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.

I think that diets very low in fat, or very low in carbohydrates are just as likely to not contain enough nutrients for young children.

Obviously if a child is a very fussy eater it would be difficult to ensure they got all nutrients on a diet which was already restricted for whatever reason.

I think @namechange46 's menu plans sound both healthy and child friendly.

I do think though that the child should be allowed to eat what they want to when they get to the age where they are attending parties or choosing food at school.

@Ritascornershop Your ds had dairy growing up so wasn't vegan so no idea what your point is

I also have a bit of an issue with giving very small children vitamin supplements unless advised to by a GP

But the advice is to give all young children vitamin D supplements no matter what they eat?

I whole heartedly support adults who wish to follow a vegan lifestyle. Equally, I do not support veganism in children, who I feel, should be allowed to make that decision for themselves. I do also think it has an impact on the health and nutrition of a child who are eating a vastly restricted diet and having it replaced by supplements.

Adults bodies do not require the same things as a growing child. That's science.

@rainingallday I take it while you're on the phone to SS reporting all the terrible vegan parents, you will also be reporting the parents who feed their children chicken nuggets and chips every night?

You do realise that in this day and age, the essential nutrients humans need from animal sources can now be supplimented. So in theory, a vegan child could grow and develop in the same way as a non vegan child.... Why on earth do you think SS should be informed?

Like I explained in my eariler post, you shouldn't have to suppliment a diet. To be healthy, you should get all the nutrients your body needs from your food. But then I go back to the point I made at the start of this post, a child raised on junk food will have to be supplimented also. Does that qualify for your SS report?

And for the people so concerned that vegan kids will have health problems, how has Jainism managed to survive for, well not sure how long, but over a millennia probably 2, with generation after generation of vegans?

Are posters really getting sanctimonious over a muffin! Bloody hell, sounds as if it is a treat, I don't understand the thinking that a person with a vegan diet can never eat anything that is slightly unhealthy. As long as a child is well nourished and happy then what business is it of anyone else as to whether they are vegan or not? I cannot begin to understand where social services would come into it, what would you be reporting?

@therealmcginty

I whole heartedly support adults who wish to follow a vegan lifestyle. Equally, I do not support veganism in children, who I feel, should be allowed to make that decision for themselves. I do also think it has an impact on the health and nutrition of a child who are eating a vastly restricted diet and having it replaced by supplements.

Adults bodies do not require the same things as a growing child. That's science.

Superb post.

And that........... is a wrap! (And not a vegan one!)

Over and out!

One of my DC is autistic and under a paediatrician. So they look at everything, height, weight, diet, as well as the neurodevelopmental stuff. Our paediatrician has absolutely no issue whatsoever with their diet or growth. Their bloods are fine.

Their autism is genetic, btw, not caused by occasionally eating lentils.

DH and I are vegetarian but opted for DH to eat the standard meals (ie meat) at nursery - our plan is that we continue not to cook meat at home but that he eats whatever is on offer outside the home until he's old enough to make a choice either way. However, I sort of want to go vegan just to annoy rainingallday though, although I don't really want her to waste SS time.

Did anyone listen to the BBC radio documentary on the Born in Bradford study and the toddlers who eat fried chicken every night? If we're talking about children who eat bad diets veganism is a weird place to start.

You could very easily get delicious vegan sausages for your bonfire party @rainingallday - they sell em in Sainsbury's.

Every vegan child I've ever seen seems to eat everything they're given, even if it's bitter and horrible. Their parents probably think it's a testament to their wonderful diet...I say it's because they're so malnourished, they will eat anything they're given

Formerbabe, when my kids were growing up and my son stopped eating meat at age 3 (when he chose that) I got endless guff about bad it was for him. One of my dearest friends, who is a nurse, is still convinced that me and my son don’t get enough protein. So I have btdt with ethical eating, kids, and people who don’t know what they’re talking about flapping at me.

I think with children you have to be very careful. I think vegan diets are fine, but if it was me personally I'd want the advice from a dietician just to double check that my children wouldn't be malnourished. There's been a handful of deaths/malnourishment cases recently where vegan parents have caused there children serious health issues and/or their death due to very poor diets. I'm, of course, not saying that all vegan diets would cause this, but people do need to be very aware and educated on the matter.

A previous poster's suggestion of beans and mash doesn't exactly sound like a balanced meal, for example. Potato and canned beans? Where is the protein? The veg? It may be vegan but that is just a lazy dinner with very little nutritional benefit. If you're going to be restructuring a child's diet, you must be responsible and do better than that.

@LisaSimpsonsbff that's because as a country we have become largely deficient in vitamin D.

We don't expose children to enough sun, and we block the absorption with factor 50's when we do, and we do it from birth. Add to that the fact we live in the uk...

Oh, and most food sources of Vit D are animal based, eggs, milk, liver, fish...

It’s a bit different for my toddler as she’s allergic to dairy, eggs, soya and banana but she also refuses to eat meat at the moment (only 14 months and is still offered but she just leaves it on her plate) but one thing I’ve noticed is how easy it is to be honest! We’re obviously way more restricted but if she was just vegan I honestly wouldn’t have to put in any effort to accommodate this both at home and out and about! And it almost forces me to make more nutritious and exciting meals which is better for all of us!

Yeah, because all omnivore kids get given such healthy diets. Bet there is a lot less childhood obesity in vegan kids for a start. Maybe I should REPORT TO SOCIAL SERVICES every time I see someone give their kid a chocolate bar.

It's perfectly possible to raise healthy vegan children. Just as it's possible to raise children on an unhealthy diet of vegan junk food. If you bring children up as omnivores you could equally bring them up with a healthy balanced diet, a diet based on processed crap or (more likely) a mixture of the 2.

Vegan parents who bring their children up as vegans are trying to install their own values but so are omnivores who are teaching their children that it's ok to eat animals. It's just that because an omnivorous diet is the conventional one, those parents don't generally feel the need to make their teaching explicit.

Most parents hope that their children will have the same beliefs and values as themselves whether these are religious, political or ethical.

@PepePig - I make baked beans from scratch with tomatoes, soz to piss on your chips, like...

A lot of vegans imo are using veganism to cover up the fact they have eating disorders...particularly orthorexia.

@namechange46

Have a quick google of 'anti nutrients'

@rainingallday go right ahead, I'll let you how it goes. Funny, I was a vegan from birth til I was a few months old even though my parents weren't. I've heard this is really common....

And to the posters shouting about kids who have processed diets, albeit it animal inclusive, yes, I think that's shit too.

There is also science lesson about that 😏

Raining, I think you could do with a sit down in a quiet room, as no-one has sounded angry at all (well, maybe you, what with the caps and all).

Please go and google the Jain community. They’ve been perfectly healthy eating these way for a very, very long time.