is it true that young children shouldn´t be vegeterians??

Question

starting from what age can they be vegetarians???

Answer 1

People can be vegetarian from conception, to birth, throughout their childhood, and until the day that they die at a very ripe old age.

There have been vegan Olympic gold medalists and a vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lewis
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML_(Draft).htm

Here are some more veg people:
http://www.mikemahler.com/index.html
http://www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com/index2.html
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bios
http://www.andreascahling.com/andreas-about
http://www.billpearl.com/career.asp
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-23-27/Salim-Stoudamire-Runs-on-Broccoli.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Danzig
http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php
http://www.nfl.com/players/rickywilliams/profile?id=WIL271115
http://www.brendanbrazier.com/raceresults/index.html

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If you want to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian, the transition should be quite simple. Almost all meats have widely available commercial replacements. All that you have to do is replace any flesh in your diet (beef, pork, poultry, seafood) with meat analogs or just leave it out altogether.

You should keep in mind that a journey such as this can be quite short but should just be the beginning of a longer one to a plant-based diet with no animal products. This is because of the reality of factory farming in which animals that are kept alive to produce milk, eggs, etc suffer much more and longer than animals that are raised to a certain weight and then slaughtered.http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
http://meat.org
Some people use the word "vegan" in reference to this idea, but be aware that applying that label to yourself should always come with the inclusion of wise activism and advocacy.http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/index.html
Two extremely important examples of this are that you should never speak to someone about vegetarianism/veganism without their consent and genuine interest or as a comment on what they are eating AND your dietary beliefs should never be used as an introduction or explanation of who you are as a person. Veg*ism should be something that comes up AFTER people get to know you and they offer you a situation that makes it confusing to withhold the information/discussion. Also, if you are presented something that you choose not to eat or you are
ordering food/eating together somewhere/picking the best place to eat.

When you you hold off on the subject until it's necessary and then act like it isn't a big deal at all, people are usually surprised and WAY more interested and curious than if you were to bring it up when someone's eating or just using it as a conversation starter.

A responsible vegan ALWAYS studies the subject of their own health and how to keep their body completely provided for in every sense. http://www.veganhealth.org/sh
To neglect their body is to define a plant-based diet as unhealthy and is the opposite of helping the animals.

Just to clear things up, the vegetarian/vegan diet is not composed of salads, vegetables, fruit and fake meat. Fruits and vegetables are always important but they DO NOT make up the largest portion of any healthy diet.
A balanced plant-based diet includes grains(breads, pasta, rice,cereal), legumes(soy, beans, peas, lentils), fruit and vegetables.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_groups.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/eating.html
Being vegan can be an art, one whose challenge is to take things that involve the suffering of the innocent and change them into something free of cruelty.

A vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.

Technically the term "vegetarian" does imply that you don't consume anything that comes from the body of an animal that requires killing it. Many ingredients such as gelatin and glycerin are found in many candies, Fig-Newtons, and many of other foods as well as rennet found in many cheeses.
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html
The best thing to remember is to take your time so that for example: when you are comfortable not eating beef and pork you can then give up chicken when you are sure you can make the commitment permanently.
Depending on your age or reliance on parents or regional options, it may not be best to give yourself a label. The important thing is to do your best to make progress and be committed to your compassion towards animals. Never put your focus onto what you or other people use to describe yourself.

If you meet someone that talks down to people for eating meat, dairy, etc or to you because they think they are "more veg" than you, laugh in their face and tell them they are a disgrace to the entire philosophy. People like this only hurt the idea of veg*ism AND the animals. The point of all of this is to live compassionately and and as free from cruelty as you can, all the while maintaining your health and a positive attitude. People who don't maintain either, need not open their mouths and represent our beliefs.

If you actually choose to read all of this, I hope it helps. If not, feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

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I'm vegan and these are some of my favorite things to eat:

Breakfast: bananas, cream of wheat with brown sugar and soy butter, cereal, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, vegan "sausage" patties, smoothies.

Snack: BRUSSEL SPROUTS =) no joke

Lunch: vegan "sausage" sandwiches, sandwiches with vegan deli slices(Tofurkey is the only one that's kinda funky), fruit, dinner leftovers, couscous salad, vegan sushi, potato or pasta salad.

Dinner: sloppy joes, "sausage" and gravy with homemade biscuits, Spaghetti and Trader Joe's "meatballs" or TVP, lasagna, Thai pad see ew, pad khi mao(drunkard's noodles), pad prig king, tofu+eggplant with basil sauce, yellow thai curry with tofu or vegan chikn and veggies and jasmine rice, Indian dal with homemade roti or dosai, channa masala, aloo gobi, vegetable or minestrone soup, pizza, STEAMED "PORK" BUNS with potstickers or spring rolls, sweet&sour/orange/lemon chikn, vegan pho or wonton soup, baked tofu, BBQ homemade seitan (tastes like BBQ'd ribs), kabobs

I use these sites to find recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://vegweb.com
http://www.recipezaar.com

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 child on a vegetarian diet. Healthy eating habits taught to children are more likely to be carried through to adulthood.

Answer 3

I went vegetarian at 9ish. I'm 21 now and I'm quite healthy. Think of it this way: There are quite a few in this world who choose to raise their children vegetarian or vegan, and they are for the most part perfectly healthy as well. You can still get enough nutrients living off a vegetarian diet. There's this misconception that you "need meat to grow" and it's totally false.

I'd say consider a multivitamin if they're going vegetarian very young, but a healthy, well-balanced diet should be all they need.

Answer 4

Young children can be vegetarians and be very healthy. For one thing, they wont be subjected to to toxins that are found in meat. A vegetarian diet is very healthy and a parent should simply experiment with different healthy foods for their child to raise them in a healthy manner. My parents are not vegetarians but I was starting off as a baby due to a milk allergy and being a picky eater. My doctor and my parents also found that I refused to eat anything with meat in it right from the start bc I hated the taste and this continue through the years. Now I am 21 and healthy.

Answer 5

I don't have the exact quote, but the american nutrition associaton or something states that vegetarian or veganism is appropriate for ANY stage in life, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, and lactation.

a correctly done vegan diet (or vegetarian) can be consumed at any age in life. You just have to know what the child's unique nutritional needs are for that age, and how those needs are best met with the correct vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, etc. No supplements are necessary if it is done right.

My sister-in law has been vegan for some years. Guess what? She's gone through two healthy pregnancies while remaining vegan (the second pregnancy ended just 8 days ago with the complication-free home birth of a healthy 8 lb baby boy.) She did not step foot in a hospital for either birth. Her first thrived and second appears to be thriving while being raised breastfed by their vegan mother). You should see her 3-year old. My beautiful neice Abigail is tall for her age, strong, the absolute picture of health and beauty. She has the appropriate amount of baby fat for her age, and is super smart and gorgeous, anyone will tell you. And she has never had meat, eggs, or dairy products in her life!

Answer 6

Raising a child to eat meat should be as much of a decision as raising a child to be vegetarian. Both are ideologies and both can be dangerous if the parent is not careful.
I will raise my children vegan, if I ever decide to have any. This is both for their health and to fit in with what I believe is consistent with my morals and ethics.
Here comes the oft-quoted American Dietetic Association...
"Infants, children, and adolescents who consume well-planned vegetarian diets can generally meet all of their nutritional requirements for growth. Those who follow vegan or veganlike diets should consume a reliable source of vitamin B-12 and should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Calcium, iron, and zinc intakes may also deserve special attention, although intakes are usually adequate when reasonable variety and adequate energy are consumed....
"Well-planned vegetarian diets can be adequate for pregnant and lactating women."
People who tell you meat is necessary for growing bodies may be right, but that is only in starvation scenarios. Most of the scientific studies on meat eating have been carried out in Africa on young, malnourished children, and of course an increase in protein and fat would affect a starving child's growth. Better studies were carried out in China, on children who had better access to foods. It was determined that children fed on a "Western" diet with lots of meat and milk were generally fatter and unhealthier than their vegetarian peers, and there was no major difference in height and growth between the two groups of children.

Answer 7

That is entirely false. In fact it's healthier for them. Vegetarian diets are higher in nutrients which helps with growth and neurological development. It prevents obesity and encourages activity. The growth hormones and excess protien levels in meats, mainly chicken, have been targeted as the cause of increased growth amoung young children. They are hitting puberty at younger ages, young girls are develping breasts at a younger age resulting in back poblems, obesity due to consumed growth hormones is increasing, and worst of all there is no way to wash these growth hormones from the meat like you can with many fruits and veggies. Humans are not meant to eat meat and giving a child food they were not intended to eat is unhealthy. The best thing to do is start feeding your child a vegetarian diet once they are off breast milk. Make sure you are feeding a well rounded diet. If done properly your child will be getting plenty of nutrients and living happy and healthy.

Answer 8

I know kids whose moms were vegetarian throughout their pregnancies (in one case, vegan) & who have been vegetarian from birth (again, in one case, vegan). All have been healthy, active & normal-sized.
Some sources have reccommended that children should not be *vegan* before the age of 2, but the vegan child I'm well-acquainted with is nearly 7 & many ppl take him for older. His pediatrician knows & approves of his family's diet.

Answer 9

Kiki Kannibal (have you heard of her?) started at age 8, she is now 14 or 15. I think they can start at any age, just make sure they get enough protein and they are healthy, they need to grow! I would suggest vegetarian, but wait awhile for vegan...

Answer 10

I have 2 vegan kids under the age of 10 and they are both healthy and smart.

Answer 11

A vegetarian pregnant woman can give birth and raise her child to maturity as a vegetarian and both of them will be healthier than meat eaters...