Guest post: "I'd never raise my children as anything but vegan"

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I have been vegan for almost nine years. My four-year-old daughter has eaten a plant-based diet since birth (yes, breast milk is vegan) and my second baby, due shortly, will be joining her. It was never something we questioned. We knew that children could grow up strong and healthy on a vegan diet, so why would we introduce foods we wouldn't eat ourselves? My grandma thinks it's a shame she's never tasted a pork sausage, but other than that our choice hasn't attracted much criticism.

Last week, however, an Italian politician proposed a law that would allow the state to prosecute parents who choose to raise their children vegan. The proposed law has come about after a number of high-profile cases of severe malnourishment as a result of parents imposing inadequate vegan diets, and has opened up a debate about whether it's ok to raise children on a vegan diet.

A vegan diet needn't be restrictive. While veganism means avoiding animal products - cheese, meat, gelatine, to name but a few - a rich and varied diet is easily achievable. My daughter eats fruits and vegetables, lentils, tofu, grains, beans and nuts, cereals fortified with vitamins and she also takes a daily multivitamin specially formulated for vegan children. However, she can also hold her own when it comes to chocolate, chips, ice cream and all the other junk foods four-year-olds love to eat. I don’t want her to miss out, so I plan ahead for birthday parties or nursery celebrations so she can have sweets and cake with the rest of the children. She might grow up and decide she doesn't want to be vegan any more, but I don't want that to be because she felt left out growing up.

The NHS says that a vegan diet is fine for babies and children as long as it includes all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. The vegan parents I know are clued up when it comes to nutrition. I think being vegan actually encourages parents to be more critical of their family's diet than they may otherwise be - and that can only be a good thing.

Perhaps, instead of looking to prosecute vegan parents, it would be better for Italy to introduce measures to educate all parents about the importance of a varied diet in childhood. Italy has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world - it’s clear that there's a pervasive lack of understanding about nutrition. Rather than vilifying all vegan parents for the mistakes of a few, resources would be better used educating people about how to achieve a healthy diet - whether this includes animal products or not.

I went vegan after years of being vegetarian. I found out about the cruelty involved in the dairy industry and decided to take the next step to reduce animal suffering. For me, veganism has always been about animal exploitation. The health and environmental benefits of the lifestyle are a bonus, but they're not the reason I choose to be vegan. I am raising my daughter to consider the needs of other people and animals when making decisions. She may not always be vegan. She might grow up and decide she loves beef burgers. I have no idea what the future holds, just like other parents don't know if their children will grow up to embrace the family's love of the outdoors, jazz music or the Labour Party. All I can do is try to teach her compassion now and hope that it sticks. And if it doesn't? Well, she's my daughter and I will love her unconditionally, no matter what.

Gosh pardon my many typos 😳 Lol

Aa a child I only ate chicken & turkey. When I was 11 I decided not to eat any meat at all. My choice. When I was at Art College my personal choice was to stay as a Vegan however, as a student I did not eat well. Thus I went back to being a Veggie. When I had my children my partner and I decided that, until our children were old enough to make their own decision, they should eat meat & fish. So far they have not chosen to follow me. Not a problem as their choice. I do not agree with parents forcing their opinions on their children as each individual should be allowed to form.their own opinions.

My parents raised both myself and my brother as vegetarians, and once we were old enough we were able to ascertain our own dietary wishes. My brother remains a vegetarian, I occasionally eat fish and both my parents eat meat again.
If anything, our diets as children helped us to stay active and healthy. When I have children, I will probably do the same.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions/beliefs. Do not agree that children can make their OWN decision until they understand it all. My two are now 9 & 12. They both choose NOT to eat Lamb or Beef. Their choice. They ABSOLUTELY LOVE bacon, gammon, ham & chicken & eggs (either pure beef/pork sausages). Their choice totally. I could NEVER push my opinions on my children.

Hi!
We are also a vegan family. My son has been vegan from birth. We also decided not to have any vaccinations-after looking at the ingredients in the we were pretty horrified (animal derived). As a baby he didn't suffer colic, rashes, snotty nose or husky breathing. He slept very well. To date our son has never been to the doctor. Also he has never had diarrhoea, no upset tummy. Throughout his life he has been very healthy and fought off any colds etc. Now 13 years old he is a championship swimmer, a dance scholar, ballet dancer. I too would never have brought our son up to eat meat - plant based diet all the way for us!!

How are vitamin tablets any more dangerous than the hormones and antibiotics pumped into animals. We care for and protect our babies in the best way that we feel fit until the day comes that they take the reigns.. I chose to rub all kinds of lotions and potions into my baby's psoriasis, he on the other hand prefers to pump ink into it! Our babies become little people before we know it and choices and responsibilities soon follow. Teach them to be kind, teach them to be considerate and have good manners, these will stay with them for life, veggie burgers and beef burgers will come and go

I have been vegan for fifteen years and have two vegan children aged 12 and 7 and am currently growing a third. We eat a very healthy diet that includes everything we need to be super healthy and energetic. We don't take supplements although I did buy vegan pregnancy ones for the folic acid and extra iron as recommended for all pregnant women, whether I actually manage to remember to take them is quite another matter! But I always forget in the first two pregnancies and no problems so I'm not too concerned with them. The B12, well we all drink soya milk which is fortified with it so that's us covered but hang on just a second before you start on about synthetic sources because it just so happens that the synthetic b12 us vegans consume is the very same that you get from your standard meat! How? Well B12 comes from soil originally and unfortunately for the animals raised in today's factory farms, they don't see any soil! No grass, they are fed on soya and grain (much cheaper) the end result is that these poor abused animals are deficient themselves and in addition to the growth hormones, antibiotics and God only knows what else, these animals are injected with synthetic b12 shortly before they are murdered to make sure that consumers get their dose. I do make sure my kids have vegan food for parties etc too but as for effort, I don't find it a chore, a simple packed lunch of their favourite treats has never heard a complaint and its a two minute task! I have noticed that my children are rarely sick and don't catch all the smiths and sneezes in constant streams as I see friends non vegan kids often do. Often people comment on how healthy happy and energetic they are and I always say the same thing 'that'll be the veganism ' but we aren't vegan for our health alone, our reason is the animals, I raise my children with compassion for all living sentient beings not just 'pet' animals, I tell them the truth and they choose kindness. I don't give them graphic detail, I don't have to, children naturally don't want to hurt animals and eat their dead bodies. I don't see a future where any of my children ever eat animals, why would they?! They are happy they've never been made to. Cases of children being malnourished on a vegan diet are no different than those of children being malnourished on a meat based diet, the parents are either neglectful or mentally ill. A vegan diet is healthier by far than a meat diet, science has told us that meat is causing cancer, it's carcinogenic, the more animal consumption rises the more of us are loosing loved ones to cancer! People tell me how humans have always eaten meat and my reply is , not in the quantity they do now! Even in my mothers childhood meat was once or twice a week if that. Now people eat it breakfast lunch and dinner. Dairy is now scientifically linked to osteoporosis but still medical professionals tell people to glug down the dairy milk for calcium! And I bet most people don't know the horrific lives that dairy cows endure, as mothers how could we ever justify raping any animal, removing her child and either sending the child to the same fate (female) or murdering the child for thei flesh if male (that's the veal industry) just to steal her breast milk! Imagine loosing several children that way, they know when that farmer comes what happening and they try so hard to defend and keep their babies, they they scream for them when thei gone, I've seen it, it rips your heart right out! And for what? A glass of milk that will leave your bones hollow or a slice of cheese that will clog your arteries? Would I raise my children any way but vegan? No! I wouldn't live any way but vegan! Please open your eyes and hearts to all animals, don't spare yourselves the sight of their suffering , go look at what's really happening to them before you decide if you agree with it xxxx

Sorry strewthy13 , how lovely for you that your children turned out fit and healthy, but to deny them vaccines because of your vegan views is, in my humble opinion , wrong. It's less about how healthy your kids are and more about the likes of the news story regarding a baby that died of measles after being In contact with a child that had parents that didn't believe in vaccinations. That baby would have been immunised against the disease but she died before she was old enough to receive the injections. All because of parents that didn't bother to vaccinate their child. We are lucky beyond measure in our society that we have access to such immunisations. SMH at parents that think it's a "way of life" to not vaccinate their kids. It would be nice if all such people could stay amongst themselves and each other so people that know the value of immunisations don't have to suffer for their choices. I know it's off point but when i saw that post I had to remark.

Does anyone know if processed meat is bad for kids? The link between processed meats, burnt pork etc & cancer are well known & I always wonder if introducing processed meats to children increases their life time risk of colon cancer? I'm veggie but my partner loves his meat. I have one veggie & one meat eating child - all their own preference. I've not found any research that says processed meat intake in childhood raises cancer risk, but logically it should..

That is her choice, one I would defend. As is mine to feed my child on live mice and freshly killed raw meat.

Veganmumm thank you for the useful post. I was just wondering how you, or anyone else, have gone about exploring what happens in the UK dairy/egg industry (I am perhaps wrongly assuming you are in the UK??). Most of the information I have read is based on what happens in the US which isn't necessarily that same as it is here, and I want to get my facts right. I have been thinking for a while that I'd like to go to some dairy farms here to see/discuss in an open-minded way how exactly things are done here, but can't imagine I'd be welcomed with open arms. Also has anyone found any good unbiased books about it all (especially the health aspects)? - I've found that everything is written by someone with an agenda of some kind. Thanks! (Ps am vegan and have been for ages, and will be forever, but just feel I could be better informed.)

I have 32 and have been a vegetarian since I was 9. I became a vegetarian as my sweet mum used to tell me that the chicken I ate was different to the chicken that is an animal (as she knew how much I loved all animals), so when I found out I was absolutely devastated, I immediately said no more to any meat and other dead animal products such as gelatine, E120 etc. When I had my first little girl I always knew that I wanted her to eat what we ate (my husband became a veggie because of a New Years resolution when I was pregnant and it stuck with him) and I always wanted to tell her where everything came from. She is 2 now and she has a little sister, they are both extremely healthy and I think as long as you are educated in where to get nutrition from the food you eat then you can pass that on to your children and as a parent you want them to always be healthy and happy more than anything. When my little girl is old enough to be told where meat comes from I will tell her and if she wants to try it she can but as long as she does understand where it come from. I would never enforce vegetarianism on them but I think it important for all children to know where their food comes from whether vegetables or meat. We have a fruit and vegetable garden to help us with those and our little one loves picking them. The main thing is that we look after our children, we always want the best for them and let them make their own decisions when old enough to do so. Oh and what is this law?!!! It should be a law that any parents who malnourish their children in general not specific to vegans, what rubbish! : )

yogi my understanding is that al processed meets are carcinogenic but there is no real understanding of how the risk accumulates.

I try to restrict my kids' consumption to out the house only. Easier said than done!

I think that dry cured traditional meat is ok - but I guess it isn't processed. Plus most producers are outside the UK and animal welfare is a huge issue.

DH's parents are veggie with 'phases' of vegan. MIL is very obese and very sickly. FL is fit as a fiddle. Don't think it's got anything to do with what they eat or don't eat TBH.
They raised DH veggie, very strictly. He rebelled and now eats even more meat than I do!

Live and let live I say. I only get lamb/beef and eggs off a friend who is a farmer and try very hard to buy well raised chicken. Am I perfect? No, of course not. But like Cote, it's raising livestock inhumanely that distresses me, not slaughtering them. And I do consider myself a real animal lover, I love my pets (all rescued from death row) I've done a lot of volunteer work with shelters/dog walking/pet sitting etc.

Just for me, personally, I don't get upset at an animal being killed so I can eat it. So Evangelical vegans like Larva and Judey don't bother me, they're just raising their DC with the values that matter to them, like I am with my DC.

However in real life, whenever I meet someone like Countess I'm always eager to chew their ear off about new recipes! Vegans who don't take it personally that we eat meat or make me uncomfortable have to put up with me sponging ideas off them, as I am far less creative

SpecialAgentFreyPie wonderfully inappropriate username for this thread, but very funny

Contessa I maintain Frey pie is a perfectly acceptable choice for any dietary requirement

P.s. Sorry for calling you Countess before!

I raised my children on a vegan diet using the macrobiotic philosophy They are both strong adults with no broken bones or tooth decay. You can certainly give children everything they need on a vegan diet. In fact, studies show that its meat, fish and dairy that shorten lives and cause most lifestyle diseases. But you do need to know what to replace animal product with. That's where my macrobiotic training came in. Now there are many research results to back up this diet. If anyone wants information on how I brought up my children then just let me know.

"In fact, studies show that its meat, fish and dairy that shorten lives and cause most lifestyle diseases"

Which studies would those be?

Please provide links to studies that prove (1) meat (slow cooked, as in Mediterranean diet), fish, and dairy (in people who are not intolerant) (2) shorten like expectancy AND cause "most lifestyle diseases".

I love your input into threads Cote, you're far better than my high school science teachers!

I thought the meat that was argued to cause health problems was beef, because of the artificial hormones causing early puberty? Is that true?

Special - Use of hormones in farm animals (whose meat will be eaten) is forbidden in the EU.

A lot of vegan websites talk about US practices that don't happen in the EU.

Various studies point to red meat causing cancers.

I would like to see studies done in relation to meat quality. Grass fed beef is a totally different beast.

My hunch is that dairy or beef do not cause these diseases per se but rather it is the way the beef is produced and cooked.

Thanks Cote, as I said I get my beef off a friend, but it's still a relief to know!

From my limited understanding, The US seems to have some pretty dodgy food laws.

Brexit could be terrible news for UK farm welfare.

It is one of the aspects of Brexit that really bothers me.

I know a pig farmer who is desperate to farm more intensively and thinks the US huge factory farms are a great model he particularly wants to be able to pen in breeding sows in those horrible tiny crates. I've tried and tried to reason with him but he doesn't care. Just wants to maximise profits.

Batteries How odd he'd discuss/brag about that. Anyone who knows about raising animals for slaughter disapproves, so that's just downright weird!

I also hope farming laws don't become lax with Brexit. Like I said, killing an animal for my tea? Fine. Keeping a sow in one of those torture crates? Not fine.

I think farmers talking amongst themselves (I'm not a farmer but have honorary membership locally due to a previous career, now a SAHM) talk quite differently to farmers talking to non farmers.

The accepted line is that welfare is sooo important etc etc. That's what you hear in farm shops. Some farmers genuinely do care about welfare. However others want to intensively their farms and get frustrated by EU legislation. And the farmer lobby is strong in Westminster.

Anyway, derail. Sorry.