My parents won't let me be veggie

They said they will no longer support my diet because it's too stressful on them to worry about what I can eat, and having to go extra grocery shopping for me to get veggie stuff. They won't even let me have my own job so I can't buy my own groceries. What should I do?

 

just stay strong and refuse to eat anything with meat in it
even if your living off french fries and toast
how long do u think theyd let ya only eat dread before they decide maybe its worthwhile to be supportive?

you can also show them how much easier..and cheaper..it is to simply leave meat out of meals
and theres no such thing as extra shopping..when your shopping your shopping right? how much extra work is it to grab some tofu and a few veggies

 

Your parents won't let you have a job???
I'll bet they think you have more important problems than your diet. I'm not agreeing with them, just trying to figure out why they are going this route. Unless you're vegan, accomidating a non-flesh eater isn't hard.

 

Damn...I can understand they are annoyed by plannign for veggie food but not letting you havign a job to buy your own food almost makes it seem like they are afraid of veggies or something lol

 

"and having to go extra grocery shopping for me to get veggie stuff"

What do they have to buy that is extra? Don't they already eat vegetables? I doubt all they eat is meat. You can easily be a vegetarian without eating all the overpriced meat "alternatives" and premade veggie burgers, etc. Maybe look at some cookbooks for ideas, and offer to make some stuff that can easily have meat added to it for them.
When I eat at my parents house (who are meat eaters), or any meat-eaters house for that matter, they've never had to go buy something specifically for me. You just have to be creative

 

All I can say is your diet has nothing to do with your parents. Soon you'll be 18...
then you can have a job. I would recommend getting a job at some vegetarian/health food restraunt or kitchen and learning about vegetarian cooking. I feel its really important to know what you're doing unless you just want to eat bland, boring and nonnourishing meals the rest of your life.

Here's an Idea... scrape together some money and cook your parents a wonderful vegetarian meal. I do that for my mom sometimes and she loves it even though she eats meat. I have a job, go to school, and am devoted to yoga so she pretty much respects everything i do. I suppose it helps that I'm nineteen... I'm getting off topic.
Learn to cook and don't eat meat!

 

Get a job. Even working 6 hours a week should be enough for you to buy any extra food you get above and beyond what they do. Offer to cook a lot of the time, so it's not as big a hassle for them to cook for you. You can still accomodate them too, make a stirfry and cook teh chicken/whatever seperately so they can mix it in but you can be meat free if you so choose.
But seriously, get a job. I know you said they wouldn't let you but, seriously, it's SOOOOO good for you to have a job, take that step towards being responsible and independent.

 

Parents have your best interests at heart. Being veggie may not be so good for you at your age. You need all the iron, and minerals only found in chicken meat, beef and pork.

They may feel that getting a job may be too stressful what with your academic stuff. Maybe your parents will support you once they are convinced it is not just a fad.

 

Thanks for everyones support. A job is out of the question to them, I tried to reason with them about that. I have refused to eat the meat they have served at meals, which really pissed them off. I have a few frozen veggie meals and left overs that I can scrape by on for now. I have enough saved money to buy me a bit of food, but not much. My parents say they think it would be easier to get the nutritions I need from meat, but I've been a vegetarian for years and it hasn't been a problem, so I don't quite understand it. I'm still trying to reason with them but so far it has been a no go. So far their only compromise has been: we will buy you organic meat. I refused the offer and am still going strong with the supplies I have left over. I have a friend whose entire family is vegetarian so I'm hoping to get her parents to talk to mine. Otherwise I'm also hoping to find some way to get a job or find some easier recipes to cook or something. Thanks everyone.

 

what exactly requires supplies? or parental support.

the petulant teenager way to win: eat vegetables openly. all the time. and leave their meat in the fridge.

the mature grown up way to do it: eat vegetables openly. all the time. and leave their meat in the fridge.

my advice: do it the petulant teenagery way and have a story of rebellion to tell your grandkids.

 

CUT YOH HEARZ get ah slave, and eat shit. or be ah hippy

 

Wow, that is so messed up of your parents not to support you or let you have a job when you're 17!?! It is important to get the experience that having a job will get you, even just a few hours a week would be really helpful. It's really hard to get a job in college or after you graduate if you have NO work experience, did you mention that to them?

I suggest you do some research on vegetarian nutrition and share with them what you find out - show them how you can get all the nutrients you need from plant foods. Then, I'd offer to cook dinner or help cook at least a few times a week. You can also offer to go shopping with your parents to show them what you can eat, what you need to eat to get your nutrients, and to make it easier on them. Veg options are available at pretty much any grocery store.

If you are mature when you talk to them about it and have done your research on vegetarian nutrition & recipes, then there is no reason you can't work out a compromise. If they refuse to budge, they're being totally unreasonable. Have your veg friend's parents talk to them or (as a very last resort) threaten to move out & leave the house if they can't be supportive of your decisions. You are almost 18... and you're old enough to make your own decisions (and you made a very good one by going veg - hopefull you can stick to it)!

 

how can they prevent you from getting a job? You're 17, get a job on wednesdays after school or saturdays or something. One day a week has great potential still. Are they seriously going to kick you out of the house for trying to be responsible?

 

Completely wrong. I went veg at 14 and have never had a deficiency. There are plant-based sources for ALL of our vitamin/mineral needs as human beings, so please do your research...

As for the op, youre 17 years old! Jesus i lives abroad in my own little rented flat with my own job when i was 17. And i still do. Whats with the whole keep them babies until theyre 25 thing?

Good luck. Youre making a choice which may be hughly beneficial if done correctly

 

Thats ridiculous.. especially cuz meat costs more than anything else! Especially organic.. I think anyway. Your parents sound lame, what the hell.. if they're not gonna go grocery shopping so that their son can eat healthy but won't let him get a job either so he can buy his own food, how the fuck does that make sense? Thats really lame.. I hope things work out for ya and that you can eat healthy, and move out when you're 18!

 

Great news problem resolved! After much discussion involving many different parties, my parents finally relented and agreed that I could have my own job and that of course, to remain veggie I will have to buy my own groceries. On the condition however that if my grades falter or my health seems to be declining they can pull the plug on the deal. However I don't intend on having that happen. I'm applying to "Whole Foods" or "Central Market" in Austin TX, both where I'm surrounded my other vegetarians/vegans. Plus, both also have cooking courses so I'm hoping to get signed up for one of those eventually. Thanks everyone for support, I was really worried about how things would turn out for a while. I'm glad I got to remain on a compassionate and healthy diet!

arty: ​

 

be happy that you are nut allowed, cause yoh kan't b anyway.

 

my mom gave me a 3 hour lecture on why i couldn't be a vegetarian when i started at age 17...i looked at her and just said animal rights and then she went on and on about how theres no such thing and that cows and chickens and fish and so forth and so on are here for us to eat and if we dont eat them they are being wasted...blah blah blah blah blah....so i picked through every meal she made and tossed out the meat...then 2 years later tried to be a vegan and she really flew off the handle about how its dangerous to be vegan and she thought i had anorexia (even though i was overweight..lol) and she kept trying to get me to stop....at age 19 i finally moved out for good and started buying my own food and she still gives me lectures on why i ned to at least eat fish...she eats squid arms and shrimp and mussels in a bag and adds it to rice for lords sake....talk about making u wanna puke...at any rate now im 22 and live with my husband whos an omni but we get along with meals and such and he supports everything with me being a vegan and he is the best when it comes to my moms crap, like her telling me to eat fish...like my husband said "she doesnt eat fish because she cant even kill a spider or fly"..lol..hes the best

so sweetie once u move out in a year or two, which trust me is for the best..i know from experience...you will be able to live on a veggie diet at a lower cost because meat costs alot of money and so does junk food really.
there i will now step off of my soapbox..lol

 

Good to hear that it worked out!