Are any of your kids vegetarians?

Question

My 9 year old nephew has not had meat since he was 4, when he found out that meat comes from an animal and you have to kill the animal. ( he is a big animal lover) so ever since he found that out he refuses to eat meat. you can give him any vegetable or fruit and he will down it, just not meat.

are any of your kids like that?

Answer 1

My 16 year old decided to become a vegetarian at around the same age and for the same reason. (Unbelievably, someone brought a live turkey to kindergarten the day before Thanksgiving and treated it as a pet.  There were a lot of non-turkey eaters in that class the next day...).

Anyway, I don't believe in getting into power struggles over food (it can lead to eating disorders), and telling a child to eat a food that she has morally objected to would be like someone telling us that we should eat dogs or cats or horses.  I never forced her to try to eat meat again.

I can usually give her nutritious vegetarian meals without going to any special trouble. When I cook a meal for the family, I try to make a meat-free version at the same time.  For example, if I make chili with beef, I just put some of it in a separate pot before adding the beef.  If I serve a meat entree, I give her all the side dishes with a cheese sandwich. Fortunately, she does eat dairy products, so she gets plenty of protein.  Pasta, rice, and beans are a big part of her diet. She is now old enough to plan and cook many of her own meals.

Vegetarian and vegan diets can be very healthy, and I wouldn't worry about your nephew's decision.  Most kids who quit eating meat because it comes from animals change their minds when they are older, but if he doesn't he will still be healthy.

Answer 2

I have 3 children, Only 2 of them eat food as my 3rd is only 2 weeks old =)

Both my children love Ham and Chicken sandwiches if it was up to them that's all they would eat all day lol. My Son is 5 he also loves to eat vegetables and fruit but my daughter age 3 hates veg but does love fruit. I don't think either of them would become vegetarians.

Answer 3

I was like that as a kid. I didn't like the texture of thjought of eating meat, it grossed me out. I am now 24 and have grown out of it, but I didn't eat meat for years!

Answer 4

I used to babysit for three children (two brothers and a sister) who refused to eat meat.  Their parents literally threw up their hands when the kids would start talking about it, because the parents did not necessarily raise them to be vegetarians and were not vegetarians themselves.  In the case of these kids, I am pretty sure it was more about "children's rights" than a love for animals though; they also had no problem talking about their parents not being able to spank them because it was a violation of their rights.

Anyway, they were great kids, but definitely unique.  

Answer 5

My child decided to become a vegitarian when she was 5.  We didn't really mind that she didn't eat her meat, except that she wasn't exactly finishing all her vegetables (being picky).  She would come to us about an hour after dinner, complaining that she was hungry, and we'd have to whip her up a snack (don't want to send her to bed hungry).  But after a while, we got tired of her picky eating, and told her that we were only going to make one meal, and she could eat it or not, but if she didn't she wasn't getting anything else.

After that, she started eating meat again.  I am kind of worried about why she became a vegetarian, though.  It had nothing to do with the ethical aspect of eating animals.  Her friend had told her that meat makes you fat.  We tried to talk to her about body image, but she still seems concerned about it.

Answer 6

My eldest daughter has flirted with being a vegetarian for the last few years, and she actually eats much less meat than the rest of the family, but when we barbeque, she tosses it to the winds and eats whatever we grill.  When she first started it all, she tried to argue me into converting with her.  LOL

Now, she limits the amount of meat she eats from a ecological and health standpoint rather than a moral one.  As such, I applaud her, and we make special meals or parts of meals pretty often, but I still hunt and fish, and she still loves barbeque.

Answer 7

My 6yo daughter is not a fan of most meats, but I think it has more to do with their texture than for ethical reasons.  I'm vegetarian, though & suspect that, eventually, she (and possibly my son) will make that choice, too.  

Answer 8

I am not a parent, however when I was 9 in fourth grade (im  13 now entering 8th) I became a vegetarian for the same reason as your nephew. My parents were supportive and still are. My makes a lot of tofu dishes and buys Morning Star meatless "chicken products" and Boca veggie burgers. I wont have eaten meat in four years as of this May.

Answer 9

Well, my kids love meat. however, I was a child vegetarian and I haven't eaten meat in 16 years (none- no fish, gelatin, flavoring, nada).

It used to make me sick when i was little. The texture, the thought of blood and guts. I just stopped eating it one day and my mom started cooking my dishes on the side. she made me vegetarian chili - when they had meat chili. she made my spaghetti with marinara sauce when they had meat sauce. She made me side casseroles with extra veggies and no meat. As a teen, it became easier to make my own stuff and i experiemented with soy (soy dust, I called it). I mixed a little with an egg and some milk or water and fried it up to make a patty. Or i mixed it up with chopped green peppers and onion and water.

I ate a lot of nuts and whole grain and took a vitamin b12 daily. I was fine and I'm still fine.

Eating meat is a personal choice. No one should be made to eat it - if they don't want to. There are plenty of other healthy foods out there.

Answer 10

My kids love meat, just as much as they love fruits and veggies (which is alot). My 14 year old however, is "almost vegetarian" (I'm sure there is a technical term, but I don't know what it is.) The only meat she eats is chicken. She only eats chicken because that's all she likes. No beef, no fish, no pork.

Answer 11

No.

That's handing a lot of power to a 4 year old.

They could have explained that this is a natural process, people were designed to eat meat, some animals are designed as predators, some prey. Sounds like he will now have a problem with anyone who is an "animal-killer". Perspective and explanation is everything. Parents have the authority, not 4 yr olds.

Answer 12

The same thing happened to me when I was around 9, maybe younger. I remember my mom at the stove, stirring chili. I was sitting at the table, with a hamburger (no bun). I looked at it, got a weird feeling, looked at her, and asked what it was. She wouldn't answer, and I could tell I was on to something. I finally asked if it was an animal, and the rest is history (more than 40 years later).

My own daughter eats meat. She didn't for the first 3 years, then started to. We eat vegetarian in our home (it's actually much tastier when you learn how to cook in a slightly different way).

Okay, so what happened is that my mom didn't know what to do, My grandfather was waiting for me to die - for years! I eventually found my own cookbooks, learned a lot, then started teaching my mom how to cook vegetarian. Even they liked the flavors and foods better.

It's a great thing. You have a very "sensitive" nephew (in the best sense of the word). Sensitivity, that level of awareness and compassion, is the foundation for deeply intelligent people.

You sound like a terrific aunt and uncle to support and understand him.  By the way, the cookbook that most helped through the years - that I continue to use today - is Laurel's Kitchen. The new edition has a lot of updated nutritional information. It's totally vegetarian, in a very common-sense, heartfelt way. Your nephew would probably like it, too, as the authors are vegetarians for ethical reasons, as well.

Answer 13

Nope.  My two year old is a huge fan of chicken nuggest (breaded or grilled).  I don't think he could ever give up those :)