Vegetarian/Vegan Childminders

[gooseegg]

If a childminder decides to become vegetarian or vegan (an ethical personal choice based on reason and logic. Not on blind faith), should they be expected to provide meat or dairy products to any of the children in their care? (Assuming that the children in their care are meat eaters in their own homes).

yes

have 3 friends who are veggie nannies ( so slightly different) but all 3 will touch and cook meat for their charges

guess if you find a veggie cm, and she wont touch/cook meat you need to find another cm who will - if you want your children to have meat and dairy foods

I'd not expect a veggie childminder to do anything different for mindees, it won't do them any harm to have a veggie diet for a few meals a week.

Vegan slightly different though as more restricted - I'd expect them to at least provide dairy for mindees.

I am a vegetarian childminder. I DO NOT provide any meat or fish products in my setting. I make this clear at interviews and so far it has not made the slightest bit of difference. Infact, most parents have liked the fact that their child will have a more varied diet here. I will serve meat or fish if parents provide it but we do not buy or cook any of it in our home.

I am a vegetarian childminder and I do cook meat for the mindees. However ... they do eat a lot of vegetarian meals as well. It would be difficult to feed them a vegetarian diet when one of them has a dairy intolerance??? But anyway ... I believe it is the parents choice, not mine.

I am a veggie nanny, happy to cook meat however I do often have to ask for assistance as I have never been a meat-eater and cooked for myself so obvious things about cooking meat/fish are not obvious to me. Have been known to have a quick google!

If I was a CM I would probably prefer to only offer veggie meals so I didn't have to have meat in my fride. Would consider some things if parents insisted on it eg cooked sandwich meats but I couldnt bring myself to cook meat from scratch in my oven.

I'm a veggie but my other half and kids arn't so the kids I childmind get a mixture, which I think their parents like.

The little ones who find mince a bit chewy usually love the quorn mince instead, and if given to the older ones have found that they rarely notice the difference.

Are there really parents who would be upset if their kids didn't get the meat though? So long as it is a healthy balanced meal does it really matter?

Star - I think some people might be as alot of people think a veggie child isn't getting the right vitamins etc. I have even heard people say its "cruel" not to let a child eat meat.

I mind a child with a dairy intolerance and I am still able to cater with a vegetarian diet. Indeed, my own dd has a diary intolerance and she has never had a problem having a solely veggie diet (well almost, until she tried a meat sausage the other day and spat it out in disgust at the taste )

If people really say that giraffe, they are very ignorant. My HV told me that a lot of vegetarian children have a much better diet than some meat eating ones.

I am a strict vegetarian, but the children bring their own meals anyway (I provide snacks). The only time I find it difficult is if I have to chop meat/fish up, as I do sometimes struggle (psychologically) if presented with great, big lumps of it! Many of the parents have actually asked if it is OK to send meat - the parents respect my views, and I respect theirs, so I am OK with it.

If I was providing full meals for my mindees, they'd be stuck with my veggie stuff. My dh is a meat-eater so anything he wants he cooks himself (or it comes out of a box from Marks and Spencer).

My childminder only serves vegetarian food. She isnt vegetarian, but just finds that a vegetarian diet fits in with the needs of all the children she has.

I wouldnt expect a vegetarian childminder to serve meat.

Gosh, several different views and experiences here.

Very useful - thank you everyone.