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!

What a fricking stupid, uninformed, opinion.

What was the original thread?

I dunno. Lentils and mung beans would probably be better than the pig's scrotum hotdog my 4 yr old wolfed down for tea tonight...

A fact? Really?

There are very few people in this country, vegetarian or not, who will have a lack of protein in their diet.

There is some protein in the majority of foods.
A well balanced diet with or without meat will provide sufficient protein.

OP I think YABU

Loving this comment btw
"YANBU Veggie children always look pale and thin"
this comment has had me in hysterics-pale and thin?!! as i look at my enormous (though not in the slightest bit overweight) sporty teenage sons who tower over me and who've never had any meat or fish in their lives!! I think not!

I'm also imagining the flaming I'd get if I posted that its cruel to impose eating animals and fish on children..but I wouldn't because to each their own

If my children want to try meat they can-my big boys never wanted to..but who knows that may change, but one of my younger children asked to try fish, tried it and enjoyed it so now eats it fairly often-she made this choice when she was 8.

I'm ok with doing fish for her but would struggle with meat...unsure why?! I'm also a flawed veggie because I'm accepting second hand leather sofas from a friend so feel free to judge me very harshly for my hypocrisy!

Basically being veggie, or meat eating or education, or health care , religion or no religion, they're all just parenting choices and we all just make the ones we consider best for our children according to our own values

My kids eat lentils AND meat
The two are not mutually exclusive

That's true, but then neither are vegetarianism and a healthy,well balanced diet.

I actually think YANBU but for very different reasons. I think Picante, that your rationale is rather . However, a reliable nutritionist once told me that we absorb nutrients far more readily through animal sources than vegetable. For this reason alone I think a diet that's completely lacking in meat/ meat products is not the ideal for a young child.

I say this as someone who cooks veggie for half the week, by the way.

Despite being a pale and thin veggie, ds1 still managed to thrash all the other schools in the 75m sprint

All 4 of my children are veggie and they are not pale and thin.

at weak and listless

if you'd seen my 2 charging around earlier you wouldn't be describing them as weak and listless pmsl.

plenty of protein in this house

Have a go at the meat eaters who fill their children with cheap meaty crap.

Ah Picante, you are back to your sh*t-stirring old ways again. Maybe time for another name change?

Neither should parents feed them a carnivore diet, because thats enforcing a choice on them too, isn't it?

Really we should feed them nothing at all until they are old enough to decide for themselves..I'm thinking maybe 12...then they can decide just to eat pizza, crisps, chocolate and candy floss.

Flawless plan, no?

What, is Picante a troll? Or just a tease?

MrsRuffallo you are a massive fool.
I was a chubby child. My brothers are county level sportsmen (tennis, cricket and cricket). We all prefer savoury to sweet. I can't understand why you are spouting this stereotypical nonsense and stating is as fact. How can anything be fact for all children everywhere? DS (10mo) has never eaten meat or fish and he's just fine. Good appetite, chubby, full of energy, glowing skin, and he doesn't 'crave sugar'

I'm a veggie mum raising a veggie toddler.

You are perfectly entitled to your opinion and I respect that

But I disagree, as you might expect

Check out the vegetarian society pages on children's health. You can find out some interesting stuff there about how it's actually a healthy and environmentally sustainable way to raise a child.

Fab recipes too whether you are a meaty or a veggie x

www.youngveggie.org/

Not a troll MrsMH, just someone who likes winding others up and getting a reaction.

I should have guessed from the OP, fanjo. Has she buggered off elsewhere, then?

my ds (4yo) is a vege through his own choice.

He ate a small amount of blended fish and chicken when he was being weaned but has always refused it since then. Me and dp are quite happy for him not to eat it if he doesn't want to. I was vege for about 11 years (quite a lot of it as a child) and have no prob with it health wise.

Both me and dp are meat/fish lovers.

I can't really see him eating meat/fish in near future. He asked where it came from - so we told him. First he thought we were joking then he was just shocked and disgusted. He went through a phase of pointing at anything we went past (cats and dogs etc) saying 'you going to eat that'

It's not always imposed by the parents.

I have a couple of friends who were vege from a young age (4 or 5yo usually) despite having meat eating parents.

actually though the reason I prob don't find it weird is that I was brought up with the idea that small children should be fed on a largely vegetarian diet with limited or no meat/fish. And it should only be introduced at an older age.

(and ds is definately not pale and wan - ok is pale but only cos me and dp are. He's def full of vitality)

4

[[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/giles_coren/article6031230.ece Interesting}}
Not sure I completely agree but a different pov

Same here TA. We used to call ds1 "veggiebaby". He would not eat meat. Hated it. He's still not a fan of 'proper' cuts of meat, but will have processed stuff. (nuggats, sausages etc)

ds2 otoh, was a total carnivore from day 1! I remember him toddling about with a chop in his hand, too small to chew it well enough to swallow it (I mean about 2 ish not a baby!) but he chomped on it for the flavour! His favourite meat is lamb. You have to guard it or he could eat the whole joint!

My parents forced me to be a carnivore for a few years when I was a child (very much against my wishes- much force feeding, vomiting and general damage done) and I will never forgive them for it.

I am choosing not to force meat eating upon my children. What they choose to do when they are older and understand what meat is is up to them. Still won't be having it in the house though!

A little bit of meat doesn't do any harm. The healthiest diet is probably the paleolithic.