't give up even if your parents get mad if you dont eat everything they make for you...what can they really do to you if you don't clean your plate...if it is really important to you, you shouldnt back down...good luck
I used to be a vegetarian and I was one for about three years.
At first, my parents didn't believe me and they thought I couldn't do it either..
But after a couple weeks of me not eating meet, they started to get the idea.
In my case, it just helped to give my parents time to see that I wasn't going to give up.
Ugh, I know the feeling. I'm not even a vegetarian and my mom refuses to believe I don't eat red meat. First of all, I LOVE pigs-- they are my favorite animal. Second of all, I dont really like beef. But my mom's always like "you like beef stew--right?" i'm like NO!
And they eat meat every night. And she gets pissed at me when I dont eat with the family what they eat.
I was in almost the same exact situation as you about a year ago. After going through a pretty big weight loss a few years ago, my parents were always saying that I didn't eat enough and were worried about my nutrition. They even accused me once of having an eating disorder! So when I decided last year to become a vegetarian, I knew they would flip and would not understand me.
When I told them, they didn't like it, but after a while they got over it. Now it's a part of me, and they accept that =) I'll admit that it is sometimes hard being a 15 year old vegetarian girl living with a family of meat eaters, but it becomes routine, just like everything else!
Make sure this is something that you really want to do. If it really is, then you'll stick to it. Pretty soon, everyone will get used to it - your parents included.
Jeez. I didn't realize I just wrote a novel here :| Ahaha sorry! But good luck to you :]
I'm sorry you are living in that kind of situation. In your case, you are just going to have to find support outside of your family. There are message boards and blogs, loads of great stuff out there. (Message me if you want to know some of my favorite sites.) Don't worry about their comments. If being vegetarian is important to you then just hold onto that. You may have to tell them that them blowing off your lifestyle choice is extremely disrespectful.Calling them on it may get them to quit.
You need to take it upon yourself to cook your own meals. In my house (my husband, myself and my kids) we often make what I consider "base meals" stuff that I eat as a vegan and my husband can add meat to his after I get what the kids and I get what we want. Some times we make completely separate meals. It is possible to make it work with both diet choices.
Some possibilities is to ask to take over on cooking dinner for the family one night a week. And you may just have to tell your parents "Hey I'll take care of myself" and cook for yourself on the other nights. Look up some easy and simple vegetarian recipes (allrecipes.com is a good start). Write up a small grocery list for yourself to send with whoever does the shopping. Maybe your food will look so good they will want to try it.
It's great you are making this decision. It is hard sometimes but it is worth it.
I have had the same problem. Really, it's their loss, some people are ignorant even to not even accept someone else's choices. Especially older people who are set in their ways (my grandmother) or rival siblings (my brother who still 'offers' me meat)
Anyway, to get them to accept this, continue to be a vegetarian. If they raise conflict tell them you can get them some things to read if they're interested, and if they're not, to just respect your decision. You can also start bringing your own food alternatives or start bringing new recipes in - they may love it if you trick them into trying it ;) (even if they don't admit it)
I am now a vegetarian/almsot vegan and have been for over a year now and intend on staying that way. My first try, I was too young to be persistent through the harassment, but also didn't have the strong basis for reason that I do now. I don't know how old you are, but maybe you can read/watch more convincing material (the book Skinny Bitch did it for me!). Anyway, I wish you strength in this. Stick with it and you will be glad!
OMG. ME TOO!
I watched these videos on the PETA websites and well, i felt bad for eating meat. So i decided to become a vegetarian. Cept my parents started getting pissed off an yelled at me and basically they wouldnt shut up about how stupid i am -_-
So now i try to limit the meat i eat.
It eventually gets easier, I promise! its been almost a year for me and I think my parents are FINALLY getting it.
The first few months are the hardest. The temptation is always there.
But be strong and if your parents won't buy you veggies, buy a bag of frozen ones and cook them yourself. You have to show them you are serious
I'm a vegan and my parents hate it. So, when I come home I buy my own groceries and make my own food. If you're too young to drive to the store or afford your own food (you never said an age, but you live with parents so I guess high school), make a shopping list and ask your mom to get you those things. Or, go to the store with her. You can walk with her and find alternatives for what she buys. She buys things to make hamburgers, you buy veggie burgers. She gets things to make beef stew, you buy a can of veggie chilli. If nothing else, write a list that includes veggie burgers, veggie chilli (I think hormel makes a good one) and some chik'n nuggets (morningstar). those are all things you can make easily on your own while your mom makes family dinner, and then sit with them and eat a different meal.
Also, suggest things to your mom that you could eat as well. Tacos, quesidillas, or home-made pizza (buy pre-made crust and toppings for everyone) are all things you can make your serving vegitarian for. If you stick to it for a few months, they are bound to see that you're serious. I'm sure your mom will come around, and begin buying things you think you'll like.
Oh, another idea is to go to the store and buy some fake meat product and make your family dinner including it, but not telling them it's fake until after they eat it. Maybe then they won't think you're crazy!
It's very hard to become a vegetarian while living with, and being dependant on, non-vegetarians, I think. Maybe you could take responsibility for at least one meal a week, and make a vegetarian meal for everyone to eat? I think that it's an awesome way to get your family involved and to physically see and eat what's important to you. If you really believe in this, and strongly, then you need to stick to your guns.
...On that note, though, don't be rude to your family about it--it's just a warning, I'm not saying that you are...but if you're just strong and Idk, decent about it, it should get through eventually. Rudeness will only make it harder! Good luck! C:
I had the same problem with my family. I ended up having to wait until I moved out of the house and lived on my own to be able to truly become a vegetarian.
I went through this scenario and I eventually gave up. Maybe you'll be stronger than I!
That was so hard for me. When I was a teenager I was a vegetarian for about a year...then I threw my ethics away and went back to being a carnivore. My mom supported me because she is a vegetarian. However, my brother and my dad declared it a fad and said it would never happen, I would never stick to it. This was when I was about eighteen. I moved out and lived with some supportive friends who went out of their way to make sure that I had veg alternatives in the house.
I think the problem with meat is that we are all so accustomed to it. I know that speaking as an adult vegetables are outrageously expensive. It would be so much cheaper for me to buy a couple pounds of hamburger and some boxes of hamburger helper rather than to stock up on vegetarian alternatives.
If you really want to do this, you have to stick to your guns. Let them know you're not going to cave and believe in yourself. When you're living at home, it's hard to get support from your family on things they deem as unusual. If you deviate from the norm in religion or dietary ideas then you're bound to encounter problems. I had a friend that was successful in defeating her families ideals though and is now vegetarian bordering on vegan. It's all about developing your own personal identity.
Personal identity could be another problem your parents are having. It's hard to see a child grow up. When "children" start making independent decisions and asserting themselves as different from the family, it can be hard for a parent to take.
If you really believe in this, you'll be fine and I'm sure you will find plenty of support from your friends on and off line.
could just say your going on a diet and.. only want to eat veg?
I would find some documentaries and books on the conditions animals are kept in and show them to your parents. "Fast food nation" is a long read, but bookmark the chapters on cattle conditions. Those are sure to disgust even the least squemish parent.
Good luck, and take your supplements. Don't forget to sample new veggies often so that you can keep your diet diverse.
I was in your EXACT situation. Except my parents were a little more willing to help me adapt. Really, all you need to do is offer to cook maybe 2 or 3 meals a night. Look for recipes on the internet, or buy a cookbook and show them you're willing to dedicate. I make almost all of my meals and I'm only 16. You're doing something great for the planet, and you just need to keep setting an example. Good luck!
my mom is constantly worried about my protein & iron intake because I don't eat meat. I had a hard time convincing her & my friends that I was serious about being a vegetarian about 5 years ago. How I dealt with all that is by sticking it out. Everything works out in time I think. So if they don't believe you now, just wait until 2 or 3 years from now. If you're still a vegetarian then they're just wrong & that's always nice. K, so good luck cuz its not easy at first.
Look online for your local vegetarian organizations. They offer great support and are very helpful with all sorts of stuff. Plus they organize fun events of all ages. For instance, I have the Boston Vegetarian Society and the Boston Vegan Association and there are many more local groups here.
Good luck!
I went through the exact same thing (im vegetarian too)! Its tough and your parents do get mad. But if you show them your not messing around their gonna have to accept your way of life. I choose out my own food when we go shopping or i write out a list for my mum then i cook it myself. I hope i helped. xxx
Offering your family a great fake-meat dish is a great idea. (Not sure about tricking them though...) I was vegetarian for a few years as a teenager (then quit because of health issues) and my mom, a not-so-great-cook, struggled to feed me. She was very supportive and tried her hardest though. One day, she fed me vegetarian mutton curry. It was so delicious I thought she had lied and fed me real mutton. I got mad until she showed me the vego mutton packaging and explained that someone taught her to make the dish.
So, find a great recipe, and cook your family a nice vegetarian dish. They will be pleasantly surprised. You may even get them to adopt a day of the week as a no-meat day.
i started going vegetarian last year. like yours, my parents didn't believe me either and every time they offered me meat i refused. eventually they got so frustrated trying to get me to eat meat and they stopped bugging me about it :)
u should find some blogs or videos so on to support ur stand ... then maybe after that they would let u continue be a vegetarian... or u ignore their bugging , then after some time they would stop asking u to eat meat any more perhaps.
My family eats very much the same way as yours. Try offering to cook with your mom, adding more veg-friendly and healthy sides, so your dad can have his meat and potatoes and you can have your potatoes, beans, and salad.