Question for our teen vegans...

[Erin Pavlina]

What made you decide to go vegan and when did you do it? Were your parents supportive? What about your friends?

[Corinne]

I became vegan just last month after about 5 years of being a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I did it for the animals and the horrible conditions they have to live in, and (to a lesser extent) for my health as well. My parents weren't too impressed - they worry about nutrition issues. And my friends think it's a little weird, except my veg*an friends, of course! It's hardest with my family, but I think they're getting used to the idea that I can take responsibility for my own health!

[vegangal]

I decided to go vegan around three years ago due to my beliefs in animal rights. My parents were not and are still not supportive in the idea of veganism or anything else for that matter because of our differences in beliefs. After much abuse from an vegan/animal rights perpective and my other beliefs I got very depressed from that lack of respect to the point I got sucidial. My friends are very respectful a few are vegan but most are not.

[Maggie]

I became vegan 2.5 years ago, right after I turned 20. I've never used the word "vegan" around my family and I doubt they even know what it means! They know what I do and don't eat and basically tolerate it. I don't talk about it much. As for my friends, I don't make a big deal of it. My vegan friends know I'm vegan, of course, but with everyone else I'll just answer questions if I'm asked.
Peace,
Maggie

[OUTxFORxBLOOD]

I had always "loved animals" and that included eating them. My grand father is a fur trader, and for a few months when my parents split up when I was 5, me and my mom had to live there. I remeber sitting around watching him skin n' gut out raccoons, muskrats and other small animals. I never thought much of it, other than it was gross.

I never really made the connection between loving animals, and causing their death by eating them until...I was 10, eating slices of turkey meat, thinking about how good it tasted. It then dawned on me, " how could I enjoy this so much, when an animal, which i love so much, had to die" I thought it was pretty selfish of myself to continue eating animals. So then, I completely stopped eating meat and eggs.

The parents reaction wasn't great. They didn't seem to understand this wasn't just a "phase." I went through the whole vegetarian thing by myself, and it forced me to educate myself on nutrition and animal rights. The more I learned, I realised it was pretty hipocritical for myself to care about animals so much, but still support the dairy industry. At age 12 I went completely vegan.

I'm 18 now, and never been healthier. Anyone intrested in teen vegetarianism should visit
www.vegetarianteen.com

[alexis]

As a kid i never did like eating meat, especially since my parents would make me eat the fatty meat and the skins and everything. I thought it was absolutely disgusting.
This year, I'm now 16, my little sister went vegetarian.i did some research and realized that i wanted to become vegan. Two weeks after that i ate some beef pasta and suffered from indigestion that had me throwing up everything i ate for days on end. After that i realized that casein could be the culprit for my allergic rhinitis.
My parents didn't react too well. My mom freaked but since she's like 3000 miles away, too bad! My dad said if being vegan helps with my allergies, he'll want to do it too. I have a long term boyfriend who suffers from high blood pressure which is genetic. He thinks i'm crazy, but maybe becoming vegan will help me become healthier and reach the normal weight range (I'm underweight by 15 lbs.)
I've only been vegan for a month or so and i plan to be that way for life.

[GlazeSg]

I became a vegan about a year and a half ago, when I first started college. I had been a vegetarian 3 months before that, and a lot of the reasoning I had against eating meat, really found the same flaws in vegetarianism. For example, all the issues with ineffiency of our food supply, in the use of feeding livestock, extend to dairy production. Basically, it just appears that there is an overwhelming amount of factual information that I would be living completely out of synch with if I continued to eat meat.

[VegGurl13]

I was raised as a vegan by my mom. My dad wasn't even a vegetarian, but he became one after he married my mom. Ever since I was born, mom taught me about the vegan culture: what we ate, our special food pyramid, reasons why we were vegan, etc. But I'm only beginning to truly understand what it means to be a vegan, which is why I'm trying to learn all I can. I watched John Robbin's video of "Diet for a New America", listened to the audiotape versions, and am still reading tons of books about veganism. Even so, I know that it is wrong to kill animals, especially in the cruel conditions that they are in. Animals deserve to be treated better. Also, knowing that being vegan could save the environment is a big reason. And of course, I am vegan because of my health. I am really glad about that, because I rarely have to go to the doctor or the hospital. The only time I went was recently when I accidentally dislocated my jaw...but that's another story. :p Anyway, being vegan to me means that you are showing compassion by not killing animals. Compassion, to me, is a very important value, and I think that being a vegan vegetarian my whole life has given me that characteristic.

[hear_bush_oink]

I went vegan a little under two years ago, when I was 13. I stopped eating meat when I was 9 because of a sudden realization of my disgust with eating corpses. I got a computer when I was 12, and Google quickly became my friend. I researched all sorts of things, and eventually came across the concept of veganism and related issues. I had never heard of or considered any of the ideas before, and initially thought it was pretty crazy. However, after a few months I realized that this wasn't something that just some people did-- it was something that I, personally, was obligated to do. I decided I'd cut out straight animal milk and eggs and that I'd go from there. I did, but I wasn't progressing, and one day I came across http://www.milksucks.com , went out into the kitchen, and declared that I would never again consume dairy, and haven't since. From there it was a gradual exclusion of all egg and other animal by-products, education about animal testing and further veganization of my bathroom and then my wardrobe, and finally the exclusion of honey products.

When I was lacto-ovo, my mom had issues with my vegetarianism. She was misinformed, and for my own part, I knew absolutely nothing except that I would not eat meat, period. My mom insisted that I eat beans and meat analogues that I didn't like, and threatened to "make me" eat meat if I didn't. I didn't have much access to information, and was young, so didn't have any real comebacks except that I absolutely would remain abstinent. I remain confident that my mom never snuck any meat product into my food, and I have never had any obvious ill health since my conversion to vegetarianism. Over the years, as I continued with normal growth, my mom became more and more accepting. Of course, when I decided to go vegan she thought it was incredibly extreme but by that age I was able to critically think and obtain real information, and over the years I've instilled an in-depth understanding into both of us. I'm a couple of inches taller than my mother, a normal weight, and, as stated earlier, have never experienced any ill health, even if my diet's pretty far from perfect. My mom eats a much more plant-based diet now, and I'm proud of that fact. As for my friends, I really don't remember intial reactions. Over the course of my understanding and commitment to veganism, my locale and school has changed a few times, and friends have received different perspectives from me. Right now my friends know I'm vegan and the longer they know me, the more they learn about it. Most don't care much about it. I am committed to being vegan for as long as I may live.

[Fight For Youth]

Well everyone can welcome me to the board, because this is my first post. I have now been Vegan for.....TWO DAYS :) I did not just jump into, and actually i don't consider myself "Vegan". For the fact that i am not a PETA soldier. I am on a little bit more extreme diet rather then Vegan. I am on a diet called "living/raw", more or less the eating of fruits and veggies, period. I drink only water, and Gatorade for carbohydrates for energy right before i work out. I have been a vegetarian "just because", for the passed year and a half. I used to smoke weed, and one day i went through a bad experience. I realized that i didn't like the path that i was heading down, so i decided to become straight edge, (a strong belief in the hardcore scene based on being/living a positive lifestyle. Not doing drugs, not drinking, living positive to the best that you can.) And just like that, with the help of a few bands, i grew an enormous amount of Will Power, So i began testing myself with different things, not eating meat, not drinking caffeine, but only eating Chicken, which my parents frowned upon because they love meat. So, i kept it up for a year and a half, and now I have decided to lose mad weight, and get wicked jacked...so, thus came my ideals. I have no other Vegan friends, or even Veggie friends...so I am pretty much alone on this one (minus you guys), everyone was pretty shocked to hear that I was now Vegan, but, I guess a few people expected it.

[Ckflew]

I don't know much about a raw foods diet - but just eating fruits and vegetables seems a bit extreme to me. While it is possible to get protein from them, I'd be a bit worried. Of course, no one here is going to tell you to go back to eating chicken. :) But, consider looking at some of these sites listed below to learn a bit more about vegan nutrition. If you don't know anyone who is vegan/vegetarian, you'll have to become a bit of a nutrition expert on your own. It's worth the research if you are truly interested in becoming straight edge.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/index.htm

The book "Becoming Vegan" is also a very good resource.

Welcome to veganism!

[Fight For Youth]

Thanks very much, i will look right into it. I think for right now i am doing my raw and living foods diet for about a month, then just to Vegan. That way i can open oppertunities, while being able to eat great. But, i am kinda stuck to this thing, and i am very determined to do it at least a month. Like as we speak my parents are devoring chicken that 3 weeks ago i would desend on like a vulture. But, here i am drinking my "nutrition shake", which consists of carrots, celery, green peppers. Worst looking thing that ever went into my body, and if you get passed the chunks. Then, ehh, it isnt that bad. Besides, i just look at like, it is just food. there are plenty of other things i could be doing then sitting down and eating something. P.S. i have been straight edge for about 2 years. Now, it is just becoming hardline edge, or not :D

[so-and-so]

I have been vegetarian for nearly five months now. My friend became one last september, and from that point on I really considered it. I began questioning myself about my diet, and came to realize that I never really took thought of where my meat and dairy products came from. So since the New Year's was coming up, I figured my resolution would to become vegetarian. At the end of November, I met my girlfriend, and she had been vegetarian since the semester started at school (we're both at college, I'm one year ahead of her). So I figured that would be yet another catalyst to get me onto a vegetarian diet. So during december I weened myself off meat and began reading literature of vegetarianism and also advice from my girlfriend. And december 28th I began.
Both of us are now starting our transition to veganism. The only obstacle I've encountered really so far is cheese, but I haven't tried soy cheese or any such substitutes. Our other dairy products have been replaced no problem (actually, ever since my girlfriend introduced me to soy milk back in december, I've been hooked. Dairy milk just tastes so terrible to me now), and Stonyfield has excellent soy Yogurt. Eggs are no problem either.
When I confronted my parents about it, though, their repsonse was quite what I expected. My mother tilted her head to the exact angle of confusion, and gave me a "Why?" and the obligatory "What are you going to eat, just beans and salad?", which further concreted my assumption that most omni's are ignorant of a vegetarian/vegan diet. She's been worried about my protein intake, which I attest, has increased since I've become a veg, and subsequently led me to become a label-reading whore.

I guess my friends have been pretty neutral about it. One of them has since become an ovo-lacto veg. Most, I suppose, just choose to remain ignorant, or find it too much work to get out of their conditioned appetite for meat.

I was at dinner with much of my relatives a few months ago and my girlfriend had come along. My grandmother had no problem supplying us with veg-friendly meals, but we were still confronted by the ignorance and criticism by some members of my family, as if we were being cornered. We found this totally ironic that we were getting verbal antagonism for our choice when they were succumbing to some barbarian custom.

Does anybody feel that the hostility from omnis when confronted by your choice is that they feel they are being threatened, that we are too good to eat meat, and they look weak for doing just that?

[annie7]

Originally posted by so-and-so
Does anybody feel that the hostility from omnis ...
There is all manner of hostility. Some is able to be explained with what you mentioned earlier. Other hostility, well... who knows. It's just plain weird how you can stuff your face with Pepsi, cheetos, and cookies all day and no one says a word about your lousy diet... but heaven forbid you eat a veggie or two because now you are making yourself sickly. :rolleyes:

[Ckflew]

I think some of the hostility is defensive - sort of the "who are you to think you are better than we are" idea. Some of the hostility is really concern, though misguided concern. Most people were brought up and still believe in a dairy and meat heavy diet, and see that as the best way to eat. By changing the rules, we are undermining their belief system, and that can be uncomfortable. If they are TRULY interested in your and not just defensive, you can direct them to resources to learn more about veg*n nutrition, and reassure them that you have done your research. You can cook vegetarian meals and show them that you eat GOOD food as well as healthy food. The people who are defensive, though - it's often easiest and best just to be very vague with them.

[JeremiahC]

Originally posted by so-and-so
Does anybody feel that the hostility from omnis when confronted by your choice is that they feel they are being threatened, that we are too good to eat meat, and they look weak for doing just that?

I think some people are just taken by surprise when they find out. And maybe a little shocked. The way I see it is some people never even consider giving up meat. To them It makes no sense at all, I mean humans by nature are omnivores. So thats were you get the looks and the "what the hell for?" question. It just don't make sense to them. Try not to be insulted by it when ever you go aginst the flow you are gonne experience a little resistance.


Jeremiah:D

[Caitlin]

I became vegetarian when I just turned 13, and vegan a year and a half later. (Im almost 16) My parents, my father really, isn't supportive and mocks me all the time. He b---hes about it and is just narrow-minded. I always said I wanted to go vegan, but living in my house would be impossible, but I said screw it, and did it anyway. I don't know why I waited so long. I 'truly' love animals and I want to be a part of PETA one day. It's sad that my parents don't support me and a real parent would, instead I have to live with my dad who makes fun and of me and puts down what I believe in.

[Crimsonskies]

I decided to go vegan about a year ago, I was vegetarian for about 6 years, starting at age 9. Even when I was younger I felt for animals. The conditions they were living under.. It terrified me out of eating them. As I got older I met a few people who were also vegetarian, including my best friends mother. Around this time last year, I met a guy who was vegetarian and had the same beliefs as myself about animal cruelty and what not. We talked, then researched and decided together that Vegan was better than vegetarian and looked into it.

My father is a big joker but all around it didn't really bother him what my decision was, he supports me no matter what.. My brother was a little indifferent to my choice, he's always trying different foods, like tonight he had Buffalo Steak(?). He jokes about things and tries to get me to turn back to eating meat, even after so many years, but it won't happen.
My mother.. she was the big issue. She thinks that you NEED to eat meat to obtain all the vitamins to stay healthy. My doctor gave her a book about vegan teens and since then she hasn't had much say about it after seeing that I am following closely to the things I eat to stay healthy. Although.. She still doesn't agree with my eating habit of choice. Also, she can't stand me checking labels for everything in the stores.

My friends support me, which is good, many of them are vegan or vegetarian. I never find it hard to find something to eat when at their homes. Which is a good thing because I never have to worry about packing my own food when I sleep over or spend the day. :)

[wildvegan]

About the hostility.....
You should check out the book, "Living Among Meat Eaters." The author is a scholar and the book will help you prepare for various types of encounters with meat eaters.

The first thing my family every said to me that was rude was a line straight out of this book. I hadn't read the book at the point yet, but I laughed after reading it later.

So I think ALOT of people ahve similar experiences because their reaction is born of ignorance, fear or both. And by those words I don't mean in a belittleing way, but in a natural way people feel when their standard beliefs are being questioned.

Check out the book its awesome!
Natalie

[malmi]

I went vegan about six months ago after having been an ovo-vegetarian for six months.

I went vegan for health reasons. I've been overweight my whole life. I used to get sick a lot. There are so many allergies that run in our family, and I've got most of them. Since adopting a completely vegan diet, I've been able to reach a healthy weight (which is getting hard to maintain with the holidays upon us!) and I haven't been nearly as ill as I used to be.

My mom isn't really involved enough to actively protest. She makes snide remarks whenever the opportunity arises; my sisters are the same way. Most of my friends are so supportive, but a few are very much against it. The few who oppose aren't very educated in nutrition, and don't realize that I'm so much healthier now. I used to eat nothing but brownies, soda, cookies, refined carbs, and fast food! I don't understand.

[malmi]

I'd also like to add that I'm doing a lot better in school as well! I've always been a decent student, but I've really seen an improvement. I'm definitely more social, participate more actively, and actually study and do my homework (*cough*mostofthetime*cough). I was never involved in any clubs, but I'm in several this year and will be joining track and field

:D

[QUEEEEENIE]

A couple of years ago, I decided to start the new school year off with being vegetarian. I knew I didn't like the whole process that came along with eating meat, the fact that you're killing animals. I've always been really disturbed by violence, human and animal, and I just thought, well if I can't watch it on TV, then I shouldn't be eating it. And I was happy with being vegetarian until I discovered PETA and all of their videos and literature and then I went to college and met a bunch of vegan kids and I knew it was the right thing for me. Really, it is the right way for everyone on earth, but not everyone is so willing to adopt the vegan lifestyle. So, now I am vegan, because I can't sit around and let things like that happen to animals, and be a part of it.

[Fog-struck]

I went vegan about 7.5 months ago. The guilt over all the unnecessary death I was causing was catching up with me. I had been a vegetarian for about a week when I was 8. My parents used a ‘just ignore it and it will go away’ approach(yeah, I was hungry!). My dad has been pretty neutral (besides some slightly uncomfortable jokes). My mom- not happy at first (her first reaction to a pile of veg*n/ animal rights books I’d picked up at the library was ‘I don’t want you reading those if it will make it impossible for you to eat meat’), but I gave her some reading material and she’s come aroundfor the most part (some of her objection was nutritional worries). My friends
had a variety of reactions: ‘That’s great!’ - I’ve never meet vegan before!’ - ‘Ugh! You’re a veg-head!’ There was an incident were I was told to ‘just pick the cheese off’ of a slice of pizza; luckily I’d eaten ahead of time!

[missvegan]

well i just love animals and i saw the dvd meet your meet and i thought that was just wroung how they did the poor animals so i just gave it up, and my rent's ha yeah rite nope they are no help, and my friends, they all say (this want last)....

[liblady1]

:cool: What made you decide to go vegan and when did you do it? Were your parents supportive? What about your friends?


My vegetarian boyfriend converted me to the lifestyle. After a few months, I started researching PETA and how the animals in the dairy industry are treated.

I remember one night my boyfriend made some sort of cheese pasta with fish and I remember looking at the fish, seeing some of the scales where it used to swim, wondering what its life had been like. I pushed back my plate (and the cup of milk I was going to drink) and have never gone back since.

It was I who converted him (with some help of PETA and the Earthling video) and we've been vegan ever since. It's a great time for activism, as college students are more open to new ideas than adults, it seems.

My dad doesn't really comment on it. (Ironically, HE'S the one who can't even watch Animal Precinct on Animal Planet because it upsets him so. He's just an omnivore who hasn't made the connection.) My mom is actually a vegetarian now, with the help of the Meet your Meat video!

My boyfriend's family is sort of neutral towards it, but when we are married and have children someday, I can't even imagine them giving our kids something that goes against our vegan values. I suppose I'm lucky that we have such great families!

[vegan_fae]

I became vegan as a teen, after 8 years of being what I like to refer to as a 'pretend vegetarian'. (I called myself a vegetarian, but alas was still eating white meat and fish occasionally. It was a very gradual process for me.) Being a young person following a diet unlike anyone I knew, I never really had a solid foundation about why I refused to eat cows and pigs but could excuse my consumption of chickens and turkeys. I hadn't done any research, but my parents were okay with my eating choices as long as I ate just a little bit of turkey/chicken when it was served with dinner.

When I was 16 I decided I'd become a real vegetarian for Lent. It seemed like as good a time as any, and by that time I had mostly eschewed any meat products for awhile, but still included gelatin and chicken broth. My mom object, of course, and said that I needed to do some research before she would be okay with my vegetarianism. So.... I don't think I did the type of research she meant for me to do at that point (nutritional), and instead wound up reading tons of animal rights websites. My mom was not thrilled when I told her I was now going to work on becoming vegan, but with the knowledge I had there was really no other choice.

It was again a gradual process, and it took me about 6 months to fully transition my diet and personal care products. My family was at least tolerant, but my teenage brothers definitely liked to pick on me. At this point (I'm 22) everyone who knows me just knows and accepts that I'm vegan. As a new vegan I was definitely more militant and liked to spout facts about animal abuse and leave pamphlets around the house...no one really appreciated that. I think one of the key reasons my mom is today so resistant to trying a vegetarian diet herself is the way I tried to force it on them earlier.

For me the hardest part was realizing how many of the foods I regularly ate and enjoyed weren't vegan--things I wouldn't have thought of like Lucky Charms and many other cereals, Skittles, Health Nut bread, and many other convenience foods. Now it's not a problem because I have new favorites and eat more whole foods, but at 16 it was difficult. Re-learning how to bake was also a big challenge, and I made many disgusting attempts at brownies before realizing that they need to be made from scratch. Now my family prefers vegan baked goods over those with eggs and dairy (I make all the birthday cakes, etc.) but it wasn't easy. Most of my friends in high school were pretty supportive; they taught me how to realize when someone was truly curious about my diet or when they were just being hostile. Knowing when to engage in a real conversation and when to keep the response brief has been very helpful--I got in way too many pointless, angry debates before figuring that one out.

The most frustrating thing to me as a teen vegan was the pervasive idea (in the vegan/animal rights movement) that teens are more receptive to veganism. I found that in my area it was quite the opposite--our vegetarian organizations were primarily composed of middle-age (or older) people, and kids at my high school, for the most part, couldn't have cared less. There's this idea that teens like the idea of being rebellious, have an easier time being different and making changes, and that they are inherently more interested in humanitarian causes. I found that teens actually are quite self-absorbed and more concerned with fitting in than with rebelling. A few teens may pick up a humanitarian cause, but they will stick with one cause (be it cancer, poverty, illiteracy, the Darfur crisis, war, etc.) and not care to take on anything else. Animals are often so far down their list of concerns, and I'm not sure how to change that. If it miraculously becomes a hugely popular thing to be vegan, there are definitely kids who will follow the trend. But first you've got to make the "cool" kids vegan... good luck. Then of course there's always the possibility that it'll go out of fashion, like any diet or trend.

This ended up being much longer than I planned.... Teen vegans are awesome, and I only wish there were more of them.