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

Veggie at home, omnivore at nursery and if out for a meal seems a good compromise?

Just read that he not really.

If he wants DD to be vegetarian he Henry's to up his own game too.

Henry? Bloody phone. He needs to up...

I used to have a Muslim neighbour, I admired her stance on her children's diets because she said they can eat pork if they choose at school or friend's houses. Obviously, she didn't make it at home but she said that a child must be old enough to make their own commitment to the faith and the diet or it was meaningless.

I think this is similar - do your ways at home and allow a choice outside.

But her Dad is vegetarian he's not a vegetarian.

So is your DP going to turn vegetarian OP?
Because it would seem strange for you both to eat meat but not let your daughter.

There's no such thing as a part time vegetarian if you eat meat once a day, once a week or once a month then you aren't a vegetarian. We eat meat about three times a week, I don't claim to be vegetarian the other four days.

@RickJames

I used to have a Muslim neighbour, I admired her stance on her children's diets because she said they can eat pork if they choose at school or friend's houses. Obviously, she didn't make it at home but she said that a child must be old enough to make their own commitment to the faith and the diet or it was meaningless.

I think this is similar - do your ways at home and allow a choice outside.

Exactly this. I had a Jewish friend who allowed her children to chose what to eat outside the home once they got old enough to understand the religious side of it. Parents don't own their childrens conscience.

I'm vegetarian (and dairy intolerant to boot). DH is not.
I do the main bulk of cooking so he has veggie meals at home.
DC is 10 and was raised vegetarian. Nursery were fine with it. As DC has got older I have explained why I don't eat meat, but if they want to they're welcome to, and they've been encouraged to try different meats and fish when we have had meals out. They don't eat meat or fish at the moment.

DH is veggie and has been for 30+ years (won't even eat any of the fake meats / quorn stuff that's become all the rage, religiously checks cheese, sweets, yoghurt ingredients for gelatine etc), I'm not and neither our children.

We have discussed it with the older one, but she doesn't eat enough protein in other forms to be veggie at the moment.

DH has told them both they can be vegetarian when they are older as he believes they need the protein while they are younger and will cook meat for them because he feels so strongly about them not being veggie at the moment.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, but you do both at least need to be in agreement about what you are going to ask nursery or school to do. Although I do think your DP is a bit hypocritical with his meat free household, but will eat it elsewhere - either you are vegetarian or you're not.

I’m vegetarian , husband isn’t , I’ve always fed the children a mix of vegetarian and meat dishes - one is almost vegetarian due to taste preferences and one prefers meat meals … I’d honestly describe all of us as quite fussy eaters but I think I’m getting everyone fed a balanced diet … if I’d enforced vegetarianism on the family though I’d not have been able to keep meals balanced because of the fussy issue . I’d hold off limiting food choices at such a young age … I think also being vegetarian should be a matter of personal choice .

I'm veggie, DH is not. We raised the children as veggie until they were old enough to choose. Largely because I didn't want my child eating shit meat (processed, burgers etc) but with DH being the only meat eater, it was worth it to cook proper meat (roasts, joints etc).

However, as they got older, both children chose to eat meat, and so now DH will cook proper meat dishes. We still avoid the processed meat (though with teenagers, they get enough of that outside of the house!)

The other thing I'd add is that because the DC were brought up veggie, they're great with eating them - never had fussiness over eating fruit and veg because that was their staple diet for so many years!

[quote kikisparks]@Triffid1 who said that? I know I said we can get all the amino acids we eat from plants, and that the animals that people eat get all their amino acids from plants. People tend to forget that all amino acids we consume ultimately come from plants one way or another. That’s not the same thing as saying we should eat grass and hay (and only some cows get the bulk of their nutrients from those, factory farmed cows are fed differently and of course chickens and pigs are generally fed grains, soya etc). Nobody is saying we have the same anatomy as non human animals, especially as they all eat differently to each other anyway. Just that it’s silly to say it’s not possible to get all the essential amino acids we need to consume from plants.[/quote]
Just because certain animals can absorb all vitamins and essential nutrients from their diet it doesn't mean humans can do the same

@Popcornbetty

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.

Why is it awful? Parents make choices about restricting their child's diet every day.

Millions of people are vegetarian... Raising a kid veggie won't make them more likely to be picky eaters.

@00100001
It's not about raising picky eaters,it's about forcing babies to follow a restrictive diet and depriving them of certain nutrients during the most important developmental stage.

Exactly @3JsMa

What nutrients are they being deprived of?

Because eating meat doesn't mean that the child automatically has a good diet.

@00100001 some quality meat and fish are necessary for essential amino acids and nutrients you can't get from a plant based diet, or your body would struggle with absorption of nutrients from a plant based diet

@custardbear you keep saying that about essential amino acids but I already replied to say humans can get all essential amino acids from plants, and where they can get them from, and that some minerals like calcium are better absorbed from plant based sources. Iron from plants can be well absorbed when consumed alongside vitamin C.

The NHS, the British Dietic Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietics all confirm that a well planned plant based diet is suitable for all ages and stages of human life. The First Steps Nutrition Trust as linked above confirm that 0-4 year olds can get everything they need from breast milk and a plant based diet (obviously all breastfed infants of any background need a vitamin D supplement but plant based D3 is available).

[quote custardbear]@00100001 some quality meat and fish are necessary for essential amino acids and nutrients you can't get from a plant based diet, or your body would struggle with absorption of nutrients from a plant based diet[/quote]
Good god, I must be a freak of nature having survived 16 years as a vegetarian and 30 more as a vegan

It depends on what you’re both aiming for. We flipped it around because mass caterers normally use the cheapest imported meat of low welfare and stuffed with polyphosphates. Not the kind of food to support growing bodies. DC had the vegetarian options at nursery and then school. At home we all ate smallish quantities of organic meat. They are strapping teens now.

Neither you nor your DP are vegetarian

Try and live as vegetarians yourself before imposing it on your child maybe? See how you get on?

It seems odd to restrict your child’s food choices if you are not doing it for yourself 🤷‍♀️

@Nchang probably

@custardbear cats are obligate carnivores but humans are definitely not - that meat is necessary for health is an old fashioned idea that has no basis in science. And I say that as a meat eater.

[quote Elys3]@custardbear cats are obligate carnivores but humans are definitely not - that meat is necessary for health is an old fashioned idea that has no basis in science. And I say that as a meat eater.[/quote]
It’s amazing how few people understand this isn’t it!