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I started (and finished) the book last Thursday. I gave myself a week to transition to a vegan diet (which I realized later coincided with New Year's Eve). I planned to tell my parents on Friday (yesterday). I told my mom and she said "No." I asked her why and she said "You haven't mastered being a vegetarian yet." I've been pescatarian since first grade and vegetarian since second grade in a family of meat eaters. I haven't slipped once. (I didn't learn about gelatin for awhile, but as soon as I learned, I eliminated it from my diet) True, I'm not the perfect vegetarian, but who is? I feel ready to take on veganism, but I'm only thirteen. I make $5 a week teaching martial arts classes, but that's not enough for my own groceries (like I've been buying for a week with my now depleted savings). What should I do?
Erin,
Do you think that your mom's reluctance has to do with her concerns for your health, or that she doesn't want to cook separate meals for your family? You can try addressing her concerns by presenting her with some health information from the Internet or books or, better still, ask your Pediatrician for his input. My daughter's Pediatrician assured us that her vegetarian choice was very healthful as long as she ate a wide variety of foods, particularly iron-rich choices, as it can be hard to meet a child's iron needs if her diet is extremely limited.
If your Mom simply doesn't have the luxury of time or energy to prepare separate meals for you, offer to cook. In fact, maybe this could be a great bonding experience and a lot of fun for the two of you to discover and prepare recipes together. And in the end, try to remember that all us mom's really just want the best for our children. You want patience, true consideration and understanding from your mom, the best way to get that is to get it is to give her the same in return. Good Luck!
i agree with stephanie. cooking together could be really fantastic. i would start slowly, by finding one recipe each week and saying you'd like to cook a meal for the family once a week. there are lots of vegan dishes that everyone will like without feeling like they're being forced. maybe she'll start seeing that people really like the food and she'll enjoy spending that time cooking with you. might even lead to some acceptance and curious questions!
with limited money, you will have to start slowly. make a list of the vegan basics you'd like to have in your house and purchase one each week. stick to vegan as much as you can, but give yourself the time to build a foundation. even adults who make all of the food decisions generally can't afford to completely switch out everything in their cupboards in one shopping trip! a bag of barley can cost less than $3 and if used right can last for a few weeks.
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