What did/ do you do if one parent is veggie?

[AliasGrape]

Maybe this should be in weaning but it’s not just about the actual weaning process so went for here.

I don’t eat meat, DH does though rarely.

He thinks that dd should be given meat as part of her diet as a child and that ‘we can’t impose being a vegetarian on her’. (I have tried explaining that whatever we feed her we’re ‘imposing’ on her).

I’m not against her eating meat - I don’t particularly feel comfortable buying or cooking it anymore so tempted to just say that when DH is cooking/ feeding her he can give her meat if he likes and when I’m cooking/ feeding I’ll do veggie options?

She’s only tiny still but I’m just thinking ahead.

What do other people do?

We're in the same situation - haven't started weaning yet though! I won't be feeding her any meat but if dh wants to cook it for her when he's in charge then I'm OK with that.

We're giving her a veggie diet until she can decide or voice an opinion.

I'd say the opposite. better for the child to decide they want to eat meat and request that change than have to feel any trauma if being enforced before they can pick to be veggie. I wish my parents had let me choose.

I'm vegetarian but quite happily feed it to my fiancé and our 2 year old son. I don't 'impose' meat on them, it's there on the plate and they don't have to eat it - that's how we view it.

If my son wishes to become a veggie like me when he's older then great but if he doesn't then I'll respect that decision too.

Not my situation as we both don't eat meat, but I would not have bought or cooked meat for dh or dcs. As they have grown one has started eating meat and one remained veggie. I think leaving it to the infrequent-meat-eater to provide meat for his child is perfectly reasonable.

I’m veggie, my husband isn’t. I do all the cooking (husband works late) and will prepare meat a few times a week for tea. Lunches always veggie.
I tend to give my son the meat option if there is one for variety.
However now he is 2 it’s becoming obvious he is not a big meat eater at all and doesn’t like meat bar chicken anyway.

I’m veggie and my husband is happy to mainly eat veggie too. I buy and cook meat for the kids still because they’re pretty fussy and restricted in their tastes and I want them to try and eat as many different foods and flavours as possible. If they would eat a varied enough diet to be veggie then I would probably just cook vegetarian for them. As it is they don’t really like meat anyway, just sausages
I get really annoyed at people saying vegans or vegetarians ‘force’ their food choices onto their children, as that is what you do every time you cook your child a meal. If we let the kids decide each time, well, mine would be eating a diet consisting of 99% crisps, 1% sausages

(I should say I have a veggie option when they have meat)

DD is pescatarian like DH (I'm veggie) - we did offer her meat to start with when weaning but she didn't like it so we stopped! She normally has fish 1-2 times a week but eats predominantly veggie which is fine by us.

I'm veggie, he's not. We eat vegetarian at home, kids have free choice to eat what they like when they're out, but I won't cook meat at home. One DC is veggie by choice but will eat fish, the other one loves meat as a treat when eating out

I'm not vegetarian but DH is. Kids allowed to pick meat if they wanted to in restaurants or at grandparents house. If I was cooking meat for myself they were offered some. Age 6 DS1 decided to be veggie. DS2 still eats meat and fish.

Dp eats meat I am vegetarian.

Dd and Ds both vegetarian, neither has ever eaten meat and Ds is now vegan

He cooked meat, I cooked veggie and the kids had whatever was cooked.

I'm vegetarian (as is dd1). Dh, dd2 and ds eat meat.
I do most of the cooking, and cook anything and everything (except shellfish). When dh cooks, he does veggie or meat.
The kids had meat when weaning, dd1 chose to become vegetarian when she was 12.

I’d be feeding her the same food that the family eats. So when you cook, you give her vegetarian food. When Dh is rarely cooking meat, then she can have meat.

I try very hard not to make separate meals for the children, the idea is we all eat the same thing so I wouldn’t make a thing out of it, just give her family food. The only time it will need thinking about is when your child is about to start childcare/school. But if you are happy for others to give her meat (if it’s the buying and preparation that bothers you), theN Don’t mention it and your dc can have a meat diet there and veggie at home. I don’t see any issue with that at all as long as you are happy with that. Once child is old enough to decide, then they can.

I'm veggie, DH isn't. I cooked meat and fish for DD because it's hard enough getting a balanced diet into some kids without cutting out food groups! I know it's possible to be healthy and veggie - I am - but it takes more effort and a willingness to eat a wider range of vegetables, pulses etc and I didn't know when I started whether DD would be keen.

She's now 10. Hideously fussy. And vegetarian. So while it kept her alive and healthy at the time it doesn't seem to have had a long term impact. But you wouldn't believe what I can hide lentils in

Dh is veggie and I’m not. We mainly eat veggie in the house but the kids (11 and 7) are not veggie. They eat meat sometimes if we are out for dinner and I do often have meat in the fridge for things like sandwich fillings. My 7 year old rarely eats any meat as he eats prefers veggie food. Dh was ok with them eating meat provided it’s out-door reared/local/high welfare. Of course as they get older they can make their own decisions. Dh will never be cooking them meat but I do on occasion and they can learn to cook it themselves when older.

I’m veggie and DH isn’t. DS eats meat but I think that’s mainly due to me being lazy. I feel like I’d need to put in a lot more effort to feed him a balanced veggie diet vs frying chipolatas/opening a tin of mackerel + boiling some broccoli. Nursery veggie food also seems a bit less interesting and repetitive.

I would say I'm ethically opposed to eating meat and I think it's a bit hypocritical to give it to my child, but you do you, DH.

I'm veggie, DH wasn't (is now). We offered kids meat when DH had it. DD enjoyed it but has now decided she wants to be veggie unless we go out and there is an option of sausage and mash 😂 (though she does ask if they have veggie sausage). DS always spat the meat out but loved fish. He is now pescatarian. DH is now also veggie.

I’m veggie, DH isn’t. DS1 was mostly veggie with occasional meat if DH cooked (and meat at nursery). Then when DS2 came along he was allergic to dairy, soya and nuts, so to make sure he was getting a balanced diet we were encouraged by the hospital dietician to give him meat and fish. As a result, DS1 started eating a lot more meat and we switched to a model where DH and the DC have meat most of the time and I’m still veggie. They are teens now and both committed meat eaters unfortunately.

I'm veggie and DH isnt. I dont feed the kids meat but if he is cooking (very rare) he will sometimes give them some. Ive said I dont want them eating bacon, sausages or chicken nuggets but small amounts of steak, roast chicken etc is fine, I just don't want anything to do with it. The oldest made the decision to be vegetarian at 4 youngest is too young to understand yet. If she chooses to eat meat that's absolutely fine but I still won't prepare it for her.

My situation is the same as yours.

I have always offered them meat and they love it. It's not really imposing meat on them. You're not forcing them to eat it. You're just offering lots of things and seeing what they like.

I'm happy they eat meat as it's easier (I'm vegetarian)!

A bit easier because we’re both veggie and we’re bringing DD veggie too. I think your suggestion is very fair. If you don’t object to your DC eating meat then he can cook it. I don’t think you should be expected to do so.

@righttothepoint

I'd say the opposite. better for the child to decide they want to eat meat and request that change than have to feel any trauma if being enforced before they can pick to be veggie. I wish my parents had let me choose.

Based on that argument she should be only fed vegan so dairy/eggs isn't enforced on her either. 🤔. No point in half measures, that she might regret later.