Should baby be vegan

[Confusedmaa]

My daughter is vegan and currently pregnant. What do other vegans do in terms of bringing up their children. Should the baby be strict vegan or would being brought up with mainly plant based diet but some non vegan elements be ok. Would the baby need extra vitamins once fully weaned? Would intolerances build up if they aren't introduced to all food groups? I feel that she should explore all of the options. On more of a social point, I had a vegan friend growing up and they were never invited to parties or to anyone's house for tea. They always seemed so upset when treats were offered at school or birthday cake shared out as they weren't allowed any. This was in the 80s so not much understanding back then. I know that's not the end of the world and I really don't want to come across as ignorant but I'd just feel like I want to hear peoples experiences.

Of course.
Both can be poor, however limiting vast food groups may add to any other issues.

My vegan friend brought her kids up vegetarian and they've both gravitated towards vegan bow they are in their teens.
However it does take care and planning if you are to avoid the easy vegan fixes which are more UPF. So a shop bought vegan burger as an example is UPF whereas the equivalent meat one is generally not (as just mince and seasoning). I'm not advocating for either option just saying in my view UPF is a worse thing IMHO than eating meat for kids.
So if she's got the time and energy to really think about the DC food and prepare it then it could work but it will take the time and energy. Vegetarian may be easier and this doesn't have to include dairy which many vegans object to but perhaps eggs which are quick and nutritious. If she thinks of it as vegan plus extras that may be a good compromise

I’m vegetarian but wanted it to be my children’s choice when they were old enough to make it. They ate mostly vegetarian as that’s what we had at home, but they were welcome to try meat elsewhere. DD is vegetarian (though eats fish) and DS eats meat.

I would ask your midwife for nutritional advice. I'm not vegan or vegetarian but my DD decided as a toddler not to eat meat and didn't for many years.
I'd imagine it's impractical for a vegan household to include animal products in their diet but perhaps there might be some points of compromise such as free range eggs? Hopefully your DD is a healthy vegan with good knowledge of obtaining all the necessary nutrients in her diet.

Meat or animal based products you mean.

Exactly! Are children informed from the start that meat comes from slaughtered animals? That dairy comes from abused cows? Mine are free to choose now that they are older, but I have raised them knowing that they can get everything they need from a plant-based diet, and we don't need to use animal products in other areas of our lives. My children are very happy with these choices. I know many life-long vegans who are now adults, and they are very happy that they were never fed meat or dairy. They are free to choose to do so, but ethically are as against it as you most probably are against eating animals like dogs and cats. We just draw a different line with regards what we consider food.

The important word there is 'concept'. You don't have to physically (spiritually?) experience something to learn about it.

IME meat eaters seem to feel personally offronted that a child is being denied meat whereas it is only the more fanatical religious believers who have that kind of reaction to a child being brought up as a atheist or in a different religion to their own.

It is what it is. You can call them what you like to make it sound less awful.

My child knew quite young tbh.
He still chose to eat meat.

I’m vegan and have a 7 month old. She was going to be veggie bur cause I wanted her exposed to all the allergens so cheese and eggs. I felt if she had never been exposed to them and there was contamination in some vegan food then she could have an allergy.

I didn’t realise fish was an allergen either so I’ve started giving her fish. So she’s actually pescatarian now which I never intended.

I will probably keep her pescatarian until she can make her own decision. Or potentially veggie.

You can eat perfectly healthily as a vegan so that wasn’t my concern, my concern was introducing all the allergens.

Not vegan over hear, it this is silly.

If they're given a healthy (and hopefully tasty) diet, then there's no need to make it into same massive 'choice'. It's just the food their family eat at home.

Some parents may still allow the odd non-vegan food for their child anyway, but they aren't going to cook meat or buy animal products as standard

You mean you are relabelling it to make it sound more awful?

@BillyJeans you actively put people off the vegan lifestyle and vegans as people.

My SIL would be vegan by choice, but she struggled to get all the nutrients she needed, even with careful food choices and supplements, and became undernourished. She reluctantly switched to vegetarian, and became pescatarian during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The default in her house is vegan, but she makes sure that the family eat some dairy, eggs or fish across the week, to ensure they all get the nutrients they need. Her intention is to return to vegetarianism.

Veganism may be an ethical choice, but looking after your health and your children's health is also an ethical choice.

And meat does not have to be the default for a healthy diet, just as sugary snacks do not have to be the default for snacking.

It IS awful though.

Has something happened to your first sentence? 🤔

You're entitled to make your choices based on that view, nobody has ssaid otherwise.

First it’s not your concern. The priority is the baby getting a healthy and varied diet. A baby could be eating an omnivore diet and have an awful diet with lots of junk food. I think the parents would just need to ensure the child is getting the right nutrients. And I don’t think they should make the child be vegan once they can decide themselves

Has something happened to your first sentence? 🤔

Sorry: it should say 'this (your opinion) is silly'. 😊

Ah right, well, no, my opinion isn't silly just because it's not your opinion.

If people want to go vegan, they will go vegan because they know it is the right thing to do, not NOT go vegan because they didn't like the approach of some random vegan on MN.

Ah right, well, no, my opinion isn't silly just because it's not your opinion.

My opinion is that it's silly, and I'm entitled to that. No big deal, move on.

And what are those risks?

It's not the right thing, it's the right thing for you.

What has that added to the thread, for OP?