is it safe and okay to raise a baby to be veg.?

Question

I'm not having kids anytime soon i'm just curious is it ok to not feed a child any meat from birth? are there healthy safe ways to do this?

wow like i said i'm just curious i'm not even a veg! i'm not saying i'm going to do this i said i'm just curious people read more carefully.

Answer 1

LOL... babies don't need meat... try to feed a newborn baby meat... I think they'd rather have mothers milk...

Yes you can raise children vegetarian/vegan. As long as you have a brain.

Answer 2

I think the question that should be asked is "Is it safe and okay to raise a baby to be a meat-eater," considering how many diseases are prevalent, even at an early age, among the omnivores.

Of course it is safe and okay. Just like any other diet or lifestyle, especially omnivorous, make sure you know what nutrients the human body needs and where to get them.

Becoming Vegan is a great book for this, as well as Raising Vegetarian Children.

Even if not vegetarian yourself, I think it's best to raise a child vegetarian and then let the child choose, later on in life, when they can make an informed choice, whether or not they want to partake in the violence of eating meat and dairy/eggs.

Answer 3

Yes, it is safe. Once a child is on wet foods he can start eating things such as tofu, mashed carrots, potatos, oatmeal, ect. Make sure he gets a variety of foods and doesn't just stick to one type. There are actually a few books about raising a vegan child. I think it's the best decision for a baby. So many people will try to argue that the baby isn't getting enough nutrients or protien. The majority of the nutrients in the average human diet are derived from vegtables. Protien can be gained through soy, nuts, legumes, and you are a locto-vegetarian through whey protien. People will always challenge what is new to them. The best thing to do is gain some knowledge and perspective and make your decision as an unbiased one.

Answer 4

It is not necessary for a baby to eat meat. What is necessary is the protein. Don't let people tell you that it is unhealthy for someone to not eat meat. If you notice on the food pyramid the it includes meat and non-meat foods (e.g. nut butters, legumes) in the same category because they are interchangeable and share similar nutrients! If it was absolutely necessary for someone to eat meat, then meat would have gotten a category all of its own.

Vegetarians all over the world have raised vegetarian children for generations, yet in Western cultures, the idea of vegetarianism for children is often received negatively or at least with some doubt.

Why is this the case? Lack of support, knowledge, and experience are the major factors. If you have never been around vegetarian children, you may wonder if it is even possible to raise healthy children this way. In general, health professionals are not well informed about vegetarian diets, fueling the fire of doubt. In the face of such adversity one would do well to remember that even the American Dietetic Association approves a vegetarian diet for all ages. In their paper Feeding Your Baby the Vegetarian Way, the Association states that "when their diet is a appropriately planned, babies can get all the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy within a vegetarian eating style."

Done properly it is very healthy to have a baby on a vegetarian diet. Healthy eating habits taught to children are more likely to be carried through to adulthood.

The key is variety and knowledge. Up to a year a baby should be on breast milk or formula, with introduction of actual food at about 8 months. As long as the meat is replaced with beans, legumes, soy, etc than it is perfectly healthy.

Answer 5

Yes... I have 4 very healthy, strong, and resiliant kids! It is so much easier to shape their taste buds to crave healthy foods if it's introduced earlier than later.

Everytone thinks the "big deal" is protein -- but you can easily get that through sprouts (so easy to do your own) and sea veggies/grasses, as well as many other veggies. BTW, there are many sources of vegan B12, and it is completely possible to get EVERYTHING you need from the earth. It takes a little re-education, some creativity, and consistency. A really good book that I refer to often is "Recipes for Life from God's Garden" by Rhonda Malkmus. The first section of the book is just articles and research -- very interesting!

Answer 6

Absolutely! I've known ppl who have been vegetarian their whole lives & most of them aren't even curious to experience meat. Currently, I know a few kids who have been vegetarian since birth (one is vegan other than having been breast-fed). There are lots of really good books about raising vegetarian babies & kids & you're very consciencious for researching this before having kids. One book you might want to read is: Your Vegetarian Pregnancy by Dr. Holly Roberts. There are also veg. books for specific life stages including infancy & childhood. Good luck!

Answer 7

We are raising both of our children vegan, they are both very healthy. That being said, you must be very dilligent to make sure they are eating a well balanced diet, replacing meat and dairy foods in their diet, and not just eliminating them. We have spoken to several doctors, and all have been very comfortable with what our children are eating.

Answer 8

Both my brother and I were raised vegetarian, not a peice of meat has ever graced our plate. We were both big babies (my poor mother...lol), neither of us have ever been sick enough to warrant a visit to the hospital, we have never had a weight issue (either too fat, or too thin), and we're pretty intelligent people, if you ask me! :). So yes, it is completely possible to raise a kid completely vegetarian.

Answer 9

Yes Check out Eatright.org for resources on vegetarian diets. B12 deficiency needs to be avoided. Also Ellyn Satter is a great author on feeding kids = she is a dietitan and and sociologist/researcher.

Answer 10

Well, there are millions of people who grow up vegetarian, mainly in India and some other Asian countries. Seems to work for them.

This site might have useful info.
http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/