DP wants the baby to be vegetarian...

[CassandrasCastle]

DP said this morning that he would like DD (13 months) to eat a veggie diet, and that we should think about asking the nursery to accordingly change the food they give her.

I just don't really want to! We cook and eat mostly vegetarian at home, and I totally get DP's ethical concerns re. meat, but I I'm afraid I really love it :/ - if we go out, I tend to have steak. And I just think it's too early to change DD's diet, I want her to have a range of tastes.

However, arguing against it makes me sound awful, I WANT THE BABY TO EAT FLESH sort of thing.

Anyone bringing up vegetarian kids?? I'm not sure what to do

I'm raising a vegetarian, now nearly teen. I was raised vegetarian as were my siblings. My niece and nephews are all being raised veggie. We believe it's the right way to live so of course we promote that to our children. It's up to you of course- he's the one wanting to change the status quo - but don't be opposed to it IMO.

The letting them choose argument works both ways and makes it seem like we’re not making choices we think are in the best interests of our children every day of the week.

DD has been veggie from conception. If she chooses to eat meat and fish when she’s older and understands what that means then that’s fine. But if she chooses to be veggie - as many children do at all sorts of ages - I’ll be happy she didn’t eat meat.

You don’t need dead flesh to make a healthy diet. You don’t need to have loads of time, money or skill to eat a healthy filling enjoyable vegetarian diet.

He wasn't making a decision on his own, he does want us to discuss it!

I'm confused as to what discussion he wants to have though. Presumably she eats mostly vegetarian at home and has a choice at nursery, some days will be vegetarian meals others meat. It currently sounds like she has a very good balance which is mostly vegetarian. I would be wondering why he now wants to change that, especially as she will be coming up to the picky eating stage soon when he's obviously been quite content for her to be eating meat since 6 months.

@Popcornbetty

I believe it should be the childs choice when they're old enough to make that decision.

What to eat meat? Or be vegetarian?

Either is a valid choice for a parent to make until the child can decide...

I agree with posters who let their dc eat meat if they want too. I think its awful to say 'no timmy 'you can't eat meat or fish remember!' It seems restrictive to me to cut things out when some children can be picky eaters to begin with.

Im not a veggie, both my boys were raised veggie ( or rather pescatarian) like DH until one chose to eat meat at about 13 the other at 23 it caused no issues, they had pulses and plenty of fruit and veg and meat alternatives.

A child cannot get all of their essential
Amino acids from a veggie diet. It’s impossible, some are not found in non-meat/fish products.

Absorption of iron from veggie produce is also less efficient.

First of all, if your DP eats meat at other people's houses but not at home, he's not a vegetarian. That's a flexitarian. I think since neither of you are vegetarian, it makes no sense to make your child one.

I'm a vegetarian with older kids, and my husband is not. We only had meat once a week (not me obviously) at home, but at school the kids could choose if they wanted the veggie or meat option. Now they are both late teens, one of them have chosen to become vegetarian, and the other one a pescatarian. I think, maybe as a family, what would suit you right now is to be on a more flexitarian diet. With small amounts of good quality meat, and the rest veggie. I wouldn't feed my kids UPF, but didn't mind responsibly sourced meat for them.

@underneaththeash

A child cannot get all of their essential Amino acids from a veggie diet. It’s impossible, some are not found in non-meat/fish products.

Absorption of iron from veggie produce is also less efficient.

From google: There are a few vegetarian sources that contain all 9 essential amino acids, including eggs and dairy (for those lacto-ovo vegetarians), as well as quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and spirulina.

We're pescatarians. The kids are, because that's what we cook. I'm not arsed what they choose to eat elsewhere. Dc1 eats the same, but dc2 will eat anything going. Their choice.

It makes sense for it to be an opt-in system i.e. they can choose to add meat to their diet when they're older rather than just assuming their relationship to animals and the environment right now and assuming that they would want to be eating meat as increasingly the younger generation are tipping towards meat free. It will probably give them a much more balanced view of how versatile your diet can be, ensure they eat much healthier and more vegetables so they don't develop a phobia and unhealthy eating habits growing up, and avoid carcinogenic processed meat in school meals.

Your dp has ethical concerns about eating meat. You like meat but don't have ethical concerns about vegetarianism so I think that your dp's views should take priority.

I'm vegan and dp is vegetarian but because veganism is important to me, he agreed that we would raise dd as a vegan.

She was vegan from birth. When she was 7, I felt that she was old enough to make her own decision. I told her that I would only cook vegan meals at home but when she was out of the house (eg school, eating at a friend's house or at her grandparents' house) she could make up her own mind and choose whether to eat vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous meals.

@Aprilwasverywet

All 11 of my dc were raised vegi until secondary school when they decided for themselves. Dd's eat chicken and ds stayed vegi (younger ones).. Older ones with exh lived on mcdonald's but ate vegi with me. Now adult and eat whatever! Older ones respect that I made that decision for them and hold me no grudge!

I’m sorry. Did you say eleven children? Hats off!

OP, have the conversation. I’m not vegetarian but not against it—my daughter tried it for a while until she couldn’t resist sausages at school dinners —but ethical/moral considerations acknowledged, the single most important thing is providing your child with proper and appropriate nutrition.

Your dp has ethical concerns about eating meat. You like meat but don't have ethical concerns about vegetarianism so I think that your dp's views should take priority.

He is happy to eat meat when someone serves it him though so I doubt his views on the ethical concerns are that strict?

My DB has never eaten meat or fish and is over 6ft, wonder how that happened without all the essential amino acids! But realistically you can get all the amino acids from plants, as the animals people eat do. I’ve been vegan over a decade and recent blood results show my iron and iron stores, B12, D, calcium etc are all in the healthy range.

OP you are both parents you both get to choose what your child eats when they are too young to decide for themselves, personally I preferred not being fed animals and then having the choice whether to eat them when I was old enough, but many do it the other way round. I don’t think your DP is being unreasonable but it’s not all his decision either, I think it’s just a case of continuing to discuss it and coming to a joint decision.

I already feel like I struggle to feed her 'good' meals - and I do rely on Ella's pouches on nursery days.

I watch her fling broccoli to the ground and actually want to cry She is small for her age, and maybe that's a bit of a worry in my head? Sorry, my thoughts are a bit muddled.

It's hard if you're not vegetarian as sometimes the child will want food from your plate or just the same as you. I'm happy for mine to be 'mostly veggie' (husband is, I'm not) but I'm not going to not give him something I'm eating if we're out and about. He's veggie at nursery which is fine and from what I can tell various children eat different foods (one has oat milk for example) so this isn't questioned by my child. When they go to school though, if they'd prefer meat school dinners I think that'll really have to be up to them.

Dp and I are both vegetarian. We don't tend to cook meat but I do have separate pans in case they would like to cook it. It tends to be dd making herself a steak.
We buy things like ham and smoked salmon as they like those in sandwiches. Ds1 used to be ok with cheese but not so much these days.
When they were younger, if they wanted to try a sausage roll at a party etc that was fine. I didnt want to inflict the vegetarian selection on them at nursery because it had not been devised by vegetarians. A lot of pasta with tomato sauce which didn't seem ideal.

I think they appreciate a vegetarian meal more than the next person, but only ds2 seemed inclined to be vegetarian himself and he isn't currently.

To respond to the twin comment, my anecdata is that I was vegetarian in my teens and I'm several inches taller than my sisters who ate meat.

I think I ate in a fairly healthy way. I think you can easily eat junk these days as a vegetarian so I'm not sure how that experiment would play out these days.

I already feel like I struggle to feed her 'good' meals - and I do rely on Ella's pouches on nursery days.

In light of this I truly would just do what works best for you right now. Honestly the best thing I ever did food wise for DS was to save a portion of the evening meal we ate after he'd gone to bed for him to eat at lunch the follow day. If preparing meals for her is already a trial then I certainly wouldn't be making it more difficult for yourself.

@underneaththeash

A child cannot get all of their essential Amino acids from a veggie diet. It’s impossible, some are not found in non-meat/fish products.

Absorption of iron from veggie produce is also less efficient.

Even though this is true it will fall on deaf ears on this thread

It should be illegal to force a child to be vegetarian

A vegetarian diet in children is harder to manage. Personally I wouldn't at this point. Under 2 years is the age they develop their tastes so at this point i prefer as wide variety of food as possible.

Kids should eat a varied diet and when they are adults they can choose to be whatever they want.

Its not really ethical unless hes vegan🧐

I've never eaten meat. Late forties, still alive.

And healthy.

It should be illegal to force a child to be vegetarian

ODFOD