to think parents shouldn't bring their child up vegetarian?

[Picante]

Unless for religious reasons.

Yes this is a thread about a thread but I think I was annoying too many people over there so I've started my very own for people to get annoyed with me here!

I just think it's mean. Meat is such a huge part of our culture and fair enough if you're old enough to decide that you don't want to kill animals... but children should be given all sorts of food in the early years, including meat, until they are old enough to make that decision for themselves!

Sorry likessheep I didn't notice the bit where you said you had been veggie and changed. Sorry if my post sounded patronising then! mil couldn't understand why meat made me ill, because ''meat is good for you''. She seemed to think that everyone is naturally able to eat any kind of meat regardless to what they normally eat and I don't exactly know how common this opinion in. You sound like a very considerate person to visit Although mil also claims she was being considerate, because she thought that no meat during pregnancy would cause all sorts of birth defects which she was trying to protect dd from.

lol at likessheep , rofl.

i am shocked at your mil, that is a total lack of respect for your choices. my mil once started taking off bits of pepperoni "i didn't realise it wasn't vegetarian" off a very greasy pizza (swimming in meat fat!). but yours takes the biscuit

Can't be bothered to read through all the responses so apolgies if someone has already posted it but wasn't there a study done amongst vegetarian and non vegetarian children and the veggie kids had weaker and shorter bones? Forgive me if I'm worng.

I think every mother has a right to choose but my kids love a good burger (of the orgnaic home made kids rather than McDonalds).

In fact I have no idea what I would feed them if they didn't eat meat or fish. A lot of pasta that's for sure and there is little nutritional benefit in pasta pesto!

gagamama - surely a fairtrade only diet is hugely different to a veggie diet. and if it was something like this, i'd say "we don't have much of that in, could you provide a packed lunch". i wouldn't take it offensively whatsoever, i'd probably just be a little surprised!

i don't think it's about western pampering whatsoever, we have choices and people make choices based on the information they have.

and i think as far as is reasonably possible, you should accommodate those meal choices. if a child or visiting adult doesn't like a particular type of food (say fish), i wouldn't dish it up. that's not to say i would oblige to every whim, but people have the right to choose what types of food overall they are happy to eat.

what i do object to is my sil's kids refusing every meal i have ever dished up, only eating pizza and chicken nuggets and ham when they visit. another thread.

Sorry likessleep!!! I'm not getting enough sleep atm clearly

tonysoprano I've never heard of such a study, and it was something I looked into a lot before deciding not to eat meat while pregnant or feed any to dd (when she starts eating solids). I spoke to 2 dieticians, my gp and mil's gp and all of them supported the decision. I also had mil providing me with every bit of research or case study of unhealthy veggies or healthy meat eaters and she never came up with this either. As it's calcium which plays the major role in bone development, and this is readily available in milk etc possibly it was a study on vegans? But if you can find the study I'd be interested to read it.

i thought it was very funny, given the discussion topic

and tempted to change my username to likessheep

You could go for "sheeplikesleep"

dragonrider you're right it's actually vegans who don't eat eggs or milk that are more at risk.

www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/07/03/2009-07-03_vegetarian_diet_linked_to_weaker_bones.ht ml

To me you're going to be likessheep from now on

It isn't just Westerners who have ethical objections to the consumption of meat. A number of religions based in India, also object to it, many Hindus, Jainists, some Buddhists, Hare Krishnas etc.

And I see no reason to feel bad about having carefully considered morals. Such things are not exclusive to Westerners, why would they be?

People also seem to presume that it's somehow offensive to those who live in a developing country, to refuse to eat meat.

Yes it's true that generally you're more likely to eat anything that's available if you're in great poverty, however meat is likely to be a luxury for you in such circumstances.

You're more likely to be living on grains and vegetables, than eating your precious and perhaps only cow who whill living can sustain you with milk, carry goods and provide you with a calf.

So is it perhaps the regular consumption of meat that's the Western luxury, and not choosing to consume a vegetable based diet?

Going against the general consensus I think YANBU. If a child has never eaten meat then how can they make the decision not to eat it when they are older?

I was brought up as a vegetarian, I have never eaten meat or fish, as a small child I also didn't eat eggs or cheese (as most cheese had rennet in). As a result of being brought up not to eat it, I cannot eat it now I am older. It's part of my mindset and although I'd love to eat some meats (certain types smell lovely and I crave fried chicken when pg) I can't make myself put it in my mouth. I also check ingredients on things and won't eat things with animal products in. I went without Mars Bars for a year when they changed the fat in it to animal fats (changed back now though - phew!)

DH is a meat eater and so I cook and give my children meat, if they want to go veggie when they are older then that's fine, but I honestly don't think you are giving them any choice if you never let them try meat.

If DH had been a veggie too then I would probably not have given them meat if they didn't ask for it but I also would not want them to become avid label-checkers like me and would make it clear they could try it if they wanted to.

Ta da!!

apologies for downgrading the seriousness of the thread

Oh and ElenorRigby, I had people banging on about my diet when pg with my DCs and they were all over 9lbs with DD weighing in at 9lbs 15oz (and I am only a small thing).

I do not think a veggie diet is wrong or damaging to health.

I don't think it should be forced on children though - let them try it all and make their own decision.

Why is it being forced on children any more than a diet containing meat is?

I am blushing with pride! you actually used it!!! You made my day!

You are very right Thunderduck!

As an ex veggie I personally wouldn't bring dd up as a vegetarian as I do think that it's important but eachj to their own aand lots of kids won't eat meat anyway.

well, i've been a bit bored with mine for a while, so it is a subtle enough change, whilst retaining my 'identity', lol

plus it gives me flexibility for future 'sheeplike...' in the future

hijack over, back to work, sorry!

Just thinking that Hare Krishnas are not the best example of an Eastern religion that has ethical objections to meat, as it's such a new religion and was mainly intended for Westerners. However the others work.

i am a veggie but have gone to great lengths to hide this from my DD... unfornately at the age of 3 she asked her grandad where meat comes from and he told her.... my dd is now veggie!! I feel as growing children they need meat as part of thier diet, its just too hard to give them all they need with beans and pulses etc... i definately think her health is suffereing she nearly always has a virus and get tummy aches frequently

I think children should know where meat comes from, even at a young age.

Children do not need meat. They can survive perfectly well without if they have a balanced diet, there are several sources of protein and fat available to vegetarians, and it's rare for protein deficiency to be an issue for people in this country.

I'd say a child is more likely to become ill on a diet containing meat, junk food and little fruit and vegetables.

Some children are just sickly children no matter what you feed them. They just have immune systems that aren't quite as efficient as the majority.

Mitchell and Webb made me laugh about veggies the other day though

I'm beginning to sound like a PETA member and I'm not even a vegetarian.

Thunderduck - exactly!!

I don't see why they should eat meat somewhere else. If you gave any of my 4 a meat based meal they wouldn't eat it. If I was Jewish would you insist they eat pork out of the house? The older 2 know the reasons why we don't eat meat and they're happy with it.

As for being ill - well my dds have never been to the gp so it can't be that bad being a veggie.