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Vegan

Join Mumsnet's vegan community and discuss everything related to the vegan diet.

Original poster

Raising vegan DC with meat eating DH

121 replies

MissBax · 08/12/2017 16:40

I'm just wondering how people found raising children vegan if other parent is a meat eater? When teaching them to respect animals and not eat them did they ever ask why daddy/mummy eats meat? How did you answer this or justify it?! Thanks :)

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Blackteadrinker77 · 09/12/2017 10:01

Perhaps your husband can show them all the vegan propaganda that there is. He can teach your child how to ignore biased science.
I'm thinking mainly of the China study here. In which non supporting findings were left out. Twisting the data to suit a vegan stand point.
Most data I've read on veganism has been gleamed from that one study which isn't worth the paper it is written on. (And I have read a lot as it is my field of employment)

No WOE has ever been shown to be better than any other as long as you are getting your micros and macros.

In fact being Vegan is one of the WOE were it is impossible to be healthy without supplementation.

Make sure your child gets enough protein, B12, calcium. Iron and zinc.
Fortified plant milks and nutritional yeast only contain small amounts so a vegan multi vitamin daily is a better option.

I have nothing against a vegan diet I just hate all the BS that it is a superior way to eat. It isn't.

Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 10:27

👍

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PersianCatLady · 09/12/2017 10:32

I don't eat any meat apart from fish and I hate the smell of meat cooking.

I would never have dreamed of forcing my views on my son who has always eaten meat even though sometimes it has involved cooking two variants of the same meal.

Quorn mince in one pan and beef mince in another when making spaghetti Bolognese for example.

MiniTheMinx · 09/12/2017 10:36

Yes, but it's possible to use those supplements. Being vegan might not be a superior health choice but a morally ethically superior choice regarding the eating/slaughter of sentient beings. So it can be a morally superior way to eat.

I was vegetarian for years, supporting some of the most radical causes incl anti-vivisection with friends and associates liberating lab animals. No way would I have cooked meat for anyone, let alone accept that animal eating is no less moral than not eating meat.

TittyGolightly · 09/12/2017 10:38

I was vegetarian for years, supporting some of the most radical causes incl anti-vivisection with friends and associates liberating lab animals. No way would I have cooked meat for anyone, let alone accept that animal eating is no less moral than not eating meat.

Was? What changed?

Annorlunda5 · 09/12/2017 10:38

Blacktea

I'm not even vegan but I think it's definitely a superior way to eat in regards to morality/ethics. Not really to do with 'health benefits'.

Littlechocola · 09/12/2017 10:45

Mine were vegetarian until they were got to secondary school and up. I am veggie and their dad ate meat. I did the cooking and the food shop so they ate what I made. Their dad respected that and they never questioned it. It was usually strangers that had more of an issue especially with the youngest who was vegan due to a dairy intolerance.
I don’t understand the whole argument of forcing your views on to the children. Surely meat eaters force their view on to their children by ‘making’ them eat meat?

Littlechocola · 09/12/2017 10:46

Mine all now eat meat. Their choice.

Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 10:51

Surely meat eaters force their view on to their children by ‘making’ them eat meat?

Exactly this!

Really baffles me how if you don't eat meat or dairy you're forcing your children to eat that way, but if you eat meat it's not forcing??
Surely any family habits / lifestyle choices are exactly the same. I know lots of meat eaters who eat appalling diets, but noone talks about them forcing that diet onto their children. But if I'm vegan (albeit a very healthy eater - plenty of fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, protein, iron etc) that's forcing it on my poor poor DC Confused

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TittyGolightly · 09/12/2017 10:55

I don’t force my DD to eat anything. She has the opportunity to try/eat everything though.

There are meats she likes and meats she doesn’t. She’s not keen on cheese or milk, tomatoes, plums or sprouts. I don’t force her to eat them but offer them occasionally to see if she’s changed her mind.

I’m allergic to tomatoes. If I used that to declare them something she couldn’t try that would be unfair. Ditto not liking meat/the idea of meat. Give them the tools to make their own decision about it.

mustbemad17 · 09/12/2017 11:02

I don't force DD to eat anything, but I also don't restrict her from eating things if she wants to try them. I think that's the difference; by making them go vegan you are restricting their food choices rather than encouraging them.

Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 11:05

Titty - yes I agree with you there.
My comment was more directed at those being aggressive about it.
Surely everyone's children just eat what they cook though? I wouldn't oppose my children trying/eating certain foods, but I wouldn't be making 2/3/+ different dinners each evening. When they can cook for themselves of course they could eat what they like

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Viviennemary · 09/12/2017 11:05

I don't think any children should be raised as Vegan. Vegetarian fine. Vegan no. It is difficult for small children to get essential vitamins and nutrients from a Vegan diet. And to impose your views on your DC's when your DH is a meat eater is completely wrong IMHO. So think again. But you won't. Because your principles will overcome your children's wellbeing. Sad.

mustbemad17 · 09/12/2017 11:09

Miss mine doesn't. She only eats chicken & fish, won't even try anything else. If I try & give her say spag bol she will eat the pasta & leave everything else. I just make sure she has something on there that she will eat, then if she leaves the rest that's fine. I'm not keen on forcing kids to eat regardless because I am a fussy wotsit & flat out refuse to eat certain things

SuburbanRhonda · 09/12/2017 11:11

And yes, you may be making a decision that means they never have full choice over what they eat. Letting them eat everything now gives them the option to exclude foods.

I work in family support in a deprived part of the country. Believe me, if anyone thinks non-vegetarians get to experience the full range of foods available to everyone just by virtue of being non-vegetarian, they need to come and meet some of the families I work with.

TittyGolightly · 09/12/2017 11:12

I don’t eat carbs - DD does. I don’t eat fruit - DD does.

DD has a packed lunch, so that gives options for different foods. Evening meals tend to be 2 choices eg DD and DH will have pizza or spaghetti bolognaise and I’ll have an omelette and baked beans. Other times they’ll have meat sausages and I’ll have quorn and extra veg instead of potato, or I’ll have nut roast while they have chicken. It’s not laborious ensuring everyone can eat here.

Blackteadrinker77 · 09/12/2017 11:12

I think as long as you supplement the diet and watch the macro/micro content it is fine. I'm not anti anyone raising their children vegan. But it is not better health wise as the OP suggested.
It takes a lot of planning to hit those numbers each day and takes constant tweaking as they grow and develop. If any one wants help with meal plans that are balanced just message me the age/sex weight of each child and I can send you meal plans.

SuburbanRhonda · 09/12/2017 11:12

Because your principles will overcome your children's wellbeing. Sad.

I didn’t know Donald Trump was a Mumsnetter Grin

Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 11:15

Because your principles will overcome your children's wellbeing. Sad.

What a fucking ridiculous statement 😂

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 09/12/2017 11:15

Why not give a sensible reply instead of a sarcastic comment. Would that be too much to hope for.

NoelNiki · 09/12/2017 11:15

Ok there was a threas on chat or aibu about a very fussy raised vegetarian 12 yo.

He barely ate anything but one brand of vege sausage, waffles, baked beans.

When you completely exclude entire food groups you aren't left with much choice. Maybe the boy would have liked some meat.

Viviennemary · 09/12/2017 11:16

A Vegan diet can leave children severely short of essential nutrients. And that is a fact.

Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 11:16

When you completely exclude entire food groups you aren't left with much choice.

Who's excluding entire food groups?

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Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 11:18

A Vegan diet can leave children severely short of essential nutrients

The focal word there being can

A meat eating diet can leave children severely short of essential nutrients. And thats a fact.

See how it works both ways?

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Original poster
MissBax · 09/12/2017 11:24

NoelNiki - or maybe he was just a fussy eater regardless of being veggie.
I was raised veggie till I was a teen and was the least fussy eater - there was no food I wouldn't eat.
I also have friends with children that are fussy eaters and they eat meat. Correlation doesn't prove causation.

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