I have recently decided to become a vegetarian again, I have a 15 month old son, should I and can I?

Question

not allow him to have meat products?

Answer 1

Theres alot of nutrients in turkey, chicken etc.  I personally wouldnt.  Vegetarians usually lack in protein and certain vitamin bs, so I wouldnt put him on it.  You need to be careful too.  You really need to research this for your own sake, cause that type of diet lacks nutrients.

Answer 2

Only if you know that you can make up for all the missing nutrients that is gotten from meat.  For you, it don't matter.  You have stores of excess fat, your bones are fully developed and so are your muscles and other body parts.

   On the kid, not so.   He needs alot of food to grow- calcium for bones, protein for muscles(remember, he is a boy), etc.      Check the people in third world countries who's diets are vegetarian, to see if they are healthy, or malnourished with hair falling out, pot bellies, weird skeletal growths before you decide.   Or maybe don't be hard core vegan on the kid....and give them a chance to grow up.

    If you are hearing about all the c**p that is in prepackaged foods "then don't buy prepackaged then"  Weiners is prepackaged.  Buy some real meat off the meat counter, some fish- cook it up yourself.  You know whats in it for   "You know if you spat in it"   Packaged or canned goods is survival food at best.  Nothing better than fresh veges, right?  Nothing better than fresh liver....or pork chops.

Cook Chinese style(Wok it) Veges get heated up and meat is mostly pork or chicken bits.

  80 billion Chinese can't be wong.

You got to watch yourself....and child welfare advocates.....so you don't get in a situation with "endangerment to a childs health".    The kid is gone so fast.

Answer 3

consult a doctor about this, if done wrong the kid will grow up with problems, adults who don't eat veg*n diets right get problems, so a kid growing up could end up worse.

Do it right or else!

good call on the health, and good for you for the cruel free attempts., but still DO IT RIGHT!

BEANS!!! (eat them or else face malnutrition!)

Answer 4

why would you buy meat just for him.  of course you should and can raise your child on the diet you choose.  most parents do.  this will work until they are older and go to friends' house where they will encounter meat, so you shouldn't try to control that.  but as long as you provide the food, you should provide what you think is best and what you eat.  after all a meat-eating parent would not think "i should not give my kid meat because what if my kid is really a vegetarian" - parents all over the world feed their kids what they eat.  it's normal.  don't worry.  but don't expect to control that when they are an older child, teen and adult.  they can make their own choices later.

Answer 5

It is not safe to deprive him of meat at such a low age.I would not suggest it at all but if you must, wait until he is at least 11 or 12 years old.

Answer 6

yes. i have been a vegetarian from birth, and it poses no health hazards. i am a healthy weight of 115, 5'5" and i primarily eat rice with vegetables, tortillas, etc.

now, veganism is a bit too early for your son but i would definitely recommend not allowing him to have meat products.  

vegetarians do receive enough protein, and diets contain very little saturated fat/cholesterol as well as high levels of carbohydrates, fiber and iron.

Answer 7

You might want to rethink YOUR reasons for becoming vegetarian, again.  Is it for health reasons, or just because baby animals are cute? .....I'd check with your pediatrician to see what he thinks about not giving your son any meat.  Don't forget to make sure he still gets enough protein though....

Answer 8

You should definetly be one again:)Great!! As for your son, you can, just consult your doctor, and get him a proper vegetarian diet. You could also wait till he's a bit older and let him decide:P!

Good luck!

Answer 9

Yes you can. As for should you yes in my opinion.

Answer 10

yes its a good move.

but its imoportant to see that you still get the proper proteins.

i will suggest colustram powder for your son.

and also you can have colustrum powder and ammino acids capsules.

Answer 11

you shouldn't push your ways on your child. you have to open him up to everything until he's old enough to decide for himself. also, i would imagine a growing body needs all the protein it can get.

Answer 12

I'm vegetarian, but my 2 year olds eat meat.  I doubt they'd get enough protein if they didn't have chicken, and I doubt they'd eat much if they couldn't have meat.  I'd let him carry on eating meat, it'll probably be easier for you to feed him and make sure he's getting enough of stuff, especially when you're eating out or he's with someone else.  He can make the decision when he's older.

Answer 13

Hi,

be sure to consult your doctor for the best advice on nutrition for your child.  he is just a wee thing that needs to grow up big and strong, with healthy brain development, too.

do a lot of research on your own as well, to find the best sources of the vitamins and minerals that are vital to his healthy development.

as for you, go ahead, and make sure you also get adequate levels of the proteins, fats, minerals, etc... that you need.

best wishes

Answer 14

I'm surprised (well, only slightly) by the number of responses you've received that perpetuate the fairytale that protein only magically exists in foods of animal origin. Protein is protein - it exists in almost all foods and consists of bunches of amino acids, in varying amounts and combinations. There may only be a few vegetable sources of so-called "complete" proteins, but you don't have to get all your amino acids from the same food. You don't even have to get all your amino acids in the same meal - though it's probably more convenient and expedient to do so. The same goes whether you're an adult or a child. It's still the same protein. The only difference is that small children need two or three amino acids that adults don't necessarily need, and these are readily available in a vegetarian diet anyway.

Over the past several millennia, many millions of children have been successfully and healthily brought up vegetarian from birth, including several regulars in this forum, even vegans. So, how do all of you nay-sayers out there account for that fact? Care for a rethink? Thought not - your brains might overload.

My mother was a vegetarian from before she was 10 years old, and she's still alive and still vegetarian over 65 years later. I've been a vegetarian from the age of 14, but if I ever had the chance to live my life again, knowing then what I know now about health and nutrition, I would definitely be a vegetarian from birth.

Answer 15

u can become a vegetarian bt nt ur son coz he is still growing.and need a lot of proteins. i dont think u ve ever seen amalnorished child.

Answer 16

It is totally up to you on the should, but you can, there are substitutes for protein.

Answer 17

Most welcome. Eat vegetables.  That is good for health.

Answer 18

A vegetarian diet for a child is perfectly healthy(when well planned), and even the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada agree that it is healthy for any age(infant through adult). There is nothing in meat that cannot be found in a vegetarian source, it is simply a matter of knowledge and planning. Many people are misinformed about just how important meat is to a persons diet. Children do not need meat(no one does) to remain healthy and grow properly.

We are in an age, where a wealth of information is readily available to us from a variety of sources. Be sure to take advantage of these sources, use books, the internet, pediatrician, etc. to get all the information you can. There are some great books and websites to help you.

Websites:

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/childre1.html

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/ (good place to get information from other people)

Books:

Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love!

by Marty Mattare, Wendy Muldawer

Raising Vegetarian Children : A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony  

by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina

New Vegetarian Baby  

by Sharon K. Yntema and Christine Beard

Disease-Proof Your Child

by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Answer 19

Raising your child as a vegetarian is perfectly healthy, as long as you make sure to provide a balanced diet.  There are plenty of sources of protein, iron and other vitamins and nutrients from the plant world... you will just have to do a bit of research to be sure your family gets a balanced diet.

Here is a great article, and more information on raising your baby vegetarian:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/a...

Answer 20

You can if you choose, but young children still need the iron and other vitamins found in meat and chicken and other products.

I'd consult a doctor about his diet before I did it.