View Poll Results: How old were you when you became a vegan/vegetarian?

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  • 13 years old or less (or raised veg*n)

    90 14.61%
  • 14-17

    173 28.08%
  • 18-23

    205 33.28%
  • 24-31

    85 13.80%
  • 32-40

    40 6.49%
  • 41-50

    19 3.08%
  • 51-60

    4 0.65%
  • 61-70

    0 0%
  • 71+

    0 0%
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Thread: How Old Were You....

  1. #1

    Talking How Old Were You....

    I know it's all mixed in other posts and threads, BUT... out of curiousity, how old was everyone when they became Veggie/Vegan?

    As for me, I became a vegetarian on my own when I was 9 years old, which caused much confusion and distress for my parents!!! I became a vegan at age 21. It's been about 2 yrs now.
    :p In life & love there are no impossibilities...

  2. #2
    Vora's Avatar
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    I've never really like meat (the idea of eating animals was bothering me and I didn't like the taste), so I didn't eat it a lot. When I was 11 I tried to become vegetarian but my family didn't help me and there were so much pressure that I had to dump vegetarism... but finally I've been vegetarian for more than one year then vegan for seven mouths.
    One day, I'll die from an Asian junk food overdose ! lol

  3. #3
    Goddess foxytina_69's Avatar
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    i became vegan when i was 18.
    "you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb

  4. #4

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    I was raised vegetarian and had my first attempt at vegan aged 16. Its taken a few goes but I'm now finally confirmed vegan

  5. #5
    Useless Dork Tofu Monster's Avatar
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    i became vegetarian at 17 and vegan at 39.

  6. #6
    boomer's Avatar
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    I became vegetarian at 19 and vegan at 37, though wished I had made the change earlier.
    Come to the darkside, we have cookies!

  7. #7
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    i went vegetarian when i was 12, and decided to go vegan on my 24th birthday, although i didn't change my diet completely for a month or so. i too wish i'd done it sooner, as i started thinking about it when i was 18 but took too long 'getting round to it'
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  8. #8
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    Vego in 1997 at 25, vegan in 2000 at 28 surprisingly.

  9. #9
    PinkFluffyCloud
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    Veggie (finally, after about 4 years of trial and error in a very Carnivorous family), at 16, Vegan at 20, then had a relapse at 24 (was still strict Veggie but was relying on others for food and keep, unfortunately, with Hindsight wouldn't get in that situation again !!), second time Vegan 18 months ago, aged 32.

    Will stay Vegan til carted off in a box, now!

  10. #10
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    Veggie at 26 then vegan at 35 though never felt comfortable eating dead animal, used to pick the veggies out of my mom's meals when I was a kid.

  11. #11
    CunningPlans Poison Ivy's Avatar
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    Veggie at 16 , vegan last summer at 31
    Blackadder: Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is?
    Baldrick: Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.

  12. #12

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    I was born a vegetarian I'm looking into becoming a vegan now, or at least leaning towards it.

  13. #13
    Useless Dork Tofu Monster's Avatar
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    seems to be a lot of us older folk who went veggie quite young but then stayed there for many years and didn't make the jump to vegan until later in life. looking back now, i also wish i'd done it much sooner.

    it's also true that even 20-25 years ago it was much rarer to find a vegetarian, never mind a vegan. and don't forget there was no internet back in them days so there wasn't anything like the dissemination of information and ideas that you young 'uns are used to. and it was all fields round here you know.

  14. #14
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    True, Tofu Monster. My vegetarian process started when I was only 4 years old. I would pick out the meat and keep the veggies. At the age of 9, I was a vegetarian, no eggs or milk (almost a vegan). I used to scan packages for hidden meat ingredients. But I did not become vegan until I was 33! That's late.
    "Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends". ~ George Bernhard Shaw.

  15. #15
    cedartree cedarblue's Avatar
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    veggie at 25, vegan at 41

  16. #16
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    I was vegetarianthanks to my mom until age 10, when she stopped and I wanted to know what the heck these Big Mac things were. Turned vegan at 18.

  17. #17

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    Vegetarian at 13 (on and off till 18/19 until it was permanent), forced to eat fish when recovering from anorexia though - Vegan at 21.

  18. #18
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    Veggie at 21 then turned vegan last year a month before my 30th b'day.

  19. #19
    Jobey
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    Vegetarian since birth, in the process of going vegan now (21)

  20. #20
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    Veggie at 11 vegan at 17 ish I think, I am now a lot older Shhhh not telling how much older now though.
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

  21. #21
    snivelingchild's Avatar
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    Quote snaffler
    Veggie at 11 vegan at 17 ish I think, I am now a lot older Shhhh not telling how much older now though.
    Of course, that's a secret. *looks under snaffler's avatar*

  22. #22
    Goddess foxytina_69's Avatar
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    its so interesting to me how many people were veggie before going vegan. i never even thought about being vegetarian when i was a carnivore.
    "you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb

  23. #23

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    Quote Tofu Monster
    seems to be a lot of us older folk who went veggie quite young but then stayed there for many years and didn't make the jump to vegan until later in life. looking back now, i also wish i'd done it much sooner.

    it's also true that even 20-25 years ago it was much rarer to find a vegetarian, never mind a vegan. and don't forget there was no internet back in them days so there wasn't anything like the dissemination of information and ideas that you young 'uns are used to. and it was all fields round here you know.
    Agreed TM,

    20 years ago there was so much less choice then. Being veggie was weird enough - vegans were completely nuts (nuts - get it sorry)

    I was so lucky having veggie parents.

    Nowadays, as you say, we have the internet and really good research. We're so much better informed.

    I wish I'd stuck with veganism earlier but I'm here now and here I shall stay.

  24. #24
    ♥♥♥ Tigerlily's Avatar
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    Yes, like Foxy, I never thought of becoming vegetarian for a while then go vegan. I made the switch all at once.

    I never liked meat, I would pick it out of my meals when I could. When I was 11/12, I wanted to become vegetarian but I gave up since I knew *nothing* about it and had 0 family support.

    At 17 I decided to become vegan. So I did. Since November 2004.

  25. #25
    FR
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    At age 18 I became A Lacto-Vegetarian (I consumed cow cheese at times). Then I wised up and became vegan when I was 27-28.

  26. #26

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    Jobey,
    Wow, vegetarian since birth!!!
    I guess your family was vegetarian? What was that like? Did you wonder what meat tasted like? How did the other kids react? How has your family reacted to your going vegan? I hope I'm not being nosy. I'm just curious about a childhood different from mine.

  27. #27
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    Vegetarian at 12, vegan at 22. I'm now 26.

  28. #28
    PinkFluffyCloud
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    Quote John
    Vegetarian at 12, vegan at 22. I'm now 26.
    Are you only 26, John?????? You seem much more mature!

  29. #29
    John's Avatar
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    Funny, I don't feel mature. I do remember that in high school my friends thought that I had a mature voice and I was always recruited to order beer over the phone.

  30. #30
    veganblue's Avatar
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    Vego going on 16 in 1992, vegan in March 1999. I was 23, now 29.
    "if compassion is extreme, then call me an extremist"

  31. #31
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    Lacto-ovo at 28, and 5 yrs. later, flesh-free/egg-free/milk-free (exactly 4 mos. ago).

  32. #32
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    vegetarian at 18, vegan at 30.

  33. #33
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    Veggie at 20, vegan at 26 and it was like a second birth !! REALLY !! I finally felt I was in agreement with my deep convictions... It was a revelation...

  34. #34

    Arrow off topic

    cedar_blue, I just have to say I love your avatar! (avatar envy... mine's cool enough, but not when I have to resize it to the point where I can barely see it...)

    okay, back on topic... I'm 17 and I became vegan about a year ago. maybe a little longer. but I was veggie for I don't know how long before that.
    Overgrow the government!

  35. #35
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    Didn't like meat as a child. Tolerated it as I got older but tried to eat as little of it as possible.

    I loved cheese, but couldn't stand milk. I developed lactose intolerancy in my teens but kept eating cheese until it was painfully clear I couldn't do that anymore.

    I tried officially the first time at 27. Failed at it and gave up. Tried again in my mid-30s. Haven't looked back since.

    What can I say? Some of us are a bit slow with learning but better late than never.
    It's vegan, which means it's vegetarian which means there's nothing unheathy in it. -- my guy trying to explain vegan junkfood.

  36. #36
    RockyRaccoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    Veggie at 16, Vegan at 32
    "He who binds himself to a Joy, Does the winged life destroy;
    He who kisses the Joy as it flies, Lives in Eternity's sunrise"
    William Blake

  37. #37
    coconut's Avatar
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    I went veggie last year, late summer. I went vegan on 2nd October. No point messing about I thought I never even thought about going veggie at any time in my early teens. I've only become aware of this very important issue in the last year or so.

  38. #38

    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    Vegetarian when I just turned 13 and always said I wanted to become vegan, but would be hard living under my roof.. But I became Vegan a year and half later.. I dont know why I waited so long though.. and Im almost 16 now

  39. #39
    JunkmanSP
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    I decided to become Vegan this year, I am 21

  40. #40
    Cakeaholic rainbow's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I turned vegetarian shortly after turning 7. Fortunately my parents were already vegetarian, which made life easier. They balked a bit four years later when I decided to turn vegan (1991; aged 11) and thought it might be a phase (it wasn't) but they got their heads round it and now my elder brother is also a vegan and my mother is 90% there.
    Live and let live

  41. #41

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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I was born a vegetarian, and have just turned vegan, at the age of 13. I've never wanted to eat burgers or sausages, but have always been gutted haribos weren't vegetarian!

  42. #42
    Pink_princes
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    i became vegetarian when i was 14 and still am

  43. #43
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    Vegetarian at 12, vegan at 13.

  44. #44
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    Hated meat from an early age .. my mum always says she used to have to hide it, to get me to eat it but I still often refused even then. This is quite common among children, after all children are more pure than adults but sadly adults force them to eat it by doing what my mum did. I can't really blame my mum as she was brought up to believe that you couldn't survive without meat mentality blah blah (funny she eats mainly veggie food nowadays) I was properly veggie by 15 years old, and then turned vegan in March 1988.

    I am very proud to be vegan, I get such a sense of pride when I tell people and I love to tell people hehehe. :0) Does anyone else get that same sense of pride?? I have known many vegans but some almost hide it as if they are embarressed but I am loud and proud about it hehehe!! Someone critised me for it once but I say b*****ks to that <grin>

    My son is nearly 7 years old and a life time vegan, his dad (sadly no longer with us but nothing to do with his diet) was a vegan too since early 80's. And now pregnant again, the baby I carry will be :0) My beautiful son also has the same sense of pride and announces his veganism, everywhere he goes hehehe!! so he has some of my traits after all!!

    Love and light
    Xxxx Stormy xxxX

  45. #45
    Kumem's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I know what you mean about being proud Stormy. I was talking to a woman on the checkout last week about food (was buying pyrex dishes) and we got talking about her daughter who was vegetarian. I explained about being vegan and told her all about recipes and how easy it was.
    It was quite funny really, as she kept coming up with objections like, "But I would miss lasagne" to which I replied, "Why, I eat it all the time" and then "but I was brought up on meat and two veg" to which I replied "So was I"
    Was there for ages, couldn't get away!

  46. #46
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I guess this is sort of a good introduction as well... : )

    Vegetarian since birth, turned vegan when I was 11-12ish, and I just turned
    21 in August. : )


    I've also been fascinated with raw veganism for years now, and would
    eventually like to get to that point.

  47. #47
    Stormypagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    He he Kumem .. I have had a few of those convos myself ... especially this one being a classic with me, and probably a few of you guys .... "so what do you eat then ... lettuce leaves??" and I reply, after yet again cringing at the same old predictable question <grin> "everything you can eat I can make a vegan version!!" ... they seem to be a little suprised when I say that as if we didn't live in the 21st century <Wink> must be the meat/dairy affecting their brains!! maybe BSE is more wide spread than we think .. wow I am harsh!!!

    Andesuma ... I think what is brilliant about some vegans is their choice from a very early age, like you, my son as a life time vegan doesn't really get a choice, I have made it for him as I think being vegan is the best start in life for him but in some ways it would have been nice for him to make the choice, if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't want him not to be vegan!! So I admire someome like you that has made a decision when still a child and probably against your own peers!!

    Love and light
    Xxxx Stormy xxxX

  48. #48
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I wasn't sure which option to go for in the poll.. I stopped eating meat when I was 16, started eating it again when I was 19 and stopped again when I was 21 I think and then went vegan when i was 24 - it's been a year now

  49. #49
    EyeMDX-tasy Dan_B's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I did things a little differently to most I think. I was never veggie although 4 months before becoming vegan I had given up dairy and red meat. Then I just went straight vegan which wasn't much of a change. I've been vegan about 3-4 months atm, and I'm 18.
    Because civilized people do not know what they are, they talk politics, religion, and science while the basis of their life on earth, the soil, slips away beneath their feet."
    - W. H. Kötke



  50. #50
    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Default Re: How Old Were You....

    I think it's great to see teenagers making the decision for themselves to go vegan!

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