are your kids vegetarians?

[sosurreal09]

i am just wondering if you are vegan/vegetarian are your children as well? would you be upset if they ate meat?

i mean no offense in any way i was really just pondering it

[dbsam]

My children are l/o veg. They eat much more dairy than I do. I eat eggs and sometimes dairy but am trying to eliminate dairy. My husband is carnivorous but eats l/o veg at home. I do not get upset when he eats meat. One day I'm sure my children will want to try meat and may decide to become meat eaters.

[tomtemama]

My dh and I eat a vegan diet. So do our kids.

When they are old enough to cook for themselves and buy their own groceries I will be fine if they make the choice to eat meat, dairy or eggs. It's their choice then.

[catnip]

We're all nearly vegan. No meat, eggs or dairy.

Meat isn't even food according to my daughter. She doesn't understand why anyone would want to eat a dead animal.

[Nicole730]

I'm a vegetarian, DH is not. DH is just starting to talk about giving DS meat...but I really don't want him too. I am afraid DS will like it and I don't want him eating 'crap' meat when we go out to restaurants. I don't know why it matters, I used to eat meat, but for some reason I just feel like DS trying meat for the first time is going to be bittersweet.

[*LoveBugMama*]

I`m vegetarian, LoveBug is not. He was almost 8 YO when I became vegetarian, and I don`t want to force him to be something he doesn`t want to be. He eats vegetarian with me some days, other days I make him meat/fish. If I had become vegetarian before he was born/when he was a baby, I would raise him vegetarian until he chose otherwise for himself.

[porque]

I have been vegetarian since long before any of my children were born. Their father is not vegetarian. I cook veg at home, with the exception of some holidays. DD19 is not vegetarian. DS10 is vegetarian but this might be due in large part to the fact that he is a very picky eater, some tastes, textures and smells really bother him. Also he might be worried how I might react. DD8 fluctuates. She is a total animal lover, so I would think would be more likely to be vegetarian but she loves hamburgers. Sometimes she claims to be vegan. When we go out to eat I strongly encourage her to eat vegetarian. I cried the first time my older DD was introduced to meat (potatoes and gravy at a restaurant, given to her by her dad). It has not affected me so strongly with my other children.

[russsk]

I am vegetarian, DH and DS are not. I Cooke meat a home, but I'm really picky about where I buy it from. We don't make a big deal about who eats what at home.

[SilverFish]

my LO will be raised vegan. we aren't super strict, but never buy non-vegan products to cook at home. we might eat a bit of incidental dairy and eggs out of the house. my husband is vegan for mostly health reasons and because i'm the cook, so i'm sure he wouldn't really care if she wasn't raised vegan, but it's very important to me.

[boogiemonster]

I am dairy-free vegetarian. DH is not. DD1 recently decided that she loves animals too much to eat them . DD2 is dairy-free but not vegetarian.

Since I'm the one who does most of the cooking, and since DD2 and I have dairy allergies, the majority of what is served here is vegan.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

Our entire house is vegan. DSD is vegan when she is with us (half-time), but when her mom met her most recent boyfriend, I think she stopped being vegan. DSD is probably not vegan at her mom's house, but her mom seems to pretend that she still is in front of DH. She might be vegetarian at her mom's - we aren't sure.

[CatsCradle]

Meat isn't even food according to my daughter. She doesn't understand why anyone would want to eat a dead animal.

My DD too, Catnip! DD has been a vegetarian since birth (pre-natal too, actually). Vegetarianism is an important identity thing for her too. If she chooses to do it (eat meat in her adulthood) that's her choice. We don't bring meat in the house, though. That's something that will have to be done off-site, so to speak.

[MissLotus]

My son and I are vegetarians... we do have dairy. I've never given him meat, but I know that very occasionally he's tried meat when with his father (my ex), who though eats meat, seems to mostly go along with the vegetarian thing for our son, so I don't say anything when I hear otherwise. And if he tried it in school I wouldn't flip or anything... like once he tried a hot dog. I just would never make anything with meat at home. And I figure he'll learn more from example than me establishing some big rule for him. It's up to him ultimately! just no meat at home.

[earthmama369]

We're pesco vegheads, as are the kids. At 4 and 5 now, we do give them the choice when we're out and about. Not at restaurants, but when we're at a casual potluck and a lot of stuff is right there, you know? So far, even in the face of overwhelming temptation (nonveg marshmallows), they've generally said they do not want to eat something with gelatin in it, much less something that actually looks like meat. We really haven't emphasized the "horrors" of carnivory. We've been very upfront about where all food comes from and how there are many, many different eating traditions both in our own circle of friends and family and around the world. At some point, I suspect they'll both try meat. They're pretty curious kids. But if they do, I'm going to push for them getting their meat from a friend's farm rather than a CAFO-package o' meat at the grocery store.

[sosurreal09]

i do eat meat but i am picky about it being free range and local and all of that. i wouldnt know how to be a vegatarian if i tried lol but i respect people's lifestyle choices. i was jw b/c DD just started solids and i give her meat and wanted to know how it worked with you guys. like i dont like broccoli so i dont eat it but i give it to DD KWIM? but i know broccoli and meat are very different and its a morals and values thing as well so dont get me wrong. anyway it was just for curiosity's sake so TY for the info!

[red and lulu]

i'm vegan, and so have wanted to raise dd vegan, no question. dp was a longtime l/o vegetarian, though he only ate eggs or dairy out, we never have it in the house. he was ok with raising her vegan, though he was concerned that as she got older and more curious it would be hypocritical for him to tell her no dairy or eggs (since he ate them) and also not fair to deny a kid birthday cake or ice cream — it was a huge source of contention, b/c i really believe in an animal-free diet. but, recently he changed his tune and has decided to go vegan, so he is 100% on board with raising her vegan. she's only 11 mo, and so far vegan. we know that one day she'll get curious, and that she is her own person and will choose her own path. we just hope that path doesn't involve animal products. it certainly won't in our house

[dziwozony]

I have been vegetarian for over 10 years now, vegetarian throughout pregnancy & so on, so am naturally raising my 2 young boys vegetarian as well. (Thankfully, my X is also veg, one issue we have sorted!)

I would be upset if someone fed my children meat, very much so. But if they are grown & choose to eat meat, knowing full well what it is & where it comes from, then that's totally up to them.

At this point, they do not consider meat food, just as I don't.

[vegemamato]

My husband, dad, children and I are all vegan. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable with my kids eating animal products until I felt that they were old enough to understand the implications (even then, I would have some sadness if/when they made that choice).

[purslaine]

I have a vegan DD, but I eat dairy, eggs and meat.

As a family, we have cut down on non-vegan food since DD became a vegan. It is a good thing.

edited to add: read your latest post. I would not give a child food I was opposed to. Ex - I am opposed to fake sugar, for the most part. I will not buy it.

[bandgeek]

DS is not. He's at his dad's half the time and they eat meat. All I can hope is that I set the example and he at least considers it when he's older. DD technically is vegetarian but only because all she gets is formula through a tube.