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?

It's like asking is it healthier to not smoke, well not if you're doing meth, and do you have to vape instead

I’m vegetarian but have offered my kids both meat and vegetarian . My choice is my personal ethical choice helped by the fact I don’t like meat. One of my children eats vegetarian 95% of the time the other probably 50% - one doesn’t like meat ( he also strangely shares my blood type ) , the one who likes meat would probably not eat anything that looked too much like an animal . I am curious to see how this changes as they mature ( they are young teens) but I won’t try and influence them

Not eaten meat for 34 years. DD eats meat (as does DH).

It‘a up to DD to decide.

I know I should go back to eating meat but it’s been so long I’m not sure whether my body would tolerate it now. 😬

I gave it up because I didn’t like the taste or texture. (What blood type are you? I’m A+.)

Trouble is all the veggie food is being made to taste like meat now. It’s so processed and low in protein I’d be better off nutritionally eating the meat.

We're vegetarian and don't have meat/fish in our house, so yes DS is vegetarian as he's only four and doesn't get to choose what he eats. Not eating meat is normal/default to us. If he wants to try and ends up choosing to eat meat when he's older that's fine. (I imagine he will when he's at school.)

My DP isn’t a vegetarian and he can eat whatever he wants. I don’t mind people eating meat in front of me and I haven’t eaten meat since I was a teen. I’m pregnant and our dc won’t be a vegetarian either unless they choose to be.

I’m a-

im currently on a mission to ween my kids off the substitutes onto more unprocessed proteins

vegetarian I don’t see the issue, I’d be reluctant to bring a child up as vegan though due to the nutritional deficiencies involved.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/

I've been vegetarian since I was 8. Husband isn't vegetarian.

I didn't / haven't brought them up as vegetarian even know I don't agree really that meat eating should be seen as the default setting. I think the fact ds (eldest) was such a picky eater made me not want to place more restrictions.

They are 16&12 now and 16 year old ds eats meat still but Dd (12) is pescatarian.

I've always been very open about why I'm vegetarian (ethical) and what meat is etc etc.

I'm mainly vegetarian, but do eat fish once a week. DH eats same as me, but occasionally chicken in the house and meat when out. I wanted to give DD the option of making up her own mind, so she had fish when we did and meat options the same as DH. At 16 she decided to go vegan!

How can they be vegetarian if they eat fish?

I'm vegetarian but my DH isn't so our future child will grow up with the option of either.
I'm happy to cook meat for my DH so it'll be the same for a child, when they're old enough they'll choose for themselves.

I see it as a lifestyle choice and I've only been vegetarian for 2 years now. I would never force it on anyone, I respect that others can choose what to eat just like I do.

I guess it's easier for me to say because both my partner and I are veggie. I couldn't imagine offering meat to my dd! Goes against everything for us. The thought of eating an animals makes me feel sick.

But! Once she is old enough to really understand where meat comes from and she still wants to try it, I wouldn't stop her. But the household would remain meat free; I'd not cook her separate meals from what me and dp eat.

But if at school, friends house if she chooses to eat it then I'd obviously not stop her!

We’re pescatarian (vegetarian + seafood). DD is the same because we all eat the same stuff at home and I wouldn’t buy meat separately for her. When she’s older she can eat whatever wants - it will be up to her.

I am but my husband isn't so we do eat veggie food but meat is also being cooked in the house. My 4 year old doesn't really eat meat whereas my 1 year old LOVES everything meat.

Before children, my DSis was vegetarian and my BIL was a meat-eater. When DSis was pregnant, they discussed this together and decided they would bring their DD up as vegetarian.

BIL has since become vegetarian too, so they can all eat the same meals. Eating meat doesn’t have to be the default.

I was brought up vegetarian and I still am. Would obviously bring my kids up veggie too if I had kids – why would I cook separate meals for each of us?!

Yes I will be raising vegans until they are old enough to make an informed choice as to whether or not they want to eat meat.

Or I might feed them dog, frogs, horse and guinea pig until they're old enough to make an informed choice not to.

Haven't decided which one is the 'default' yet.

My DH is vegetarian. (I'm not). He is happy for the DC to be brought up eating meat and his is willing to cook (some) meat for them.

The DC can make their own choices when older.

We all eat different meals at different times here. Occasionally DD has the same as one of us but it’s rare.

I cook mine. DH cooks his. One of us cooks for DD (or she can do scrambled egg etc herself).

Let them decide what?

You decide for them one way or the other first. Veggie, I assume, if you are both veggie. Or meat maybe if one of you eats it.

If you feed them meat... you have made a decision for them.

If you feed them a veggie diet... you have made a decision for them.

One of literally thousands you will make as parents.

All children will eventually make their own decisions, whether you like it or not! That might mean going vegan or it might be chicken for every meal.

Why on earth would vegetarian parents feed their children meat? Meat is not the default.

I grew up vegetarian(still am), raised dc as vegetarian. All now eat meat as adults.

Yes. Obviously children can choose what to eat once they're old enough, so if my child decided to eat meat I could hardly stop him. Eating meat is the default in the UK, so the bias and ability to choose is weighted strongly against vegetarians and vegans, not the other way round. Raising a child vegetarian gives them wider experience and options.
Having said that, I don't eat meat for ethical reasons and would be deeply disappointed if my child chose to do that, just as I would be upset if he did anything else immoral. I would, however, hope to discuss and listen to his views and let him make his own choices.