For the Teens: How to NOT Kill & Eat Your Non-Vegan Parents

Me as a kid with our
greyhound, Indra

I was lucky. I was born to a mother who was already vegetarian, so she was open to the idea of being vegan. I was the first person to bring it up, and now look at us - the whole family follows a plant-based diet and a 100% vegan lifestyle! However, not every teen & kid who wants to go vegan is as fortunate as I was. So, here are some tips for both those with open parents, and those with parents who are closed to the idea.

We'll start by determining whether your parents are "open" or "closed", and then go from there. Open parents are parents who are, well...open to the idea of going vegan! Regardless of whether it's because they are health-conscious, environmentalists, or just animal lovers, they'll be the easier of the two types. Closed parents are closed to the idea - we're talking about the hardcore meat-eaters, or folks who just don't know or don't want to know why consuming animal products is a bad thing. Ultimately though, this just effects the difficulty level and how long it's going to take, not to mention how much explaining you're going to have to do.
Regardless of the type, the same general tips for going vegan apply. Here they are:

• Start by explaining your reasons for wanting to go vegan. You know your parents better than I do, so go from whatever angle you think will work best.
• If you're not sure what angle to start with, go at it from a health angle. Everyone wants to be healthy, and everyone wants what's best for their kids.
• Be prepared for citations. Have links that support your argument bookmarked in your browser of choice, and send them or show them to your parent(s) if necessary.
• Note - consistently - how easy it is to be vegan. Show them all of the easy meat substitutes/replacements and where they can buy them.
• If they don't want to spend their hard-earned money on substitutes/replacements, then mention lentil burgers and other cheap, homemade vegan foods.
• If they don't want to spend their precious time on preparing these foods, then be prepared to start cooking for yourself. I know, a horrible prospect, but sometimes it's necessary, not to mention a valuable life skill!
• When they start to give in, it's time to start bombarding them with links to and photos of yummy vegan food! This will dispel the "salad" myth that most folks hold, not to mention it might make them a little more open to the idea of going vegan themselves.
• If, after all this, your parents are still not so sure, then tell them to just leave the animal products off of your plate at dinner time, or as I said, start cooking for yourself. This is worst-case scenario, but at least you'll be standing in your truth. After all, every household has veggies, fruits, and grains available!

So, in the end, it shouldn't be too hard of a task to go vegan with non-vegan parents. There are always options, and who knows...maybe you'll be surprised and your parents or other family members might go vegan too! Either way, I wish you luck. Know your stuff, bust the myths, and make a better world, my fellow teens!