If you want to take vegetarianism seriously while you’re still living at home you’ll have to get your parents on your side. This does not mean turning them into vegetarians but rather allowing them to understand why you have made that decision. Some parents will be genuinely confused as to why a person would want to be a vegetarian, and many parents will have genuine fears about your health and nutrition. These are surprisingly common reactions!
It’s your job to help them to understand your decision to go veggie, and to ease their fears about a vegetarian diet. Here are some top tips on how to do it:
Before talking to your parents
Do your research! Learn all you can about vegetarianism. The fact that you are on The Vegetarian Society’s website shows that you are already well on your way! Study our frequently asked questions and take a good look around the rest of the website. Print any information you think is important. The more you know and understand about vegetarianism, the better-informed you’ll be. By being well-informed you are not only going to help your parents, you’ll be helping yourself. (Some people are impressed if famous people do the same thing as them, find famous vegetarians at The International Vegetarian Union Website - you never know, you might have some fun name-dropping famous veggies to your family and friends!)
Order The Vegetarian Society’s A Parent and Teenager Guide to Vegetarianism. This booklet was created just for teenagers and their parents! It is full of factual information about a healthy vegetarian diet, reasons why people go veggie, how family life will change once there is a veggie in the family… it even has recipes for you to try. Order a copy for yourself and your parents, or any of our other resources, by clicking here
Think about why you want to go veggie. There are many reasons why people choose to go veggie. It is important for you to be clear in your own mind why you are choosing to become a vegetarian. Think about what brought you to this decision. You may even want to write down your reasons. Did a friend’s vegetarianism get you thinking about the issues? Did you see something online, on television or in school that got you thinking about the issues surrounding meat consumption? Be very specific for yourself so you can be specific for your parents.
Discover all the food your family eats that is already vegetarian. Much of the food non-veggies eat on a day-to-day basis is already vegetarian. Think about the foods your family eats on a regular basis that are already veggie. Write them down! Also, think of ways that veggie substitutes can be put in place for those parts of the family meals that are not already veggie. Write those down, too! You may be surprised at how much of the family’s diet is already vegetarian.
Talking to your parents
Ask your parents to set aside some time to talk to you. Family life can be so busy these days that it can often be difficult to find time for a meaningful conversation. Don’t try telling your parents you would like to be a vegetarian while you’re sitting around watching television, or when there are other distractions present. Why not try asking them for some quality time in a quiet room without the radio or television on?
Share your research and reasons. You’ve done your research, you’ve thought about why you want to go veggie, now share it with your parents. Tell them calmly and rationally why you want to go veggie. You might be surprised with how much they already know but if they start to argue with you, stay calm! Ask them to hear you out. Show them “A Parent and Teenager Guide to Vegetarianism” and any other information you have collected. The better prepared you are, the more likely they will be to recognise your commitment and take your wishes to go veggie seriously. You are also much more likely to impress them with the maturity of your approach if you manage to stay calm.
Listen to your parents’ concerns. It is likely that your parents will have concerns about you becoming a vegetarian. Listen to their concerns with the same amount of respect that you would like them to show you. After you have heard them out, assure them that you can stay fit and healthy on a vegetarian diet. Your research and preparation will come in handy!
Demonstrate a willingness to help with any additional work that your new diet may create. Offer to help with the shopping and preparation of your vegetarian food, as well as any additional washing up that may be created.
Share the names of some famous vegetarians with your parents. Your parents may find comfort in knowing that some of the greatest minds the world has ever known were vegetarian! Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Gandhi were all vegetarian. (And Hitler wasn’t!) You are in good company!
Offer to put your parents in touch with The Vegetarian Society. We are here to help you. If your parents continue to be concerned about your wish to go veggie, ask them to contact us. We will happily talk to them over the phone or respond to their concerns via email.
After talking to your parents
Buy a good vegetarian cookbook (or borrow one from the library!).
There are loads of vegetarian cookbooks on the market. For example “The
Student Vegetarian Cookbook” by Beverly LeBlanc is packed full
of great ideas and is approved by the Vegetarian Society. Find one
that looks right for you. It might be best to start with simple,
straightforward recipes that your whole family can enjoy.
Keep your promises to your parents. If
you have promised your parents to help with the cooking and the washing
up after going veggie, then do it! Even if you didn’t promise
to do so, why not offer to help out anyway? Your parents will appreciate
the gesture, and it will demonstrate to them how serious you are
about your decision to go veggie.
Enjoy great vegetarian food with your family. By
choosing to go veggie, you will introduce your family to a whole
new world of delicious food. Suggest that at least one night a week
the whole family eat a veggie meal together. Also, always offer to
share your veggie food with the rest of the family. They may be reluctant
to try it at first, but keep asking. They will soon discover that
vegetarian food is delicious and healthy – they may even come
to prefer it!
Feel good about yourself. You have
made an important, healthy choice for yourself and you had the confidence
to discuss it maturely with your parents. You have moved into a new,
exciting time in your life!
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