Don't feel bad!!!  It's not even your own fault!!!!!  Even though we'd like you to stay veggie, your parents do think they know what's best, soo.......  Maybe you could just not eat meat; I don't know how to word it!  Sort of like, at a restaurant, don't order meat; at dinner, eat everything but the meat (unless it's mixed in; then, you can eat it...); for lunch, just choose not to eat meat (if you get to choose what you eat.  Wait!  Are you homeschooled??); etc.  I hope you can!!!  I'm SOO sorry, though!!

It's working!!!! I refused to eat ham for Easter breakfast at Church today and instead had the fruit and muffins that they also had out. For lunch I made myself PB&J, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for dinner, since all we're having is ham!

Same time as Koffee!! :):)

Let me first of all say that I have been raised a vegan. I have managed to survive for nearly 17 years never eating meat or more dairy and eggs than in the things that have slipped by in the normal course of life. I'm not very strict, more like what might be called a "freegan" according to some definitions, but still, I don't drink milk or eat eggs by themselves.

I am 5'2" and weigh 120 lbs., never have had any serious health problems, do not get sick as regularly as other (meat eating, may I add) people I know and have always been able to sustain an active and normal lifestyle. I lack nothing in the nutrition department. True, my mom is a fabulous cook, but it's possible for ANYONE, young or old, to have a perfectly balanced and healthy diet eating only vegetables, fruits and grains.

You probably know this, I'm not saying it to offend anyone or repeat what anyone else already knows, I'm just saying that being vegetarian or vegan is a very healthy lifestyle.

The meat industry has tremendous sway over what "reasearch" reaches the public. Ever wonder why the huge upsets over food related problems are so often vegetables and (comparatively) so rarely about the dangers of eating meat? *polite cough* When the food and nutritional educational supplies are provided by the meat industry it doesn't really become so mysterious why this is the case.

There is also such an ingrown culture of eating animal products it's not even funny. Yes, in past times eating meat was the best way to provide the incredible amount of calories needed for the average working person to survive their day (in the 18th century breakfast alone had more calories than our recommended daily intake today). However, the majority of people today do not require (or indeed can healthily sustain) that much.

Only too often is tradition followed blindly even though perhaps those traditions or "ways of life" are now more harmful than beneficial. Things change, and so must we, as hard as that always is.

Again, you probably know this. Part of this is my ranting, because this is a subject that really bothers me when people are ignorant about, and partly because perhaps some of it may be useful at some time, who knows.

I think that your parents forcing you to eat meat is unreasonable.  If you do not desire to eat meat, this is a belief in a lifestyle that you should be allowed to follow. I realize and understand that as children we have to listen to and obey our parents, but I think that, if they are truly being as obnoxious as it sounds, this is a real problem. I'm not saying hire a lawyer against your parents, but I would definitely see what you can do as far as getting support (other family members perhaps) and having a meeting in which to rationally and objectively discuss the situation.

If for some health reason you were unable to eat a certain food they would not force you to eat it. If for any other reason (moral, environmental, etc.) you do not wish to eat a certain type of food, you should not be forced to unless doing so would damage your health or endanger yourself or others in any way. Since being vegetarian is, in fact, healthier than eating meat I cannot see any problem with it other than that it challenges the "traditional" views of cooking and eating.

You mention that your aunt studied nutrition and says that being a vegetarian is unhealthy while you are growing. As I said above, I have not been stunted in my growth because of my diet. Looking at the alarming obesity rates among children today, I would think that it should be apparent that a vegetarian diet would perhaps be better than one with lots of meat. You will be harassed about protein, all vegetarians are. I'd like to hunt down whoever first decided to start the myth that we're all protein deprived just because we don't eat meat.

I would recommend doing your own research on nutrition. I'm sure a librarian would be able to point you in the right direction if you ask. Be aware of the bias in favor of the meat and dairy industry, and make sure you know where your resources come from. If they're from the meat industry, take it with a grain of caution. However, if it comes from a particularly vehement vegetarian or vegan organization, be careful of that as well. People have an agenda, and they will want to influence you. This posting is obviously biased in the direction of vegetarianism, but I encourage you to look at all available resources and draw your own conclusions.

Diet for a New America is a good book to read as well. Read about the unethical treatment of animals, but do not use that as your main argument for being a vegetarian.

If you base and defend your standpoint on more than your emotional reaction to the treatment of meat and dairy animals people will be more willing to take you seriously and give you a change to explain.  Ethical objections to the meat and dairy industry is perfectly viable, I understand that, but when it's your emotional reaction against someone else's emotional reaction, nothing will be resolved. "I feel that this practice is wrong because cows are getting hurt" has less impact than "this practice has a damaging effect on our Earth's ecosystem as verified by studies and since meat is not a required part of our diet as humans I believe vegetarianism to be a valid and responsible choice to make." Be prepared to do your homework, keep on top of studies, be aware of what's going on in the fields of science, nutrition and farming and people will be more apt to listen and respect your views.

Give concise, unemotional responces to the questions hurled at you, be aware that many people will try to draw you into an argument, many people will try to insult you into fighting and saying something impulsive about your eating choices. Be aware of that, and don't let them catch you off guard or anger you into saying something you will regret later (advice for anything really, come to think of it). If someone asks you a question about nutrition, a study or anything else that you don't know about, be honest and admit that you are unaware of that information, ask where you can find it and look it up. Be polite but firm, don't let anyone bully you. It's your choice, as long as you're not harming yourself or others you have the right to live how you want.

I hope that at least some of this will help you, I've not meant to make anyone feel bad, and I sincerely hope that this doesn't make you even more upset. I wrote this because I hate to see anyone bullied about the choices they make, especially if those choices are thoughful and responsible. I don't want to turn anyone against their parents, most likely the reason they do this is because they truly do not know and just want to protect you. Hopefully they will be able to see that you are willing to do work to defend what you believe, and they will appreciate the effort you put in to live the way you feel is right and allow you to go your way. Best of luck to you.