Should I raise my child vegan?

[Howtolivelife]

Okay, I get it, milks important, but is giving my child soy milk or almond milk really a better solution? My mother certainly doesn’t agree.

I myself became vegan some years ago for personal reasons and was wondering if raising my child with that lifestyle would be unbenificial, how would she cope at school? There’d be so much she could and couldn’t eat that it leads me to wonder if the other kids would poke fun because of it.

What’s a mother to do?

@C8H10N4O2

I wouldn't because I think it's a choice for the individual

As is meat eating and I've yet to here anyone say "bring them up vegan in case they decide they don't want to be a meat eater".

As others have said - any diet can be good or poor. If you haven't been raised vegan then you may need to do more research on healthy vegan diets for children. Vegetarian is a common compromise in early years if you have concerns.

Absolutely correct! No baby has a choice, we as parents choose what we think is best for our babies, their health, their future (ie the environment) etc.

@Baystard

I would feed them the diet they have evolved for, until and unless they decide to do differently. However we feel now about eating animals, as a species we only exist because our ancestors did eat animals.

Were we to all stop eating animals or animal products overnight then there wouldn't be enough food for everyone on the planet and people would starve (not the wealthy westerners obviously).

Nut 'milk' isn't great from an environmental perspective, often the nuts are grown in very droughty areas.

I would feed them a balanced diet, with grass reared red meat from local farmers, and organic poultry. I would avoid processed meat alternatives, cheap poultry, or red meat from abroad, and I'd avoid nut 'milk'. I would teach them the importance of knowing where their food comes from, the value of buying high welfare produce and the imperative to reduce food waste.

They can make their own choice when they're old enough, but then you've given them the opportunity of understanding the issues/context for whatever they decide.

We didn’t evolve to eat dairy which is a relatively recent development and many populations of the world remain lactase intolerant. Also the meat eaten in the distant past was very different to what is eaten now due to domestication of breeds and farming.
The proportion of plant based foods in Palaeolithic diet was actually very high.

If I could go back, I’d definitely raise my children as plant based as much as possible.

I’m plant based but grew up stuffing as much meat down me as I could. I switched for health reasons and stayed for the animals.

I don’t refer to myself as vegan as I still have meat in the house for the kids (no dairy though) as they’ve not switched yet, but I’m moving them over. It’s harder as they’re 10&7 so I’m replacing all of their meat with vegan subs and finding meals that they’d eat with me.

They can eat what they want out of the house though, I can’t police them that closely, but honestly there is nothing they can’t get from a plant based diet that they can’t get from standard omnivore diet.

We are a vegan family. It's easier than it's ever been. I would happily raise any further children on a vegan diet. Although I've taught my own not to call themselves vegan,just to say "I don't eat meat or dairy" I find that doesnt piss people off as much!

Sorry to laugh @Baystard but your post is like omnivore bingo! 😂

aurignacian

I don't disagree. We evolved to eat good quality red meat (grass reared) from nose-to-tail I.e. including organ meats which are very high in many of the things we need in our diet, lots of plants, nuts etc. It was a broad and diverse diet with little waste but also little processing. We may not have eaten dairy until relatively recently, but nor did we have such high levels of processing of food as we do today.

I believe we should consider that future generations may place emphasis on different aspects of the ethics of food production and consumption, and may not identify exactly the same problems that we identify today. Choosing not to eat animal derived foods means needing to eat more plant based foods, however in a time of rapidly growing global population, that shift has an impact too. As our understanding develops I don't think we can rule out the next generation, for example, being horrified that our generation shunned meat produced on our local mountain in place of something grown on the other side of the world using scarce resources. I think young people of each generation will need to make their own decisions.

And there would absolutely be enough food for everyone if we all stopped eating meat. All the billions of times of soy and grain we feed the animals would be routed to the humans.

We have been absolutely brain washed into eating meat and continue to eat meat for minimal reasons only: habit, convenience and taste. There is nothing meat can provide nutritionally that a plant based diet can’t provide. And before anyone cracks on about B12, we only get B12 from animals because the animals are supplemented with B12 in their feed. The same way we can supplement ourselves with a vitamin.

Sorry tufty it is a bit isnt it

For me the key point is that it's a complex issue and involves us making judgements about what is important to us as individuals. Our kids also need to do this when they're old enough to understand. The human evolutionary default is a varied diet including some meat and I'm simply suggesting this is a good base until a young person makes up their own mind about what is important to them, and why.

We had planned to keep DD veggie at home, and give her choice to eat what she wanted outside the home, but she ended up with a dairy and egg allergy and we weren't prepared to raise her vegan.

We've been under a dietitian to get her back on dairy and egg, to reduce the risk of future anaphylaxis, and honestly I definitely wouldn't raise a child vegan after the (entirely non-judgmental) advise we were given about ensuring she met her dietary needs. So some thoughts from that...

1. You would need to do extended breastfeeding, and couldn't supplement with formula. Which I did do, but there is no vegan formula that meets all needs as far as I'm aware that is palatable.
2. Most non-dairy 'milks' are basically coloured water with additives, and none of them recreate the nutritional profile of dairy milk in terms of fat, and things like calcium are added like supplements, they don't naturally occur. So you'd need v bespoke advise and you're giving them something a lot more processed than dairy milk. (Oatly barista is the closest)
3. A child raised vegan will almost certainly be lactose intolerant and won't be able to reverse the choice as an adult, which I do have some ethical issues with in a way I don't with raising them vegetarian.
4. A lot of things people now rely on in vegan diets its common to have some sensitivity to. I used to eat a 90% vegetarian diet, but now so many things you eat out are vegan, not vegetarian, I can't - I'm intolerant to soy (which is quite common), pea protein and quorn-based fake meats. Most places will put 'vegan cheese' on things and not specify what its made from - cashew nuts, fine for me, soy, will really upset my stomach. 'Traditional' vegan diets there are options, but the new super processed fake meat-based ones which for some reason seem focused on recreating the profile of meat based meals are much more common.
5. Vegan diets aren't automatically plant-based, and I actually think they're less healthy than vegetarian ones. This is all commercially driven, and there obviously are cuisines that traditionally were veggie with v little dairy, but super processed fake meats are not healthy choices IMO.
6. Its v v v difficult to get a toddler the amount of iron they need from vegetarian choices, just due to how much they consume. Have had this confirmed by repeated blood tests: we ended up needing to introduce 2 portions of red meat a week. Most people not under a medical team won't know their child is anaemic.

Personally, I don't think putting a child on a vegan diet before the age of 3 or 4 is 'right' nutritionally. No issue with raising a child of any age vegetarian, as that's easier. But I think you have to be very alert - I know the food the veggie children get in our nursery is not a standard I'd be happy with. I think if you do make the decision, you need to ensure its not a cop out, and I really don't think its possible to do that with existing vegan alternatives for little ones.

I feed my kids a vegan diet. They’re 4 and 2. I wouldn’t say they’re vegan because I think that is an ethical decision, no young child is yet capable of making.

It’s actually fairly easy, it does not require endless scratch cooking or vegan nutrition courses. I would say it is easier with picky toddlers if they do eat some processed vegan food eg margarine, cheese, cereal which is fortified as few picky toddlers eat sufficient green vegetables etc to get sufficient iron. Mostly they eat like other kids;

Toast with nut butter/scrambled tofu/cereal and soy milk/savoury muffins for breakfast with fruit

Sandwiches, fruit and veg for lunch

Family dinners like Shepherds pie, stir fry, tofu kebabs etc

The younger one does not yet understand that the ice cream options at the shop are limited and the big one has grasped the concept of veganism and wants ‘vegan ice cream’ but if he wanted to try something after being told it was not vegan, we might accommodate him. If other people are paying then it’s absolutely his choice. I try to provide palatable vegan alternatives where relevant ie biscuits at toddler group etc and we swap non vegan Halloween sweets for vegan ones but if he wanted to try the non vegan ones we’d let him.

I think it’s important to avoid deprivation but that’s easier these days when many places have vegan ice cream, vegan cookies, vegan pizza. Veganism has its mild frustrations but they’re few.

@Strokethefurrywall

And there would absolutely be enough food for everyone if we all stopped eating meat. All the billions of times of soy and grain we feed the animals would be routed to the humans.

We have been absolutely brain washed into eating meat and continue to eat meat for minimal reasons only: habit, convenience and taste. There is nothing meat can provide nutritionally that a plant based diet can’t provide. And before anyone cracks on about B12, we only get B12 from animals because the animals are supplemented with B12 in their feed. The same way we can supplement ourselves with a vitamin.

Love this. Agree 100%

Oh and my youngest child is not anaemic (tested as part of infection screen), older one never tested. Both have had accidental dairy and are not intolerant and we did use soy but non vegan formula.

I wouldn't cook meat at home, but if my kid wants to eat meat in a restaurant or at school I wouldn't tell them no. They can choose what they want to eat and try new things. I also wouldn't lecture them about the ethics of it, they get the ethics when they ask.

YABU it's dangerous for their development unless you can afford the required variety of non vegan foods and get them to eat enough quantities without a fight. Don't do it let them chooses when they're 16/18+

Some people are mixing up veganism with vegitarianism. Vegitarianism isn't as dangerous for a developing body.

Yes of course. And for everyone saying it should be a choice - we are all vegan from birth but then adults choose to force us to eat animals and bits from them. What about the animals' choice to live and not be used and abused? Definitely bring up your child vegan.

My family was vegetarian growing up but I was allowed to eat what I liked. I mainly stuck to vegetarian food but sometimes I chose to eat the meat school dinners or to have a Mc donalds at a birthday party.
My son's school has a vegan option everyday so your child may not feel as left out as you think.

Just to add my parents even though they were veggie do d feed me meat as a baby! I'm not sure why but I think once I ate the same meals as them I then only eat veggie at home.

Anyone interested in vegan as a nutritional choice should watch the game changers on Netflix. Really interesting documentary which covered a number of elements, from our biology (shows that we evolved from a plant based diet) to ecological factors and health impacts.

It’s also entirely possible to raise a child on no dairy as there are a number of children with dairy allergies (I have one). It does require more prep though, and a focus on making sure it’s a healthy diet, but so should a meat based diet.

I’m omnivore but eat a lot of vegetarian meals, and considering vegetarian for health reasons. Not sure about vegan as I do eat eggs and cheese but can see I may end up that way

Supposed to say did feed me meat!

If I could go back, mine would be vegan

I say good for you if you can do it. I raised my two as vegetarian (like me) for the first 7 years, but sadly McDonald's/parties/peer pressure put an end to that. The children wanted to eat/try burgers and it was their right to do so.

My parents ate meat and I became a vegetarian off my own bat at 15 and have remained so for 33 years. I don't think mine will follow suit, though.

we are all vegan from birth but then adults choose to force us to eat animals and bits from them
@FabulousIAm. In think you need to read up on on the term veganism. Breastmilk comes from a mammal called a human...

@FabulousIAm I think you probably meant vegitarian.

I think vegan at home is fine but I would let them ate vegetarian out the house. I think that it's so restrictive on young children if they can't join in easily with their peers to expect them to make fully vegan choices outside the home e.g ice cream / biscuits / sandwiches / breads etc etc