Got A Newly Vegetarian Teen? Don't Make These Mistakes!

Alicia Hückmann, a vegan college student from Germany who is passionate about sharing her views and also interning with the Vegetarian Resource Group, told SteadyHealth how her family reacted when she decided to ditch meat:

“While my family tolerated (or rather ignored) my decision to become vegetarian, they would get me into loud arguments for choosing a diet that is ‘known to cause deficiencies’. Today, so about two years later, this has stopped but they still won't taste any of the dishes I make, let alone let me cook for them once in a while.”

Alicia was aware that her parents simply cared about her health and were concerned when she decided to become a vegetarian first and a vegan a year later, however, she says,

“their approach showed me that they had little faith in my ability to take responsibility for my own life”.

“For teenagers who struggle to be regarded as independent young adults, this is one of the worst things that can happen,” she points out, adding:

“Teenagers who become vegetarian stand up for their personal values and for what they think is right. Their decisions are often based on profound knowledge about the animal industry, health, and the environment and show that they are critical thinkers who do not mind swimming against the tide. For this reason, I think that everybody who is willing to do the transition deserves support and encouragement by their family and friends.”

Alicia advises meat-eating parents to introduce meatless days and bond with their teens over vegetarian cooking. By doing this, and by asking open-ended and neutral (rather than negative) questions about your teen's reasons to become a vegetarian and the foods they are going to be eating, you show respect for and interest in your teen's life-changing decision. What's more, with a teen who is proactive about nutrition, you could even benefit directly: who doesn't want family dinners cooked by their kids on a regular basis?

READ Nutrition During Pregnancy for Vegetarians

No Meat, No Big Deal

Restaurants in India are labeled either “vegetarian”, or “non-vegetarian”, essentially setting not eating meat as the standard by which all else is measured. People across the globe have thrived on meatless diets for a very long time, and your vegetarian teen, having access to the internet therewith a ginormous body of research, is not going to be any different. While the transition to vegetarianism may be a big change, it will soon become the "new normal"; it will soon become something that isn't a big deal at all. (Except, that is, if your teen develops a knack for really tasty cooking! That is a big deal!)