Vegetarianism & Kids

[Ks Mama]

Okay, so just last week I posted about our feelings on vegetarianism & our kids on another site I frequent... that we weren't "really" raising them vegetarian, even though we are, just because I didn't want them to grow up feeling limited or "strange". Though there's really no meat per se in our household, I do not limit DD from having an occasional piece of chicken while out, etc.

But, its been eating at me (yep, I see the pun, haha). And just last night DH said to me that he thinks we should all eat more healthy (he'd like to move closer to a vegan diet for himself), and the kids should be raised vegetarian.

Now, our main reason for eating vegetarian is health. But also for environmental reasons. And certainly you can't rule out the animal treatment (or mistreatment as the case may be) element as well.
So if we really analyze our reasons, and really truly believe we're being healthier for ourselves & the planet by being veggie, shoudln't we TEACH our own children to understand & live by those rules? Heck, we do it already with eating organic & natural. My daughter understands why because we've always talked about why fresh & natural & organic is best.

But my concern at this point is that while my OWN health/nutritional balance isn't my primary focus in my life, my KIDS' health is. And I'm concerned by eliminating a lot of foods from their diets, I might just not "do it right".
So I'm looking for some support from other vegetarian moms raising their kids vegetarian.
I need some good nutritional resources: to better understand which nutrients come from what, and how to "combine" foods for optimal nutrition. The last time I picked up a book on vegetarian nutrition was back in high school when I BECAME a vegetarian - so my info is outdated at best.
Links & ideas for good recipies?
Someone sharing with me their success stories - their healthy well-adjusted veggie kids?
Thanks in advance.
And feel free to move this if there's a better spot.

[jkg]

There is a Vegetarian & Vegan forum over in the Nutrition section. We had a similiar discussion regarding what you describe just recently.

Also, there is a book "Becoming Vegetarian" by Davis & Melina that is a very concise, nutritional guidebook. Good luck!

[LaLaLaLa]

I once had a friend who decided in middle school not to eat meat anymore. Her parents told her they would support her choice--IF she went to a nutritionist and planned out the things she could eat to make sure she wasn't going to miss out on any nutrients.

Do you have a pediatrician? (I know some people don't have much contact with doctors on this site) Could you get a referral to a nutritionist who could give you some ideas and reassure you that vegetarianism can be a healthy lifestyle for kids? I know that I'd feel much more reassured sitting down and talking with an actual person instead of trying to puzzle through recipes in a book and questioning whether I was missing something important.

[tropicaldutchtulip]

We are also raising our now almost 2 YO twins organic vegetarians. And have from when they started eating solids at 10 1/2 months from birth and 8 months adjusted age. They are pretty much vegan's for right now due to some major dairy issues. We get some funny looks, but I know I'm doing the right thing for them! They were born at 30 weeks with some major health issues, so their nutrition is very important and I can do so much with building their immune system and such by what they eat!

[UUMom]

My two oldest were healthy vegetarians for years. You might need to rethink food offerrings, shopping etc., (or not) but it's not technically difficult, ime. I would think it would mostly depend on what your children most enjoy eating at this point. If you have a hamburger- lover, you'll have to experiment w/ substitutions, perhaps, and then tapering off. If they don't have meat likes, you're golden. Vegetarianism is easy...although veganism for kids was a bit harder for me.

[veganf]

I answered your post in the Veg forum. I hope the transition goes well for you and your family!

[LeftField]

Originally Posted by jkg

Also, there is a book "Becoming Vegetarian" by Davis & Melina that is a very concise, nutritional guidebook. Good luck!

This is a great book. I am no longer vegetarian but both of my children choose to remain vegetarian. One of them is a very picky eater and the other one is adventurous in food choices. This is going to sound really horrible but I don't closely analyze what they eat. I think that the majority of meat-eaters probably don't pay nearly as close attention to what they eat. If anyone should go to a nutritionist, I think that the meat-eaters could equally benefit.

I don't know what to say. My kids have been vegetarian since birth (and have consciously made the decision to stay veg for ethical reasons, since age 4). They are VERY very healthy. They are very rarely sick, they're tall and filled out, they have gorgeous skin, they're bright...it all works. I wish my oldest would eat more varied food, but our food struggles with him aren't much different from the very picky meat-eating child.

I just try to provide protein alternatives as much as I can. So, my kids eat nut butters, raw cashews, raw pumpkin seeds, soy milk, etc. They also eat cheese and eggs; we are not vegan. One of them eats beans and the other one does not. I wish they would both eat green vegetables, which is probably one of the most common concerns of parents of meat-eating children too! But they do Ok. And they are some of the healthiest kids I know.

So, it can be done and I don't think it's nearly as difficult as people paint it out to be. I think people believe it's difficult because it's a non-mainstream choice so it seems a bit scary. It's really not. If your child is willing and there are no allergies involved, I highly recommend providing raw nuts as snacks because they are some of the healthiest things you can eat.

Good luck.

[dharmamama]

Originally Posted by Ks Mama

And I'm concerned by eliminating a lot of foods from their diets

I think this is part of the problem. If you perceive being vegetarian as limiting, it's going to be hard for you.

My two younger kids have been vegetarian since birth/adoption at age two. (My oldest came to us at 11 and is not vegetarian.) My husband and I are vegan. We eat vegan foods at home. I don't feel that we have eliminated a lot of foods. In fact, I feel that we eat a larger variety of foods now than when we consumed cow milk and cheese, etc.

My kids have never expressed a desire to consume animal flesh (in fact, my son has expressed regret that he ate animals when he lived in the orphanage). We have always told our kids that if they eat animals, they will have to do it when they are not with us, but we recognize that we can't control what they eat when they are not with us.

We are vegan for ethical reasons, so we have made it clear to our kids that we consider consuming animal flesh to be ethically untenable. (We recently became vegan, so the kids are used to eating eggs and having cheese, etc. We have not forced them to give that up, although we no longer purchase those things.)

We are raising our kids vegetarian because that's what we believe and that's how we eat. I don't think that forbidding kids from consuming animal products necessarily works, nor do I think that, if a child tries these things or occasionally eats them that they are no longer being raised vegetarian. It's like a child being raised Catholic (or, in our case, Buddhist). If you take your kid to church and express your beliefs in your home, your child is being raised Catholic whether they fully participate or not.

I don't view eating animals as a choice that is equally as valid as being veg*n. I teach my kids that cruelty to animals is not something that one "chooses" to do. I tell my kids that many people consume animals and their products because they don't know any different. I don't teach my kids that when they grow up, they could "choose" to eat animals. For a while I was wishy-washy and tried to teach my kids that "everyone makes their own choices," but when I realized that I would never say that "some people choose to kill humans," I could never say, "some people choose to torture and kill animals." I do teach my kids that it is wrong to eat animals.

As far as your question about a good resource for nutrition information, by far the best book I have ever read on the subject is Vegetarian Baby. It has a ton of nutrition information that applies to everyone, not just babies.

dm

[rianna]

My 6yo DD became a vegetarian about 8 months ago. All by her choice. She decided that she did not like to eat meat at all and has since stoped eating eggs as well. We are not a sole vegetarian household but I know how to make things for her thankfully. The problem I run across is, she does not seem to eat very munch except for the few things she really likes. Her favorite is avocado sandwich with cheese, veginaise, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. She will eat like 3 of these at a time. At this point she is a strict veg who wont eat anything to do with an animal (except cheese). She is amazing.....! I cook allot of beans, tofu, cheese stuff. She is really picky and I have had a few frustrating moments.... and they continue. Good luck! If you have any questions, suggestions or stories please let me know.

[ziggy]

dharmamama - Just of curiosity, how do you speak with your oldest about vegetarianism if she eats meat? Does she ever feel like you are criticizing her "choices"? Also, you say that you don't forbid your children from eating anything, but you also say you don't purchase things that aren't veg*n - do you buy meat for your oldest, or is that only something she can get elsewhere?

[dharmamama]

Originally Posted by ziggy

dharmamama - Just of curiosity, how do you speak with your oldest about vegetarianism if she eats meat?

I tell her what my spiritual beliefs are and that I believe that animals exist for their own purposes and not to serve humans. I tell her that I believe it is wrong to kill animals, and I tell her that I believe factory farming tortures animals.

It's not like we talk about this every day. We only talk about it when she brings it up. But I don't lie and I don't minimize the issue.

Does she ever feel like you are criticizing her "choices"?

Maybe, I don't know. She says that she was raised eating animal flesh and that she likes it. I tell her that I know it can be difficult to change habits but I point out that I was raised eating animal flesh, too, and I changed the habit.

do you buy meat for your oldest, or is that only something she can get elsewhere?

No, I don't. She has to get it elsewhere. She has the opportunity to eat it every day at school, but she packs her own lunch, which is generally a pb&j with fruit and carrots. I think mainly she misses animal flesh prepared in Ethiopian dishes. When we got to Ethiopian restaurants, we allow her to get whatever she wants.

I don't mean for it to sound like I berate my daughter for eating animals. I don't. I have never commented on her eating habits (in regards to eating animals); I keep the discussion focused on my beliefs. Just as I do when we discuss why I don't buy cheap crap from the dollar store (which she loves to do) or why I don't buy 25 outfits when 5 will keep me clothed (she loves to shop) or why I don't spend all my free time vegging in front of the tv. Desta is used to us having different values. I don't criticize hers, but I make mine clear.

dm

[neptunemama]

Just chiming in to say I have two veggie kids here also. They became veggie about 2 1/2 yrs ago, at 4 & 6 yrs old. They are both extremely healthy, tall for their ages, strong and active. They eat a lot of beans, cheese, almond butter, some nuts, a decent amount of veggies and tons of fruit. My older one likes eggs. My younger one went through a 4 mth phase of eating 2-3 multi egg omelets a day. Now she won't touch eggs, but I'm sure she'll eat them again eventually. They like plain and baked tofu, and quorn products. We also switched to all whole grains last summer, so they get a lot of good nutrition from those sources too.

Dh and I aren't veggie but most of our meals at home are veggie.

My girls get plenty of protein, fat and all their nutrients b/c they eat a varied diet, which is crucial for everyone, regardless of whether they eat meat or not.

[richella]

I like Healthy Eating for Life for Children, published by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
http://www.pcrm.org/shop/forlife/children.html

[Leatherette]

My husband and I have been vegetarian for 15 years, and both of my kids have never eaten meat. My son is 7 and my daughter is 4. They identify themselves as vegetarians and have not wanted to try meat. They are healthy - my son is the size of a ten year old and has missed one day of school due to illness in K, 1 and 2nd grade combined.

They may rebel when they are older. I think it helps that we live in an area where there are other vegetarians and the schools are attuned to it, and they are never the only one in their group who is veg.

L.

[zmom]

We're a vegetarian family too. My DH and I had each been vegetarian before we met and we knew we'd want to raise our kids vegetarian too. It's so much a part of who we are (as individuals and as a family) that it's not something we felt we could separate out from our other philosophies about parenting. I do feel that it's part of what we've defined as important for us as parents to teach our daughter (she's almost 4).

We live in Texas, in a small town, so it's not always easy to be vegetarian. Our daughter goes to day care 2 days a week and she's the only vegetarian in the class but not the only kid who eats differently (some kids don't eat pork or dairy or nuts). We do do meat substitutes on an occasional basis (like nuggety-type things or vegetarian corn dogs). She was all about wanting a corn dog for awhile (they're all over the kid's menus on the rare occasions that we eat out) - eventually I went to the store and got a box of the vegetarian ones and we made a family dinner out of it. She was excited, it satisfied her curiousity and we haven't heard about the corn dogs since. We also "trade" non-vegetarian candy or treats that she gets from daycare or relatives (my DD calls it "meat eaters candy") for candy or treats that she picks out at the store. More often than not, she chooses dried fruit over candy so it's win-win! I think for us, it will be important to keep doing these kinds of things so she doesn't feel like she's missing out on something by being vegetarian since we live in a not very vegetarian friendly place.

Honestly, we try not to worry too much about making sure she's getting the right amounts of xx and yyy. We give her a multivitamin daily and we try to eat balanced meals most of the time. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that our nutrition is best analyzed over a period of 3 days so that in those 3 days you need xx and yyy but you don't have to freak out if you don't get 100% of xx and yyy every day.

We do own Raising Vegetarian Children which is a great book. It has lots of nutritional guides and information so you might want to check that book out.

HTH and sorry to be so rambly.

ZMom

[BeanyMama]

a great book that i learned a lot from is Disease Proof your Child by Joel Fuhrman. Good luck and kudos

[hippiemum21580]

I have four kids all vegetarian. I do not purchase nor prepare meat meals at home but do not raise a fuss if thier Grammy takes them out to eat and they have a burger or something. I have explained both my health reasons and my ethical reasons fpor why at hoem we eat vegetarian and all I can hope is that it sticks with them. But I do desire them to be thier own people. I understand they will not stand firm on someone elses beliefs. My oldest is 7 and almost never eats meat. His reasons for this are mainly due to animal mistreatment. He stands very firm on this and will refuse to eat if we are out at say, a cookout and he is offered a hotdog. This is entirely his choice. My 5 year old and 3 year old rarely eat meat mainly because they are not used to it. They just show no interest. My 11 month old has never had meat.