Can babies be vegetarians?

Question

Me and my husband have been vegetarians for years. Our son is 7 months, so he could start eating meat, but we can't decide whether it is necessary or not. I read couple of books about baby food, and the thing is that not even doctors seem to be sure if not eating meat can cause some damage for babies development. Any ideas? Do you know anyone whose child never had meat and is healthy? Of course I am going to give him meat if I find out it is necessary, but so far I just don't know.

BTW, we are not vegetarians because of personal believes, we just don't like the taste of meat, I never liked meat although my mom used to force me to eat it.

Answer 1

Of course it's fine... I was a vegetarian as a baby... and my IQ rates well into the 140's... there is nothing wrong with me at all...
as a matter of fact... I was more into sports than most of the kids around me growing up... I played soccer, baseball, football... in addition to being in the chess club and enrolling in an advanced school when I was young. I was always in advanced mathematics as well as science throughout school. I took eleven sciences in college when I only needed four.... from physics to chemistry to geology to anatomy and physiology. I pursued a profession in the medical field and am still to this day one of the more intelligent people I know. I am also still more physically fit than most people I know. My telling you this is just so that you understand that raising a vegetarian baby doesn't make them deficient in anything... and while I was raised as a vegetarian baby and I am a vegetarian now... when I was an older child I wanted to be like my father and eat meat, so I did. Only problem is that I wish I hadn't done that, mostly because he had a heart attack as he got older from blockage in his arteries and is no longer allowed to eat meat. So I was left feeling I made a stupid choice. As I got older and realized that I was, in reality, doing the same thing to my body I decided to become a vegetarian so that I never had to go through what he did, or worse. I think that you should talk to a doctor that specializes in this type of diet for newborns and children instead of getting some of the idiot opinions you are getting here. My only curse is that God saw fit to have a sense of humor and not allow me to ever be able to spell. :)
Good luck and I hope I helped.

Answer 2

It is not necessary for a child 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.

EDIT: Also be careful if you do decide to feed fish, as many fish contain mercury.

Answer 3

Well that would just have to be a requirement no different then if someone wanted their child placed in a family that is the same religious faith as them. Other questions would be would you accept a family that was Vegan or a family where someone was a vegetarian but maybe not the entire household. My Aunt is a vegetarian but her husband and son(7) are not. My niece became a vegan about 2 years ago but her mom, dad and brother are not. Also remember that you’re not going to be there to see if they are honoring their promise to you. Even if you had an open adoption an open adoption is not – co-parenting. Once that child is legally adopted you have no say in how their parents raise them.

Answer 4

Im no doctor but I believe your child will not get enough protein from non-meat products. I did seen an episode of House MD once and the parents were not feeding there child meat since they were both vegetarians. The baby was sick and I believe the hospital had to call Child Services and the parents were arrested. Thats a TV show but I would be careful.

Answer 5

I am a vegetarian, my oldest, 3, became veg the same time I did at a little over 2. My son. 16 months, has been veg his whole life!! I'm gonna assume that as a veg you are breastfeeding (correct me if I'm wrong). Most infants are veg at least their first year, mainly because they dislike the taste of meat. I had two doctors tell me I had to cover up the flavor with fruit for my oldest. A friend's doctor told her the same. Hmmm.....something's not right if a child won't eat it and yet we force them to by disguising it!! If you are breastfeeding, your milk provides more than enough nutrients, protien, fats, and carbohydrates! In fact, the first year a person does the most growing in the shortest period of time, yet only 5% of each serving is protien (our bodies are perfect), so why would they need a huge amount more added on! I even found that most infants enjoy certain vegetables, but not meat, again...hmmm. The important part of meat that a child this age would need is found in your breastmilk! As the child gets older, start throwing some cooked beans his way (great for learning the pincer grasp and can mash up easily in his mouth if you cook them longer). Later on, start giving him instant oatmeal and then rolled oats (after he gets used to instant size and texture), they have protien too. Avocados have better fat in them than meat's saturated fat. Hemp seeds (go for a shake version) has all the essential amino acids as well as a few extra a child could benefit from! Quinoa has all the amino acids (aka complete protien). Iron and the such is found in your breastmilk! B-12 and all the b vitamins in your breastmilk (just make sure you are getting enough, whether from eating extra of those veggies/ nutritional flakes, or from pre-natals- which you should still take up until 6 weeks after baby has weaned). At this age it's all about your body providing the main support, not nescessarilly the baby having to find it on his own, that's why many say 6-12 months (sometimes longer) is the learning to eat stage and should still be provided breastmilk or formula! I also would like to suggest that if you are breastfeeding, to continue past 12 months for baby's health (meat-eaters and veggies alike should do this). The nutritional value in breastmilk does not decrease just because the child hits his one year mark. In fact, because the child most likely eats less, in comparison to servings when nursing exclusively, the nutrition doubles so that the baby gets the same amount of protiens, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in less feedings. Please contact me if you'd like help!!

Answer 6

Of course babies can be raised vegetarian. In fact our bodies were not designed to properly digest meat and it takes seven days before the meat can be drained of all its nutrients. During that period of time the meat can cause blockages in the digestive track which prevent other foods from being properly digested and can cause bacterial infections. Meat is extremely rough on babies stomachs too. You can wean your child off by putting rice in the formula and eventually allowing the baby to get it's nutrients from other plant based sources. Here are a few websites that can help with any misconceptions such as protien, iron, B12, and calcium dificiencies. People immediately attack vegetarian diets with these claims. You can use these plant based foods to creat your own baby food. As for these people who say to let your child eat meat and decide it's better to let them add a food to their diet later on then to have them choose to be vegetarian and take the food away. Don't listen to them.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

http://health.rutgers.edu/factsheets/iron.htm

http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/calevel.html

http://www.pamrotella.com/health/b12.html

Answer 7

Well I am an Indian and in India there is a class of people called Brahmins. They don't have meat no matter what. That is how they have been since generations. And since no one in their whole generation has ever had any meat they don't give it to their babies either. And believe me they are one healthy lot.

I am not a doctor nor a father and I am a non vegetarian as well but believe me you can very well substitute meat in your babies diet with green vegetables pulses and fresh fruits. This will make him equally healthy.

Answer 8

Yes but do your research and make sure they are getting all they need. Can your Dr. recommend a nutrionist to guide you in the little ones needs?

I knew a couple who were vegans and their baby was borderline failure to thrive. He was not labled it but Dr said they were dangerously close (after serval appts with below weigh/ and late/delayed milestones) to this and other subsequent problems. So so close.

He did not sit up, not into crawling (motivated) or walk until the very end of the spectrum still within the "normal boundaries" though.

He did start talking at an average time which was a relief to Dr's and parents because if too many developmental milestones are delayed/not there major concern. So I think he is now ok. Can't say if it was the diet, but Dr's seemed very concerned.

Answer 9

I'm not a vegetarian myself, but my daughter typically is... she just doesnt like the taste of meat. Fish sticks are a hit, but nothing else is even if we offer it to her in different ways. I asked our pediatrician about it, if we should be concerned (our daughter's 22mths old now) and she gave me a sheet regarding vegetarian diets. It says:

Vegetarian diets can be suitable for children if it is well planned. Special care is needed to meet their nutrittional needs for growth..... etc etc...

Children need enough: calories, iron, calcium, and protein.

My sheet goes on to list all the things to offer your child to meet their needs. The important of course is the protein, as ''plant proteins do not contain all the amino acids needed for your growing child. By ensuring you have a wide range of different plant proteins each day you can obtain all the essential amino acids needed for growth. This can be done by combining bread, cereals, rice, pasta + lentils, dried peas, beans. Bread, cereals, rice, pasta + nuts and seeds, peanuts, walnuts, tahini, sesame seeds. If you include dairy products as part of your vegetarian diet it is much esier to obtain all the essential building blocks. Bread, cereals, lentils, dried peas and beans, nuts and seeds + dairy foods and eggs.''

Oh, and our pediatrician told us no meat before 9mths of age. The new guidance is no solids before 6mths, even if many still say 4mths is Ok so that makes sense no meat before 9mths. Nuts you should wait until 12mths or older.

You're right, doctors can't agree, but I think your son should be fine. If you dont mind offering fish, I think that's a great idea as fish is suppose to be VERY good for you. I dont particularly like fish, or red meat that much, but I do eat a lot of chicken. Whenever I say I want to become a vegetarian my husband laughs at me and says 'You could never stop eating chicken!'. He's probably right...

Answer 10

You can contact you national vegetarian society, I did this when I had my first child who I was going to raise vegetarian. They were alot of help and sent me a whole bunch of information about how to feed a healthy vegetarian at any age. You dont need to eat meat but I have 3 kids and I made the personal choice 13 years ago NOT to eat meat, so I DO feed them meat, if they want it. Its THEIR personal choice as human beings. My kids will grow up with a varied environment of mixed tastes ( their father eats meat.)and choices with plenty of education on those choices. They will decide for themselves one day.