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.

Fully agree with the above stance.

I’m a vegetarian of 30+ years. My husband eats meat. Both our children do too, although one much less than the other. They are exposed to a variety of meals and alternative protein sources and can make their own choices about restricting their diets when/if they want to.

I'm vegetarian but my toddler is not. I think it's a choice they can make themselves when they're older, and a varied diet is better for him.

I know a vegan lady who is bringing up her two children vegan - they appear happy and healthy.

I only eat chicken, not red meat, but still cook it for baby. For cultural reasons we do not eat shellfish - I'm aware this is an allergen so should have been introduced before age 1, but it is more important to me that we do not eat these things, so I'll take the risk.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that your question is genuine, although I'm not convinced it is.

There is no moral issue with a mother providing breast milk to feed her own child.

The purpose of any mammal producing milk is to feed their own young.

Yes because if one is depending on eating dogs and cats for survival then the end must be nigh, there cannot be any food around.

On a thread some while ago a poster commented that she wouldn’t think highly of anyone who didn’t hand over their dog to be eaten in a disaster scenario! Not only would I not hand my dog over I am pretty sure I would fight in any way I could for her survival. I’d no more hand her over than offer my right arm to be eaten.

I would be worried about iron from 6 months, only because where I live they massively push getting a small amount of meat or into babies, particularly if they are breastfed, during weaning. There’s some research into iron requirements and toddler brain development which is behind this push and also behind the requirements for iron supplementation in baby formula. And I’d worry about B12 from birth - if I was vegan I’d want to make sure my levels were adequate so that baby would get enough through breastmilk.
Toddlers can struggle to eat enough on a high fibre diet.
If a friend asked me about whether I thought their baby would be ok on a vegan diet I’d suggest a chat with a proper dietitian. It seems like it can absolutely be done, but you have to supplement and be careful of a few nutritional traps. Personally I’d not risk it with my own child when it’s far easier to get some incredibly important nutrients through a small amount of animal derived food.

Surely eating animals should be the choice? Not eliminating them?

Wow. Not exactly even-handed terminology here, is it? Why not just say animal products, rather than trying to go for the full-on disgust factor?
This is why people are wary of veganism, they see these self righteous claims to the moral high ground as highly distasteful. (No pun intended)

Wow. Not exactly even-handed terminology here, is it? Why not just say animal products, rather than trying to go for the full-on disgust factor?
This is why people are wary of veganism, they see these self righteous claims to the moral high ground as highly distasteful. (No pun intended)

If you're wary of veganism, maybe stay off the vegan board.

I think that attitudes towards vegans has improved since the 80s.

Vegan food is easier to get hold of and is a good party food if you are catering to people with dairy allergies or food restrictions like vegetarians or Muslims as well as people who are vegan.

I can’t comment on bringing up a child vegan but one of my kids was a veggie for a while and another is allergic to dairy and as long as they aren’t fussy then their nutritional requirements can be met through diet. Hopefully that will be the case with your grandchild too.

With my child who has allergies, I ask if the host would like me to bring some food or there will be options for him available. I’ve only been asked to provide a lunchbox once, and he’s been fine with being shown the dairy free food and snacking on that instead. He’s the type to get too excited to eat much food at a party so doesn’t require lots of food.

Conversely, why not say it as it is? It IS animal flesh, they ARE bodily secretions. If that makes people uncomfortable, maybe they should wonder why. If you are perfectly comfortable with the concept of eating animals, own it.

I don't think so.
You're entitled to think otherwise.

I don't need you to give me any benefit thanks. I ask because I've witnessed a fair few debates about it.

Why though? Why is yours the default position? Just because that's how it's always been?

I don't need you to give me any benefit thanks. I ask because I've witnessed a fair few debates about it.

There's nothing to debate so I dread to think what these 'debates' are made up of and the intellect of the people debating. 🤣

The whole point of breast milk is for mammals to nourish their own young.

It’s extremely difficult, in the West where nowadays mostly both parents work, to raise babies/toddlers/children with healthy, balanced, nutritious vegan diets without resorting to ultra processed foods.

There are many vegan societies around the world. They don’t have the sorts of restrictions we have in the West.

I think vegetarianism is totally feasible, and preferable to veganism + UPFs. It’s a pick your poison situation (literally, some might say).

In your opinion there is nothing to debate, others clearly thought otherwise.

Eh?
People are allowed to think things you don't agree with.

It doesn't make me uncomfortable.
Refer to actual things as other things if it makes you happy, it won't change my opinion.

Do you have a source for this? I'm currently bf my second child, having been vegan since before my first pregnancy.

No medical professional has ever mentioned my diet, other than the midwife saying "that's good, you don't have to worry about the list of foods to avoid".

I had the same responses from 10+ years ago from medical professionals. No one said anything negative about my being vegan, or that I was raising the kids vegan. All positive and praiseful.

I think it depends if they are healthy vegans or processed patty and fake cheese vegans.
With the fussiness of toddlers, I think they self limit to a few foods that they are used to, but no toddler not introduced to chicken nuggets is going to demand only chicken nuggets and chocolate spread because they don't know what it is. It's not a childhood of being told "no" when they never are introduced to stuff in the first place, I never offered my child snacks in between meals, he never once asked for snacks in between meals because that wasn't a thing.
There are so many sources of protein that we as meat eaters or vegetarians rarely bother with, like ALL of the different beans, chickpeas, lentils and split peas, homemade nut butters and nuts. Mankind has never eaten a bigger variety of food as we do now, because we used to eat very local, but actually in the places with best health/ longer life expectancies these are less globalised communities who eat local, a smaller range of foods doesn't kill people or harm people as long as the nutrients are covered. I wouldn't be worried as long as your DD can breastfeed.

It’s extremely difficult, in the West where nowadays mostly both parents work, to raise babies/toddlers/children with healthy, balanced, nutritious vegan diets without resorting to ultra processed foods.

That's very true, I use a lot of pulses and I have to be organised enough to soak them for a couple of days in advance, sometimes if there are none pre simmered in the freezer then that meal is not an option. I think this is where batch cooking is a hero, but days off are precious and you don't always want to spend them filling the freezer.

@Confusedmaa , 👆🏻this.

My sister is vegan and raising her child vegetarian for now, it's really hard to get enough protein and calcium into them with respiring to endless processed fake crap like vegan cheese she said