The first thing you will need to do to convince your parents that this is important to you is to convince yourself. Why do you want to become a vegetarian? For Your health? For the animals? How will this help you or the animals?
Explore the health benefits of vegetarianism, or the conditions in which animals are kept on farms. Gather facts that you can tell your parents, explain what exactly is bothering you about your diet and how vegetarianism will improve it. Your parents probably won’t be satisfied with the rambling explanation and may try to talk you out of going vegetarian. You should be able to refute their arguments and prove that you know what you are talking about. They may be pleasantly surprised to see that you are knowledgeable about the topic, not just passionate.
Second, you must research the principles of healthy eating. Even if you’re not going vegan for the health benefits, you still need to learn about proper nutrition. Of all the things your parents are likely to worry about, they are likely to be the most concerned about your health.
They believed that you cannot get enough nutrients from plant foods. Find sources that prove otherwise. Depending on the situation, you may want to distance yourself from vegetarian literature, such as animal rights groups, at the very least by making an argument with your parents. Some parents are more likely to trust the statements of the American Dietetic Association than green activists.
Once you have found enough information to prove that vegetarianism can be beneficial, you should learn how to be a healthy vegetarian. It doesn’t matter that your meat-eating family eats at McDonald’s five days a week—they still want to know how you’ll get your protein. Find out what nutrients are in meat and where else you can get them. Create a sample menu for the week, complete with nutritional information, so they can see that your daily needs will be met. There are several free online programs to help you do this. Once your parents see that you know what you’re doing and that you won’t deprive yourself of essential nutrients, they’ll be much less worried.
In addition to completely logical concern for your health, your parents may put pressure on you psychologically or emotionally, make arguments that you consider irrational. You can be tempted to continue arguing like this, but the best way to win big decisions is to prove your maturity (even if your parents don’t see you as mature). Keep calm. Be logical. Answer with arguments and facts, not with emotional reactions.
Your family may feel insulted or hurt by your decision. You say that meat-eating is “not a format”, so you think that your parents are bad people? Reassure them that this is a personal decision and you won’t judge anyone else because of their own beliefs.
Your parents may also be offended that you will no longer eat the food they cook. Let them know that you are not neglecting their cooking traditions and, if possible, find alternatives to family favorite recipes. Make sure your parents are clear about what you eat and what you don’t eat, otherwise they may think they are doing you a favor by cooking fish or vegetable soup with beef broth and will probably be disappointed when you refuse it. there is.
Also, your parents may think that your vegetarianism will turn into extra work for them. Convince them that this is not the case. Promise to help with the shopping and cook your own meals, and if you can’t cook, promise to learn. Maybe you could cook a vegetarian meal for the whole family to show that vegetarian food can be delicious and healthy and that you can take care of yourself.
Once you’ve convinced your parents that you know what you’re doing, let them find out more for themselves. Now you can give them pamphlets from vegetarian organizations explaining different aspects of this lifestyle. Send them links to websites about vegetarianism, such as a forum for parents of vegetarian children. If they are still unsure of your decision, seek outside help.
If you know a vegetarian adult, ask them to reassure your parents and explain that vegetarianism is safe and healthy. You and your parents can even make an appointment to talk about your diet with a doctor or nutritionist.
When you bring this news down on your parents, the most important thing is a clear argument, expressed with great respect. By giving them positive information about veganism and proving your maturity and determination, you can go a long way in convincing your parents that you are making the right decision by going vegan.