To think it’s not right to bring a baby up as a vegetarian?

[veggiesup]

Surely a baby/child should have all food available until they can make their own decisions?

Why not? What’s your actual issue? YABU

You're clearly not in a position to declare this big statement as your knowledge of nutrition is nil.

By "all foods available" I'm assuming that all meat eats should regularly be feeding their children lentils and tofu. Because the majority aren't. This is always an argument user against vegetarians, but meat eating children also aren't given "all available foods".

I don't think a vegetarian diet is particularly bad, and understandable that vegetarian parents would not like to buy or cook meat, but (sorry) I have judged someone bringing up their young child as a raw vegan/fruitarian (??) Basically they only eat raw fruit.

I'm a meat eater, as are all my family. But I know that it's absolutely fine to bring a child up on a vegetarian diet, as long as they are getting the correct nutrition. They can choose what to eat when they are old enough to make their own choices.

YABU. I'm not veggie (DP is). We aren't giving meat to our DS. When he's old enough he can choose if he wants to eat it or not. I'm confident he'll be fine, DP has been veggie for 30 years and can balance meals.

Someone made a point about not wanting their child to seem different to others. In our local nursery they cater for veggie and vegan kids because almost half of the.kids there don't eat meat. Not weird in my neck of the woods at all.

You raise your kid how you want to and I'll raise mine.

Hahahahahahahaha. What a very stupid post, You’ll have made many many choices about what ethical and cultural options are available to your children. This is no different.

I’ve been vegetarian for 30 years. Nobody else in my family is vegetarian. To me, the principle I wanted my family to see is that ethical choices matter and require thought and effort. What they did with that was up to them. It would also have been fine, and perfectly acceptable parenting, to raise them as I live until they’re old enough to choose. Just as you will have done with many many many facets of your family life.

I have no issue with this is general until your last statement.

You say you provide vegetarian options but not on all parts as if not the marshmallow thing wouldn't even be an issue. Unless you're also getting vegetarian marshmallows and the child still wants the one with geletin in - then I apologise.

From the moment my son was weaned he wouldn’t eat meat. Refused outright or merrily projectile vomited it ! By about 5 he decided he liked minced beef but he always preferred veg based meals. At the time we were very much a meat and two veg family. Now, I’m happy to say we have a much more balanced diet with meat only twice or three times a week. He’s 6ft 4”.

Surely children eat whatever the family is eating?

If the family are vegetarian then vegetarian food would be served.

My DSis is vegetarian/vegan and cooks vegetarian meals at home. Her 9 year old daughter has decided to eat chicken when she is at her dad's house, which is fine. She eats what is prepared in each house.

I agree, but I also believe that about religion and people indoctrinate their children from birth and people say it's fine, so....

I think following the diet of the bone makes most sense (assuming balanced diet of course) but without limiting things when the child is old enough to make decisions when out and about

Vegetarian - fine, vegan - not fine. I don’t think a vegan diet is healthy for very young children.

My daughter is veggie through choice, she just never really liked meat. We’ve supported her in her decision since she was 10 or 11 and eat a lot of veggie meals ourselves.

I also know a fair few people who were raised as veggie and are now committed carnivores.

Diet of the home of course not sure why it changed to bone

Well obviously not all good, regardless. You wouldn't feed a baby sugar or bacon!

Anyway YABU.

Thats a bit different though so not massively relevant to this thread, as there are proven health implications associated with fruitarianism. It's quite controversial.

Yabu. A vegetarian, or vegan, diet can provide all a child needs nutritionally. Choosing to feed your children meat, is making a choice for them, same as other parents choosing not to feed their children meat.

There is an increasing amount of evidence regarding the health benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets, and of the dangers of meat. Meat is a known carcinogen, and is classified as such by the world health organisation.

Look at it another way. Why wouldn't you feed your children the healthiest diet possible, which is one that is meat free?

Some anecdata for you. I grew up vegetarian, as did my brother. He is now over 6ft tall. We are both healthy weights, and very healthy. My vegetarian children are all healthy weights and fighting fit, and have excellent diets with plenty of fruit and vegetables. So many of their peers who eat meat are overweight, and won't eat/have minimal fresh fruit or vegetables.

YABU. Nobody NEEDS meat. You can have a perfectly healthy diet without it.

Given your username, is this a reverse and you are being criticised? I think that it's much more sad that children are being brought up on mainly ultra processed food and the reports around austerity, child poverty and the health of the children growing up in the UK.

My vegetarian six year old is getting a significantly more varied diet than many meat-eating children. Loves vegetables and fruit, easily gets his five a day every day.

Also, as a PP said, both DH and I are vegetarian so are you expecting us to cook DS an entirely separate meal? Sorry DS, your dad and I are having pasta tonight and I know you love pasta, but you have to eat this steak instead?

Ok so turn it around- why force meat onto a child until they can make their own decisions? Why insist that a child be brought up a meat eater when they ethically may decide that was cruel? I have had this discussion at the school gates many many times as I have brought my daughter up vegetarian/vegan since birth. She is now late teens, very healthy and very rarely sick (much more rarely than her peers) and she is exceptionally proud that she has never eaten anyone.

Actually I think this but the other way round. We feed children dead animals without them being able to understand.

I'm not a vegetarian, it was only when my children started to understand what meat really is, and were horrified, that I started to think that meat shouldn't be fed to someone without their understanding or consent.

We've become desensitised to meat eating and it's not a good thing. People don't need meat to survive, it's for our enjoyment.

I've cut out a lot of meat after having these difficult conversations with my children.

Oh, right. Did you bring your baby up with dog meat, insects to eat and so on? Or do you consider "all the food available" just to mean food you find culturally appropriate?

As long as the babies nutritional needs are met, this is a personal decision.

You absolutely can raise a child on a healthy nutritional vegan diet, however it takes a lot of commitment and I am not organised enough to do this. So whilst I am vegan, my son is vegetarian.

I’m not vegetarian, but have no issue with bringing up their child as a vegetarian if all their nutritional needs are met (which I expect they probably are). DD eats meat but not every day and we could all do with eating a bit less (except people who already do, obviously!).