To ‘allow’ child to be vegetarian?

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DD8 declared herself vegetarian about a year ago. It was mildly inconvenient at first as none of the rest of us are, so making meals for me, DH and other DC is a little challenging, but it’s fine.
Vege DD has been very committed and hasnt doubted her choice at, she won’t eat gelatin in jelly, sweets etc. Also won’t eat any meat substitutes like veg sausages or quorn.
She is quite fussy but we think she’s still eating well - lots of veg etc, plenty of dairy and nuts, plus chickpeas, lentils, some beans. Also a daily kids vitamin/supplement.

MIL and SIL cannot get past this and speak to her like she’s stupid about it, or to us in front of her eg. “Well why is she like this?” “Where has she got this from?” (quite accusatory) “How ridiculous!” “Your making rod for your own back here letting her call the shots.” “You should tell her no.” “It’s not healthy/right.” “You should her this/that/the other.” It’s like they think she has some illness and that we’re idiots for ‘allowing’ this.

I mean being vegetarian isn’t my bag but if that’s what she wants and she’s eating what I think is healthily, I don’t think AIBU am I? Well I guess I know I’m not really, but other parents have been a little eyebrows raised or they laugh and ask if she’s grown out of it yet, so maybe IABU

Well I have heard it said from vegans that after a long time not eating meat, they can get sick if they do. That their body just can't tolerate it.

I suppose it's at least logical that if you change your diet completely to something you don't normally eat, you can certainly get the shits xD

Also heard it said that in order to process meat, our body has to leach phosphate (?) From our bones. Which is why in countries that there is largely vegetarian diets, there are much lower cases of osteoporosis.

But then I've also heard that vegetarians break bones more often. So who knows lol.

I think morally you could give your kids a little milk and other dairy and they'd still be fine with meat later surely.

YANBU OP

My Dd (14 so somewhat older, but the substance of this is the same) is now vegetarian

I had to explain to exh why it’s really important to let her, as a girl, “be difficult” - not that I think it is being difficult- and not to feel she has to be accommodating at all times. My Dd (her brother, has ADHD which is relevant) is very fussy and won’t eat vegetables much at all, which makes life a bit challenging, but I thought it was really important for her to know she doesn’t have to be “the easy one”.

Do you think your family fall into the trap of thinking girls have to be easy going?

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing
Do you think your family fall into the trap of thinking girls have to be easy going?
They do have quite ‘traditional’ backward views of how they expect females and males to behave in a family. Like the male is the head of the house and the boys are top of the pecking order. I wouldn’t necessarily say they expect girls to be easy going, but they do expect children to know their place and do as they are told.