[TwoPiggieMama]

One thing that helps with parents is to convince them that you're not cutting meat out of your diet, but that you're just replacing meat with other nutritious things. As a vegetarian, you don't even have to eat fake meat. There are lots of plant sources of protein, like nuts and beans, that you can eat instead of meat or fake meat. You absolutely can have a healthy, fully nutritious diet as a vegetarian. It just takes a bit more planning to make sure you're getting all your vitamins and minerals than a regular diet would.

Someone posted above that their school district doesn't have any vegetarian options. Get together with other similar-minded friends and start writing lots of letters to your county's superintendent, your principal, and maybe even your county council about why having vegetarian options at schools would be a good idea. Back when I was in high school, we could get salads, but they cost twice as much as your regular, nasty and unhealthy school lunch. I came across the county's schools website the other day (where they list their weekly lunch menus) and now they include a large salad in the lunch menu, at no extra cost. Failing that, you can always pack your own lunch at home.

I'm not currently a vegetarian, but I've cut down a lot on eating meat. I really only eat chicken and seafood, and red meat is a rarity.

Jessica