Would vegetarians/vegans seriously considered teaching this lifestyle to small children.?

Question

Even though the chances for the child to be unhealthy would be greatly increased.

minnie... What are you showing awarness of.

Answer 1

I have 4 healthy vegetarian kids. So I'm not sure what you are getting at.

Answer 2

What qualifies you to determine if a vegetarian / vegan lifestyle is unhealthy? Is it hearsay that you believe or do you have pertenent credentials??

I do believe that we are predominantly vegetarian by nature. Now if you look at some of our closest relatives such as chimpanzees, you will see a predominantly vegetarian diet. I say predominantly because they do eat a lot of insects and the odd nest of bird eggs that they may come across while foraging. This is also true for lowland gorillas and orangutans.
Chimpanzees have also been known to go crazy and canabalize a member of their troop once in a while.

The main point is that no members of the primate family actively hunts and consumes large animals, yet we do. I do eat the odd steak so I am not preaching that vegetarianisim / veganisim is the only and proper way to eat but the average north american diet is way too protein rich. I believe in a vegetarian diet but I was raised in a meat and potatoes family and old habits die hard.

I don't see how you have come to a conclusion that vegetarian diets are unhealthy, especially unsubstantiated.

Answer 3

only ignorant people do not know that a vegetarian and/or vegan diet is healtheir than a meat-eating diet. It's just that most people do not know how to get the right nutrients. It's just a matter of balancing the right fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts. There is NO nutrient that you MUST eat meat, milk, or eggs to get. They are ALL in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, etc. It's a myth only still believed by uneducated people who are listening to Meat industry or Dariy industry propaganda. Any modern Dietitian with up-to-date information will confirm this.

A vegetarian diet done right is appropriate for Any stage of life, including infancy, childhood, adolecence, adulthood, pregnancy, and lactation.

My totally vegan sister-in law had the healthiest pregnancy and the easiest birth I've ever heard of. The baby is now three and is very tall for her age, husky, has the appropriate amount of baby fat, and is the picture of health. She has never had meat, milk, dairy products, or eggs in her life. Meanwhile, my sister in law is just weeks away from completion of her 2nd healthy pregnancy. A boy should arrive around August 4.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=117905293&albumID=0&imageID=4007426

The only reason why some vegetarians might lack certain vitamins or whatever is because they don't know what they're doing, and they eat a too-narrow diet.

Answer 4

There's no chance of the child being anymore unhealthy than there is if he or she does eat meat.

I share my views with my roommate's 6 year old. He knows where meat comes from, he's walked in on me watching slaughterhouse documentaries before and sat and watched. He's aware of what happens. And that's all -I-,personally, want for anyone. Meat eater or not.

However, yes. I do consider teaching this lifestyle a good thing. It opens their minds. You NEVER cram your thoughts and opinions down a kid's throat... you make them wonder then you explain. simple as that.

Answer 5

i am a vegetarian. my son, however, is the chicken nugget king of the pre-k set. through infancy, toddlerhood, and the other pre-speech time, he was. it was more because i didn't know how to properly cook meat and didn't want to risk giving him food poisoning. once he was old enough to make the conscious decision to eat meat, he made the choice to do so.

in regards to the comment "the chances for the child to be unhealthy would be greatly increased"; i'd like you to cite your source. we've been praised by pediatricians and nutritionists because my child eats more fruits and vegetables than most children his age. the only health problem he has is asthma which he inherited from two asthmatic parents (and a slight defect in his lungs as a result of being born prematurely).

Answer 6

Yes I would. I am a raw vegan myself and am perfectly healthy. I don't get sick and have lots of energy. Whenever I go to the doctor my blood pressure is low and all my vitamins and minerals are normal. When you go on a vegan diet and particularly raw, you just have to make sure you are eating enough calories and a broad spectrum of food. Different vegetables, enough seeds/nuts (and beans if you wish), different fruits and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, is a perfectly healthy diet. You CAN feed your children a vegan diet and they will be healthier than the average kid because they will not be eating contaminents, pestecides, growth hormones, and cholesterol higher-ing foods. Those parents in that article obviously were not taking care of their child right, by not feeding him a variety of foods (and enough calories) to maintain a healthy body.

Answer 7

Uh, yeah! It is a lifestyle they shoud learn about....you said nothing about them being forced to LEAD that lifestyle. I think is is very responsible to be honest with children about WHERE meat comes from and let them choose what they want their eating habits to be. Do you think it's ok for parents to make their kids live on processed food and garbage just because there is meat involved? I would really like to see your sources regarding the chances of being unhealthy being increased from a vegetarian lifestyle. I highly doubt the obesity epidemic in our children came from parents encouraging them to eat their veggies.

Answer 8

I will answer this when you show the report showing this greatly increased risk, because there is none unless you are ignorant and careless and didn't keep up with all the needed nutrients which must vegetarians know a lot about.

Answer 9

Yes, I would seriously consider having my child follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
A good mix of beans, legumes, fruit and vegetables compared to a carcass? No contest.
Childhood obestiy and diabetes is on the rise. You bet your bottom dollar that I'd steer my child to a healthier lifestyle...no fast food, not a lot of sugar and processed food. Why wouldn't I want my child to be healthy??

Answer 10

Well...considering that most omnivores I know teach children to shove meat in their faces at every meal, increasing chances of heart disease and other illnesses...then teaching a vegetarian lifestyle seems to be appropriate.

Answer 11

Yes. Your additional information is completely false and unsupported. If they ate nothing but crappy unhealthy vegetarian food, then yes, they would be unhealthy. Or they could eat a complete, unprocessed, wide variety of food (except for meat, eggs) that is good for you. Or they could be like the non-vegetarian kids that eat at McDonald and are now obese.

Look around for yourself. In general, compare vegetarian kids to non-vegetarian kids and see who seems healthier. My money is with the vegetarian kids.