hey, i have quite a big problem!

i live with my dad and brothers and all of them eat meat.
Ive considered being a vegetarian for about a year, but never really could find the right way to approch it. i have to eat meat with my dinner nearly everyday, and even though i still would eat it, i feel bad afterwards. Also the vegetarian options are more expensive than the meat. Is it ok to be vegetarian during the day, then eat meat with my dinner at night???

Im confused!!
Luv Lu xx:worried:

If you feel bad about eating meat, it is not good for your mental health.

Which vegetarian options are you talking about that are more expensive? Tofu for instance is very cheap, and vegetables and beans and lentils for instance are also not expensive.

Of course, if you want to buy convenience food, that may be more expensive. But REAL food works out cheap. You may have to cook it yourself though and not expect others to cook for you.

True, Diana. If you buy dried beans and lentils, they are usually a lot cheaper than meat. The tradeoff is, that you must cook them for a while -- they're not immediately ready. You could cook up a pot of beans for yourself on the weekend so that you will have supper for the next week or cook them in a slow cooker while you're gone for the day.
Tofu here can be bought for about $1.50 a tub and the tub feeds me for 2 meals (the tofu, of course, is not all I eat). You may be able to find even larger ones at the Oriental Market.
I hope this helps,

Froggy

ETA: I am not sure about the price of tofu in England, but I am thinking it shouldn't be outrageous.

hey, i have quite a big problem!

i live with my dad and brothers and all of them eat meat.
Ive considered being a vegetarian for about a year, but never really could find the right way to approch it. i have to eat meat with my dinner nearly everyday, and even though i still would eat it, i feel bad afterwards. Also the vegetarian options are more expensive than the meat. Is it ok to be vegetarian during the day, then eat meat with my dinner at night???

Im confused!!
Luv Lu xx:worried:

I think you'll find that the majority of people around here went vegetarian while living in a meat household. Why do you HAVE to eat meat?

It's okay for you to do whatever you feel comfortable with, but if meat is still a part of your diet, then you aren't a vegetarian. It's fairly normal for people not to eat meat except for at dinner. I know plenty of meat eaters who will have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, peanut butter or a grilled cheese or pizza for lunch, then eat meat for dinner. It doesn't make them vegetarians.

Vegetarian convenience foods are more expensive than purchasing and preparing whole foods. I eat a balanced diet, three meals a day from home (I'd say I maybe eat a meal out once a month?) and I don't buy convenience foods (less the occasional bowl of soup) and I feed myself, and occasionally my bf, for $35/wk (which is less than £20). I'd like to see a meat eater do better!

Any reduction of meat consumption is good for your health and good for the environment. You might try talking with your family about making some compromises with the dinner so you aren't eating meat every night -- at least as a start.

ETA: Your family should be eating vegetables and whole grains with dinner every night. It is inexpensive to add beans to this and make it a full meal. Protein is the smallest portion at dinner, veggies the largest. If your family isn't already eating properly, you might start with aiming towards a balanced diet for everyone to begin with, then when you have other things to fill up on, you won't see meat as something you have to eat anymore.

thanks!all ur comments have helped ive now been a vegetarian for a couple of weeks now!! :)

Try reading this thread:

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=45229

It has lots of helpful tips for teens trying to be veg in a meater household.

greenday_4e4
Just a question for my own interest that has almost nothing to do with this post:
Is that a pic of Kurt Cobain as your avatar? I think I'm the confused one- I was thinking of Green Day when I saw your picture and even after a double take I'm pretty sure it's not anyone from Green Day. Sorry, I know it's stupid, I just had to ask.
Good job on being a vegetarian- it can be very hard when you live in a home or area that loves to eat meat!