Vegetarian parents with non vegetarian partner - what do your kids eat?

[shoppinglover]

I've been vegetarian for over 12 years and will never go back to eating meat. My partner is non vegetarian. I'm not the type of vegetarian to force my opinions on other people, I very rarely mention it. It's just personal choice. So just wondering if anyone else in in this situation then do you feed your children vegetarian meals or meat? My children will never be forced and will be able to decide when they are old enough what they would like to eat, but I'm often alone mon-fri as partner works away so I cook myself vegetarian meals. Would you give your kids the same as your eating or give them a meat version? Advice from people in this situation would be appreciated

I'm vegetarian but never been in that situation. I would think that I would feed the child the same as me when I was cooking through the week and let them try meat dishes that the partner cooks at the weekend. I wouldn't go to the hassle of cooking meat and non meat versions of meals if it was just me and the child eating

I’ve been veggie for over 30 years. DH eats meat but happy to eat veggie a lot of the time. DD eats anything. Was weaned with lots of veg and different meats. She’s not a much of a fan of red meat but loves fish.

If you are cooking a veggie meal then give the children the same.

They eat meat at every possible opportunity. It's depressing. They all started off veggie because I did most of the cooking and I didn't know how, or want, to cook meat. It all went to pit as soon as they went to primary school and could choose for themselves.

DH eats fish but not meat. Family meals are meat free but sometimes at lunch time DD and I have meat. DD is given the choice when eating out. DD and I are dairy free due to allergies.

I was veggie from being weaned and I did eat meat for just a few years in my 20s, due to the smell of bacon (smells better than it tastes) and other influences, I never loved it and certainly never mastered cooking it!
I was always given the choice as a child, that if I wanted to eat x I could but I never wanted to, my brother ate meat as soon as he could and in vast quantities and still does!
My toddler is veggie, I do let him have fish fingers and salmon occasionally for the protein and oils (please don't flame me for this). I will wean my baby the same way next year. Then when they are old enough to make the choice I will let them.
My husband is a BIG meat fan but is happy eating veggie at home, tbh we probably couldn't afford to eat meat regularly anyway, he gets his fill at his mothers or if we go out to eat (rare). So in short, yes fill them up with veggie meals :-)

I’m veggie and rarely cook meat for others. In your situation, I’d just cook veggie Mon-Fri. Same in my sister’s household.

I’m veggie, DH isn’t but rarely eats meat now and we’re bringing baby DD up veggie.

My mother is vegetarian and my father isn’t. Growing up we had a combination although there wasn’t the same meat alternatives in those days as there are now.

DS was largely veggie but eats more meat now. I just cook what I'm cooking and he eats that. I add meat to DH's meals and sometimes give DS some, sometimes not.

I was a vegetarian for 20 years when I had my dc (I’m not anymore, for a variety of reasons though we eat a lot of veg meals still). My dc have always eaten meat. I think children need a diet with a lot of variety and protein and I don’t think a vegetarian diet does that in most cases. But that said, we eat meals that are about 50% meat free anyway. I’d be happy to support them in being vegetarian if these chose to be one day though. I just didn’t feel it was a choice I could make for them.

I do most cooking & DC eat mainly veggie food.

DH sometimes cooks meat - as the DC mainly eat veggie food they usually would choose veggie option! (Except for the one that loves chicken!)

We're the same as you, and just weaning our DD now. Meals at home are veggie so DD eats those (approximately one mouthful per meal ). She hasn't tried meat yet because DH tends to order things like bacon sandwiches if we're out and I'm paranoid about her choking! But as she gets older we'll offer her meat if DH has a meaty meal and as she gets older she can choose if she wants to eat meat out or at family's houses

I'd cook veggie at home when meat-eating partner is not around. When they are around, let DC choose if they want meat or not, and let partner cook some for them if they do.

DS will eat most critters.

He also loves tofu but won’t touch meat sausages (he got a horrible tummy after a fancy shmantzy veal sausage when he was about 4 and wouldn’t touch meat ones ever since).

I really don’t mind cooking fish or meat - even veggie for over 35 years now and not squeamish. Unlike a certain DS who ordered fish from a takeaway and then realised the came with its head (and eyes) and guess who had to dissect Ms Fishy?

I make sure toddler DD has some meat because I'm not confident she'd be getting everything she needs otherwise- she's a very picky eater. DH is delighted to have more meat on the menu. I'm feeling a bit 🤢 about it all tbh.

Not a vegetarian, but I think it’s perfectly fine for you to just feed the kids what you are eating as long as their personal nutritional needs are being met. Their other parent can expose them to alternative meals when the other parent is doing the food prep.

Mine eat veggie, so does DH mostly as he'd rather eat what I cook than something else or he adds meat afterwards, like chopping some ham into a risotto after we gave taken ours. When they are older, they can do that too if they want.

They generally ask for some of our food or drink if one of us has something that looks different to theirs but have never shown any interest in anything that's not veggie. DH thinks DS2 will be a meat eater but DS1 will likely stay vegetarian.

DH is pescaterian. Sometimes I make fish pie, sometimes we have Mexican with quorn chicken pieces and sometimes I make bolognese and leave him to fend for himself. I wouldn't make different meals for the kids unless you were worried they weren't getting enough protein.

DS did recently decide to be veggie.

He didn’t actually manage 2 days before he cracked. I have no idea where he got the idea from - he’d never been keep to be veggie - I think a friend at school had announced to his parents that he (and they) should be veggie. DS says he eats meat at school on the sly!

I'm a life long vegetarian but DH and the kids love to eat meat. I try to cook us all at least a couple of vegetarian meals each week for dinner though.

Life long veggie and DH is a huge meat eater. DS eats a good mix of meat and veggie stuff. Don’t want to force any views on him, he’ll decide for himself when old enough.

I'm veggie, my husband isn't. The kids kind of 50/50. They can choose the veggie or meat option it's up to them

DH has been vegetarian since before I met him (he turned vegan this year), I am not vegetarian. DC eat meat. We agreed that they should be able to choose when they are old enough.