Vegetarianism for kids

chela

I have been wanting to become a vegetarian for years. I have gone through periods where I rarely ate meat, but not recently. Recently, though, I have reduced meals containing meat to around 2-4 per week. The reason it is difficult is because my husband has a typical midwestern "meat and potatoes" idea of what a meal should be.

Something really interesting happened this evening. My very articulate 2 1/2 year old was watching a preschool program in which they were cutting up fruit for a fruit salad. At first she said she didn't like salad, but I told her that it wasn't a lettuce salad and that the salad contained a mixture of fruit, not lettuce. I said, "you like to eat fruit, don't you?" She said, "Yes. But I don't like to eat animals."

I think my jaw fell open. I know for sure that she has never heard me say this-- I know that I've never said anything about "eating animals" in front of her. I may have said something having to do with "eating meat," but not eating animals.

So now I am thinking that maybe we will discuss this further and see about going fully vegetarian (she and I, not my husband as I am sure he would protest profusely). Around my part of the world, the notion of a child being a vegetarian is fairly frowned upon and is generally thought of as not being healthy. I know that this is not true, though, as long as you are knowledgeable and careful about meal planning and getting the nutrients balanced.

Does anyone here have vegetarian children? Anyone have any suggestions for resources?

Takuan

There is a documentary called "forks over knives". If you get the DVD, there is another documentary featuring Rip Esselstyn, author of "The Engine Two Diet", in the special features. He provides several kid friendly recipes, including pizza and ice cream.

chela

Takuan said:

There is a documentary called "forks over knives". If you get the DVD, there is another documentary featuring Rip Esselstyn, author of "The Engine Two Diet", in the special features. He provides several kid friendly recipes, including pizza and ice cream.

Awesome- I just placed a hold on it at our library!

Takuan

If you have netflix, Rip Esselstyn's documentary is entitled "Forks over Knives Presents: The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue".

how

My daughter is 21, has always been a vegetarian and is healthy and strong. It is no more difficult for a child to be a vegetarian than you. In many parts of the world it's common where they have neither the variation or affluence that we do.

chela

how said:

My daughter is 21, has always been a vegetarian and is healthy and strong. It is no more difficult for a child to be a vegetarian than you. In many parts of the world it's common where they have neither the variation or affluence that we do.

Sometimes I get a sense that the people in my area, who are largely ignorant of the benefits of vegetarianism or how to be healthy in general, have a certain snobishness about eating. Sort of like equating eating meat with being wealthier (even though many are not wealthy at all), or like we are entitled to eat so much meat in the US (or we are entitled to eat so much, period). I suppose it is a clinging, and even I do this with food when not thinking very clearly.

seeker242

www.vrg.org

Has pretty much everything you would need to know, and links to a bunch of other resources too.

blu3ree

I've read that the main concern for veggetarians is to get vitamin b12 everything else will be covered in a proper diet. B12 is thought to relate to brain development and after a certain age one cannot build onto what that have.

Yaskan

chela said:

how said:

My daughter is 21, has always been a vegetarian and is healthy and strong. It is no more difficult for a child to be a vegetarian than you. In many parts of the world it's common where they have neither the variation or affluence that we do.

Sometimes I get a sense that the people in my area, who are largely ignorant of the benefits of vegetarianism or how to be healthy in general, have a certain snobishness about eating. Sort of like equating eating meat with being wealthier (even though many are not wealthy at all), or like we are entitled to eat so much meat in the US (or we are entitled to eat so much, period). I suppose it is a clinging, and even I do this with food when not thinking very clearly.

The view that eating meat = wealthy/affluent is probably based on the fact that as societies develop and become more prosperous, the demand for meat also increases. From what I've read, it's actually a serious problem, because it won't be long before the world can't support the meat demand (50yrs is one figure I've seen).

vinlyn

^ Certainly true in Thailand...and there's also a gradation of demand depending on the price of a particular meat. For example, beef is the least common; chicken and pork more common.

Invincible_summer

I personally found that "Forks Over Knives" was more about some people wanting to lose weight than any dramatic investigation into food.

I personally prefer books like "Eating Animals," "The Omnivore's Dilemma," and "Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat" to look into the paradigms surrounding vegetarianism and the meat industry in general.

I know it's not really what you were asking for, @chela, but I found those books to be very enlightening (pardon the pun).

lobster

chela said:

Does anyone here have vegetarian children? Anyone have any suggestions for resources?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Cook-Children-Grisly-Recipe/dp/1862057710

Bad, bad lobster, into the pot with you . . .

chela

Yaskan said:

The view that eating meat = wealthy/affluent is probably based on the fact that as societies develop and become more prosperous, the demand for meat also increases.

This reminds me of the study of the chimpanzee troups, where the more aggressive (aka "prosperous") group eats more meat, and even occasionally commits cannibalism.

Without some type of spiritual practice, I think humans are just like this. We just pretend that we're not and cloak our actions in "civilized society".

Invincible_summer

Yaskan said:

The view that eating meat = wealthy/affluent is probably based on the fact that as societies develop and become more prosperous, the demand for meat also increases.

Just a funny (well, IMO) anecdote: My uncle recently returned from a trip to China, and I remember him saying "China is still pretty poor... when you go out to eat, there's not that much meat compared to here in Canada!" as if meat portion size was an criterion for the success of a nation or something.

TheEccentric

I have known plenty of other kids through out my childhood who have been vegetarian, there is certainly nothing wrong with it.

trendybuddha

I don't think it is a problem unless it is forced. It is not hurting anyone to eat less meat, we don't need to eat so much meat.

FireSong

I'm vegan and my kiddo is too, and he's as healthy as a horse! Just make sure to get plenty of variation, good plant-based protein sources, avoid GMOs as much as you can, buy organic as much as you can, etc.

Here are a few websites with some fun, kid-friendly recipes:

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/kid-friendly-recipes.php
http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/
http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2010/10/100-nutritious-delicious-vegetarian-recipes-for-picky-kids-husbands/

There are tons of other resources on the interwebs. Google away, and best wishes on giving the veg life a go.