family not veggie

[Jennifer89]

I was wondering if there was anyone else here with a family that is not vegetarians. My mom makes me supper most of the time, or at least will make enoph for left overs later in the week. But I'm the only veggie at my house. My sister anjoys making fun of vegetarians, and my brother (who is off in the army) makes his hamburger moo and say "eat me Jennifer!" before he eats it. Dose anyone else have unsensitve brothers and/or sisters? My mom is trying to convert me back to meat, she is always telling me how good her meat is, and saying "just eat meat, it's SO good." she want me to start eating meat, so that she can order the whole pizza with meat instead of half of it, and can make one meal instead of two. Also, she keeps on telling me that it's not healthy, which is of course not true.

Can anyone else relate?

[MichelleBell]

My family is the same way! My brother always takes a hamburger or something and literally tries to shove it down my throat. My mom gets mad at me all the time for not eating the meat she cooks, and sometimes she even makes me eat meat, which sucks. My dad is the only one who doesn't really mind too much, but if I offered him something veggie, he'd probably try and run away, lol! I have yet to find a solution for this, but I can relate!

[clickman]

Same here... Except most of the harassment. I don't really get that anymore, only occasionally from a dumb-as-rock little brother. (I mean, he failed gym in 8th grade. Come on now, wtf?) I got some at first, now they sorta realize that after 3 years of vegetarian, and now going vegan, I'm not changing back.

[veganmuncher]

My family bug me a lot, but I get used to it. Sure you just ignore them and it's fine. I cook for myself too so i can trust what's in the food etc ;)

[Dc_Veggie]

my family isn't. my step dad doesn't bother me about it and my mom doesn't understand it. my aunt totally supports me for doing this because she could never, but she's always supported me more than any other family member or even friend.

[iceflower]

Both of my parents eat meat. They are very supportive of it, and my dad is a great cook. We eat normally eat the same meals, just mine is a vegan/vegetarian version and theirs isn't. I have no brothers and sisters.
Why don't you give your mum some information on why beng veggie is healthy?

[bohemianlikeyou]

My younger brother couldn't care less but my sisters have had issues. At first my younger sister would get angry that sometimes the meat would be cooked seperatley from everything(like spaghetti sauce) and there was the time when she had some cocktail sauseges and I kept calling them cocktail cow-anus. But that was a few years ago and now she even wants to give up meat. My older sister just recently started to argue with me about stuff. I dont really know why she has started now but it really upsets me.

[Jennifer89]

do you have some non-weird-food recipies? I keep on looking for some good recipies, but lots of them have weird food that anoys my mom to buy. Maybe I should ask her to pute me on a budget, and I'll buy my own food. I just nead a ride to the stores, that's all. And I could even tell her how edgucational it is. My mom gets anoyed buying expensive veggie burgers and veggie friendly soup. how do you deal with the money issue at your house?

[vegan_hottie07]

My family isn't vegetarian either, my dad thinks I'm stupid and weird, my mom is ok with it but she still asks me dumb ??, and my sister makes stupid remarks like "you used to eat normal food" or "why don't your eat normal food?" she also makes the same animal noises with her food, she shove her meat in my face and make little moo sounds and she says "you know you want to eat me" :furious: actually sometimes I even laugh with her. :junk:

Jennifer-- hey, vegetarian food is not a problem as long as you don't mind cooking. I make different kinds of soups that last through the whole week usually instead of buying canned vegetarian stuff. For veggieburgers and stuff, you can make your own theres actually some recipes on vegweb.com and I'm sure there are tons of other websites with recipes. Pre-cooked and packaged stuff is almost always costs more anyways.
Get some rubbermaids and make a lot of food that you can store in the freezer ("package" yourself) and whenever you get hungry just heat it up.

[raylea]

My parents and my younger sister are all omnivorous. It's not too bad, though, because they like beans and tofu and don't eat a ton of meat. They're also pretty considerate about keeping seperate cooking utensils and serving dishes for vegetarian food and meat.
Also, I cook for the whole family a few times a week, and they're thrilled that they don't have to cook... so they could care less if it's vegan :)

[thebelovedtree]

when i first went veg, suddenly what had once been my favorite, special foods became dinner every night (steak and shrimp, country style steak, fried fish, you name it) i quit eating with my family, and started cooking my own food. you might offer to make something that your whole family can share, like a veg. shepards pie or something, so you're actually helping your mom in the kitchen, instead of making more work for her

[Jennifer89]

when i first went veg, suddenly what had once been my favorite, special foods became dinner every night (steak and shrimp, country style steak, fried fish, you name it) i quit eating with my family, and started cooking my own food. you might offer to make something that your whole family can share, like a veg. shepards pie or something, so you're actually helping your mom in the kitchen, instead of making more work for her

Me and my mom came to an agreement today that if she would let me budget so much money per week to spend on food, then i would cook all of my meals. This is good for me, because it means that I get to pick out my food, and get better stuff then my mom. I baught some trail mix, vegebals, goat cheese, tofu, soy milk and a whole lot of dried veggies today. It came to $20, mom said that this is the first week, that I'm getting more money then usual, but after this, I'll get less because I had a chance to stock up on food. $20 isn't even enoph to last two weeks, it's not like I'm stocking up for the rest of my life, I don't know how she thinks that she can give me even less next week, and I still have enough money without spending my allowence, but it'll all work out.

I would cook for my family, but my older sister is the type of person who looks at tofu and sees it as some disgusting food, even when she has never tasted it before. Soy milk seems disgusting to her, though she has never tasted that either. even her friends are more open then she is, they'll come over and see me drinking soy milk and say "ooo, can I try some?" but my sister just is to stubern. After all, any vegetarian food has to be disgusting and is way to healthy for anyone to eat, right? I mean, it's so healthy that it might make you sick!!! What is anyone thinking to be a vegetarian or vegan at all??? :(

[vegansurfer]

It wasn't until last year that I really realized how lucky I have it. I live in a town when probably +- 15% of the people are veg. A health food store is the most popular store. And I am vegan because my parents raised me that way.

I am now the only vegan in the house. My parents started eating fish and chicken awhile ago but they have a big vegetarian diet. They could care less that I am vegan, though my mom does wish I would cook with eggs again because she claims the texture is all weird. My brothers have both moved out by they never harrassed me about no meat. Occassionally they would say stuff like "oh, we put meat in that'' to tease me, but usually only when they were around their friends.

My parents went through the same things you all seem to be going though with your parents, though they went veggie when they were like 18. My mom said the reason she started eating meat again was because it became "Oh, I can't eat that" rather then "I don't want to eat that". So lucky for me, they are very supportive.

The only things I can say are start making your own food. I love to cook and have an awesome time doing it. Your parents can't complain about the extra cooking if you are doing it all. As for the whole budget thing, maybe get the cheaper alternatives for now. Try looking into food cateloges where you can buy stuff in bulk for really cheap. Mountain People has great deals. They carries Amy's stuff for like half the price.

And whatever you do DON'T give them a hard time about what they eat. Don't make fun of their food, don't give them all the horror stories about the meat industry. Let them accept your food choices first. If you start giving them a hard time about how they eat they will only make them destest the way you eat. Think about how many people and organizations hate PETA because of the way they do their animal rights campaign. If you complain about people giving you a hard time and then you turn around and give them a hard time, it is only being hypocritical. It won't change their minds. Logical arguments might though.

[thebelovedtree]

You can be veg on a budget, if you plan it right for example.

1 bag of black beans can be black bean soup, the soup can then be added to rice, put in a buritto, fozen for later when you get tired of it, etc. dont waste anything, and make your own frozen meals and you'll have extra money to splurge on more expensive items. Also, there are vegetarian things that everyone will eat. My parents and family beg me to make shepards pie, home made pizza, vegan cookies and cakes, wantons, and they steal my soups all the time. if you eat a few things without fake meat or tofu, etc. in it, then you can be eating the same things as your family and your mother will be less concerned about the $.

[veganmuncher]

My dad kinda calls himself vegetarian, he still eats fish & gelatine.....But he thinks I'm weird for bring vegan, as do the rest of my family. They call me stuff like weird vegan freak, hippie..etc.. Their insults can be very funny sometimes, especially my little brother, he calls me witchface!

[raylea]

A great thing to do is make meals for the family that can suit both vegans and omnis... For example, a roll-your-own burrito bar, with warm tortillas, black beans, spanish-style rice, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and salsa (also cheese, sour cream, and ground beef for the non-vegans if you wish), so everyone makes their own and you could be as vegan or as omnivorous as you want. My sister loves it when I make pizza dough and sauce, then roll out little individual pizzas... everyone chooses their toppings (I go without cheese) and they are all happy.

[Nirvana19105]

Ha ha, yeah, my parents have been less than supportive of me, which can really hurt at times. Not only do they proudly take part in something they know I find horrific, but it really feels like their own tastebuds are more important to them than their own son.

<sigh> What can ya do...

Luckily, I've found 20 dollars a week is usually more than enough to get good vegan supplies, and I think you will too once you're used to shopping around. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, it will soon become your friend. You'll find the best prices on some harder to find veggie essentials. As far as cooking for your family goes, I suggest you make some kind of decadent vegan desert rather than trying to get them to eat tempeh or something kinda funky. Maybe a chocolate silken tofu pie, or some chocolate chip brownies, then refuse to let them have any. Thats what I like to do. =)

[annabanana]

I'm the only veg in my family but I've learned to make my own stuff really easily. We usually have a veg. with dinner, so I just have that along with something of my own. You might want to look in the "what did you eat today?" thread here in the teen section, as well as in the "healthy Living" area.
Some ideas:
-veggies (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, carots, beans, tomatoes, etc.) marinated in itlain dressing
-Buy or make pitas, and stuff them with canned or dried-and-rehydrated beans, rice, veggies, salsa
-peanut butter and raisin sandwiches!
-rice with corn and peas; cook the rice with turmeric, it makes it taste great!
-Buy dried soup mixes; usually a bag will last you a while.
-Frozen soup - take a look, usually they're inexpensive. At my local grocery store there's Tabatchnik barnd soup that's 2 (with 2 packs of soup each) for 75 cents!
-Buy rice and pasta in bulk - it's cheaper and the quality is excellent
-Stir Fry anything!

These are just basics, but I hope that gave you some ideas...

[vegan_chic]

My family is omnivorous. I make all of my meals and they make their's. They don't tease me or anything, but I also don't have a brother. They do try to "tone down" my veganism. Especially around holidays and when we visit relatives.

[Loki]

I'm the only veg in a family of 5, but it works out well. We're a family of fussy eaters, and we always have been, so ever since I was 9, I've been cooking my own food. I've learne dhow to cook from the instructions on the package, and I'm learning the finer art of cooking as time rages on.

My family has learned to respect my choices, however. My brother makes a few remarks from time to time, but he's easily silenced.

You could offer to cook a meal for the family, but as luck would have it, most omnivores seem to have this ofdd fear of vegetarian food. I really don't get where it comes from, but if you mention "vegetarian" about some kind of food, and people will be less inclined to eat it. Vegetarian food is often ignored. I remember when i we had our leaving meal at school, the choices were chicken, lamb or this mushroom risotto thingy. And whilst getting served, the waiter said "So are you having the chicken or the lamb?" there was another option, but he had written that off, as it was a vegetarian option. I just told him that I wans't having either, and that I was having the vegetarian dish. (It arrived a few minutes later, and the omnivores hated their meals, whilst I touted the superiority of mine! w00t!)

Anyway, the message is that people aren't generally receptive to vegetarian food, and regard it as inferior. So much, that they don't even consider it as being an option. This is one hell of a psychological barrier to crack. It would take a bloody bulldozer to break this one down. But if you can do so, then you might be able to make a meal for your family. However, expect criticism. Even if they do enjoy it, they will psychologically hate it. Admitting approval of the meal would be a no-no.