To think veganism is not for children?

[ohhhhlivia]

Yes, I am aware that it is perfectly possible to have a healthy vegan diet at any age. I know that.

However, it is more difficult and easier to get wrong if you want to be vegan. It still is restrictive (even with all of the new stuff coming out) as in you need to tell hosts, check menus in advance etc.

It's a barrier that has to be overcome. I don't understand why you would do that to someone who has no choice in the matter.

Lots of kids go through a fussy phase too, add veganism in and surely you're at a high risk of health problems?

I think what I'm getting at, is that childhood nutrition can be hard enough as it is, so it just feels wrong to make it harder for reasons that do not directly benefit the child.

YANBU

I'm sure vegans would say making it harder to get nutrition, and not actually getting it are 2 very different things. I assume like with anything if the parent is diligent enough to give them what they need then they will. I'm a meat eater so it's world's apart from me, but just thinking critically...

We are a vegan household. Both DCs vegan and very very healthy indeed. We supplement their diets with vitamins, but that is generally recommended in all kids under 5 anyway.

I might get flamed for this but I believe human beings are not fit for a vegan diet and though we should eat less meat, it’s not healthy for children to eat vegan.

YANBU. I am dead against people forcing their views on their children, and particularly when it could be (and probably WILL be ) detrimental to their child/children's health.

I would not hesitate to report someone to social services if I saw them raising their child(ren) as a vegan. Fortunately, most people I know have more sense than to do that.

Both kids drink oat milk. We eat beans, seitan, tofu, spinach. I've just made a big batch of blueberry muffins using Stork marg.

Being vegan is very, very easy these days. Tea tonight is mushroom pasta, made creamy with coconut yogurt. Pudding is alpro yoghurt and fruit. I don't really understand how that is tantamount to child abuse.

Tell that to the Jains. I suspect the few vegan kids are eating a lot healthier than a much larger number of meat-eating kids.

I don’t know, on the one hand, as a long-time vegetarian, I cooked meat for my kids till they were old enough to voice a preference (my son was horrified that it came from dead animals, my daughter is a callous beast who cares not a jot). My personal feeling was that meat-eating is still a societal norm so I hoped they’d choose at some point not to eat it but I wanted them to have agency. On the other hand a vegan might say it wasn’t right to force dead animals on a child who has no choice in the matter.

Homemade tofu nuggets, beans and mash for tea last night. Absolute shameless child abuse.

Surely bringing up children in any way is "forcing your views" on them? You bring them up to believe and act the same way you do. How could you possibly not give children your views? Sure they'll grow up and hopefully think for themselves and be exposed to wider views but we all start out with our parents' views.

Pretty sure social services would laugh at you for reporting vegans. Would you report all parents with fussy children?

I think anything like that should ultimately be left to the choice of the individual.

When too young to shop and prepare food for themselves then eating what is prepared in the home in fair enough (as long as balanced) but not forcing it on them to say they have to be “veggie/vegan/whatever”

Sorry that post was in reply to @rainingallday

So nobody going to address my points?

Just tell me about their kids healthy vegan diets?

That's not what I was talking about.

Rainingallday, are you somehow online from the 1950’s? How could you think social services would be interested in vegan children? Even if their staff numbers quadrupled, they are not going to be interested in vegans.

I haven't found my kids' diets restrictive at all. Most cafes serve chips, toast, beans etc.

They have packed lunches at childcare and school.

You're making me laugh OP because as I type both DCs are happily tucking into massive homemade blueberry muffins and looking delighted with themselves.

I eat mostly vegan. There is not a chance in hell dd would have a healthy balanced diet without meat and dairy products due to her fussiness. She’s in the height of toddler-hood, so cheesy pasta is about 80% of her diet currently

But @rainingallday my kids are fine. They're well. They're both 90th centile for height. They've been fully vaccinated (yes I know some vaccines contain eggs but for me vaccinations are a must). They go to childminder and school. They're happy. Social services would laugh their heads off at you.

I would not hesitate to report someone to social services if I saw them raising their child(ren) as a vegan

They would laugh at you if you did. How stupid.

I completely agree op. Developing brains surely need saturated animal fat (which I believe has been unfairly demonized). I've read a lot about animal fats versus vegetable oils and I've started cooking with lard again.

@fromthefloorboardsup laying various views and customs on your children is one thing - putting their health and lives at risk by feeding them a VEGAN diet (from a VERY young age) is another.

I would definitely report you to social services if you were forcing your children to eat vegan food only.

Rainingallday it’s not like social services have real issues to deal with, but you just keep on reporting people for raising their children vegan.

For the record I am not vegan and never will be.

@ohhhhlivia

It's a bandwagon that so many people seem to be jumping on and buying oat 'milk' etc without always understanding the fact that it's not milk, it's fortified water thickened with oats and oil. No better than just giving supplements. We are meant to get our nutrients from food, that is the healthiest approach.

When I stopped eating meat about 100 years ago, I had to learn what I needed in my diet, not just tick down to Sainsbury's and buy some plant based , made in a lab burger, or whatever.

YANBU. It’s so selfish and forcing it on the child.

I wouldn't hesitate to report you to social services

You have to be joking 😂 I have never heard anything so stupid! You can't honestly think that SS would give a single shit about vegan children.