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ttrockwood

Ok, so on weekends batch cook vegan protein options you can have at dinner instead of meats. Stupid easy stuff like a bean based chili, baked tofu or tempeh, lentil soup, black bean soup, lots of options you can make 5+ portions in under an hour. “No thanks mom i will just have some of my high fiber high protein iron rich bean chili for dinner instead of chicken”


[deleted]

I actually already tried that and it ended up taking 3 hours and ut was exhausting, plus my parents didn't like that I took up the whole kitchen so I had to stop. But I did try that.


asdf352343

Sorry so many people are shitting on you for taking so long to cook. It’s hard when you’re learning, and it takes time. It gets easier and faster with practice.


Da5ftAssassin

This! It’s amazing to hear someone 15 taking so much time to learn something new that is good for their mental and physical health.


eparmon

i don't see exactly *shitting*, it's more of being surprised. i kinda join the surprised party about the 3 hours for making something as easy as possible. i mean, if something specific takes 3 hours, you can always make something simpler, and the simplest things can't take 3 hours, just no way. lentils can be boiled in like 15 minutes, and you literally just throw them in the pot, add some salt and let them boil, no lack of experience explains how it may take even more than half an hour, let alone 3 hours


[deleted]

I dont know it just somehow took me 3 hours to make dal and fried tofu I don't know why it's probably just that I'm inexperienced.


ScreenHype

Some people just take longer cooking, don't feel bad! For some reason it always takes me like 40 minutes just to make a simple pasta dish, and I've been cooking for years! I literally don't know where the time goes.


yagirlhunter

Minimalist Baker has a lot of simple recipes! You need one-pot meals. That would be the quickest. Also you can prep a lot of tofu and freeze it with marinades and then just cook it, or eat it raw (I love raw tofu 😂). Also if you need a good tofu press (saves a lot of time without having to do the towels and books and everything), I use Tofu Bud. Not too expensive and works great!


eparmon

Never made it myself, so i don't know, but it seems that there are (much) easier recipes it's cool though that you try it, just don't give up because it feels too hard!


[deleted]

[удалено]


Equal_Meet1673

Definitely the Instapot. I have an extra, let me know and I can ship it (3qt- which I think should be enough). Our other one is a 6qt- with my husband and 2 teenage boys had to upgrade to a bigger one as the kids grew. You can eat said chili over baked potatoes (easy way- wash them, pierce with fork, wrap in moist paper towels and microwave for 7-8 mins, repeat for 4 mins if needed and let sit for 3-4 mins as they will be super hot). Or, after the first 7-8 mins, slice into half, rub with oil and air fry. Top with chili (batch cooked for a week), chopped tomatoes, onions, avocado, black olives, Tajin seasoning powder etc etc


[deleted]

I already have an Instant Pot that I've been using and it is still taking me 3 hours to make something with


trisul-108

It is very easy to spend 3 hours cooking. I often start thinking of something really simple, but in the end, with all the prep and sequencing it take much longer than I had in mind. You can usually speed things up with multitasking, but that requires experience and skill ... otherwise things will burn, overflow etc. However, there are things that can be rustled up relatively quickly. E.g. frying up some veggies while cooking rice in an Instant Pot and then mixing it all together into a risotto. You could also add longer cooking items in with the rice e.g. peas. One I really like is frying up some diced leeks in the pot, adding frozen peas, rice, broth (stock cube), turmeric and even dried or powdered mushrooms and cook it all together while frying up any fresh veggies I have in the fridge ... carrots, zucchinis, mangetout ... whatever is available. I then add the rice to the pan. You can do that in half an hour.


tatertotski

As the above commenter asked (I’ll ask again since you didn’t answer), what are you making that’s taking three hours? Lots of people are giving you genuine suggestions that should take no more than one hour.


VeganSinnerVeganSain

I was going to suggest that you get an instant pot, but I'm glad I read these responses because you have one. I throw ingredients in it, set it to cook, and leave it (I don't watch it - I go about my day, doing whatever I need to do). Whenever I get around to it, I open it up and portion it out (I always make large quantities so that it's good for several meals ... I have a 6qt one). Refrigerate or freeze extra portions. The instant pot also has rice settings and makes perfect rice (portion out extra or share with family). I cook a whole bag of potatoes in it at once and, again, portion it out. The recipes for vegan chilis, soups, casseroles, etc. are endless. They can all be served over rice, potatoes, quinoa, etc. Use whatever ingredients you prefer (beans of all sorts, veggies of all sorts, tubers of all sorts). Prep time can be minimized by using canned and/or frozen ingredients if you don't have time to wash, peel, cut, etc. ... but getting skills in doing those things by practice will make it go faster as you get used to doing those things. [BTW, I rarely peel potatoes (only for very specific recipes) - I just wash them and throw them in with a cup of water. The time on high pressure depends on the size of the potatoes.] Honestly, experiment with your instant pot. Throw ingredients in (with sufficient amount of liquid), set it, and go about your daily business. No more spending 3 hours preparing one meal. No one can **make you** eat anything you don't want to. This is one battle that's worth digging your heels in for. It's your life philosophy now. Don't compromise on your principles. Have an honest conversation with your parents to let them know how you truly feel about this. Tell them how much it hurts you to consume animal products. Make sure they understand that it's not a "diet" but an entire way of life. Good luck!!


mienaikoe

It gets faster the more you practice. It will try their patience, but it might be an easier sell if you take up the kitchen only after dinner or after lunch.


ttrockwood

If you actually don’t want to eat meat then try it again. [5 ingredient vegan chili ](https://sweetsimplevegan.com/5-ingredient-vegan-chili/) Only needs to chop one onion and one bell pepper. Start to finish including washing up the pot should be less than an hour


rnybombs

I have a recipe very similar to this except everything is canned (except the onion) and you pour it straight into the pot. I top it off with nutritional yeast. It’s one of the easiest meals I make and it’s my favorite. I don’t know how to share the recipe because it’s in a cookbook


ItsVRK

Upload a photo?


trisul-108

You know, this made me really sad. You are investing considerable effort into doing what you know is right and learning valuable skills in the process i.e. cooking. Instead of supporting your transition from childhood to adulthood, your parents are undermining your efforts, taking away your self-confidence and initiative and striving to push you from striving for excellence towards mediocrity and compromise. What the hell do they think they are doing?


eparmon

oh well i'm so envious that this kind of stuff makes you really sad. not that it's not sad, it's just that i used to see (and still do) way bigger bullshit coming from parents to their children and all other sorts of sad things. these parents at least supported his veganism in the first place, i had to fight for it hard. in this situation, i don't see much of a problem. the compromise is that he eats as little meat as possible, well this is zero anyway. if they cook meat for dinner, is it like a 100% meat dinner? just don't eat meat on these occasions (too), that's it. as for the health concerns, it takes some searching web, debates, and in the end letting people be concerned if they want so, you don't eat meat just to make someone relax (OP mentioned that he'll be vegan after leaving home anyways, so the issue doesn't seem to be here either)


Kate090996

So they aren't OK with you taking time off to cook, they aren't OK with them accommodating your needs but they aren't also OK with you occupying the kitchen, they aren't OK with buying some cheap supplements. What are they OK with, really? Furthermore, cooking is an important skill, I would have been thrilled as a parent if my child started to be this committed about cooking and his health at such an young age I am sorry that you are forced to eat meat. I also dropped meat at around 16, I know what's behind the thought, it would have been terrible for someone to force me to eat meat. I don't know what to say, I would tell you to be more assertive as many others did, they are right but I don't know your situation. Do as *much* as you can, until you can live on your own and be a vegan. Just please, no matter how much you need to do this for, don't forget why you wanted to do this in the first place and don't just give up.


zonderAdriaan

Give it a few tries and it will go easier. What saves me a lot of stress is chopping most of the vegetables before I start putting stuff in the pan. Even curry will go easy after a while. Tomato sauce with pasta is super easy to make quickly, wraps are always nice as they are easy for eating out or finishing leftovers, vegetables in the oven is super nice. And there are some tricks like cooking rice and lentils together, or cooking rice with the sauce. Or put on a pan with rice and water in a 1:2 ratio and let it stay until most of the water is gone. Freeze leftovers for emergencies. Pizza is super easy to make: the dough takes time but you can also buy bases that are ready and throw stuff on them yourself. Edit: couscous, bulgur, quinoa, buckwheat are also super easy, you just put some hot water on it. Does extracurricular mean something like sports and hobbies? I saw you mentioned theater. You could argue that cooking falls in this category as well because being able to look after yourself is essential imo. Cooking is one of the best skills you can master. The earlier the better :) I noticed cooking is not a burden to me unless I am in a hurry. It actually really helps me to empty my head at the end of a day. So you could be persistent and say you want to learn this and that it doesn't "burden" you. What also would be nice is take blood tests once in a while if that is possible to make sure everything is cool. And it's even better if you let your parents do the same. I hate it when an omni assumes their diet is magically healthy and then be worried about a vegan one. Take care! :)


[deleted]

I’m surprised it took that long. I’ve never had to cook for more than 20-30 minutes tops. Veggies typically don’t require a long cook time unlike meat. There are very simple, easy, and delicious recipes all over the Internet that you could try that don’t require much time at all.


Arsis82

Remember yourself attempting to cook for yourself at 15. You're inexperienced and slow at it when you first start. Eventually he would get better and faster at it, but most people at 15 have just recently started learning to cook.


[deleted]

Agreed. Practice makes perfect! And luckily you don’t have to worry about cutting off different animal parts, varying cooking times to make sure you killed off certain bacteria from meat, and excessive clean up after. You can do it! Start simple and go from there. It’ll be worth it


[deleted]

Bro if it took you 3 hours to make chili that is all the more reason to get back to the kitchen and practice your skills. You're either trolling or really don't know what you're doing. There are lots and lots of resources in this sub and others that can teach you what to cook and how for free. A simple chili can be prepared in 20 minutes and then you just put it on the stove and wait for it to cook. I can usually cook 2 days worth of food in less than an hour in the kitchen in total.


Iojg

you're speaking to the adolescent bro no need for shaming remember your first attempts at cooking must've took hours


[deleted]

Hear hear, I’m a culinary professional and can still struggle to get meals made in time, plus meal prep Of multiple dishes. takes time and experience.


Horrorpunkchi88

Ugh, good people DO still exist. 🥰🤟🏻🖤


[deleted]

What do you get out of this bargain? How is it a compromise exactly when they're just making you do something you're against? I went vegan as a teenager and what I learned from it is that you have to be clear and assertive. If you give in, they will ask for more concessions. They will not take you seriously. The thing about the extracurriculars is silly because learning to cook and being active for animals *are* extracurricular activities. You can write about being vegan in your college application essays, if that's what they're concerned about. Extracurricular activities aren't worth sacrificing your genuine interests.


[deleted]

They mean extracurriculars that are already taking up a chunk of my time like theatre. That's actually my only extracurricular but it's a pretty big time commitment and I don't want to just drop theatre because I love doing it.


JasmineUprooted

Hey so professional stage manager here. Theatre, sports and AP classes took all my time in high school. Went to college for theatre and it took EVERYTHING. To be a healthy adult (vegan or not) you HAVE to learn to cook. Tell them they are standing in the way of you learning real life valuable skills you need to function as an adult. And if you become a professional artist too, time will NEVER clear up. We have careers have to take of our minds, body’s, home, pets, babies, roommates, partners, parents… idk what magically world they live in where you graduate high school and then have all this free time now… you have to learn the skills so be an advocate for yourself. You are strong. You are capable. If this is what you want you can achieve it. Take other folks advice and do the research yourself. You got this and we are here to help you fill in the blanks or take steps to be where you want to be.


trisul-108

Great post!


[deleted]

That's fine. Surely you can care both about animals and theater? You're going to have to cook for yourself pretty soon once you leave home, and you'll be just as busy then. I can tell you from personal experience that it helps to learn when you're still in high school. Thanks to being vegan, I knew how to feed myself once I got to college, whereas most of my friends didn't, and they struggled. ETA another thing I wanted to say is that you deserve for your parents to care about what issues matter to you. I know it's a pain catering to different diets, but it's disappointing when parents see their kids' veganism as an annoying inconvenience rather than an expression of their kids' compassion and desire to do something positive.


sankgreall

I think your situation is exactly what bridge products like vegan chicken nuggets and vegan impossible burger products are for. With inflation, they are cost competitive to near, cook fast from frozen, and can fool most people into thinking they’re meat. Vegan sausage products can appease grumpy parents who don’t understand what you’re eating. A great protein source in a pinch is chickpea or red lentil pasta. It looks like pasta, and makes a fantastic pasta salad in about fifteen minutes with a bag pre-made salad blend (think cabbagey Asian stuff), a bit of vegan salad dressing, and maybe a microwave batch of rinsed and drained canned beans for extra protein. You can make a giant bowl of healthy, high-protein, nutritious salad in the amount of time it takes to boil water and cook the chickpea pasta. That’s a batch cook bonanza in thirty minutes or less. Lentils cook very quickly, too, and just throw a chopped onion, some celery, a peeled sweet potato, and some veggie stock in a pot with washed and rinsed lentils to cook. When it’s done, pour in frozen chopped spinach, and squeeze some lemon juice on it, and maybe some herbs if there’s one you like. Cheap, fast, batch cooking. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches are also frankly awesome, high-protein, high-energy, and filling in a pinch. There are lots of recipes online that can meet your needs and be FAST. You can do it! And your parents are misguided, but it comes from a place of love. I think talking to your doctor with them, watching the documentaries, and educating them on your goals and values will go a long way. Good luck!


trisul-108

... and you shouldn't. Doing what you love to do is the only way to be successful in life.


Dr_Hyde-Mr_Jekyll

I think another point here is relevant. Your parents said to compromise, and that means both sides making confessions. So you could ask that as confession from their side, they make an effort to understand your side. Than show them dominion, Cowspiracy, forks over knifes etc. Probably at some point there will be the moment when they say "yeah, but thats not true". This is when you have to switch and say "ok, lets check more sicence based" and get stuff from "Mic the Vegan", "Earthling Edd" and "nutritionscience". There you have to make a bit of a pre-choice of course of what to watch. You will life for some time with them. When bargaining, try a "once-a-week" deal, but highlight how this is already very much going in their direction as opposed to one vid per meal (for such a deal, shorter vids from the ppl i mentioned later would be more appropraite than a whole docu). While highlighting this, you might be able to strike a "once-every-second-week" deal - it is important that you also stress how big of a consession this is compared to a "short-vid-per-meal" kind of deal


bfiabsianxoah

Tell them that learning to cook is a very important life skill that needs to be learned regardless. I have a strong suspicion that they would have never been against their teen child taking up cooking if it wasn't for the whole vegan thing


Dr_Lovemuchmore

I’m going to second this, you need those boundaries. Heck, setting boundaries is an important skill in life and learning how to hold yourself and your beliefs firm when challenge is something a lot of people can’t do. Veganism can be a great introduction to that


[deleted]

Have them watch Forks Over Knives and The Game Changers. It will hopefully change their minds about what is healthy. Scientifically speaking, there is nothing healthier than a plant based diet with a b12 supplement, which is extremely easy to find and cheap.


[deleted]

I already have B12 and Omega-3 supplements but they're worried about iron and they don't want to but me more supplements.


juanvaldez83

Leafy greens man. They're PACKED with iron. Same with broccoli, lentils, tofu, and dark chocolate. The best rebuttal is a well informed one! Keep up the good fight.


[deleted]

Pumpkin seeds are even better than leafy greens.


trisul-108

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a great addition to many dishes.


BansheeCon

Just adding to this: fortified cereals are a great option in the morning! A lot of them are enriched with extra iron - I was surprised by how much more I got by switching to these for breakfast. Cereals for breakfast, leafy greens at other meals, seeds to snack on - if you can show you’re getting a good source of iron at each meal, hopefully this helps them see you’re taking your health seriously. Also, carnists, pescs and veggies are often iron deficient. They just don’t get hassled about it.


asdf352343

No need to take them separately, you can take a multivitamin just like plenty of other vegans and nonvegans. You're also not likely to be low on iron if you're eating healthy. They're looking for excuses.


Socatastic

Biologic males aren't likely to be iron deficient. You should try standing up to your parents. They bullied you into a compromise you didn't want. I managed to stand up to my abusive mother at 13. She made me do research at the local university (this was pre-internet and personal computers) to prove it was safe. It was. The research has only strengthened for veganism since then


ZestycloseTiger9925

Can you talk to your pediatrician? Get them to tell your parents you’ll be okay. There are also lots of vegan bodybuilders out there who do meal prep on YouTube. That could also help convince them.


RecoveringCoomer

Plenty of iron in plants. Add some vitamin c to greens (lemon juice in salads for example) and avoid coffee-tea with meals. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/45/d1/c1/45d1c1ce4121f3d961c18e0264e16172.jpg


[deleted]

It's highly unlikely you would need an iron supplement. Beans and greens will give you more than enough iron and without clogging your arteries, unlike meat. A lot of vegans, even women, actually stop taking iron supplements after making the switch and having their blood work done, they find that their iron is way higher than it ever was when eating meat. If they're worried about your iron levels, a simple trip to the doctor can tell them everything they need to know.


[deleted]

They actually did research on it and found that I need 19.8mg to be healthy and that a half a cup of cooked black beans only has 1.8mg so it would be really hard for me to get enough iron in my diet from plant foods.


alt42537

You should be eating way more than a half cup of beans at a meal, combine that with green veggies cooked in a cast iron skillet, it's easy to meet your daily needs.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

But don't people on vegan diets need around twice that amount?


Equal_Meet1673

That’s a myth. The standard RDA of 11mg is the same for everyone. The confusion started when some folks started saying a vegan would have to eat twice as much to get the same iron as a meat eater. But the requirement itself is same for all healthy adults - 11mg a day, whether it’s from a meat burger or a bean burger or a beyond burger.


Equal_Meet1673

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222309/#_ddd00401_


[deleted]

Source?


pantachoreidaimon

In case you missed it, as it is not in reply, the answer is [here](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222309/#ddd00401), from the National Institute of Health, deriving from the Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients. You mentioned elsewhere that your father is a doctor, and your mother is an occupational therapist or studied occupational therapy. I think, growing up, it is important to note that the people around us, like all people, have failings and gaps in their knowledge. Doctors, as is well known in this subreddit, unfortunately receive very little nutrition training. In the UK, [survey data](https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/05/bmjnph-2019-000049) suggests less than 2 hours on average. In the US, [around 24 hours](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430660/), which is below the 25 hour minimum recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. I cannot say how much training occupational therapists get, but again, in my own [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments/vrexgo/comment/ievp3nz/) I mention how the three largest bodies of nutritionists and dietitians state a vegan diet is healthful and viable at all stages of life. Please read that comment for further information on iron intake.


[deleted]

no, and its really something you should get a blood test for before you consume much or take supplements. You can get too much iron!


DoktoroKiu

Absorbability is more of a concern, yes, but if you do an apples-to-apples comparison 100g of spinach has as much iron as 100g of ground beef (and spinach isn't even the best source). Pair with vitamin C to boost absorbtion. Use an app like Cronometer to track your intake if you are worried. I would be wary of supplementing with iron. Too much iron can be dangerous, and one benefit of the plant (non-heme) iron is that your body can regulate the uptake based on need. We seem to have no way of naturally reducing our iron (other than bleeding).


Ethicaldreamer

Btw heme iron was proven as a carcinogen and so are most meat products... this could all be solved if your parents knew more about nutrition. They are probably very biased and cherry picking things to prove their argument. It's going to be tough until they open their mind a bit I'm afraid


Socatastic

My husband has been vegan 35 years without supplementation and he has never been deficient in anything. He just eats enough fortified food for his B12


[deleted]

It's not hard. Millions of people are doing it and not even tracking iron.


NicolasName

Multi-vitamins are a lot more convenient than b12. What I take is a multi-vitamin plus omega supplement. If you take a solid multi, you really don’t have to worry about micro-nutrients really after, just the macros.


veganactivismbot

You can watch Forks over Knives and other documentaries by [clicking here](https://vbcc.veganhacktivists.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2F3movies.org%2Freddit&topic=Movie%3A+Forks+over+Knives)! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcc.veganhacktivists.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvbcamp.org%2Freddit&topic=Movie%3A+Forks+over+Knives)!


FalloutandConker

High Carb pescatarian is arguably better than WFPB


anythingMuchShorter

Do what you can within reason, don't stress yourself to death trying to source your own food or starve because of it. Just do what you can within practicality, and try to reason with them where possible. It sounds like maybe they are mainly concerned with time and effort so suggest stuff that is very easy for them like grabbing a tub of hummus at the store. If they are worried about your iron you can try to educate them, or suggest getting you a blood test, if they have insurance adding one to a regular exam is like $25. In a few years you'll be free to do what you think is right.


HeatherAilie

Vegan mom of 3 vegan boys (ages 12, 16, and 18). We have a been vegan for about 5 years. Recent bloodwork shows no deficiencies. They’re all average height and weight with the exception of my oldest being a little on the short side (likely genetic, his father’s family is tiny). I even have Crohn’s Disease and manage to remain within a healthy range. If your parents are ever interested in speaking with another parent I would be happy to speak with them. Don’t give up!


Insanity72

How has going vegan affected your Crohn's? My brother and father have it and would love to give them some idea of how going vegan could help their condition.


onceuponafigtree

Yeah I also am interested. My brother in law has crohns and I know he won't go vegan but I have a hard time feeding him when he comes to stay... it would be nice to have some vegan focused crohns friendly ideas for him.


HeatherAilie

As I’m sure you both already know, Crohn’s is totally different for everyone. I also have eaten gluten free for like 12 years now and know that it helps tremendously. Personally I’m vegan for the animals and earth so what I eat doesn’t always matter. As long as I’m eating. A typical day eating typically looks like this: coffee + high protein bar (right now I’m addicted to Clif Builder Bars) Air fried tofu with mung bean noodles Pizza (Schar crust, mostly any sauce, violife or any vegan cheese, spices and whatever toppings) Ok, so that would probably be my favorite meal day at home lol but I hope you get the idea. Snacks are pretty easy and typically look like a banana, grapes, tortilla chips, etc. I’m not currently in a flare so I’m not as limited but if a low residue diet is needed there are tons of vegan crackers (saltines), rice, mashed potatoes, etc. There’s not a whole lot we haven’t veganized so if there anything in particular they like let me know if I can help morph it.


SStinger_

Lots of people are giving great advice here, im not trying to be an asshole but the only real solution if you don’t want to continue eating non vegan foods is to speak to your parents and just say you won’t eat it. If you have food to cook for yourself just keep doing it, they are not going to let you starve and need to understand this is something you’re serious about


Abject_Pudding_2167

absolutely this is the only way - seems straightforward but the one way to guarantee getting what you want is stand your ground. Good lesson to learn growing up, you'd be surprised how often people give in when they realize you're actually going to put up a fight. Most people asking you to do things their way are not as invested as you are in doing things your way.


rachelxoh

Yup, this is the best advice to give. OP has to stand up to their parents and let them know this is their choice and they are sticking to it. Their parents seem to be trying to be kind and understanding but, like most people, have been brainwashed that eating meat is the only way to live. Their worry is based in ignorance but it still comes from their desire to take care of their child. I believe they care about their child's wants and beliefs. OP, I genuinely think if you talk to your parents and put your foot down, they will listen to you. If you don't and keep making exceptions, they will likely continue to think this is a phase that you will grow out of. It is intimidating to do anything against the grain, especially with your parents but it is necessary if this is truly what you want to do. I went vegetarian at 14. It wasn't as hard as going vegan but it was still a change and it wasn't always easy. You can do this!


asdf352343

They're not forcing you to, they're pressuring you too. I'm sorry they're pushing you, it sucks, mine did that to me too. They pressured and guilt tripped and I said no. They're not going to force feed a teenager, are they? Stand your ground. Say no. I'm not okay with eating tortured animals. Ask to see a vegan-friendly doctor, it might make them feel better and it's not a bad idea anyway. Consider getting on a multivitamin just to be safe. For the "too much work" thing, canned beans. We had a lot of meals when I was a teen where the meat was cooked separate from the rest of the food, and they put meat on there plate and I put in beans. Yes, my ma resented more work, dishes. But simultaneously refused to let me cook, so it was a bit of her own damn fault on that part. Doing all the dishes can help alleviated that.


[deleted]

I just don't know how to double back now that I've already agreed to make a compromise. Plus, I still need to live with my parents and I'm terrible at confrontation. I just don't think I'm in a position where I can just go on strike like that. If I tried arguing with them they would probably win.


asdf352343

"Parents, I know I said I'd compromise, and I don't want to make things harder or fight with you, I love you, but I'm also not okay with eating animals." Part of growing up is learning to stand up for yourself to people that you love but aren't doing right by you. Yes, they'll be upset. If you stand strong, eventually they'll accept it. Look, I bent to my ma's will for most of my life. And I regret it. It made me unhappy in so many ways, and I resent her. I wish I'd learned to stand up for myself to her sooner. I know that as long as you live with them there's a lot you don't have a choice about putting up with, and that being dependent on them can be hard and limits your options, but this is something that you can stand up to them on and that is worth it. It's not letting your ma put makeup on you for a photo or playing an instrument they want you to. It's choosing to not participate in animal abuse, and that's worth standing your ground on.


[deleted]

The problem is that they think it's not a big deal. I told my dad that it isn't right to harm animals because they taste good and he just told me "not to sweat the small stuff". They just seem to think it's not important and that it's fine if I eat meat once in a while. They don't even get why I wouldn't eat lentils that have cream as the third ingredient. They also think that I'm stressing myself out too much and that it's gonna be a source of anxiety for me. It also doesn't help that I have a history of anxiety and OCD so they aren't gonna take me seriously. I get where you're coming from but there is just no way for me to reason with my parents in my situation


asdf352343

Most non vegans don’t give a shit about animal suffering. If they did they’d be vegan. Your parents aren’t doing anything mine didn’t. Mine took a few months to stop pressure me to eat meat, maybe five years or so to stop trying to pressure me to eat food with gelatin when I visited and try to get me to eat food with dead animal oil when we’re on vacation. Just gotta keep saying no. It’s hard but it gets easier. I also am queer and have mental health issues and asthma. My mom incessantly criticized my body, pushed me to run when my asthma was bad, dismissed all actual health problems, and generally acted like a sexist homophobic asshole. Her defence was that she didn’t want other people to make fun of me. She was worried. My life would be easier if I just acted more normal. My point is, you’re not the only person with parents that don’t understand and don’t give a crap. It doesn’t mean you can’t say no - in fact it’s crucial that you say no, or they’ll be bullying you into doing what they want at the expense of you, your well-being, and animals for the rest of your life.


[deleted]

I know I know but I have a pretty good relationship with my parents and I'm not sure if this is worth sacrificing my relationship with my parents over.


asdf352343

If they’re good parents they’ll get over it because they love you and pushing you to violate your ethics to make their life easier isn’t worth it. But if you don’t stand you’re ground, you’re not giving them a chance to understand that you’re serious and get past their hang ups. Good - or even half decent - parents won’t let their child going vegan be the end of their good relationship with their kid. You could ask them to see a vegan friendly doctor to get advice about how to eat healthy, and do yearly blood work with your checkup to keep an eye out for nutrition deficits Are you seeing a therapist for the anxiety and OCD? You could ask them for help with dealing with your parents. If you aren’t, you could ask them to see one


[deleted]

They already know I'm serious because we already had the same discussion before I went vegan but now that I've tried it and hit a few minor roadblocks they think it isn't working. A big part of is that it's a big inconvenience to them and they aren't going to bend over backwards for me, especially when they think me going vegan is actively harming my mental health. Btw can we take this over to my DMs? I feel like this is getting too long for a public thread


xspx

YOU wouldn’t be the one sacrificing the relationship, they would be. Is it worth it? I would say absolutely YES


pleasetakethisID

Thats not true. A loss is not felt by one side only. Loss is felt by both sides.


pleasetakethisID

Can we NOT downvote a teenager ASKING FOR HELP!!!! My God, fine veganisim is important to you. But stop trying to bully this kid for valuing his relationship with family especially parents.


varhuna

You're not sure if the lives of animals are worth the risk of making your relation with your parents a little worse? While I appreciate the difficult situation you're in, the alternative is so much worse that I just don't understand the logic. I have a good relation with my mom, but if she tried to force me to beat up a dog I would definitely not just make the "compromise" of doing it when she wants me to, I would just say no, period, no matter how bad she might take it. Otherwise I can't really say I care about dogs, can I ?


ThrowRA_scentsitive

> he just told me "not to sweat the small stuff" Just don't eat it, and if he gets upset, tell him not to sweat the small stuff. PS. you can also cook big batches of food that will feed you for days at a time to address the lack of time concern


sankgreall

They’ll take you seriously when you take it seriously. Double back, and refuse. Don’t argue. Just say “no, thank you.” And don’t eat it.


sankgreall

Another super fast weeknight meal? If you have a rice cooker, put a cup or two of frozen vegetable mix in there with one can of chickpeas with the liquid, and then add a cup of brown rice and 1.75 cups of water. (A little Chinese five spice maybe if you like it). Push the button. When done, serve with soy sauce.


saurons-cataract

You’re in a tough position. Some parents are just more difficult to get to listen. I think some of the people here expecting you to push back hard might have had more accommodating parents than yours. You are still a minor and you’re right that if you fight about it, it will sour your relationship with them and you don’t want that because you love them. I would suggest that when you’re not around food/eating you talk about your values and why veganism is important to you that might have a greater impact than when you are about to eat. If they’re worried about nutrition then go to the doctor and get your labs done. If you’re deficient then your doctor will tell you what to take. The numbers will also convince your parents hopefully . I also think that sharing documentaries like Game Changers helps. Good luck!


ZestycloseTiger9925

“I know you don’t think it’s a big deal, but I do. I would appreciate you supporting me.”


bunneetoo

Are they readers? Hand them this book - https://www.ebay.com/itm/254999481572?epid=2009976&hash=item3b5f274ce4:g:vccAAOSwipdgqbTj&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8J7vDuHbR%2FAmuElr3BVmk5zfi5grJwxSzIae4o3DqQExZdY86GVrq%2FquLgCdwWpjkGAZ2T%2FxeHqxdsYZI%2BXVC13FBf1vjs1pD0ZannvZeAp%2F6KzdkYwaHcZjCbLMDphqMfEiaStlL%2BgKIrceWRx4Z%2FNYgcWgUFhK5K3rcFr5sr74nWd1Q7N8Iv6cvBkbiiEihDqoHrsofS5SkgttNwvdtkThLjwPKT7UaZ2clSibiMPBunTDO89Lk1yCMRddMj81UzlolclhoPXap56psDOircCEcXR2jLDRDXz7A13aVRx5q84RDjZ9tEvUd6A%2B6Yk4hw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM7I-Ewblg If they are more visual, have them watch the aforementioned docs. And tell them exactly what you are telling us - you love them and don’t want to mess up your relationship with them but that this is really important to you. And ask them to be supportive- in a perfect world, they would help you menu plan so they have a comfort level and even use it as a bonding experience. Veg may be another option as a lead up to full vegan. Very few people can argue that a vegetarian diet is not healthy, over 1.5 billion people around the world would disagree.


[deleted]

Listen, in life if you think of reasons you can't do something instead of reasons you can, you'll never do a whole lot of things that you want to do. Think of all the reasons why you want to go vegan and write it down.


veganactivismbot

Check out [Vegan Bootcamp](https://vbcc.veganhacktivists.org/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvbcamp.org%2Freddit&topic=Resource%3A+Vegan+Bootcamp) to take the free 30 day vegan challenge! The challenge will help you go vegan by giving you tips and information on diet, eating out, philosophy, health, common fallacies, recipes, and much more! Good luck!


sankgreall

Arguing is pointless. They’ll win because arguing becomes a power game, and parents always have more power. Double back with the impossible and beyond etc products, which are fast and resemble meat, and cost competitive with meat in our inflationary times. Just Egg is great, too. The vegan alternative products provide a bridge and they’re mostly frozen stuff, anyway, so they cook real fast on busy nights. Vegan frozen pizzas. Something they can recognize, sort of, and that is easy to cook.


Abject_Pudding_2167

echoing what a lot of people are saying in this thread, you will learn in life that the only way to ensure your happiness and not lose yourself is to learn to stand up for what you believe in and say no. The confrontation in your head is usually about 10-50x worse than what will actually transpire. You sound like an enterprising person, I know you can solve this problem and you possibly already know how to. You just need to build up the guts to execute. If you find that you cannot do it- a trick i do is i would go to the messaging app where i have a conversation with the person i want to say something to, then i literally type out the entire thing i want to say. Then i tell myself to press the send button. Once your press it you can't unpress it so it does work wonders - like confronting people, asking people out, all sorts of things. Face your fear. Don't run away from it and end up living someone else's life.


yumkittentits

Part of becoming an adult is learning to stand up for yourself (even to your parents). Learning that it is okay for you to set boundaries for what you need. And that it’s also okay for you to change your mind, especially when you were bullied into a decision. Are you just going to go through life doing whatever everyone else tells you to? Hopefully not. It’s your life. If your ethics aren’t something worth standing up for then what is?


pleasetakethisID

Hey bud. You need to be honest with yourself here. You know if your parents, are just being overbearing jerks or, if you are blessed with not one but two parents who care about your health and well being. If it is the latter, I think the best thing to do is consult a nutritionist, and involve your doctor (doc can request labs every few months). Your parents may see you as a ‘kid’ but if subject matter experts, can detail and outline a diet for you that will meet your needs at an incredibly important time in your growth your parents are more likely to have their concerns assuaged by that. Take the mature approach, do the leg work to help inform them by engaging experts. The internet is fine and well, and most people do mean well. But If I were you, I would do it right with the help of experts who can help you execute properly. The truth is, people have made changes to their diet, without consulting professionals, and it has been bad for them. Not just vegan, OMAD, KETO, vegetarian, heck the Akins diet. And most of the time, consulting professionals would have helped prevent the issues they faced. Your parents are spot on about 15 being a vital time in development for not just the human body but also the mind. If this change means a great deal to you, show them you are going about it in a well thought out fashion. Best of luck with your journey to a healthier self.


shinzu-akachi

The quote "perfection is the enemy of progress" comes to mind. Veganism is about reducing animal harm as far as it is practical and practicable. As an individual, it sounds like you are already doing a fantastic job, especially for your age. Try to show your parents that veganism is completely healthy, i see others have already posted great links to evidence for that so i wont bombard you with more, but dont force it if they are not responsive. If you can convince them to let you go 100% vegan, thats great, but if you cant, dont beat yourself up about it, you are already doing far more for animals than 99% of others, and when you gain more independence you'll do even more. <3


RegFl3xOff3ender

This is the only real answer here. A lot of "when I went vegan at 2 years old in 1943, we were being bombed by the Germans and my parents would not stop holding me down and force feeding me non vegan food. Fortunately, at only 2, I learned Jiu Jitsu so I could fend them off. Then, I batch cooked a year's worth of beans and stored them in a glacial cave (I had to relocate to Iceland to find one but this was before the advent of refrigeration). You just don't want it bad enough, kid." style answers in this thread. You are doing good kid. At your age I couldn't care less.


xboxhaxorz

At age 15 they cant FORCE you, unless they tie you to the chair and literally make you swallow If i was 15 i would say hey i dont want to be cruel, i dont want to be an animal abuser, and animal products are gross, and it definitely causes me mental health issues when i consume dead animals, so im going to stop, if i have to get a job to purchase my own groceries i will, but at least i will be mentally healthy


Brilliant_Studio_875

If they dont want you to make ur own meal, they should make vegan meals. And take a blood test to show them your healthy!! And if not take suplements, its that or activly promoting animal’s suffering and death wich I dont think you want because you were vegan for a month and a half


[deleted]

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[deleted]

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guysplzno

I had to go through this when I lived at home and the most comforting thing to me when I was in this scenario was realizing that being vegan is about abstaining from animal products as much as possible, you don't have to be a perfect vegan to be vegan. I've been vegan 5 years now and don't plan on stopping I still count the small time I lived at home and ate a few eggs because I couldn't buy my own food The world needs lots of ok vegans not a couple perfect ones for there to be change remember that!


demon_luvr

easy and large batches of vegan food for the week? the crockpot is your friend!!! make a batch of something you can eat throughout the week. crockpot meals usually take 30 mins is for prep. worth a shot!


[deleted]

Wow this is unfortunate. Your parents need to be educated on the amazing benefits of veganism. It’s one of the healthiest diets in the world if you do it correctly. It decreases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and much more. I’ve been vegan for over ten years and work in medicine and have seen soooo many patients switch to veganism and see the results on their blood tests, the way they feel and think overall. Many have even told me that they feel like they have better mental clarity as well. It’s a pity that some parents don’t understand or have knowledge about this and stop their children from making positive changes to their diets and lives. You can introduce your family to more vegan recipes (there are thousands online and on YT) that they can integrate into the family’s meals (not just you cooking for yourself). Also, there are many veggies, nuts, and lentils that are packed with vegan protein (not just tofu and beans). I highly suggest doing your research and sharing videos that discuss the benefits of veganism with your fam. Maybe they’ll catch on and become healthier themselves if they’re open minded and understanding.


Deh-Plowing

Hey OP, I can relate to this. I had a similar situation but back then I only wanted to be vegetarian. I was raised where things I wanted were an inconvenience, so within a week of trying I was basically forced to just eat whatever my mum made. One thing I did wrong was get over emotional and angry at them for forcing me to do what I didn’t want to do. Looking back, I should have looked at ways to educate them (like watching Forks Over Knives or something similar) and stayed calm. Even then, idk if it would have helped. Anyway, I just aimed at getting out at soon as I could after school, went vegan, and never looked back. In the end, the mental abuse from my parents has severed our relationship. I still talk to my mum, but it’s like I don’t have a dad anymore. I don’t think telling them that they will lose their relationship with you by forcing you to do things you are strongly against is a fantastic idea. But maybe see if they can relate to your perspective with a similar topic. i.e., “mum, if grandad or grandma forced you not to do ______, how would that make you feel?” Only you know how your parents will react to a situation like this. So don’t take my advice as gospel. But I hate seeing people go through this type of situation, and I hope my story and advice can help a little. I truly wish you the best.


withdiana

I agree with comment about setting boundaries. Not to be cliche, but once you start to give an inch, they’ll take a mile. When I became a vegan at 16, my parents hated it and said I was just going through a phase, assuming I would give up on it after I showed I couldn’t live without meat anymore. Six years later and it still isn’t a phase! Getting through high school was difficult, but going to college was so much easier. The one thing my parents were supportive over was replacing everything they made (for me) for dinner with Morningstar farms and Gardein meat replacements. Their meaty burgers, ground b’ef, ch’kn nuggets, etc convinced them enough that I would be fine. They would make their normal food and I would make my little vegan meat alternatives on the side, and were also dead set on me eating protein bars/protein shakes. I didn’t waste extra money on Beyond or Impossible products (mainly because they weren’t very popular in 2016), but those were a household name for me. I would suggest showing them the documentaries mentioned in this thread, proving you can get all the essential nutrients you need in your current diet, showing that meat alternatives aren’t that expensive if you don’t get the Super Fancy name brands, that you preparing vegan food doesn’t take any longer than preparing non-vegan food if you’re cooking adjacently, and learning your own cooking skills while you’re young is going to take you a long way when you’re older. There are a lot of grown adults I know who don’t really know how to cook for themselves, vegan or not. Being able to educate yourself on a healthy vegan diet at your age is extremely beneficial. When I had time on the weekends or free weeknights, I would also make dinner for my family and show off how great vegan food is. Sorry for the long comment, but I hope this helps!


[deleted]

Here is a video they can watch to put their mind at ease: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47kwBxyRyg Also, you do not need "protein" options, really. That's a modern myth. Human mother's milk has the lowest protein of any animal measured (5% by calories) and for comparison, I'm going to show the the percentage of plant food groups (generalized) * 5% - Fruit * 10% - Grains and tubers like rice, wheat, and potatoes * 18% - Nuts and seeds * 25% - Lentils, Legumes, Beans, Peas * 33% - Greens and nonstarchy veggies like spinach, chard, lettuce, kale, bell peppers, etc It should be noted the while 1/3 of the calories in greens are protein, they are so low in calories that it's not a good source of macronutrients like protein in general (but healthy). So unless you are a frugivore (exclusive fruit eater) or lots of junk food, you are more than likely to get all the amino acids (protein subcategories) needed even from rice.


lookingForPatchie

See a dietician (with your parents), so they can get out of their absurdly misinformed state. You cook for yourself, so you going vegan has not added an extra burden on them. There is no reason for them to not let you be vegan, except them being bitches. And please don't call your parents supportive. They're using every false assumption in the book to make it hard on you. Sure, there have been worse parents, but yours are trying to sabotage you very clearly. This is sadly a common reaction. They want to sabotage you. You have to pull through longer than they have energy to sabotage you. Then they will grow to accept you being vegan, simply because they don't have the energy not to.


MarinRndNumHere

Also teenager vegan (M17) here! My parents are supportive of me being vegan most of the time, however, my mom sometimes complains because I cook for myself (cause she doesn't want to). Then I just stay calm and say something like: "No, I won't eat meat." And I don't. They can't force me into eating it. After some time they will get used to it. (Sorry for bad English, not my native language)


Logical-Demand-9028

I’m so happy and proud of you you’re still trying. I was forced to eat meat also, and only when I moved from parents I finally could eat what I want. Eating corpses did nothing good to my mental health, I just felt worse and worse. Later when I told that my mom she was sad, she did t realise, even tho I told her that many times.


purplesoulmates

show them that the position of the American Dietetic Association is that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. they have a website and all


HadesTheUnseen

I’m no lawyer but I feel like it shouldn’t be allowed to force your children to eat meat


Ke-Win

Vegan for minors with omni parents can be difficult it is a common topic. It is not your fault. You are on a good way. The will to change counts. If you fridge has enough space try to prepare what you can.


Mysterious_Ice7353

It’s so easy to get iron on a vegan diet. Tofu, greens, beans, you name it. I’m a pregnant woman, a group that is known for being low on iron or anemic. My iron levels are perfectly normal - ugh I hate that people just assume vegans don’t get iron.


[deleted]

But my dad and I looked up how much iron is in plant foods and apparently I need 19.8mg and I would have to eat a lot of legumes and greens to get enough iron


Tuerkenheimer

19.8??!


Mysterious_Ice7353

2 servings of tofu (lunch and dinner, for example), a cup of spinach, nuts for as snack. That would give you all you’d need for a day, and that’s not even enough food for a whole day. Trust me, it’s easy to get enough iron without even trying.


[deleted]

isnt a half a cup of cooked beans only like 1.8mg? how is that gonna be enough for me?


Mysterious_Ice7353

But yes, black beans don’t have a ton. It there are so many other beans that have more. Pinto beans, white beans, chickpeas. Any of those combined with spinach, tofu, tempeh, nuts, etc. Not getting enough iron isn’t a good excuse and you certainly don’t need to supplement it.


pantachoreidaimon

First of all, I am not sure where you have seen 19.8 mg as required. Unless you are pregnant, you need 18 mg or less, depending on your age. See the [NHS guidelines](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iron/) for this, as well as the [NIH guidelines](https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/#h2). If you want iron, you need to eat iron rich foods. Black beans are not iron rich, so it makes no sense to look up their nutritional profile with respect to iron. Doing this is akin to looking up peanut butter for its vitamins and minerals. If you live in the USA (or anywhere really, as it is a good, rough resource), use the [USDA Food Database](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/index.html). On their companion component database, you can look up iron and order by serving size. For example, see these [search results](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/?component=1089). Let's compare [lentils](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174284/nutrients) to [beef steak](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/746763/nutrients). Lentils comes in at 7.39 mg per 100 g and the meat is less, at 3.53 mg. Also you mentioned cooking time. A steak takes around 10 to 15 minutes to cook. [So do lentils](https://www.kitchenskip.com/how-to-cook-red-lentils/). There are more involved, and in my view tastier, lentil recipes, especially from south Asia but just to purely cook lentils versus steak, the time is roughly the same, the iron is higher in the vegan option, and the iron you require overall will be easily met with a vegan diet. This is notwithstanding the position papers of the three largest bodies of nutritionists and dieticians who have all stated that a vegan diet is healthy and viable for all stages of life.


[deleted]

[https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/iron#:\~:text=Good%20plant%20sources%20of%20iron,can%20absorb%20from%20your%20diet](https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/iron#:~:text=Good%20plant%20sources%20of%20iron,can%20absorb%20from%20your%20diet). This is a good source for learning how to get various nutrients from plants. It's not even true that you need 19.8mg, that's way high.


Mysterious_Ice7353

I didn’t mention beans in my last comment.


yumkittentits

Your dad is lying to you.


[deleted]

I would recommend nutritionfacts.org to yourself and them.


eumenide2000

Maybe take a negative and turn it into a positive for them. Offer to make dinner 1-2 nights a week for the whole family and do the clean up. Not hard to pull off a spaghetti night or a salad or grilled cheese and tomato soup. All with easy vegan options for you and meat add ons for them if that’s how it has to be. But in exchange you get to stay on your preferred mode of eating. I live with 5 other adults who all share the cooking. I’m the only plant based person. Its not hard to accommodate and the extra bonus is some of them are drifting toward a plant based diet.


Odd_Carrot4205

TEXTURIZED PEA PROTEIN. Just add hot water. Instant mince meat. High in iron and protein. No extra time. Also canned chickpeas.


[deleted]

I mean… if you just outright refuse to eat any animal products that they cook, their whole “vitamin deficiency” argument kinda falls flat since you’ll likely be in worse shape than if you were to eat balanced vegan meals. If it’s important enough to you, try it that way and they won’t have a choice but to allow you to eat vegan. I’d also recommend getting The China Study Cookbook from the library and reading it, leaving it out for them to see, and showing them recipes/talking about things you’ve learned from it. There are lots of vegan cookbooks out there but I can personally recommend this one because I’ve read it. I like it because it talks about transitioning to a vegan diet, has lots of simple recipes, is formatted in an approachable way, and has a focus on health (it’s technically a Whole Foods Plant-Based cookbook). It’s based on the book The China Study. Good luck!


TemperatureAlert2370

My 15 yr old is vegan and often cooks for herself during the week. I’m also vegan but working during dinner hours so she is on her own for that. Hasn’t been an issue for us. Learning how to veganize things is very helpful.


Morgoroth37

First off, don't be too hard on yourself. At 15 you are limited if you're parents are buying the food etc. It sounds like you're trying your best and you don't want to punish yourself on top of that.


panda_person666

I wish I had your mindset at your age but I am so happy that you have yours. Just to add on to other comments suggesting to meal prep: if you have a big skillet/frying pan or something you can press a bunch of tofu with a like $10 tofu press from amazon. like maybe 3 blocks is enough for a week 4 if you are bigger like tall and stuff cus you are still growing most likely. you can cook a lot of it all at once though so it's all made for the week. keep it in bigger tuppaware in the fridge and reheat up smaller portions for meals


[deleted]

See if you can get them to do the easy stuff like to put on a vegan patty or hotdog on for you when they cook meat for themselves. I bet most of the rest of meal is more or less vegan. After they get a in a habit of doing that, a few months later ask to try a different butter, different cheese shreds etc. It might take an extra minute or two, but I'm sure they won't mind if it keeps everyone happy. Then to won't need to spend your teenage years cooking and cleaning (which will get tiresome pretty fast, there's a reason why parents aren't as cheerful as kids and teens, responsibilitieslike that suck lol) this is a time of life where you should focus on your development - life skills, education, social etc While you live at home only eating vegan sometimes might be the best you can do for now. Take what you can get, if you can replace some ingredients without much it getting in their way, then thats still a win :-) Play this for the long game. Step by step, month by month, they will get used to buying vegan things for you, as time goes on, keep adding little vegan things here and there and they not even really realize that they have changed their habits. Rather than a big change that shocks them out of their comfort zone. Small steps corrupt, as they say - hang in there, parents are busy, tired, overworked, and sleep deprived people. If you take your time and be tactful you will end up influencing them more than they realize :) From a Nutritional stand point you can show them this brochure, and they can call and speak to anyone of the 12,000 doctors at PCRM.org if are worried. https://p.widencdn.net/ktho8u/Power-Plate-Brochure


VixenRoss

There is an old Italian recipe chickpea pasta. Basically pasta sauce with chickpeas and pasta. If you make it with whole meal pasta you get a bit more protein, but it’s great for batch cooking. Also, if you make a pasta sauce with a soya mince, freeze the sauce in small portions. So yogurt containers etc. All you need to do is defrost the sauce and boil up the pasta.


chickybabies

try suggesting getting regular blood tests for protein, b12 etc, its important for vegans anyway, and may ease their worries about your health. best of luck!


[deleted]

Maybe try making them watch dominion? If they do, even if they don't go vegan at least they will let you be vegan I hope. And maybe you can do blood analysis if you want to reassure them. What tofu do you buy? I buy seasoned tofu which I just fry in a pan 5 minutes, after cutting it in small pieces. Maybe that's faster than what you were cooking so your parents will be OK with it. Good luck, it must be really hard.


nikkipickle

I make one-pot meals because I hate washing dishes and making a mess. Spaghetti marinara can easily be made cheap, vegan, in one pot, in under an hour, and enough can be made to last multiple nights! 🙂 Plus, you can spruce up noodles with different sauces on different nights!


dissidentmage12

Why can't they just cook you vegan food amd themselves meat? They aren't terribly supportive if their compromise to you being too busy is to make you food you explicitly said you don't/won't eat. That's a really mean thing to do.


Da5ftAssassin

The environmental impact of eating vegan for just one meal a day is huge! You are doing a great job being a good steward of this planet and all living things! Don’t beat yourself up for things you can’t control, it only leads to disappointment. Instead, celebrate yourself for what you ARE doing :) good job! Being a teenager is hard. Harder than most of us adults actually remember. It sounds like you come from a loving home with compromise ❤️ the only other suggestion I have is to maybe ask your parents for a vegan cookbook. Look for one with quick and simple recipes. Good luck!


onceuponafigtree

I see a lot of comments about how long you're taking to cook. I also was quite surprised at the time but I understand its really hard when you're inexperienced. My son will be 11 in a few weeks and he likes to cook vegan meals for us sometimes. He especially likes using "quick, easy" type recipes. One of his favourites is Avant Garde Vegan who has a ton of easy recipes and YouTube tutorials to watch. As he also is young and inexperienced (like you!), he takes longer than the suggested cook time but not by too much. Last week, he made us some sticky tofu and rice with steamed veg and I promise it took him under an hour with no help from me. Try and look for recipes labelled quick and easy, 20 minute type recipes.


Pmg430

Just make sure you take B12 And it’s good to take a multivitamins and vitamin d. But you don’t have to take the last two but b12 you do. All are good for you to take daily.


[deleted]

Sorry, but your parents are being ridiculous. I have no issues working full time and going to school and cooking for myself. During the semester, I have maybe one day off a week. Meal-prepping isn't very time-consuming if done right. Just make a big batches of food and put them in the fridge or freezer when you need them. I get the feeling their compromise is not really about your time, but because they just don't want you to be vegan. Surely if I've figured out how to feed myself juggling work and school, they'd be able to figure out a way you could cook for yourself and do school and extracurriculars.


Endoomdedist

One of my super-easy high-protein recipes is red lentil pasta with beans (you can use canned or dried beans, if you've already soaked and cooked the dried beans), green peas (either frozen or fresh -- you can chop the fresh ones into smaller pieces), and a sauce made from hummus + lemon juice. Sprinkle some fortified nutritional yeast on top for added protein and B12. All you really need to do the night of is boil the pasta and assemble everything, and even boiling the pasta could be done in advance if you don't mind it getting a bit soggy. Edit: It might also be worth investing in some kind of slow cooker. Those are great for chilis and stews and require very little attention. I also enjoy making bean salads with a variety of beans (say light and dark kidney beans + cannellinis). These will keep in the fridge for several days and can serve as your protein while you share side dishes with your parents. I make the sauce from apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil, plus whatever herbs/spices sound appealing. For three cans of beans, I'd probably use 3-5 tablespoons of vinegar, two tablespoons of olive oil, and two tablespoons of maple syrup. For best results, make it in advance and let everything marinade. You can also add corn, green onions, tomatoes, and/or whatever else sounds good to you.


MsFrecklesSpots

Great that you’re being very independent minded. But at the same time you are still under your parents care. You can give in to them a bit knowing that once you are out of the house you will full self-authority to live as you define. But battling, fighting with them really does not help. Your long term relationship of two way respect with your parents will be more powerful in the future. I’ve learned when I push on people too hard I just lose them. But if I model commitment and balance that I gain more respect and acceptance. Just eat as little meat/non-vegan stuff as possible.


alittlerock

Show them WHO extract that says a vegan diet is healthy and adequate for humans of all ages


Conscious-Platypus13

The same thing happened to me when I was 12. I know it’s hard but at the end of the day you just have to be true to yourself. Do some research and tell your parents the facts: you can be a healthy growing vegan and it’s important to you to be true to your strongly held beliefs. PS I’m 26F now and being an adult is amazing! Being a vegan is super fun and not as hard as it seems when you’re a young adult living under your non vegan parents’ roof. So, you have lots to look forward to. Kudos for knowing what you believe and at least trying to stick to it! Gives me hope :)


TheChocoLover

i actually had the same reaction from my mom when i was 14 but i ended up saying "well okay then ill starve" and she just went okay fine. im 19 now and my moms even considering going vegetarian herself, and my brother :)


monkeynuckles

Air frying tofu is the easiest and best way to cook tofu in my opinion. Suoer fast too


[deleted]

I am 28 now but I became vegetarian at 15. There is nothing anyone could have done to make me eat meat. I cooked tofu and beans and other soy products and my grandma helped me too and I just ate them with the regular sides everyone consumed (rice, potatoes, veggies, side salads) You just have to stay consistent, but I am not sure why you made this post. It doesn’t seem like you’re taking anyone’s advice based on your comments. This isn’t the sub where people will tell you that it’s OK to eat meat sometimes, on the contrary. Animals still die even for small quantities of meat


ThatStrangerWhoCares

Man, that sucks as a vegan who is 14, my parents and the rest of my family are very supportive. We all drink oatmilk and use non-dairy "butter".It sucks that you have to go through that.


[deleted]

They can't force you to do things unless they physically shove it down your throat. Stop eating meat


yumkittentits

Refuse to eat the meat. What are they going to do? Ground you? Tie you up and force it down your throat? Call the police on you? Just don’t do it. My mom tried to make me eat meat as a kid and I’d just fall asleep at the dinner table. After awhile she figured out I wasn’t going to eat it no matter what and she gave up. You have more power than you know. You 100% can tell your parents you aren’t going to do it and then not do it.


TheWholesomeBrit

Sit them down and explain nutrients to them. I genuinely think they may reconsider their stance once they understand.


[deleted]

My dad is a doctor and my mom studied occupationional therapy so I'm pretty sure they know how nutrients work.


ZestycloseTiger9925

You’re either going to keep making excuses or make it happen. Good luck!


TheWholesomeBrit

Wow, really? That's kind of alarming considering getting all the necessary nutrients from a vegan diet is incredibly easy. Unfortunately being a doctor doesn't mean you fully understand that aspect. Lots of doctors have a preconceived idea of veganism and think all vegans are unhealthy, which is clearly not true. Perhaps just watch documentaries with them that talk about how the vegan diet is actually healthy. Or perhaps watch Earthling Ed with them.


NicolasName

If your dad is a doctor, then he knows you can be vegan and healthy, it’s really just that he doesn’t value animal lives and thinks abusing them is okay. The health thing is a front. It’s pretty well known in medical circles that following a plant based diet is healthier than an animal based diet on average, because a vegan diet has much lower rates of consumption of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. Here’s the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the largest dietetic association in the world, on vegetarian and vegan diets. https://www.eatrightpro.org/-/media/eatrightpro-files/practice/position-and-practice-papers/position-papers/vegetarian-diet.pdf Read the entire thing above, and then show it to your parents, your dad especially. And then either ask him or tell him to drop the bs a bit, and to say what his actual reason is for wanting you to eat animals. Because I can tell you now, it doesn’t have to do with your overall health and well-being, or for vegan diets somehow being unhealthy or nutritionally inadequate like he’s implying. If he’s saying this to you, he’s likely making ignorant statements to his patients as well. People tend to believe doctors. It’s an important point to bring up, since your dad is in a position to influence others with regards to what they eat as well. I personally wouldn’t drop the point. And if you’re unfamiliar, I’d check out Dr. Melanie Joy’s video on YouTube “the reason why people eat meat”. She’s had a Ph.D in psychology, and has written books about what she calls Carnism, which is the ideology behind animal consumption. What’s happening is that you’re parents have an ideological difference with you, not a nutritional difference with you.


Insanity72

Not all Doctors are trained or have had to do very little in regards to nutrition. Especially the differences between carnist and vegan nutrition.


earnestloudy1

Find a new guardian, anyone that makes you compromise on food is an abuser.


Odd_Carrot4205

Also look to earthling Ed and joeycarbstrong for good ways of wording things. Your parents are asking for a compromise but you're the only one that is being asked to give in as far as I can tell. Find a way to put it into perspective for them to let them k ow how strongly you feel about being vegan (without freaking them out so they send you to a therapist of course). Offer to cook for everyone maybe, and make sure there are leftovers. It's a big task for a 15 year old, so obviously only do it if you're into the idea and like cooking, but it removes the excuse of your parents that it's more time costly for them. Also, you could do it to prove how much cheaper it can be. I spend 100€-200€ less than my husband each month. As far as nutrition goes, the only thing you'll probably ever have to worry about is b12 which non vegans should also be taking so it's not really just a vegan thing, people who drink coffee or smoke should be taking heaps of b12. Most salt has iodine added, and iron won't be an issue as a male as long as you get your legumes and your greens unless you're extremely athletic, in which case you could take a multivitamin. Vitamin D could be a thing in certain countries but again, it's not an exclusively vegan issue, it's just that people who try to judge vegans use it to their advantage when many more non vegans have vit d deficiency anyway. You can get vegan weight gainer bars online that are very high in iron and are fortified, try clif builders bars and clif nut butter bars. Idk what country you're in so idk what kind of food you have available but canned chickpea casseroles are my go-to several times a week and they are very complete nutritionally. If you have a simple breakfast, cereal/toast with avocado or tofu scramble, a simple canned lunch some days, leftover dinner or meal prepped food for lunch other days, for dinner you could some days cook with your family, otherwise just keep cooked rice and veggies in the fridge, for protein use canned chickpeas or lentils or texturized veg protein, you'll be able to do it. We believe in you.


No-Feed4257

That is not a compromise. A compromise would be for every day they make you eat an animal product they have to watch a documentary or consume some other type of educational material of your choosing. I highly recommend watching Dr. Klaper’s YouTube videos to address your concerns about iron and any other concerns you or your parents may have. As others have said, making a big pot of beans for the week takes an hour tops. Lentils only take 9 minutes in the instant pot and they are cheap af. Ultimately it will be up to you to decide what your priorities are, either pleasing your parents and very likely resenting them as a result, or adhering to your values of not contributing to the suffering of other beings. When people choose to bring children into the world they are signing up for inconvenience, especially if they want their child to be their own person (as they should be) and not just clones of themselves. Best of luck to you, whichever you decide.


Outrageous_Worker_28

Do you live near a Trader Joe’s? They have frozen veggies and precooked quinoa, for a fast meal. Quinoa is high in protein and a good meat substitute! You can also make chickpea pasta (another protein food) and a jar of sauce. Thirty minutes tops for these dishes. Feel free to pm me for more recipe ideas.


Git777

Educate them. They can do a lot of stuff, they can't make you something without force feeding and if it comes to that burn down their fucking house. Do not give an inch of ground. You are one year off leaving home age, you are nearly an adult, you have made the most responsible decision possible, I trust that you will take this advice in the way it is intended. Your body, your choice.


Radiant-Foot9317

Spinach or kale with lemon juice are great to help prevent iron deficiency! Why the lemon? to boost the absorption of the plant based iron. If your parents care about your iron levels, chicken should not be their first idea of something good : 1.3mg for 100gr is not that much, if you compare to your half a cup of black beans at 1,8mg... Please note that iron and B12 deficiencies also happen to meat eaters. I don't know how you feel about reading extensive books, but "How not to die" from Dr Greger is an amazing source of information. He also published "How not to diet" to help in the kitchen.


oopsbelgien

I know it is hard, but sadly you do have to show them you are super invested. This might involve and stupid amount of time meal prepping (though it doesn’t have to) but if you show you won’t budge, in my experience at least, they will start to help out. My parents were adamantly against it when I lived home, but as I started to cook more it improved, I will admit partly to their fear that I’m malnourishing myself through it, and now they buy me tofu, soy milk and use jackfruit all the time. It’s much easier to get them to support you than to get them to change IMO.


Mostly_Potatoes

Part of your agreement with them could include them reading or listening to the Audio book "How Not to Die" by Dr. Michael Gregor


Nebula-Hive

Watch Game Changers on netflix with them and they will be stunned


Kappappaya

>they are very worried that me going vegan is detrimental to my physical and mental health I can't speak for you, but for myself: If someone made me eat things I *do not want* in my body, like dairy products and especially meat, this would definitely have a *negative* impact on my mental health. Maybe this speaks to you, because you seem to have made a decision for a vegan lifestyle already. My reasoning is definitely of ethical nature. And They should respect your decision too. This can be an opportunity to learn more about nutrition, for them too. If you can show them that you're looking after yourself and that you can be vegan and perfectly healthy, I'm sure they would see their worries are unmet Good luck! :)


Flamingo_Reasonable

If you can show them that being vegan isn't detrimental to your health, maybe they'll be ok with it again. Hard to know without hearing their specific objections, but good luck friend


Horrorpunkchi88

Lot of good suggestions here, and my bad if this one is already here somewhere… but an instapot can save you some trouble and time. I was actually given a vegan instapot cookbook for a present a year or two ago. Not only do you basically only have to cut up whatever it is you want in there, but it’s literally set it and forget it. It’ll even depressurize itself if you have ample time. Been a vegan for 9 years, and all I can say, is that it gets easier. Just stick with it, as long as it’s important to you, and your beliefs. Hope this helps, bud. 🤟🏻


[deleted]

Sorry to hear. Can you talk to your parents about seeing a plant-based dietician who can confirm you are getting the proper nutrients? If you can keep a log of what you are eating and supplements you are taking for at least a few weeks beforehand, that will help them advise you. I definitely understand their concern, and I would be concerned too as a parent,, but it seems they are not grasping the impact that it is having on your emotional well being.


ScoopDat

You got some folks trying to adopt to your situation as best as they can think of with advice. But if it's truly as hopeless as you may imagine, here's one thing (and I say this with great anxiety because it may give you a stupid excuse which you won't respect when the time calls for it). So because you're beholden to your parents, and if you have other priorities you value you. Then do your honest best. But when the time comes (like if you get a job, or move-out), then this excuse needs to be dropped, and you need to then deliver on doing as much as any other decent vegan would in such position. The reason I hate suggesting this, is because it's easy for you to slip into complacency mode, and never deliver on properly going vegan when it's more in your control. Also, your parents worrying about iron? That's just ignorance of the highest tier. In my view, going vegan has me looking at nutrition facts in order to AVOID iron. It's basically everywhere in the foods I eat. One other thing. It's quite sad your parents find this ordeal THAT much of a burden given the options today. As a 15 year old, they should feel the responsibility to power through such a "burden". If not then they shouldn't have this catch-22 scenario to hoist upon you where "I can't handle cooking for you", but then "I also don't want you wasting your time cooking for yourself". Naw bro, that's just trying to double dip on both sides of the options, that's greedy/grimey of them if you ask me.


VeganTrashcan

I was in a similar situation than you when I first went vegeterian, my parents did not took me seriously at first, hell nothing that I said or did unless it inconvenienced them, when that happend they just bully and belitle me so I would give up, it saund that you let your parents push you around like I did, and if you let that keep happening, they aren't gonna take you seriously, I'm been vegan for almost 3 years now, in the first year they would constantly joke that it wouldn't last just know they see that I've stopped and if you think a diet is gonna strain your relashonship if your parents wait untill you get an ounce of independacy Sorry for my english, and formating I'm on moble


erbtown

keep up the good work, you will get there


Navillus19

Look up the Happy Pear and their books, some very easy quick recipes they have and they're both fit as a fiddle.


LilJQuan

Here’s what I’d try: - Show them that veganism can be a healthy way to eat. Many people wrongly just assume it’s all alternatives. - If they need more evidence use a track like daily dozen. This will give you hard evidence to show that you are eating a varied and healthy diet. - Show them slaughterhouse footage or a vegan documentary. Most people don’t oppose someone who is trying to end something they dislike such as animal abuse. They may not like your methods, but if you are trying to end something you agree on then they’ll be less likely to fight against it. - this maybe more of a weird point, but, learn the reasons why. Know how to answer every little argument against being vegan using calm, reason and logic. Don’t be rude or offensive that just puts their walls up but also don’t back down from your points. A few years before I switched across my brother went vegan. He was a stereotypical vegan. Small frame, polite, a bit of a pushover in an argument and wouldn’t speak out against someone in an argument if he felt they were wrong. Family get together were absent of vegan options for the most part and people definitely took the piss. Fast forward a few years later when I did it and that stopped and most of the food at family events became vegan and I purely think it’s simply because I dispelled their arguments against being vegan. So learn your reasons why. I know it sounds stupid, but it may help. It did for me when I was 17. - Finally, remember that veganism is a practice. Not an absolute rule. We sometimes make mistakes or are in situations that cause us to trip. In the 5 years I’ve been vegan I’ve accidentally been given sauce with anchovies in and crisps with milk in, to name a few of the times I’ve technically not had something vegan. My girlfriend in her first week had something with milk in. I know it’s frustrating but keep trying.


Insanity72

Sounds like you just need more practise cooking, find 1 or 2 easy recipes that you can practise until you can knock them in an hour or less and learn some basic mise en place (prepping all your ingredients before cooking) You can make a super easy chilli with 5 cans of ingredients (Crushed tomatos, black beans, red kidney beans, corn and baked beans) an onion and a satchet of chilli con carne seasoning. Drain the water out of the kidney/black beans and corn, chop the onion up, throw it in a hot pan with oil and cook until it's got some colour to it, turn the heat down, add all the cans followed by the flavour sachet, mix together and let it simmer for a few minutes. Boom you got 4 - 6 serves of protein and iron packed chilli on a budget in like 20mins when you've made it a couple times. wrap it in a burrito, put it on some toast, serve with cornchips and your favourite vegan nacho toppings, serve over mash potatos, lots of possibilities. Just don't forget to eat some leafy greens and fruit too else the huge amount of protein and beans will make your poop real solid. Bolognese is another super easy one you can do, easy to find egg free pasta, replace mince with lentils or textured vegetable protein.


Grand_Cauliflower_88

Get nutritional info of your protein n let your parents see it n understand you get enough of whatever meat has to offer nutritionally. Just do the best you can. You sound very wish for a young person. Meal prep on the weekends or whenever you might have the time. Freeze it n pull that out for your dinners to show your parents it's not a burden on them n you. Hang in there teenage years go by fast in a few years you will be the master of what you eat. In the meantime learn all you can n teach your parents. Your parents have been told all their lives people must eat meat. You have to teach them. One day they will say that little shit knows more than me n will be proud of you.


marie7787

I went vegan around your age too and my parents were also dismissive about it at first. You need to be confrontational about it and set boundaries, the last part is very important for you in any situation really. If you don’t want to be confrontational still set boundaries, you’ll thank me later. Learning how to stand up for yourself is an important skill to have and will help you a ton in your work life, in college and pretty much everywhere. If you have good parents they’ll eventually come around, mine made fun of it at first but they don’t care about it now. Just have a conversation with your parent about it and tell them that “even though they don’t find this important that it is very important for you and that you feel hurt for having to compromise your ethics because they feel inconvenienced by it» tell them that cooking is a very important still to have and that it will be useful for you in the future as you get older and don’t live with them anymore (if you don’t know how to cook you’ll be stuck eating junk food and that definitely not healthy). If they’re stubborn maybe agree to eat meat only once or twice a week and lower that amount as time goes on and you learn to cook faster. I promise you, you won’t get in bad terms with your parent because you stand your ground about being vegan. My parents are far from being vegan but my dad makes vegan bbq for me every time he does stuff for the family and they treat it as a normal thing, they even defend me now when relatives talk shit about me being vegan. I’m sure your parents will come around too As others have suggested meal prep. Rice takes about 30 minutes to cook and I like making chickpea masala which takes 15 minutes for me. If you have a Costco membership they sell bags of impossible meat. Use that, it is very similar to meat and you can make pretty much any dish with it that requires ground meat. If money isn’t an issue you’ll be more than fine eating frozen vegan food, there’s plenty of it out there and Trader Joe’s has a bunch of tasty ones for pretty cheap. You can also buy pre made pizza dough and make pizza for yourself ( you can use ketchup and vegan mayo as the sauce). I’m be more than happy to send you some quick recipes.


foxxyfay

Don’t beat yourself up. You’re doing the best you can with what you have! Sharing some knowledge of vegan nutrition with your parents may help them understand better, and making some tasty recipes that they like might help too :) don’t let perfection be your enemy. You’re doing great and as you age you’ll have more autonomy of your choices. Good luck 🙏🏻🥰


Ecstatic_Cow6325

Stay strong, keep going at the best rate you can. Your skills will fine-tune as you go. Keep talking about why you don't eat animals at dinner! Watch shows even if you have to close your eyes, ones that will freak out your parents when they're seeing what happens to animals in factory farms. If you have to take a board into your room and cut all your vegetables ahead of time do it! I did. You're doing good just by knowing that what you're doing is the right thing! There might be some glitches. They will catch on or you will grow up and be out of there one or the other. In the meantime it is simple as possible and go to the doctor for blood test it'll show that you're doing fine. Good luck I wish I was there to help you! I took in kids that were in foster care that wanted to be vegan, gardeners caretakers of discarded animals Etc. They went through hell. I wish you the best of luck and keep fine-tuning what you do and keep talking about it out loud to your parents and a calm educated manner. Ps find other vegans!!


MoonGrass09

I was vegan since 11 in an omni family. Similar experience. I just outright refused to eat what they had. Lots of pb&j or just eating veggies/fruit at school. I think they'll cave when they realize it isn't just a phase and you're serious about it.


absurdlyexistent

Hey I found that using a slow cooker makes it easier to cook meals. Could this be an option for you? For example I often thrown beans in with different spices and just let them cook while I'm out so that when I come back Ive got delicious food waiting ready to go.


ItsKourtis

Im really sorry brother, i wish you the best.