Telling Parents I want to be a Veggie!

Hey guys.

For a while now I've been having this erge to become vegetarian. I love most vegetables and wholegrains and pretty much everything really. I do like my meat but it isn't overly important to me; especially if going veg is as good as all the vegetarians say it is!

So I want to make this pretty important change ..buuutt... I'm still 16(fem).. meaning my parents cook all of my meals still. My dads pretty big on his meat so it might be a little disapointing to him that I won't enjoy it anymore. It also throws out of whack what my parents cook for dinner you know? It's an inconvenience to them and the family. Btw parents are separated so I'm at dads most w/e and mums during the week...other siblings have moved out= dinner includes 2 ppl per night.

So what should I do? Do i just walk up to my mum, take a deep breath and blurt out "Iwannabeavegetarianmumisthatokwithyou?& quot;  ....do I offer to cook a couple of nights a week (warning:my mental cookbook contains 1 entry.... omlete.)

what to do, what to do

thanks in advance =] 

Perhaps you could talk to your mother about what you've read about vegetarianism and tell her you would like to see if it is as good as everyone says it is.  That way you ar enot just blurting this thing that, to them,may seem like an impulsive decision made by a teenager, and not something you have actually researched as a young person looking for a healthier lifestyle.  Say it in a non-threatening way that isn't like "I disagree with how you eat" but more like "I want to try some new things, and i'll even help make them".  There are a lot od side dishes your mom could make that would be both fo rthe omnivores and you as a new herbivore.  Are just talking vegetarian or completely vegan?  Cuz that one could get seriously tricker to make family friendly.  Red beans and rice is always tasty and the amino acids in the beans and rice combined make it a complete protien for you.  Hope this helps.  I have tried the veggie lifestyle, both reular and vegan, but am most happy personally as a omnivore who occasionally goes veg for a detox. 

You're old enough to make your own decisions, and this is one that can be argued is a healthy decision.  There's no need to ask permission.  Just walk up to your mom, whip out a picture of Thumper, and with big, sad, puppy-dog eyes tell her he says he doesn't like you eating all of his friends, so you'll choose to dine with him instead of on him.

when i decided to make the change like last year i just told my parents i had no desire to eat meat or support the meat industry and that i wanted to improve my overall help. i also offered to cook a few times a week to make it easier on them. if you present yourself maturely they'll see you're serious about making a change and they'll most likely listen to you.

I would just tell them, and offer to make meals a couple of nights a week. If your dad/mom insists on having meat at dinner, make a side dish that can be your whole meal.

I'm not vegetarian, but I don't eat any meat from mammals, so it throws my parents for a loop sometimes. What we do a lot is make chili, so my parents always set some aside for me that's meatless.

Don't worry, once you get started, it's pretty easy to work out.

I stopped eating meat when I was 15 and I basically kind of fell out of eating meat altogether. I told my parents I didn't like it anymore, and with a bit of fussing my mom decided that the easiest solution is to cook regular meals, but with meat on the side.

This means that when we have spaghetti for dinner, she heats up a can of tomato sauce for me and freezes any leftovers. She'll make meat sauce for the rest of the family.

If we have stir fry, my parents will cook the chicken last, and if someone wants chicken in it, they can just add.

And on nights where burgers are for dinner, my dad usually just cooks a veggi burger for me aswell.

It's really easy to substitute if your parents are willing! My sister has done the same recently and since I no longer live at home our parents follow the same routine for her. Not a big deal! 

Thanks everyone, you've been a big help =D

Next time I go shopping I'm going to buy a relatively cheap vegetarian cookbook or magazine and show my mum it when I maturely ask her about going vegetarian. It should be fine I think ;)

oh, you should go to half-price books if you have one, they have a whole section of vegetarian cookbooks with great recipes (:

I became a vegetarian at the same age.  My parents thought it was weird, and I got a lot of "Well, if you don't eat meat, what do you eat? Salad?" As though that is the only vegetarian food option.  If you don't want to burden your mum, maybe it is time to learn to cook.  You could start by just cooking your protien only and eating the rest of the meal that your family has prepared.  Amazon and ebay both have cookbooks for vegetarians.  One really good way to prepare tofu (or tempeh) is to cut Nigari Tofu into 1/2" (1-1.5 cm) slices, then marinate in 2 T. of Tamari (soy sauce) and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil.  You will need to gently stir the tofu once or twice to make sure it is all coated in the marinade.  Then heat a skillet over medium-high heat, spray some non-stick spray (like Pam), or put 1 T. of oil in the skillet.  Add the tofu when the skillet is heated up (the oil will be really runny).  Let the tofu cook until golden brown on each side, then serve it with whatever.  It is simple and delicious! 

Good luck!

Why not rent a few books from the library and copy the recipes?  Unless you really want the books, you know.  You can also bookmark various websites with vegetarian recipes.

I never really understood why people feel obligated to "ask" their parents. Not like talking down to you in any way or anything and I don't know how it is in your house, but babe its your body and you have the control over what goes in it. I've been a vegetarian since I was nine (and on and off vegan over the years) and no my parents were not thrilled, but were they going to starve me if I didn't eat the steak for dinner? (I guess they probably could have...) Maybe you are just a nicer person and concerned for your fathers feelings than I was haha.

But good idea with the cookbook and you'll just learn to eat a lot of sides. They can still make a meat dish for dinner and you can just whip up some mashed potatoes and a veggie side or even a bowl of cereal. Its so easy. It really does not affect your family's life in any way once you get the hang of it, you know? Your dad can just make one chicken cutlette instead of two...its really not that big of a difference. Good luck!