Vegan moms-do you stop your children from eating meat and dairy?

Question

I recently became a vegan for health reasons. I am planning on having children and am just curious about what vegan moms feed their children. What about when they go to a freinds house or birthday parties with cake and icecream? Would they get sick if they were not raised with that kind of food but ate it when they were old enough to go to freinds houses?

Answer 1

Actually, they might get sick. That tends to happen even with people who give it up for a while then try it again after a period of time. Every animal stops drinking milk after infancy. Humans are the only animals that continue to throughout their life and are definitely the only animals who drink the milk of another animal. Even though after age two, we lose 98% of the lactase enzyme in our digestive systems because, by nature, it's not needed anymore.

I'm vegan and when I have kids someday, I would prefer them not to have meat for health reasons. However, I also don't want to hold them from having fun. And I certainly wouldn't want them to come home crying because kids are teasing them or whatever, so I don't think I'd mind if they had cake and ice cream. Or went trick or treating. I don't necessarily think it's the healthiest and I don't really agree with it, but it's a tough decision with kids because you don't want them belittled and coming home with hurt feelings all the time, too.

There are vegan cakes and candy and ice cream, though, too.

Answer 2

I have 4 vegetarian kids. Personally I think Vegan would be very difficult but it can be done.

First Getting to Vegan or vegetarian. Your going to need to ease the kids into it. Have them try some of the meat substitutes my kids like the following from Morningstar:
Chik Nuggets, Chik Patties, Veggie Dogs, Veggie Corn Dogs, Veggie Burgers. From Boca: Veggie Burgers, and the Ribletts.

You can also easily change your recipes for things like Spag, chili etc. by replacing with either Morningstar or Boca ground beef substitutes.

Personally I would get them to Vegetarian and then consider if you want to go full Vegan with them or not as I think they will find the taste of the cheese and milk substitutes to be a larger change.

Going to friends houses: This may be a little more difficult if they have been meat eaters and now are changing. My kids have grown up vegetarian and know what to eat and not eat and for the older ones all their friends know they are vegetarian. In the case of younger kids we just tell the parents ahead of time and if needed provide our own food.

Answer 3

Your children will get tummy aches if they eat food that they have not adjusted to. Make sure, for your health, and for the health of your future children that you really do some research on how to feed vegan children. You really have to make sure that growing children get the proper nutrient balance. When your children do come around and are old enough to go to birthday parties, you will need to pack them their own lunches, snacks, etc. A vegan piece of cake and some soy ice cream so they do not feel left out of the fun. Also make sure the other moms know of your child’s food restrictions.

Answer 4

I was raised vegetarian by my dad and grandmother, though we ate dairy but I wasn't allowed eggs because of an allergy (believe me no cake at parties isn't much fun for a kid, but the other moms were pretty good about having egg-free deserts available). It was never that much of an issue growing up, but for most of my childhood we lived in an SDA community where most of the other families were vegetarian too. You might encounter some issues when your child goes to school if they don't eat dairy, though, since public schools like to shove cartons of low-quality lukewarm milk down kids throats and call it a "healthy lunch." Be warned that in lots of elementary schools children aren't allowed to leave the cafeteria for recess until they have drank their milk. Some will even force those who bring lunch from home to get a milk if they have brought an "unhealthy" drink like kool aid, soda, juice drinks, etc. You might consider re-locating to a vegan-friendly city. Most schools here in the bay area offer vegetarian and vegan friendly cafeterias and there are lots of families who raise their children this way so your kids wouldn't have to feel like outsiders.

I wouldn't advise fake meats for children either. They aren't healthy and their main purpose is for people who have cravings for meat. Plus, your child might eat real meat thinking it was fake meat and get sick.

Answer 5

My son is 8 years old now and it's been a year he's been vegan and loves it. His favorite snack is red cabbage with radishes. He loves mellons, bananas, all berries, etc. He loves my smothies (doesn't know I add Kale in it), loves the home made salads I make. Oh by the way... My son isn't just a vegan..... he is on a raw vegan plant food diet and will be for life.

Answer 6

My son is 7 years old (3 more weeks he'll be 8), it is true, whatever you eat, your child will eat. My son loves fruit, he calls himself a fruitarian, he can eat it 24/7. But I give him veggies and he won't eat them cooked, only raw and he loves the homemade dips I make him. He does love soy yogurt, and hasn't had any milk since he was 3 years old.

When he is in school, he eats the candy teachers give him, cupcakes and cakes at birthday parties and trades his food in his lunch box for candy of another childs. There is nothing I could do about this, so I say, kids will be kids!

As long as he knows at home he eats the healthiest!

Answer 7

We have a 3 year old vegan son. Your child will eat whatever you eat. My son loves broccoli,carrots, cashews, soy & rice milk,...... His grandparents are very supportive and understanding now. When they take care of him for a day we pack him his meals and our parents also go out of their way to buy him and prepare him vegan meals and snacks. He is only 3 and he'll be attending school soon and making friends and we are trying to prepare him and ourselves when that time comes.

Answer 8

I'm not a mom so i wouldn't entirely know. but i think it would be best to raise them as a vegetarian then later on see if there willing to become a vegan. but then again you should raise them with meat and then when there old enough to chose what they want to eat to see if they want to be a vegetarian or vegan. you shouldn't have to force them. kids will be kids so let them decide if there a meat eater or vegetarian or vegan. like my parents raised me as a meat eater and i willingly on my own became a vegetarian and I'm thinking about becoming a vegan.

Answer 9

I would try artificial meat, they have meal starters and snacks too. You can cook it anyway you could cook real meats. No they wont get sick.

Answer 10

No. I feed them a little bit of everything and will let them decide. As long as they are eating healthy, I am happy.