Raising vegetarian/vegan children?

Question

Please no one post their remarks about how much vegan suck and we all should eat nothing but meat, blah, blah blah. I'm looking specifically for parents who have/are raising vegetarian and vegan children. What kind of problems or benefits have you come across? Has your child always gotten enough of the nutrients they've needed? What if they're staying with a non-vegetarian family? I'm just wondering how others have gone about rasing little veggies...

Answer 1

My children have all stayed healthy BECAUSE of a vegetarian diet. My children were all born large...10 lbs. and around that weight each. Now they are all tall and thin...and healthy. I always made certain that they took their vitamins...especially B-12. In the 1980's a lot of the soymilks didn't have the enrichment they do today. I made sure they always had a huge VARIETY of vegetables, legumes and whole grain products. Breakfast might be old fashioned oatmeal made with plain soymilk and some fresh fruit...or fruit juice. Mid morning snack would be an apple with some peanut butter. Lunch might be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with sliced veggies or more fruit. Mid afternoon snack might be some celery sticks with hummus or peanut butter. Supper would be at least 3 different cooked starchy and non-starchy veggies. I might fry some turnips and potatoes in olive oil. I'd include some greens...spinach, kale or turnip greens. I'd fry some tofu with some vegan pork seasoning or other vegan seasoning. Dessert which we would eat later would be some applesauce and vegan vanilla pudding or some variation thereof. Food prep really wasn't an issue. I often would cook things ahead of time. If at supper I wouldn't want to cook, we may have a hummus sandwich on whole grain bread, a salad and the dessert later. Their school lunches were always vegan.

When they would visit non-vegan friends, I NEVER would prohibit them from trying other non-vegan foods. If they would try something non-vegan at a buddy's house, they always would tell me about it. They are all now still vegetarians. My middle son was the only one who tried the omnivorous lifestyle for a year. Now all are eating no animal products.

My children are now all healthy adults. My daughter is pregnant with my first non-cat or dog grandbaby and she is in excellent health. I always encouraged them to try new things and to expand their horizons. The result: intelligent, sensitive, ecologically-savvy, loving, warm and very healthy adults who want to do the best for themselves, their families and the earth.

Answer 2

I'm vegan, I've been one for seven days (even during the chocolate bar fundraser!) and I know it has been hard on my parents, I got into an argument with my dad today because of it. There is proof that vegetarian kids have a higher IQ than non vegegtarians. Now that I'm vegan, I will have to start taking vitamins. My really close friends I visit a lot keep a package of boca burgers they make up when they have vegetarians over :). Since this is new, and I hadn't thought about that problem before, I will probably bring a package of soy cheese and a thermos of rice milk. Then I can make sandwhiches or have cereal. There is a website I found that has vegan foods:

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

Answer 3

I am not a parent yet and currently am an omnivore. I plan to make the switch to a vegetarian diet as soon as I finish consuming the meat I've already purchased. Any children I have will be raised vegetarian, if not vegan, but when they become mature enough to make their own decisions, they are free to consume animal products if they choose to do so.

Answer 4

Hello! I'm a 16 year old girl and I am a vegetarian. What I can say is that being a vegetarian is nothing out of the ordinary. I just get proteins and vitamins etc from other food and there are also vitamin tablets. I can say that it's not the first time I argue with my mum about what she cooks. In the family we are 6 members, 4 children including me and my parents; I am the only one that is a vegetarian and don't like all kinds of food from being a vegetarian also. So it's difficult for my mum to cook whatever I want...she tells me to look for recipes in vegetarian books and to tell her which recipes to cook for me. And for me and other people who are vegetarian it doesn't mean we eat only vegetables lol...we eat almost everyhing except meat cause even I don't like all vegetables. I can't say that parents won't be worried cause they will be but I tell them as a vegetarian myself to support their children and not arguing with them because they are vegetarians and don't wanna eat meat but instead help them find different kinds of food that they like which have nutrients and try different recipes.

Answer 5

I totally agree! Whenever I talk about being vegetarian to my friends, they always say,"You won't get enough protein, that's not healthy," etc. It's annoying. Anyway, when children are staying with a non-vegetarian family, my advice is to tell the parents of the child prior to the event. If you are not as close with the parent, tell your child to be sure and eat as they would at home. It works with me. There are different food products that give your children all of the vitamins and good stuff they need in stores. Try Annie's Vegitarian Mac N Cheese for your kiddies. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

I am in an apartment building where everyone is a graduate student. I recently met a girl in my building who has never tasted meat before! I think that's great! I'm not a parent, but I know a lot of children who were raised as vegetarians, and those who also have vegetarian parents tend to eat a very wide variety of foods, try new foods more often, eat a healthier balance of the food groups, and generally think of food in terms of nutritional value, not pounds added to body weight.

Answer 7

I'm not a parent, but I'm a vegetarian... I know it's a little intimidating for your kids to take in only vegetables and lactose foods. The truth is, vegetarians tend to be even healthier than meat-eaters. We have a reduced risk of getting cancer because of a healthier consuming of protein. They'll be getting enough protein with eggs, and possibly fish. I eat fish, but not eggs because they must remove the fetus before eating which is still killing. I eat fish occasionally because of a substance called omega three which is literally "brain food." Soybeans have a huge amount of protein. Make sure they consume much of these. Tofu and soymilk are great foods containing a lot of protein! Tofu really isn't that bad if you know how to cook it right.

Answer 8

My kids are almost 100% vegetarian. They eat a vegetarian diet 99.9% of the time except for the occasional turkey or tuna sandwich my husband buys them at subway (argh!)

Nutrients are pretty easy to get on a veg diet. They eat lots of whole grains, rennet free cheeses, gelatin free yogurt, fruit, nuts and veggies. We also eat either soya or quorn products a few times a week..

If they visit at someone elses house..I let the family know and 99% of the time pasta will be served. It never has been a problem.

Answer 9

Children are fine with a vegetarian diet. Go for it! The only worries are getting enough protein and Vitamin B12. Walnuts take care of that. Tofu and TVP work even better, but people go "Eww" when your kids are eating them. There are only three "bad" things that might happen:

1)Long words. Don't teach them words like vegetarian, vegan, organic, etc. They just make the kids feel different.


2)Other kids. Other kids might taunt them in later years.

3)Other parents. "Your parents are bad ones, they ain't giving you enough protein. Just have some chicken for me?"


Just teach your kids survival skills, and let the long words seep in, and you're on your way.

P.S. When they're about 11, mention reasons why they are vegetarian. At their twelfth bday, ask them if they want to still be vegetarian. The dropped hints will work and also, they will feel more confident in telling their friends that they are veggies. (Not a groan, "yeah, my mom made me").

Answer 10

My daughter is 7 years old and I have raised her vegetarian all of her life. She is a picky eater, so it can be frustrating. I give her a vitamine everyday that I buy at any grocery store. Make sure it is formulated for children. She has her iron levels tested every year and she has never had a problem. She is very healthy and not too skinny, like many would assume. For breakefast she eats cereal with soymilk or oatmeal. Lunch she may have a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich, or a wrap using lavash bread (found at the supermarket) or something with beans in it (I always cook my beans instead of using canned beans). For dinner we may have pasta, pizza, casseroles, pretty much anything so long as there is no meat.
For my daughter, who is picky, the trick is to make it fun. Last night we had spaghetti with "meatballs" made of kidney beans, carrots, celery, and italian seasoning. She rolled her own "meatballs" and had a great time doing it. When it came time to eat them, she was excited to try it. Tonight we had tofu and potato kabobs marinated with bar-b-que sauce, and she made her own kabobs and then had so much fun eating them. For sandwhiches, I use cookie cutters and cut them into fun shapes for school lunches or when she goes to a friends house.
My sister watches her sometimes and she is a meat-eater. We discuss what my daughter CAN eat, and usually I bring those items or my sister has them available. With a list of what she CAN eat, it is easier for her to know what to feed her than with a list of CANNOT eat (just in case I would forget to add something to the "cannot list", I make is simpler with a "can" list).
The only problems I have come accross is other kids offering her meat when she was too young to know the difference. Now that she is older, she understands what meat is and she is proud to be a vegetarian. Another is eating at a fast food resturant. We try to avoid it, but when we have to we go to Burger King since they offer a veggie patty meal.
She is a very healthy child and understands where all of her food comes from. One of the many reasons we are vegetarian is for our health, and now my daughter is very health concious and tries to avoid junk food on her own account simply because her diet suggests that healthy food is important.

I hope this helps!