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

[MumsnetGuestPosts]

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.

[Roseformeplease]

I have a vegan pupil. Took a class away to a place that supplies a lovely lunch. Small centre where they put out a vegetarian buffet of bread, cheese, salad etc.

There was plenty there for him to eat and he was delighted - much better than school dinners (boarder, so no packed lunch option). However, all the lovely, crusty bakery bread had to be rejected in favour of a couple of crusts of mighty white - shit bread full of chemicals that never rots.

So, vegan is not always the healthiest option if you are fanatical about it. He looked longingly at seeded bread with beetroot and apple in it, granary rolls etc. But, the labels said no so the place had bought him a sliced white loaf from Tesco.

It makes socialising with other teens hard. Chips are a problem (cooked in the same fat as fish, meat) and he struggles with most sandwiches, quick snacks so meals have to be planned.

It is unnecessarily hard on him (.and he struggles socially for this, and other, reasons). Surely, by being a bit less strict and allowing him to lapse (his parents are adamant and required repeated reassurances about contamination) he would have an easier life - it was a tiny bit of milk / egg in a local bakery loaf.

Also, school provides all his meals during the week. This is not great quality food - he is the only one and the vegetarians refuse to miss out on things he can't eat. I am sure that he CAN eat well but planning, circumstances etc mean that he doesn't.

Also, no choice to educate him elsewhere because of geography.

[LyndaNotLinda]

LaContessa - adult women of average height shouldn't weigh 50kgs. That is at the very bottom of healthy for someone of 5'4"

[Batteriesallgone]

Hermione

[LaContessaDiPlump]

What's wrong with a vegan guest post? First one I've seen.

I'd be quite happy to see a post about sourcing ethically-produced meat, dairy and eggs, or a post on gluten-free living. Why so hostile?

[hugoagogo]

B12 is always mentioned on these threads, I get mine from marmite which last time looked is vegan. No need for supplements.

[FlemCandango]

Individual stories are never going to be representative, there are rigid parents and in my case I am more relaxed than my children about minor detours. Ie the inevitable tiny bags of haribo every time a child celebrates a birthday at school. They are not veggie but I 'let' the kids have them. I fully expect the children to experiment as they get older and go out for food with their friends. This is par for the course. But the issues you describe rose could be resolved by a bit of flexibility from the parents and a bit of imagination from the school in providing interesting vegan options.

[HeadDreamer]

The choice thing isn't red herring even for young children.

DH is brought up vegetarian. I'm a meat eater who prefer a plant based diet. We never cook any red meat at home. No sausages, no bacon, no steak. The only meat is chicken and fish. And that's about half the week. The rest is lentils, beans, tofu, cheese, grains etc.

However that's where I differ from the OP. I don't believe I should limit the DC outside of home. DD1 can pick whatever she likes from school lunches. I never told her to take the green choice. (School told us to chat to the children about the choice but I let her pick). DC2 is at nursery and I didn't ask for a special diet for her either. They also can have everything at parties. And DC1 can pick her own when eating out.

I think it's wrong to project my restricted choice on my children. Only if I'm cooking at home that they have to follow my diet.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Lynda in that case, a woman weighing 75kg needs 52.5g of protein. Also achievable.

[HeadDreamer]

Incidentally both children love sausage and mash when in pubs. It's something we never ever cook at home. I assume they learned it from school and nursery lunches.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

I'm quite enjoying seeing the cogs whirr in DS1's mind - I am convinced he'll go veggie or vegan one day, as he seems quite sad at the idea of where meat comes from. I was too at his age, but refusing meat wasn't an option in my house. DS2 doesn't care OTOH!

[FoofFighter]

The b12 in Marmite is not naturally occurring and it is put in there artificially. So still a supplement hugo

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Hugoagogo how much marmite do you eat??

[VanillaSugar]

My DD's friend was a vegetarian and then became a vegan at the age of 15. She lost two stone in six months and she wasn't overweight to start with. I wouldn't recommend this for children.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Out of interest how do vegans get their 18mg iron daily? It's very hard even as a meat eater (and meat is the only thing which gives you iron in decent quantities)

[LyndaNotLinda]

Indeed :)

I have found that some people use veganism/vegetarianism as a cover for disordered eating so just wanted to point out that 50kgs is not a normal weight for an average woman

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

hugo I was going to suggest marmite. Surely that's vegan?

I wouldn't try a vegan (or even vegetarian diet) on my ds. He's a crap eater and meat based things are the only thing he has any enthusiasm for except chocolate and marmite sandwiches

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Fair enough Lynda!

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Although going back to marmite I'm not sure it is vegan, you know. It's not kosher because they can't guarantee beefy goodness didn't get in (made in same factory as brovil)

[Roseformeplease]

The school does what it can (budgeting per head is tight and even cooking a single, special meal causes problems with staff time).

But, just the tiniest bit of give from parents (and the child who is a slightly haunted looking label reader) would transform his life. Trips away are hard because the only guarantee of vegan food (that isn't expensive) is a packed meal. This means he misses out on queuing and eating with mates (teens).

He lives on Linda McCartney meals and bags of salad that he eats like crisps.m

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

What! (Regarding the marmite)

But it's vegetarian - pot says 100% vege. Which makes me wonder what 99% vege would be

[ApricotExpat]

Although I've been vegan for many years I don't impose it on my DC's, although I'd love them to be like-minded, my DH is a committed carnivore.

However, I do look at the subject from one of health (not disordered eating) so The China Study (and many others) are from which I am against eating any animal derived products.

I try to cook so that there is abundance of tasty food at all times which is largely plant based, but which meat could be added to if DH/DC's choose. e.g. rice and slow-cooked ratatouille followed by raw brownies / frozen banana ice cream.

Nobody's perfect and we all want the best for our DC's. I don't force feed kale smoothies etc! The Italian headlines of the last couple of days are, in my opinion, misinformed sensationalism.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Aha well Maybe the Jewish have more exacting standards than the veggies, lol

[hugoagogo]

Well it says 'vegetarian society approved' on the label.
As for the b12 not being naturally occurring I learnt that today from google. Ah well I don't really need an excuse to eat it.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

You're not going to get much from a bit of marmite thought are you?

[FlemCandango]

I think as my choice is an ethical one I can't completely contain it at home. I care about the food my kids eat and in an age appropriate fashion have explained why their diet differs from many of their peers. So they are open about their diet and choose to tell teachers, friends parents etc. I don't do that for them. They are making choices now outside of my direct control as it should be, I am at least at the start of their lives, responsible for teaching my children what morals and compromises and educated decisions are just as every parent does for their children. So I am not really surprised that my kids feel being vegetarian is a full-time venture, but I also ensure that I am not judgemental about other diets, can't say that other children are always open minded in return, or that my children are perfect as they are not.