being vegetarian

[,Lexiilu]

so i've been trying really hard for about a year and a half now to become a vegetarian and my family has been accepting it more and more, but my mom just won't. i don't know what to do anymore honestly, she'll make meals and purposefully make the main food a meat and basically forces me to eat it or else i have to cook something for myself. i'm not a very good cook so this really isn't an option yet, but i don't want to eat her stupid meats i've had talk after talk with her and my family members so they understand, and she seems to be one of the only ones that just doesn't get it! for example, today she decided since my brother is coming home, she's going to make pork and potatoes. i just went to talk to her and she was like, 'you need to eat some meat', and i said 'no mom, i don't eat meat except fish. pork is not fish.' and she continued to tell me i was going to eat some :S she also did it on christmas and said 'you need to pick one piece of meat to eat or else you're not going to your grandmother's later.' i stuck it out for awhile but then i had a bite of sausage so she'd leave me alone and i immediately felt disgusting my other families even made me vegetarian meals so i wouldn't have to eat ham, sausage, etc. but of course that morning my grandparents forgot. i'm sick of it and yes she's my mother, but its my lifestyle choice. is there anything i can do about it, or do i just have to live with it?

also i want to find out how many vegetarians are at hxf woooooo so answer the poll please

+rep to good answers

[Eoin247]

I'm not a vegetarian although i know a lot of people who are. Most of them aren't full veggies and eat at least one type of meat like chicken. In fact the only ones that i know that are full vegetarians are the ones that do it solely because they hate the idea of killing animals.

Do you just not like meat or do you dislike the idea of killing animals/both?

[Samantha]

I think really any choice you make when you're young will have an effect on your Mother, you are her little girl and she wants you to have proper diet. It may have even been the same if you were bisexual as such.

Has she raised you to make your own choices? If so she is going back on what she said, she should realise that you are growing up and you are doing your bit to save animals etc. If she can't understand that then fine, you may not be able to change her but you may be able to change the attitude she has towards eating meat. Meat is a valuable part of a diet, but maybe comprimise with her, tell her the nutrients in meat that you would consume can be consumed in other foods and try eating that etc.

[,Lexiilu]

I'm not a vegetarian although i know a lot of people who are. Most of them aren't full veggies and eat at least one type of meat like chicken. In fact the only ones that i know that are full vegetarians are the ones that do it solely because they hate the idea of killing animals.

Do you just not like meat or do you dislike the idea of killing animals/both?

it's both it started as not liking meat and then it turned to animals on top of that. i do eat fish and chicken sometimes, but red meat is off limits for me

@ sam -- i've always been independent and she knows that. she knows she will not change my mind no matter how hard she tries. its not as if i'm not eating any sorts of meat, i just won't eat red meat! i do eat fish and chicken but for some reason she still continues to make red meat foods. i told her i would also eat them if she bought vegetable based ones or turkey made products, like turkey burgers and such, but she hasn't done that either.

[Inseriousity.]

I love burgers too much so I don't think I'd be a vegetarian. I know Alex3213 is though.

You say that your mum says "eat or cook for yourself." Well, to prove you're serious about it, why don't you learn? I mean, the moment you say "okay I will" is the moment your mum no longer has that control over what you eat.

[Mathew]

Most of them aren't full veggies and eat at least one type of meat like chicken.

This is where vegeterianism doesn't quite hit off too well with me. It's silly; you either want to eat meat, or you don't. What's the point in only eating one type of meat? The whole vegetarian / vegan palava is just rather misty in my eyes.

Way I see it, is that the animal is going to be killed whether you eat it or not so it doesn't really make much difference. I find it quite weird that people eat quorn too, which is using artificial flavourings to make the taste of a meat. If you want to taste some meat, just eat it!

[HotelUser]

As sweet as it is that some people don't eat meats because they care about the animals, do you realize that by living your life as normal anyway it's at the expense of millions of starving people in Africa and Asia anyway

[,Lexiilu]

I love burgers too much so I don't think I'd be a vegetarian. I know Alex3213 is though.

You say that your mum says "eat or cook for yourself." Well, to prove you're serious about it, why don't you learn? I mean, the moment you say "okay I will" is the moment your mum no longer has that control over what you eat.

you have a point there. i've been trying to learn although it is quite difficult to do. i'm going to take your advice though and get serious about it! thanks

This is where vegeterianism doesn't quite hit off too well with me. It's silly; you either want to eat meat, or you don't. What's the point in only eating one type of meat? The whole vegetarian / vegan palava is just rather misty in my eyes.

Way I see it, is that the animal is going to be killed whether you eat it or not so it doesn't really make much difference. I find it quite weird that people eat quorn too, which is using artificial flavourings to make the taste of a meat. If you want to taste some meat, just eat it!

the type of vegetarian i am is called pesco-ovo vegetarian, which means they'll eat fish and chicken. fish mass produce, as do chickens. cows and such only have one calf at a time, or two at most usually. it's a lot harder to replace the cow population and what not compared to fish, which can have a hundred eggs easily at one time.

[buttons]

well then, learn to cook. what else can you do? you have to PROVE you're serious. don't eat any meat she makes you. i'm sure she'd rather have you eating something than not at all. as selfish as it is, if i was really serious about becoming a vegetarian i would refuse to eat it and cook for myself. also, can i ask why you don't eat ONLY read meat but will eat chicken and fish? i'm not a vegetarian btw....


oh ok just seen your other comment

[Mathew]

the type of vegetarian i am is called pesco-ovo vegetarian, which means they'll eat fish and chicken. fish mass produce, as do chickens. cows and such only have one calf at a time, or two at most usually. it's a lot harder to replace the cow population and what not compared to fish, which can have a hundred eggs easily at one time.

Surely there's too many cows anyway? Methane produced from cow's farting is supposedly one of the largest contributors to global warming!

In all seriousness though, the cows would be killed anyway for consumption by other people. Unless you seriously hate the taste of the meat, then I think it's a rather lost cause
I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree!