I don't want my kids to be vegetarian

[HowToTrainYourTeen]

DC (15 & 13) have decided they want to go vegetarian. I don't want to go vegetarian and neither does DH, so they'd have to have different meals. I/DH don't want to be wasting time making 2 different meals whenever we want meat or fish, and we don't really have space for 2 people to be cooking at once. WIBU to say no?

@NoPainNoTartine

Many vegetarian posters on MN feel morally superior, it will never change. I am not sure why they think a condescending attitude is ever likely to convince someone to remove all meat and fish from their diet!

There's usually one popping up talking about eating cadavers and dead animals. I know the lamb I am eating is dead, thanks . It's rather more humane to kill it BEFORE you cook it too!

Who on this thread feels morally superior? And how do you even know what people are feeling anyway?

And why do you think vegetarians want to convince people to give up meat? I hate to break it to you but most people don't care. You're really not that special.

@underneaththeash

Unfortunately they're still not old enough to know what's good for them. Vegetarian diets do not offer all the essential amino acids that children need. Fish oils are particularly healthy. Humans are omnivores - whilst they're still growing they need to eat a range of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, seeds etc.... They can do what they like when they leave home.

‘Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the lifecycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.’ - World Health Organisation

‘With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.’ - NHS UK

Many plant foods do offer complete proteins, for example quinoa, but there is no need to eat complete proteins in every meal. Eating a variety of plant based foods rich in protein (legumes, beans, soy, mock meats, nuts, etc) will provide all the essential amino acids that one needs. It is recommended vegans aim for 3-4 servings of these foods per day. One serving is just half a cup of lentils or a quarter cup of nuts or a cup of soy milk. protein deficiencies are extremely rare in the developed world as they go hand in hand with not meeting ones calorific needs, however it is possible for vegans to have less then optimal protein levels, especially of lysine, if they don’t take care to eat a balanced vegan diet (lentils, beans, soy, etc)

Instead of fish oil I take an algae based DHA supplement. If you don’t want to take supplements you can just eat foods rich in ALA as the body with convert this to DHA. Think walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, etc.

@VinylDetective

I am not removing meat and fish from my meals.

Has anyone asked you to? Why are your choices more valid than those of people who don’t want to eat those things?

why do you think?

My choices are also more valid when I refuse to buy squash, refuse to feed my kids take-away, refuse to let them eat crisps and chocolate for diner...

My kids are free to eat what they please in their own home. Hopefully by then I will have raised them properly.

And why do you think vegetarians want to convince people to give up meat? I hate to break it to you but most people don't care. You're really not that special.

why do you bother with me if you don't care?
You could just ignore my posts, it's very easy to do!

Wow just wow!

@NoPainNoTartine

And why do you think vegetarians want to convince people to give up meat? I hate to break it to you but most people don't care. You're really not that special.

why do you bother with me if you don't care?
You could just ignore my posts, it's very easy to do!

You mean like how you could easily ignore all these vegetarians who allegedly feel morally superior? Instead you'd rather continue reading and getting your knickers in a twist about something that has no impact on your life whatsoever.

I thought we had human rights . 😂😂😂

I love MN.

OP I went veggie at 15 and my mum told me she would purchase ingredients for me but I was responsible for feeding myself as the rest of my family are big meat eaters. If she had said 'no you must eat meat' I would have probably stopped eating and damaged our relationship irreparably. It's about basic respect.

I'm now an excellent cook as I had to learn, and DH (who comes from a very 'meaty' culture) is veggie as well as he can see through the bullshit 'a meal isn't a meal without meat' tripe he was brought up with.

And yes, I try and buy, eat and shop ethically but I don't use it as a stick to beat people with.

EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire

this thread is hilarious, why shouldn't I read it

However I'm still curious about where all these vegetarians who feel morally superior are hiding...

Our child is vegetarian as we are veg/vegan. Thankfully like us she finds the idea of eating a dead animal abhorrent and disgusting.

You can say no, but that won’t change their decision.
Chances are they will just start refusing to eat any dishes you make containing meat.

Why is a little bit of inconvenience on your part more important than respecting their choice not to want to eat meat?

They aren’t toddlers, you can’t force them to eat meat if they don’t want to.

If it’s really that difficult for you to cook two options simultaneously (it really isn’t, I do it almost every single night) then why not just serve them when dish without the meat.

Cooking a roast, they can have potatoes and veg,
Cooking sausage, mash and peas, they can have mash, peas and either veg sausages or beans and cheese.
Cooking tuna pasta bake, they can have pasta with pesto and cheese.
Cooking stir fry, cook the chicken in a separate pan, and when you dish it up only add the chicken to your plate.
Cooking a curry cook the chicken and the sauce separate pans, add half to the chicken pan and add veg into the other half of the sauce of them.
Cooking Shepard’s pie, set aside some of the mash for them and they can have veg mash and gravy.

It’s not rocket science, it just takes some planning ahead and common sense.

Or even better, at 15 & 13 they are old enough to be learning to cook themselves, let them cook an hour earlier than you and their won’t be any issues.

@NoPainNoTartine

EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire

this thread is hilarious, why shouldn't I read it

Because you seem to be getting very wound up by it.

Don't be ridiculous of course you can't say no. Tell then they have to each cook for themselves one night a week each, and the rest of the time you cook something that can be adapted. It's really easy, you can get loads of premade vegetarian stuff to shove in the oven.

Is OP still here?

Serious question, OP:

Do you want your children to visit you when they're grown ups?

Because if you do, you'll have to show them now that you respect their choices and ensure they are welcome at your table by offering healthy food that they will eat.

If you don't, then carry on being obstructive to their life choices in this regard.

I'm totally, utterly, biased as I've been veggie since birth, but many of my non-veggie friends are drastically cutting down on their meat consumption for health /environment reasons.

It is also the easiest time to find meat alternatives in the supermarket. I would suggest that you have meat and fish a couple of times a week, giving your kids super easy alternatives then such as veggie sausages and whatever veg you were having anyway. The rest of the week collaborate with the kids to find delicious, healthy vegetarian meals you can all share. Aim to have them cooking for you soon!

I absolutely love eating meat but if this happened with my girls I would take it as an opportunity to a) get them cooking and b) to do more meat-free meals as a family. Good for the environment and money saved towards better quality meat /fish. Not a choice I would make but I wouldn't consider my child wanting to be a vegetarian to be something I could refuse if they felt strongly about it.

@NoPainNoTartine

Many vegetarian posters on MN feel morally superior, it will never change. I am not sure why they think a condescending attitude is ever likely to convince someone to remove all meat and fish from their diet!

There's usually one popping up talking about eating cadavers and dead animals. I know the lamb I am eating is dead, thanks . It's rather more humane to kill it BEFORE you cook it too!

It’s not that I feel morally superior. However I do think it’s wrong to feed your children a plate of two veg in an attempt to discourage than from going vegetarian. Not only it is nutritionally inadequate but it’s also very unethical. Going vegetarian is a valid ethical decision that can, when done healthily, have numerous health benefits. Why on earth would you have a problem with that? Nobody is telling YOU what to eat.

@NoPainNoTartine

Many vegetarian posters on MN feel morally superior, it will never change. I am not sure why they think a condescending attitude is ever likely to convince someone to remove all meat and fish from their diet!

There's usually one popping up talking about eating cadavers and dead animals. I know the lamb I am eating is dead, thanks . It's rather more humane to kill it BEFORE you cook it too!

I haven’t noticed any “morally superior” vegetarian posters.

What I have noticed however, is posters who clearly have zero respect for their children.

I think if my kids decided to be vegetarian and I told them they’d have to shop for and cook their own meals they’d very quickly change their minds. I wouldn’t forbid it though - at that age they’re old enough to decide for themselves.

@2bazookas

Tell them , the vegetarian menu is up to them. At weekends they can cook up and freeze vegetarian meals. Otherwise, they can just eat whatever you cook and leave out the meaty bits. So if you make chili con carne, they just get rice. If you make fish and chips and peas, they get chips and peas. Buy them a supply of multivitamins and iron.

 Stick to it . Either, they will become fabulous vegetarian  cooks and start cooking delicious  family  meals for all of you. Or, they will soon get tired of  cooking  for themselves and give up being vegetarians.</div></div>

My parents used to do that to me. I’d just use my spending money to fill up with chips, crisp and chocolate. I turned veggie at age 11 after years of arguing about not wanting to eat meat. I still am 30 years later. Surely it’s better to help them eat a healthy balanced diet.

@Notcoolmum

Yes you would be unreasonable. Being a vegetarian is usually a moral choice so it would be wrong to expect them to eat meat.

That.

Vegetarian diets are actually not that difficult to prepare if you do a bit of research.

I think it is right for you to respect their choices, they are not little kids.