On Moving Toward Vegetarianism: Teenagers

Just let them watch that MSNBC clip of Palin in front of the turkey killer. I think she's done more for vegetarianism in that one slice of footage than anyone else.
The people watching it get to see exactly how their turkey is killed right on their TV screen. Most people have no clue how their meat makes it from barn yard to table, well now they know. In color!!!

Excellent post. I've talked about all sides of turning vegetarian on my blog (almostvegetarian.com) but this is one of the best guides for parents whose children decide to go vegetarian. Well done.

Cheers!

Thank you for this mail. I'm seventeen, and became a vegetarian when I was 13 for ethical reasons, and in the beginning I had trouble realizing that I actually had to substitute the meat I had eaten before. My parents accepted my choice, but they never really sat down and talked to me about what I should eat. As I was very young, I had no idea there was so much info about the subject gathered on the Internet and the library, and just kept eating potatoes and boiled veggies. As years have passed, I've read more about the subject and have a pretty healthy diet today, but I wish I had realized the importance of protein and certain nutritions earlier.
You parents out there, whose children become vegetarians - if you love your kids, follow the advices and talk to your children. Until your kid is old enough to be able to balance her/his own diet, you're responsible that they get the nutrition they need, but you can't force them to eat meat. Read up on meat substitutes, tofu and legumes, proteins and nutrition, and try a few vegetarian meals a week. I believe you will find it quite interesting, and healthy for your kid.

Meat is still a necessary part of the human diet, so we can't get rid of it completely. But we definitely need to consume less of it than we currently are. If more families followed the above advice, though, obesity could be eliminated pretty quickly because of the healthier diet alone. Combined with regular exercise/physical activity this would be an amazing solution to the issue.

I recommend any teenager (not child) to watch Earthlings, it was the most powerful film yet to encourage anyone to become vegetarian. I was turning to become one, and that film was my enlightenment moment. I recommend vegetarianism to everyone who asks me. It shouldn't be forced but when honest people think about the pollution and suffering associated with the meat industry then can no but become a veggie.

10. Conversely, don't allow your child to lecture others about what they eat. Polite and informed discussion is always good, without hectoring people who continue to eat meat.

Very good suggestion. Vegetarians need to learn to be more tolerant and respectful of non-vegetarians. Like it or not, there are some people for whom vegetarianism will never work.

I also recommend the following:

-Do not allow your child to learn about vegetarianism from animal rights groups. (That's right - don't get your vegetarian education from PETA.) Sadly, animal rights activists are rarely entirely honest about anything. Half the time their bull is right up there with flat Earth theory.

-Do allow your child to read websites like www.beyondveg.com - they're pro-vegetarian, but anti-vegetarian dogma.

-Study vegetarianism yourself (from all angles) so you know where the potential pratfalls lie. Don't trust your kid to do all the research for you.

Anonymous said that meat is a neccessary part of the human diet. This is clearly fallacious, as people have been living meat free for thousands of years.

I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian myself, and I don't need meat.

One thing to consider is that chicken meat actually has very little environmental impact. Much less than cheese does per pound. If you insist on eating meat for whatever reason, you should try to limit yourself to chicken.

ON CHARACTER:
When I was young, I ignored bullies. When I became a vegetarian, in high school, I did the same thing and just laughed off the negative comments I received at every turn from school mates and family members.

However, I doubt that kids who are more sensitive to being bullied would feel comfortable with the negative reactions to their choosing a veggie diet.

Becoming a vegetarian as a teenager shows thought and courage- two of the most important traits to have in a person (in my humble opinion.)

I ask that everyone make a point of commending the veggies they meet for making such an important choice. Even if you don't agree with their choice, they are showing great character.

ON NUTRITION/ DIET:
New vegetarians often have to learn a new appreciation for vegetables they may not have eaten before.

A great way for anyone to enjoy their vegetables more is to grow them themselves. They will taste better, be more nutritious, and they will enjoy them more. (Studies prove all 3.)

If they are unable to do so, at the least they should plant a few vegetables in pots and meet their farmers directly at a market or farm - it will connect them more to their food and I promise they will enjoy it more.

Thank you.

Thank you for another excellent post in this series, Kelly. I'm going to save it for future reference and share it with friends, colleagues, and clients. Wise advice not only about eating but also about parenting.

One of my favourite online vegetarian info sources is the Vegetarian Resource Group's web site http://www.vrg.org/. This evening after reading your post I did some browsing on the site and discovered a page directed to kids and teens http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm. There is downloadable PDF brochure titled "Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers."

There is a lot of good points in this article, and the following posts. I eat meat but believe that people have every right to choose their diet, no matter how good or bad it may be. I agree that it is very important for anyone concidering any new diet to be well informed, and I also agree with a previous poster that it is very unfortunate that so many people are unaware of where their food comes from, and how it was killed. I grew up on a farm and saw first hand, and believe that I can appricate what is on my plate. I believe that if more people saw where their food came from they would be more likely to buy from local farmers and less wasteful.

You should also discourage your kids from eating exclusively "vegetarian junk food" aka vegetarian fake meats. Unfortunately, many of my vegetarian friends eat primarily fake meats because it's easy, instead of diversifying their diet and eating more fruits and vegetables.

I agree that this is good advice for parents and teenagers. My sister was about 17 when she announced she was going to become a vegetarian except she eats seafood. Now everyone has their choice in diet and cruelty to animals, which I do agree people should learn how their food is prepared and where it comes from. I also believe that people who live in industrialized countries tend to view it as well I can eat however I like because all these options are available to me. Not everyone eats meat, or dairy, or seafood, however, if it is the only thing that is available to eat you will eat it. Many people might not think that way, but if you did not have those choices available to you to become a vegetarian and balance good health you may have to eat meat. I eat meat on occasion and that is my choice to lower my impact. Everyone has a choice, however, I do believe it changes based on who you are and where you are. I always tell people when you have options you can do anything with your diet, when you don't you eat what is in front of you.

The one issue I have with this article is it appears that the writer expects a parent of vegetarian teenagers to change their cooking habits *significantly* in order to compensate for their child's new eating habits. While I totally respect a teenager's decision to forgo meat, I personally can't stand the taste of most vegan/vegetarian food and so I can't imagine cooking meals without meat in them just to appease my (theoretical) son or daughter. (usually I cook a large dish which has meat as an ingredient in order to avoid consuming large amounts of meat; e.g., shepherd's pie, chili, chicken pot pie. I limit my meat intake to 1-2 lbs a week between 3 people by doing this.) I think it might be a bit more reasonable to follow the author's advice in most aspects but ask that the teenager be responsible for their own diet; after all, we're talking about a teenager here, who is more than capable of cooking. Certainly the parent would help them out by buying the ingredients and taking them shopping (or buying ingredients put on the shopping list) and, if they needed it, showing them around the kitchen. But I think asking a parent to cook for their teenager's dietary habits is a bit much...besides, I think most teenagers would appreciate that they are given responsibility for themselves, rather than being hand-held.

KR: That's why I put in point 5 about getting them into the kitchen to help. Your children should be learning to cook and helping in the kitchen whether they are vegetarian or not

As a side note, the "meat is an necessary part" argument is probably in reference to vitamin b12. You can actually get vitamin b12 if you're a lacto-ovo veggie--but if you are vegan, you should indeed take supplements to supply the deficiency.

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for recommending Savvy Vegetarian as a resource in your article on finding support for going veg.

I appreciate your doing this article on teens going veg. It's a real conundrum. Most of the people going veg are teens, and teen vegetarians are the most vulnerable to malnutrition, because they're still growing, they don't get much parental support, if any, for their diet change, and they don't usually cook for themselves. And they jump into vegan diet with both feet, knowing nothing about nutrition. I hear from these teens or their parents every day!

Parents of teen vegetarians fall into three groups. Those who are concerned and involved, those who are hostile, and those who are permissive and neglectful. I'm sorry to say the first group is in the minority, they don't know much more than their kids about vegetarian nutrition, and they rarely have the time or energy to be a vegetarian guide for their child.

I cheer for anyone who wants to go veg or even eat more veggies. But, I suggest that teens who want to be vegetarian learn about veg nutrition first, then buy themselves a cookbook or two, or scroll for recipes online, and learn to cook for themselves, and their families or friends. If their parents won't buy extra foods for them, they should use their spending money for tofu, beans, veggies etc. If they're willing and able to do all that, then they're ready to go veg.

You'll understand why I feel that way if you read some of the many teen advice letters on Savvy Veg!
(http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-advice/teen-veg-advice-index.php) And I have another 50 or so waiting to be published.

Thanks again for helping people go veg, Kelly!