I am a vegetarian and I want to be a vegan?!
I am a vegetarian and I want to be a vegan?
Okay, I a 13 years old and I am a vegetarian but I want to be a vegan. My mom says I can't be a vegan until I move out because appantly they are already bending over backwards to accomodate my vegetarianism. I cook for myself a lot and have offered to pay for any special groceries that I need. My mom also thinks that I am to young to go vegan and that it wouldn't be healthy and that I worry about aniamls too much.
I really want to stop supporting the cruel meat and dairy industy, what should I do? Do you think I should just eat dairy, cheese, and eggs until I move out? Should I become a vegan? How?
Answers:
I think you are wise beyond your years! Try to explain to her that you find the dairy and egg industries to be as harmful as the meat industry and to continue eating those products would go against your morals. I know I would be proud to have a daughter that was so thoughtful and consistent in her beliefs.
Make sure you learn as much as you can about vegan health so she cannot insist that your health is in jeopardy. There are lots of vegan kids and they generally have a more healthful diet than an average teenager's diet.
If there is no way around it and she will not budge - try to eat animal products as infrequently as possible. If there are trace ingredients in your bread or cereal etc don't worry too much about it - but be sure to skip the obvious things.
Good Luck!
You need to find Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and steal her Ruby Slippers and put them on, so you can click your heels three times and say, Their's no person I want to be but a Vegan!No person I want to be but a Vegan! No person I want to be but a Vegan! {{{{{{{poof}}}}}}}
it isnt necessaryto go vegan for a few more years.. she is pretty much right. Healthwise you should stay vegetarian.
anyways
there are free range eggs and healthier cheeses (ommish etc) if you can get calcium elsewhere,,,,,,,milk is up to you but osteoporosis is a big deal in the long run. You can always save the extra money that you want to give your parents to buy extra organic products. Not having eggs or milk limits the bread products. not buying eggs and dairy doesnt hurt the cruel dairy and meat industry..... supporting organic and friendly options does. the larger demand we have for alternatives- the more those companies can help reshape our grocery stores and diets.
At 19 you can be in college and try to go all out... but for now you should do things in small steps. It will be easier when you are older... you can even plan college/job to be near a fresh market or something. Just get your folks to change one thing- the milk or the eggs... just one thing... your veggies... try organic .
even one of the one time vegans i knew went back to eating cheese and fish to balance things out.
plenty of us are almost vegetarian except for a little chicken (free range when possible)
You need some protein sometimes.
find some other causes...dont be an extremist. too much of anything isnt good. extremists are off putting. The circle of friends is limited.
I think you're lucky to have a mother that supports you as a vegetarian. She's right, she's wise. Listen to her. There's a lot you still need to learn and the world (and your health) will be fine until you grow up.
"I really want to stop supporting the cruel meat and dairy industy"
Get involved in the LEGAL political aspect of it. Educate yourself so you can loby if you choose and be a wise voter.
You just have to try and be as vegan as possible.Instead of having cow's milk with cereal have soymilk or rice milk with it.If something has eggs and milk in it,then you should eat,like if it is cornbread or something,but try and stay away from directly eating animal products,especially avoidable one's like having eggs for breakfast and putting cow's milk in your cereal,but if your famliy makes something that is vegetarian then you should eat it.I think you should try and compromise because it can be difficult on your parents,although I don't agree with her that you are too young to be a vegan.
You should listen to your mother... to an extent. If she cooks something that contains dairy ingredients, just eat it. However, you don't really have to drink milk or voluntarily eat cheese, yogurt, eggs, etc, if they aren't cooked into something else. Just skip them. Good luck!
I think your mom should not force meat or dairy down your throat, it will make for some negative feelings in the future. You should show her some videos about what happens to animals and show her how purchasing dairy products not only ties into supporting the killing of animals, but just how horrible dairy products really are for you. Maybe you could even change her mind about what she eats. You don't have to buy anything special, you can just leave out what you don't want to eat. There's no need to force anything down your throat. Also, if you decide to become vegan, be VERY careful with what you eat because you are very young and you really need your vitamins. Good luck girl and keep us all posted on what happens! Muah!