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.

You can’t get more healthy than a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds its just a fact!

The parts of the world where minimal or no animal products are consumed are shown to have some of the healthiest people on the planet.

Google ‘The China Study’.

I love the way vegans are getting it in the neck now for consumption of processed food, as if non vegans haven’t been chowing down vast qualities of processed food for 50 years now.

@Clownfish123

I'm vegan for a whole host of reasons. For enviromental/ethical reasons, by not consuming meat & dairy as two grown adults we are impacting less on the environment and so with our children eating much smaller portions of meat & dairy we feel that is a fair trade off to make.

"You might as well not bother being vegan at all?"

What?! Every little we can do to help our planet is worth it. If everyone did little things and were environmentally conscious then we wouldnt be in the mess we are now. In both cases of environment and animal welfare we are still consuming far less than the average family food wise. Every little helps.

And as it goes both of our kids are incredibly fussy. Both love fruit but one will only eat carrots and the other carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. My youngest pretty much survives on fruit, pasta and chicken.

It's hardly a case of cooking two different meals a night either, how ridiculous. We cook mostly the same foods but will do the kids an extra chicken breast to share between them or give them a sprinkle of cheese on top of their pasta which we wouldnt have. We eat mostly the same foods just tweaked which is really no trouble at all. We always offer them what we have and hope one day they'll eat more of a variety of veg but we would hope that being vegan/omnivorous anyway.

@crispycrisis

I'm late back to this thread but don't misquote what I said on a previous thread. My DD eats plenty of foods but the only sandwich filling she eats is ham...it is not a huge part of her diet. It's a tiny tiny part.

But dd wants to eat meat...i only eat 80% vegan food as i was orthorexic when i was totally vegan. When dd was born i was fully a meat eater so dd got used to it and im not going to take it away. I became more vegan as time went on but i dont want to be so tunnel visuon again.
Therein lies the problem with many vegans...they xan be very black and white...even extreme. Of course thetd is a point being vegan if your kids aten't....its not a cult that people have to convert all others too.
Im interssted in bhuddism but ill be damned if i lecture dd on it. I am not the tupe of parent that forces my views on my child...i let her choose .

spouting about how vegan children need an egg. Which her own child doesn't eat

I never said my DC doesn't eat egg . Don't make shit up. You sound deranged.

Oh and the odd slice of ham in a sandwich is certainly not worse than depriving a child of all animal products forever based on your own concerns about the cute, fluffy animals.

I think forcing your views onto your child to make your child eat dead animals in the same as child abuse and should be reported to SS. I think letting your child eat hormone fed, cancer riddled animal flesh is sick and leading to loads of the health issues people have today. As for expecting hosts to check the menu, well you're not much of a host if you can't manange a jacket potato with beans and you wouldn't think twice if it was a religious reason or health issue so let's not pretend it's anything other than knowing that vegans are in the right as actually feeling a little bit shit because you are feeding your child murdered animal flesh.

We eat good stuff - broccoli and kale

Please explain what is 'good' about these in terms of nutrition...especially considering anti nutrients They'd be better off with an egg.

This thread's hilarious, what with that and the horror over a homemade muffin (full of sugar and carbs!) OP, I actually don't think you are being unreasonable, as I think it's harder to get the right amount of calcium for little kids and their bodies need it. There is SO much ignorance around veganism though, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a balanced vegan diet and perfectly easy to do well and healthily.

I think forcing your views onto your child to make your child eat dead animals in the same as child abuse and should be reported to SS

You sound insane

I don't think people who feed their children meat should be reported to ss...nor do I think people who feed their children a vegan diet should be reported to ss.

I'm sure ss have enough on their plates to investigate every meat eating family and every vegan/vegetarian family...ie absolutely everyone!

@crazyoldmaurice - I really don't mean to offend those people doing their best for the environment. I do agree that every little helps and I did state in my post that some parents have fussy eaters etc and in those circumstances I completely understand why you would offer non vegan food occasionally or if you were concerned they were missing nutrients in their diet. A small amount of meat supplementing a small person's diet isn't the end of the world, I agree. I'm lucky that DS loves his veg and most veggie food, but when he went through a fussy phase we did offer him fish as I was concerned about his diet so we probably aren't that different in our approach.

My point as aimed more at those vegans who say 'I'm vegan but i would never impose my views on my children' which you do hear a lot.
Or the non vegans who say that vegan parents feeding their kids vegan food is unethical and that you should raise them as an omnivore until they can decide for themselves.
I think if you seriously believe in veganism you should at least try to take a similar approach with your kids, otherwise you are just counteracting all the positive contribution you have made.
My 3.5 year old already understands that we don't eat meat and why (albeit a very rudimentary understanding) He may decide as an adult to eat meat or as a teen to eat meat at friends houses but I want to introduce him to the lifestyle that DH and I believe in, because I genuinely believe it is a positive and healthy way to live.

HiJenny35 Oh wow I am so embarrassed for you 😂

There are loads of vegan sources of calcium. It is present in some nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, some leafy green veg, tofu and fortified drinks. DS and I easily exceeds the RDA for calcium by eating a variety of these foods.

There are even some studies which indicate that dairy can be bad for our bones due to the high protein levels causing a greater risk of osteoporosis.

There are paediatricians who are very concerned about a vegan diet for small children

I think forcing your views onto your child to make your child eat dead animals in the same as child abuse and should be reported to SS. I think letting your child eat hormone fed, cancer riddled animal flesh is sick and leading to loads of the health issues people have today

Just imagine...all the children from meat eating families (vast majority) could either be forced into veganism or they could be removed from their families and live in state run children's home that will feed the children a vegan diet. It's a fabulous idea

There are paediatricians who are very concerned about a vegan diet for small children

Really? What would concern them specifically?

Both sides are getting ridiculous. Only a total idiot would report to SS for eating/not eating meat or dairy and posturing on this thread is neither big nor clever.

Are there official NHS guidelines on a vegan diet for children btw?

The ‘reporting to SS’ on both sides of this are batshit.

That aside, the only two families I know that were raising their young children as vegans have both changed to vegetarian but not vegan diets for their children on the advice of their doctors.

I’m wary of any diet that requires taking lots of vitamins and supplements in order to be healthy.

There are paediatricians who are very concerned about a vegan diet for small children

There are paediatricians who are very concerned about a diet high in processed foods for small children.

There are paediatricians who are very concerned about a diet high in sugar for small children.

🤷🏻‍♀️

@cushioncovers

Pity the poor kids who have all those problems including veganism- being vegan does not automatically mean a healthy diet. In fact it's logistically harder to have a healthy diet. That is my point.

Logistically harder yes.

But if the parents feel it is worth it, and do ensure a nutritious diet, then that’s up to them

YADNBU!!

In fact it's logistically harder to have a healthy diet. That is my point.

But why is that a problem? If parents are prepared to take the more difficult option that's ok isn't it? Parenting, like life, shouldn't be about taking the easiest option available. That's laziness.

Name change.

Yogurt isn't vegan, so that's a vegetarian diet, not a vegan diet & as such it does sound very health as the yogurt means it isn't lacking in any B12 & too low in other important nutrients

If parents are prepared to take the more difficult option that's ok isn't it?

And once again, why do you care, OP? What other people feed their children?