Vegetarian ? Do you intend to bring up your children as vegetarian also?

[KickingScreaming]

Or will you let them decide when they are old enough to make an informed choice themselves?

Yes and yes. Our DS7 has been bought up vegetarian. He can opt to eat meat if he wants, but not within our house.

I’m vegetarian and so is DD. It is an informed choice, my/our choice for her, though DH does eat meat sometimes. I do nearly all the cooking, I cook veggie.

I havent eaten meat in 30 years, my partner does which is fine. I wouldnt raise a child as vegetarian, I would let it be their choice.

I was brought up vegetarian and I am bringing my children up vegetarian. Why would I not? Meat eating is not the default in my life.

I let them chose what they want to eat, I don't bring them up to be anything. My dh eats meat and I don't, if they want a ham sandwich they get one.

Same as @CampervanQueen.

We are vegetarian at home, so dd has always been vegetarian at home as well - we just don't have meat in the house.

From when she was very little, we always made it clear to her that she was free to eat meat outside of the home whenever she wanted to - whether it was just to try it out of curiosity or whether she wanted to eat it regularly. So it has always been her choice and we genuinely wouldn't have minded if she had wanted to eat it.

To date, she tells me that she has never tried it and never been tempted to try it. She says that she is glad that she hasn't ever tried it because she doesn't miss it, whereas many of her friends want to go veggie but find it too difficult.

She is 17 now, and she eats a good balanced diet. She is in very good health. Maybe she will decide to eat meat in future, or maybe she won't. If I had to bet on it, I'd say that there is a higher likelihood that she will go vegan, based on her current eating habits, but we'll see.

Same. DC1 who is 7 started eating meat at school in the last year, mainly because the veggie choices were limited, unfortunately. DC2 who is 4 is making noises about wanting to try meat but actually when it comes to it and she is told she can, she hates the idea of eating animals. I prefer when they don’t tbh and particularly struggle when they want to eat crap meat like a hotdog but I think ultimately they need to work it all out for themselves.

I'm vegetarian and my young children are as well, although they occasionally eat fish. We are using veggie as default and when they are old enough they can make the informed decision to eat meat if they want to.

Yes! My 18m is veggie. She can decide when she is older once she understands.

I bought my elder son up as vegetarian and he is now an enthusiastic meat eater. I bought my younger son up as a pescatarian and he is now vegetarian, he married a vegan. My lovely daughter in law bought a little girl to their marriage and she is vegan. They are expecting another daughter and my son has gone to some lengths to source ‘ethical’ eggs because he thinks they’re important in a diet.
I hope that helps. X

I was brought up veggie and I plan to offer meat until old enough to make a choice if they want to be veggie.

I find this so odd! Absolutely not meaning to be rude at all. I just find it fascinating as a veggie as to why you would feed your children meat.

At home most of the meals will be vegetarian while the children are too young to voice an opinion but when out and about, at school, friends houses etc, they can eat whatever. And if they eat chicken nuggets at a friends house and come home wanting them, then I’ll respect that. When they’re old enough to choose, we will have that conversation and I’ll adjust the meal planning accordingly.

I'm not a veggie for any other reason then I was brought up that way. I've tried to eat meat and fish as an adult but the texture is so incredibly foreign to me.
I'd like to give them the opportunity to choose for themselves which. I'm fine cooking meat and fish for others.

Is it healthier to eat meat or be vegetarian? I've often wondered and if you are vegetarian how essential is it to eat substitutes or can you just not have either?

Either way you are making a choice for them until they are old enough to decide for themselves, be that the choice to feed them a vegetarian or meat eating diet.

A lot of people I've come across get quite excited by the idea that bringing a child up vegetarian is 'forcing your opinions on to them'. And then I point out that it's the same the other way - bringing up a child to eat meat is also making a clear decision for them.

My two DC have been brought up vegetarian because that's what we are. If/when they decide to eat meat, then they can do so with no judgement from me.

What do you mean by substitutes? Processed crap that pretends to look like meat or pulses, nuts, dairy?

My two DC have been brought up vegetarian because that's what we are. If/when they decide to eat meat, then they can do so with no judgement from me.
That's lovely that you don't judge, I would love to have been vegetarian and battle with my conscience but I was brought up eating meat and would be ridiculed in my family if I decided to go vegetarian.
I think about it a lot, it's sad really.

Both mine were non meat eaters like their Dad (all ate fish) DS1 chose to eat meat when he was about 12 DS2 decided when he was about 20, their decision once they were old enough. Quite possible they tried it at kids parties or with friends before then but neither seemed bothered until then.

@AnneLovesGilbert Quorn and well yes I suppose processed crap that pretends to look like meat.

I'm veggie but husband isn't, and we have raised our 2 DC to eat meat (although we do have some veggie meals and they don't have meat every day). Mostly because I think it is easier for them to be meat eaters when they are outside the house, e.g. more choice at school, parties etc.

I also felt it was important to let them eat anything they wanted rather than restrict their diet in any way in childhood- we have had family members with issues around food and I think I was trying to avoid making any food 'forbidden' or taboo to try and ensure they have a healthy relationship with food. We are very open about where meat comes from and why some people may choose not to eat it.

They are of the age now where they are starting to become aware that mummy doesn't eat meat; if they choose to become veggie in the future then that is up to them. They also have vegan relatives so are very aware of the different choices they can make in the future.

I’ve never fed DD (4) meat and she says “yuck” when anyone suggests it. But she has decided to eat fish occasionally (even though I never eat it myself).

When DD’s an adult, obviously her diet will be entirely up to her. In the meantime, I give her a balanced diet, but it doesn’t need to include meat.

Have done so successfully

I’m a vegetarian but it’s my lifestyle choice and I raised my children to eat everything.

When my daughter who was a big lover of bacon and who used to tease me about being a vegetarian was 15 she became a vegetarian out of the blue for a week and then a full on vegan. At the same time she dreadlocked here hair and got multiple piercings.

A decades later and she has lost the awful dreadlocks and piercings but is still a full on vegan!

My son who is older has always ate meat and continues to do so.

My husband became a vegetarian a few years after me.

My SS's mother is veggie. He was raised veggie as that's what she cooks. He/she who cooks decides!

Ss is a teenager now and loves meat outside of the house. He'd choose it in a restaurant.

I'm not veggie, but if I was, I wouldn't cook meat specially for DC.