vegan children?

A curious question.

I have met many people here in the DC/Baltimore area who are between the ages of 18-50 who have never eaten meat in their lives, largely from India and south Asia, in the course of working for libraries in the area. I'm not sure how many are also vegan, but it seems common enough to have never had it their whole lives; they weren't raised around meat, and most had no real desire to try it. Of course part of this is cultural, but I think it would be OK to raise them to a certain age as vegan/vegetarian, and then, let them choose.

 

I think maybe letting them have some vegan/vegetarian diets would be great for them because it's healthy and you're not feeding them too much junk food. Of course, they should have the option of eating meat too, that can also be healthy if it's the right kind of meat. I can't imagine my life without meat and I think I'd go miserable without it, lol.

Overall, this seems like a good way to encourage them to have a healthy diet and I also hope you'll throw in exercise too. They'll be so healthy, they'll start glowing. lol.

 

Children, because they are growing, require more B-vitamins, especially B12, but fortunately, there is a wonderful thing now called cyanocobalamin! It's a chemical replacement for B12 that works just as well as the stuff from slaughtered animals.

Also, one of the Google co-founders is developing a meat grown from stem cells. Sergey Brin is funding the development of tube-meat, and he's likely to become richer off of it than he already is.

Finally, I would be glad to tell you more about the nervous system of fish and explain why it is no more traumatizing to a fish to sever off its head than it is for you to stub your toe...probably less. And I cannot lie, 'tis tasty.

 

Since I stopped eating meat, I have made one exception: farm-raised bivalves, such as clams, mussels and oysters. My last name is also a fish, I can't eat myself

But that's been it, and so far, so good! Still plan to continue with dairy (mainly local goat's milk) and local eggs.

 

As Christiaan said^ B12 in pill form is a yes

The thing is, if you are a parent and you bring food to the household, your kids will eat it. They won't know the food is "vegan" and won't miss meat.

When they are old enough to understand why meat/no meat is at all a question, you can tell them about it - if they are curious, maybe they can try some (although only very little, otherwise their intestines will growl.)

When they're older they can make the decision for themselves.

It is good as a parent of children who share your vegan diet to be there and make sure the kid isn't without pastry on birthday parties etc.
And also to know your food and make sure all the nutrients are there.

 

I see no reason not to raise children on a vegan diet.

 

I would probably not raise them (my children, which I am unlikely to ever adopt or have) vegetarian, mainly because I want them to have tasted meat, mainly because if they are planning to go overseas in the future or if we have to move overseas to areas where vegan or vegetarian dishes are difficult to find, they would be able to eat local foods without too much of a hassle. Generally, it's up to them once they're around their age of adolescence and can make such decisions about their life, as long as the vegetarian or vegan dishes they want me to make them aren't things like 'truffle and blue cheese sauce, smothered on tofu' or are too expensive. I personally found it very difficult to go vegetarian for more than a week when I tried and I found myself eating more potatoes than greens.

 

I would let them decide for themselves. I believe children should have the same freedom as us adults to choose. Obviously I would talk to them about what it means to be vegetarian/vegan when they get old enough to understand, and also give them the pros and cons and then let them decide for themselves what they feel is right.

 

I think there nothing wrong with being a vegetarian or a vegan. If you want to raise your kids that way, then it's up to you. I live on a farm and we raise our own cows for butcher. So, I've always eaten meat and always will, though after I move out I'll probably eat more fish (half my family can't stand it so we don't eat it to often).

 

I can definitely relate to your question: I was raised vegetarian. I barely ate meat until I was 8. My mom had been a vegetarian since high school and cooked vegetarian meals at home. It wasn't until my brother was born (when I was 8) that she decided to go back to eating meat. I'd had a few tastes here and there - maybe once a year or so before then if we were at a party or somewhere and my dad got something with meat, but I was a vegetarian otherwise without really knowing it.

Once my brother was born, we all ate meat more often. When I was 11 I decided to go back to being a vegetarian - partly because two of my friends were and partly because I'd never developed much of a taste for meat and decided I preferred not to eat animals.

I'm now 22 and I haven't eaten meat since I was 11. Sure there have been a few times where I've had a bite of a dish without realizing there's a meat ingredient and I've spit it back out or swallowed the bite before inspecting my food, but I'm a vegetarian. I've never liked fish, but even if I did I don't consider vegetarians who eat fish to truly be vegetarians - so many people say "oh you're a vegetarian? Do you eat fish?".

So to answer your question: I think it's perfectly fine to raise your children vegan if you choose to do so.

Another similar debate was: I was homeschooled. I never went to a school of any kind with the exception of some online language courses I choose to do and doing band, chorus and track my "senior year". My siblings were all homeschooled as well, but my two sisters chose to go to school during middle and/or high school. One of them graduated last year as valedictorian and the other one will be starting her senior year this fall and she's in the top 5 as well. Me? I'm the oldest and had no desire to go. However, because it was OUR choice and my sisters decided to go, they did/are doing great and do their homework without much complaint because it was their choice.

Sorry - off topic there.

 

They're growing and need their nutrients- so I'm iffy about it.

The vegan/vegetarian lifestyle isn't for everyone, not just for growing children. Some people for a variety of reasons can't thrive on a vegetarian/vegan diet. They need animal products and fat.

Many of the high protein sources are extremely high in estrogens. Despite common belief, soy isn't safe. It's a highly toxic plant that is extremely high in plant estrogens. High estrogen isn't healthy at all! Soy Dangers Summarized - Myths and Truths About Soy

 

Oh you're completely right: there's good and bad ways to be vegetarian or vegan. I think as long as you know your stuff then you're okay.

Yeah - soy has been so believed that it's good for you but in reality, most soy isn't. My friend is actually allergic to it and it's crazy how much soy is in things. It's in everything!

 

I wouldn't consider it to be a particularly good idea unless you are well-versed in nutrition. It isn't something for casual parenting. It can't be veganism on a whim. There would have to be careful attention to the amount of nutrients the children were getting any time you're going to be putting them on a diet that, one way or another, is not natural.

 

First of all there's the whole "children need nutrients" thing and then the fact that you're basically raising children who will some day have trouble finding something they can eat when they're not at home, which might even make them feel left out. You have to make sure they can have a vegan option whenever they are on a school trip or at camp and explain to them that yes, technically they could eat the cake that is being served at a friend's birthday party, but they shouldn't. Because if you think that people will be kind enough to provide a vegan option for your kid, then I've got bad news for you. The other day I visited a friend and she only had ice cream to offer me, when she knows I just can't have dairy. I don't know, I have two friends with celiac disease and we always talk about how wonderful it would be to be able to eat in whatever restaurant we want, without having to go to the same one which offers food that we can all have, and whatever we want. It's almost offensive to me that you would raise little human beings who can't have access to ice cream. I would raise my children normally and then make them choose if they want to switch to a vegan diet, if I were you, at least for all of the people such as myself who were often forced to skip a meal because there was nothing they could actually have.

 

Actually, I floated the idea of becoming a vegetarian when I was 8 years old, but my parents just sort of brushed it off, like, "Yeah, kid, sure, dinner's ready, eat or starve."

So...why did I never become vegetarian as an adult? Because...cows, pigs and chickens care about two things: 1) security, and 2) eating. You have fulfilled the entire meaning of a pig's life if all you ever want him to do is eat. It is spiritual fulfillment for them. It is self-actualization. All that cows want is to feel safe, and they actually thrive, emotionally, under the "father-knows-best" government that humans provide for them. Our animals are, for the most part, reasonably happy, within the simple wants of their stupid minds. Most likely, they are incredibly happy creatures.

This would make them more happy:

Marijuana Fed Pigs Are Happy Pigs | VICE | United States

And I like meat.

Whether or not I would like meat if my parents had indulged and encouraged my notion of becoming a vegetarian, I am not sure. However, you will make many decisions in your children's lives. Some will be good, some will be bad, and others will simply be...different.

 

On second thought, I'd force them to, just to be a mean old bastard.

Also, I'd not let them have any video games or Smartphones, and make then play outside most of the time when it was nice out.

I'd give them a record player, and several thousand records, along with many, many old comic books, and also, tons of books, and lots of Legos.

But no meat!