Vegetarians and Vegans: would you raise your child on a vegetarian diet?

Question

Im vegetarian and when I have a child I dont know what would be the best way to raise it. I became vegetarian at age 14 and it was my choice, so I dont know if would be ok to impose my diet on a child that cant think for itself yet.

Answer 1

I am vegan and I will raise my kids vegan.  Just as Christian parents raise their children Christian without consulting them, it's a parent's role to make important decisions for their children until those children are old enough to make decisions for themselves.  It's not "imposing" a diet on them, it's raising them as you see fit.  My children will be able to choose their own diet when they are old enough to understand the implications of eating animals.  If I truly believe that veganism is the best choice, which I do, why would I want any less for my kids?

Answer 2

A home is not a democracy.  It should be a benevolent autocracy.  Parents should raise their children the way that they think best, especially the ones that are unable to think for themselves.  I am a meat eater and that is what we put on the table.  Evidently you are not so you should not only set the example but demand that it be followed as long as you are the head of household.  When kids are old enough to buy their own foods then they can eat their choice.

Answer 3

I would. Once they got a bit older I'd let them choose what they wanted to eat if it was somewhat healthy. Mostly they don't end up wanting it though.

Answer 4

i would! i would give them a choice, they could eat meat if they wanted to, outside of my home but i would not serve it to them at home... i was not raised vegetarian, i was forced to eat meat til i was about 13 (then my parents realised i'd been feeding it to the dog for the last 2 years, lol)

but i grew up in a country town where most families were famers. my aunt owns a dairy farm, my uncle has sheep. we (for some bizzarre reason) had koi, we bred fish and sold them (not for food... people keep them as pets and enter competitions & shows with them)

so i never ate seafood.

and now i dont eat any kind of meat, or eggs (i want to be vegan, but the doctor wont let me)

Answer 5

Anything you choose to feed your child would be imposing a diet then wouldn't it?   I mean if you were a meat eater and fed your child meat, isn't that the same thing?  I'm trying to figure out why feeding a child a vegetarian diet is seen as imposing and feeding a child an omnivorous diet is not seen as imposing.

Anyway..parents typically raise their kids the way they see fit and usually according to their own beliefs.  It's the same with religion for most.

Answer 6

raised 4 boys, all over 6' tall & two daughters one almost 6' tall with healthy hair that is 46" long!  anyway they are all grown & still veggies and we have one veggie grandson!  the boys were into Pop-warner football & lettered in sports in High school, & one of the girls was a cheerleader, & the other lettered 3 yrs in Track.  it is alot of work on Mom's part to make sure diet is balanced, but my kids have all thanked me for it and i have written a veg cook book of all their favs for them all.  oh and while in school the kids were always taller than their meat-eating counter parts.  :)  A veggie Mom

Answer 7

My son is a vegetarian, and has been his entire life.  He has been offered meat numerous times, at school and at friends' houses, but he refuses it.  (Politely, I hope.)

People raise their children according to their own belief systems.  I am vegetarian because I believe that is what is best for my health, the planet and the animals.

I choose not to ingest hormones, antibiotics and pesticides because I find it repugnant, so why would I feed it to my kid?

I believe that knowingly contributing to the number one cause of global warming is morally reprehensible, so why would I encourage my son to do so?  The practices of factory farming are vile, so why would I make my child be a party to them?

Answer 8

Yes I certainly will, though I would not label them directly as a vegetarian, as they may get picked on in school if they get righteous and preachy in the playground. Also, if they went to another person's house I would have no problem in them eating meat, they will need to make up their own mind at some point. I think the bottom line is, I would not buy fish or meat for them to eat at home, and that's it really.If they asked questions, I would be honest and say that I made a choice not to eat meat and fish, and depending on their age, give them some reasons.

Answer 9

I am a vegetarian and when I have kids I will raise them vegetarian. The day they tell me they want to eat meat, they can, but I won't be cooking it.

Some meat-eaters say that you shouldn't force a child to be a vegetarian, but they are forcing the child to eat meat. As long as the parent knows what they are doing and makes sure the kid gets all the fat and nutrients they need, it's the same thing.

Answer 10

The nutritional needs of children is different than for that of adults, including protein needs.

Most vegetarian sources of protein do not contain a proper amino acid blend, making them incomplete sources of protein.

For vegans it's even worse, because their is no dairy or eggs in their diet.

There are ways to make non-animal-based protein complete, such as rice and beans.

I'm starting to get off topic here. The main thing I should say is this: If you want to raise a vegetarian or vegan child, I highly recommend seeing a nutritionist in person, as well as making sure your child's pediatrician knows your child's diet.

It IS possible (as far as I know) for a child to get all they need on a vegetarian or vegan diet, and a nutritionist can help make that happen.

EDIT: I feed my 5 year old daughter meat. Mostly lean chicken breast, as I've seen the benefits of it on myself when I started eating it again after 2.75 years of being a vegetarian. (I'm not a vegetarian now.)

EDIT2: Why did I get a thumbs down? I'm saying that one should consult professionals about their children's diets to make sure they are good. That's a basic message I thought everyone would agree with.

Answer 11

It is not "imposing your diet"

its called parenting.

Do you think every meat eater sees it as "imposing thier diet" when they give thier kids meat ?

You raise your kids in your own moral standards until they can make thier own decisions, its called parenting.

You do the same with language, manners, friends, drink/drugs, school, morals, theft, bullying,  religion etc....

Answer 12

My kids and I went veg earlier this year.

If I were to have another child, I would definitely raise them veg. It's healthier, better for the environment, and aligns with my morals regarding animals. If at some point, they chose to eat meat, that would be totally up to them.

If you're worried about nutrition, there are a plethora of books available o how to raise veg*n kids as well as many websites on the topic.

My 14 yr. old daughter told me yesterday that when she does have kids, she will be raising them veg too! It made me really proud! :)

Answer 13

yes i plan on it, but i won't force it on them, once they are old enough to understand and tell me they want to eat meat that will be their choice, i won't cook it for them but i feel my veganism is a personal choice and i shouldn't shove it on anyone else.

Answer 14

i wouldn't raise them vegetarian from the time they are out of your womb, but after that, if they chose it, that would be okay. the only reason being that the younger you are, the more nutrients you need. young children don't always get all the vitamins and proteins, etc, out of vegetables. i would feed them meats or meat substitutes, until they can decide for themselves if they want to become vegetarian. oh, and a child isn't christain, just because they were raised christian. they have to accept jesus themselves.