Vegetarian children (?)

[endcycle]

My family is a meat eating, bacon loving, steak chowing kinda family. Of course, we also like things made of tofu, we love sushi... etc. Kinda a real omnivorous sort of group, right....

Imagine my surprise today when my 10 (turns 11 Monday omg) year old daughter comes to me and says "Dad, I don't want to eat meat anymore". My jaw kind of hit the floor.... I'll spare you the conversation - the gist is, she thinks killing animals for food is wrong.

Personally, I disagree with her BUT for an 11 year old to make that moral choice? I can't feel badly here. It shows a lot of compassion and caring, and I love to see it.

BUT... it raises a few flags for me.

First, how do we ensure she gets proper nutrition? She's already a fairly picky eater when it comes to things like beans (hates them), and that's pretty much the main way I can think of that people can get good protein in their diets.

I DO think she's okay with eggs and fish, so that helps a bit... but... I can't help but worry.

Is anyone here a vegetarian? Does anyone here know any kids that grew up as vegetarians? Any advice would be welcome.

[Aevum]

shes 11, its a phase, play along for a while and consult with a doctor or diet expert, but keep an eye and put limits, after all shes a kid and her health is above her "morals", make sure that she knows that its ok that she stands up for something she believes in, but you put her safety first,

another issue is that you should check who shes been hanging out with, maybe a vegetarian/vegan friend or teacher is influencing here, or one of those famous after school peta ambushes...

[endcycle]

shes 11, its a phase, play along for a while and consult with a doctor or diet expert, but keep an eye and put limits, after all shes a kid and her health is above her "morals", make sure that she knows that its ok that she stands up for something she believes in, but you put her safety first,

another issue is that you should check who shes been hanging out with, maybe a vegetarian/vegan friend or teacher is influencing here, or one of those famous after school peta ambushes...


No Peta ambush. :) I'd know it in this neighborhood, though this is a fairly personally liberal household. She and I already talked about the nutritional aspects, and I asked her to hold on for a moment while I research this and try to figure out if there are health risks.

[Austin]

My 14 year old granddaughter became a vegetarian a year ago. At first I thought it was a phase but she has diligently followed this lifestyle. She has not grown out of it. Her pediatrician has recommend vitamins as supplements.

[Unit 91]

I'll tell you that while they're still growing up it can be VERY unhealthy. Make sure you balance her diet very well. I was vegan for quite a number of years and I had to put a lot of effort into being healthy.

[ogopogo]

Well, at least she'll be eating fish. Though now you have to watch out for mercury and it could get rather expensive.
Does she like lentils or other legumes? because not liking beans is not a good thing for a vegetarian.

[endcycle]

Well, at least she'll be eating fish. Though now you have to watch out for mercury and it could get rather expensive.
Does she like lentils or other legumes? because not liking beans is not a good thing for a vegetarian.

i know... that's gonna make it harder. the more I read online the more I'm just thinking we'll give this a shot.... but we'll see how it goes. it's fortunate that she likes meat substitutes (soy burgers, tofu) and peanut butter, at least. :)

[reverendyo]

SHE DON"T EAT NO MEAT?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DON"T EAT NO MEAT?

Ok, we make lamb.

[Jimbo]

My step daughter would bring that up once in a while between ages 10 and 13. My wife would say ok, that means no hot dogs and she would drop it. I'd pose the question why it's ok to kill fish but not cows. You have to kill more fish than beefers to eat for a year.
Meat is a necessary part of everyones diet. You don't need a lot but you do need some every day. Right now the biggest nutritional concern would be getting enough lysine. It's an essential amino acid that is lacking in most vegetables. The exception are beans, peas, any of the legumes. If she doesn't take a liking to them, and she doesn't want to eat animal products, she's going to have a problem.
Assuming she doesn't out grow it in a few years, then iron is going to be an issue. I know you don't want to think about it but once she starts menstruating, she'll be loosing iron. Beef is a great source, otherwise lots of broccoli and green leafy vegetables which is better for the colon (so you don't think I'm totally biased).
Calcium is another big issue. It's important to build dense bones which act as calcium stores for later in life.
Those are the big ones that we know about. Who knows what other cofactors, vitamins and nutrients we don't even know about.

[Proinsias]

I think the moral choice is the easy bit, unless you think about it too much.

It's the further dedication to a healthy diet that is the harder part. If done properly I don't see health risks from going veggie at that age but the issue is that much of the 'doing it properly' is going to fall on your shoulders. If she won't eat x,y and z then alternatives have to be looked into and I would explain I'm fine with her not eating x,y and z as long as we can find something you will eat which does the job.

On the other hand there is a lot of stuff you can do with beans that is damn fine.

Personally I'd go down the route of advocating very little but very well sourced meat and investigating exactly why she feels the need to go vegetarian, I've never heard a reasonable vegetarian argument why it's ok to cut down a tree to wipe my arse with but not ok to kill and eat a chicken that has had a very good quality of life. A local chef has started selling grey squirrel on the menu and I find it hard to see an argument against eating it as they are culled locally as a natural pest and cremated.

[homebrewer]

Make sure to force all of the beans/legumes, tofu, and peanut butter that you can. I do applaud her for "having a heart", that is impressive for an 11 year old. That being said, I'd be willing to bet that the idea was implanted in her head by an overzealous vegetarian/vegan.

I previously worked at a natural food store, and some (definitely not all, just some) of the vegetarian/vegan customers were absolutely nuts. I have seen few people try to push their beliefs on others like that group. The sad thing was watching the kids that were raised by two vegans, being forced to eat a RAW vegan diet all their lives. It makes me shudder to think that these poor 10 year old kids had never eaten anything that was cooked in their lives. If that is your choice, fine.... but don't force it upon others and jeopardize the health of your children.

If she has decided to be vegetarian, just let it go where it may. The lack of cholesterol can be good for the whole family. Just make sure that she is getting the protein and vitamins that she needs. For a vegetarian diet to work properly, supplements are basically a necessity. I am Italian, as was raised, eating at the very least, one type of animal at every meal. Thanksgiving typically consisted of at least 4 different types of animals. One day my sister decided that she was vegetarian, so my grandmother made her favorite dish, which happened to consist of meat. After that, she wasn't vegetarian too long. If you get fed up with it, just make her favorite dish over and over... she'll eventually cave.

Woo.... sorry for the long post..:eek:

[TstebinsB]

SHE DON"T EAT NO MEAT?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DON"T EAT NO MEAT?

Ok, we make lamb.

This isn't the Guess The Movie thread but is that from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" In the film, it was "He don't..."

[endcycle]

to the people who think this was implanted- let me just say that this kid isn't about to be easily swayed on that one. :)

when i think strong willed... yeah. that's her. to a fault perhaps - but it's cool.

[Unit 91]

Remember that beans alone aren't complex proteins. She needs rice as well. Make sure you do research and supplement with vitamins if you have to.

[sol92258]

shes 11, its a phase, play along for a while and consult with a doctor or diet expert, but keep an eye and put limits, after all shes a kid and her health is above her "morals", make sure that she knows that its ok that she stands up for something she believes in, but you put her safety first,

another issue is that you should check who shes been hanging out with, maybe a vegetarian/vegan friend or teacher is influencing here, or one of those famous after school peta ambushes...
my first inclination

[Chimensch]

when i think strong willed... yeah. that's her. to a fault perhaps - but it's cool.

Interesting that you say that because I was reading to the end of the thread to make a related comment. From a psychological point of view, choosing what you eat is an expression of personal power (I control what goes in my body) and, at this age, I think that she is simply trying to define the limits of pressure from the outside. In other words, this is a power struggle, although the word "struggle" is probably too strong. My brother went vegan for a couple of years and I saw the whole thing as a power struggle with his father. After he made his point, he went back to eating normally. What I actually mean to say is that all the practical advice about ensuring a healthy diet, etc., is absolutely correct but don't fall into the trap of arguing about it because that will exacerbate the underlying conflict. I say, if it gets into an argument, let her win. She'll be better off in the long run.

[DunEdinRanger]

... my 10 (turns 11 Monday omg) year old daughter comes to me and says "Dad, I don't want to eat meat anymore". My jaw kind of hit the floor.... I'll spare you the conversation - the gist is, she thinks killing animals for food is wrong.


I DO think she's okay with eggs and fish, so that helps a bit... but... I can't help but worry.

Is anyone here a vegetarian? Does anyone here know any kids that grew up as vegetarians? Any advice would be welcome.

Let me play Devil's Advocate. As others have mentioned why is it OK to kill fish but not land animals? It's not OK to kill a chicken but it is OK to kill an unborn chicken? We can't eat Bambi, but sorry Flipper, you're out of luck!

What is your daughter going to tell the sharks, and crocodiles that kill other animals for food? :confused:

Or is the problem, as she sees it, the way the animals are raised and then slaughtered? Maybe she would consider "Free Range" Bovine?

[letterk]

My wife became a vegetarian at age 7 because she thought meat was "yucky". She's still a vegetarian over 25 years later. She's careful to eat appropriately, and the hardest is eating complete proteins. She eats dairy and eggs, so that helps. She tried vegan for a little while and felt physically horrible. The healthy vegan diet is tough to do.

The funny thing is she makes chicken and fish for us all the time, but never eats it herself. She has no problems with it from a philosophical, moral, or ethical perspective, but still thinks it is "yucky".

[SRock]

It's probably just a phase, but either way this can be a touchy area. I have a couple of close friends who are Vegans and when they had children they raised them as vegetarians. They didn't push it to the limit of veganism because they realized that growing kids needed more to chose from in their diet.

I didn't agree with them forcing their girls to be vegetarians, and it caused a lot of strife with their families, but in the end it appears that everything worked out for them.

Both of their daughters ended up growing to be Vegans (naturally given the lifelong influence) but both also grew to be tall healthy young women.

I asked them your question and as you may have guessed their answer was beans, beans, and more beans (and he suggested protein shakes with water when she gets older if she sticks with it).

Have your daughter try "Edamame" they are soy beans prepared a certain way. You can find info all over the net about it. But since they are soy it will help her get protein and they taste great! I am a huge fan, after having been introduced to it by my "crazy" Vegan friends. Truthfully they are somewhere between Vegan and common Vegetarian at this point in their lives.

I am a total meat eater. To me nothing is better than a medium to medium rare steak with some mushrooms and a high quality beer. I believe that we have incisors because the creator (whomever you believe he/she is) wanted us to be meat eaters, but to each his own.

I'd never judge, like I said I have friends that are Vegetarians and a couple that take it to the extremes of true Veganism, but everyone has the right to chose. You just have to be careful because in this case it is someone you care very much about. You have to be mindful of her thoughts, wishes and emotions all while watching out for what is best for her even if it isn't in line with what she wants.

[kongjie]

I don't have kids but I'm pretty sure it's not unusual for them to come home at a certain age and say that they're not eating meat anymore. Interrogating them about vegan friends or PETA supporters they've run into isn't going to help, not with their diet or as a communication strategy.

Just let her know that if she's going to choose not to eat meat, she has to be conscientious about her diet. When she says she doesn't like beans, I wonder what kinds of beans she has eaten. Some kids only think about baked beans or string beans when they think about beans. There are a world of wonderful beans and a variety of ways to serve them. She has to be willing to try new foods if she is going to get the nutrition she needs.

It may be that she doesn't like the gas that comes from beans. She might want to try some Beano. That may be helpful as she increases her intake of greens and cruciferous veggies, too.

Don't engage her on the philosophical side, just make sure she takes care of the practical stuff. Make sure that every relative who visits during dinner time doesn't tell her she's not going to get enough protein, and when she deicides to grab a burger off the grill don't make a big deal about it.

[gwmccull]

My wife has been vegetarian with few exceptions since she was 13. She has had no problems with anemia.

After we started dating, I started eating more vegetarian meals. I probably eat vegetarian meals 95% of the time now. I don't really ever miss meat and I do feel healthier for it.

My wife definitely hasn't always been a good vegetarian. She's had many years growing up where all she would eat was white pasta and a few steamed veggies due to a lack of support from her family. Like the original poster's daughter, she disliked beans. In the last few years we've been educating ourselves about eating better. We've begun including a lot of new foods such legumes, quinoa (a grain), nuts, whole grains, and yogurt. My wife even found a way to like beans. Turns out that the flavor she didn't like that she associated with beans was chipotle. Cook the beans without the chipotles and she's fine.

Everyone worries about protein in a vegetarian diet but the average American gets more than twice the amount of recommended protein. According to some, this can put unnecessary strain on your kidneys.

I think you should use this as an opportunity to encourage your daughter to educate herself about healthy eating. If she wants vegetarian meals, then perhaps you can work out a deal where she takes a turn cooking. For the most part, I've found that many of your favorite dishes can be cooked vegetarian leaving only the main entree that needs to be made seperately.

Good luck!

[Stauff]

I'm a vegetarian for 15 yrs (I'm 30) and never had any problems. I eat a lot of soy based products, chick peas and the like, dairy and eggs and fish.

My 4 yr old son has always been a strict vegetarian (no fish as of yet). He's the tallest and strongest kid in his classroom, very healthy, an incredibly good looking boy, really. :001_smile

[ScottS]

Take her to her pediatrician, and have the doc explain how this diet could impact her development, what she needs to do to make sure this doesn't happen, and what sort of red flags to watch out for.

[labrat_333]

I'd like to take a moment and speak up for all those poor little beans, cabbages, carrots, and lettuces. They are living organism too, they just don't have cute eyes and fur. Oh no I almost forgot fungi, they'll never forgive me. :001_smile


You may have already seen this if you have been searching the web. It is a guide for Vegitarian and non-vegitarians eating together. There are a lot of good ideas about comprimise and tactics to keep everyone happy. Vegetarianism can be a very healthy life style if done right. You can find a lot of Indian recipies that are vegitarian, yet are still extremely delicous and nourishing.


http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/svreports/veg_and_non-veg_eat_together.pdf

[Jim]

While I am in the camp of more meat the better, It seems that at an age where your daughter can/wants to make a life choice, she should be able to do the research and develop a food plan,shopping list and have a budget. I would use this as a opportunity for educational development. In other words let her run with it.

[philamac]

I probably eat vegetarian meals 95% of the time now. I don't really ever miss meat and I do feel healthier for it.


Everyone worries about protein in a vegetarian diet but the average American gets more than twice the amount of recommended protein. According to some, this can put unnecessary strain on your kidneys.



Very interesting points. There have been a few TV programs here in the UK (Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal) which have helped convince me to cut down my meat intake. I now try to have at least one or even two meat free days per week.

I had started to think that not only was I eating too much meat (at the cost of fresh fruit and veg) for health reasons, I was also concerned at the quality and provenance of what I may have been eating.

ANd the money I save on meat on those two days helps to pay for a top notch rib-eye steak on Saturday night:w00t:

This has also led me to seriosly reduce sweet/candy, junk food and crisp/potato chip intake.

I think there is a lot to be said for vegetarianism, and with a little effort the food can be very tasty.:tongue_sm,

[stevensj2]

Its a touchy discussion to have with an 11 year old, but I think anyone who wants to stop eating meat should (1) be commended for such compassion and caring, especially at a young age - shows a lot of character, IMO and (2) be informed that a vegetarian lifestyle (and even a 100% vegan one) still results in the loss of animal life.

It is scientifically impossible for one animal on this planet to survive without the deaths of another animal (even herbivores and omnivores, though it is not direct).

A lot of people think a grain field is just vegetation, but they rarely consider the numbers of rabbits, snakes, foxes, mice, coyote pups, birds, etc that get caught up in the harvesters.

But that isn't the end of it. The animals that are "lucky" enough to have survived that have just lost a home (no safety from other predators) and their major food source. With the entire "world" that these animals depended on for food gone, enourmous die offs due to starvation and over predation occur.

Now granted, I dont recommend anyone tell a child their life is due to such things, but it is nature, and it does happen. It is the way life works.

That being said, I believe there are plenty of good reasons for one to choose a vegetarian lifestyle - however - not wanting to hurt or kill animals is not one of them.

If I was in your shoes, I would really commend my daughter for standing up for what she believes in, but I'd also make sure that those beliefs are sound/accurate, and not due to outside influences, and are therefore made for the correct reason. (That isn't advice so much, just the way I would approach it in a similar situation).

Vegetarian/Veganism for health reasons: Good reason.
For animal cruelty/deaths: Not so much.

[Confuzius]

I was raised Ovo-Lacto-Vegetarian.
We ate eggs and dairy products, but no meat, fish etc.

I started eating meat when I was 13, it was my teenage rebellion.
I hit 6' tall when I was 12. (I'm turning 26 next month and I'm 6'3 and 230lbs, the bacon made me a bit doughy)

My parents and sister are all still vegetarian, and have been for around 30 years (well 23 for my sister)

My dad's reasoning behind it is that grains and legumes are going be used to feed cattle, or people. It's more efficient to feed them directly to people. If you took the amounts of grain/soy and water it takes to raise one beef cattle you could feed substantially more people with the grains than you could with the meat from the cow.

I can easily argue both sides of the vegetarian debate, I can argue more than just two sides, but that's aside the point.


You need to make sure that she gets a balanced diet, it's not that tough, and I find that vegetarian diet lends itself to diversity in the kitchen, almost by necessity. While my friends were eating roast beef and mashed potatoes, I was enjoying Masala Chickpeas, dahl, onion bajji and curried okra.

You may want to check out the Moosewood Cookbook, it's pretty much the vegetarian kitchen bible http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304

[Aevum]

what i dont get is soy, its targeted as a "health food" but its basicly a cheap filler, and there has been some links between soy and breast cancer in women,

on the other hand, alot of the hormons they put in beef today are also a bit of a worry,

[endcycle]

Some awesome posts.

Those of you who think my kid got ambushed or peer-pressured into it... wow, people. You need to relax a bit on your reactionary-ness. :)

Thanks for the link, labrat. I've done some research and it looks like we can more than adequately fill her nutrition requirements with a few modifications to her diet.

I have to say that I'm very proud of my daughter for standing up on her own on this one. According to her, she's already taken some ribbing at school about it, but she's staying firm.

[ogopogo]

Maybe as a way of showing support for her decision you could take her to an Indian restaurant for the vegetarian dishes. I swear, the only way I could ever be a vegetarian would be on an Indian food diet.

[endcycle]

Maybe as a way of showing support for her decision you could take her to an Indian restaurant for the vegetarian dishes. I swear, the only way I could ever be a vegetarian would be on an Indian food diet.

ohhhhh man that sounds good tonight... if it wasn't halloween i'd be going for sure.

[Jimbo]

...
Everyone worries about protein in a vegetarian diet but the average American gets more than twice the amount of recommended protein. According to some, this can put unnecessary strain on your kidneys.
...

Protein isn't the problem. Jello is loaded with protein. The problem is most vegetable proteins (with the exception of legumes) are lacking in a couple of essential amino acids which humans need to make our own proteins. A vegetarian diet, while it may have plenty of proteins, it lacks the Amino Acid lysine. Eat 4-5 oz of meat and it's not an issue.
Too much protein (or amino acid) is tough on the kidneys. Be it animal or vegetable protein or amino acid supplements. Amino Acids have an ammonia group that needs to be removed and excreted. Too much ammonia = too much pressure on the kidneys.

Its a touchy discussion to have with an 11 year old, but I think anyone who wants to stop eating meat should (1) be commended for such compassion and caring, especially at a young age - shows a lot of character, IMO and (2) be informed that a vegetarian lifestyle (and even a 100% vegan one) still results in the loss of animal life.

It is scientifically impossible for one animal on this planet to survive without the deaths of another animal (even herbivores and omnivores, though it is not direct).

A lot of people think a grain field is just vegetation, but they rarely consider the numbers of rabbits, snakes, foxes, mice, coyote pups, birds, etc that get caught up in the harvesters.

But that isn't the end of it. The animals that are "lucky" enough to have survived that have just lost a home (no safety from other predators) and their major food source. With the entire "world" that these animals depended on for food gone, enourmous die offs due to starvation and over predation occur.

Now granted, I dont recommend anyone tell a child their life is due to such things, but it is nature, and it does happen. It is the way life works.

That being said, I believe there are plenty of good reasons for one to choose a vegetarian lifestyle - however - not wanting to hurt or kill animals is not one of them.

If I was in your shoes, I would really commend my daughter for standing up for what she believes in, but I'd also make sure that those beliefs are sound/accurate, and not due to outside influences, and are therefore made for the correct reason. (That isn't advice so much, just the way I would approach it in a similar situation).

Vegetarian/Veganism for health reasons: Good reason.
For animal cruelty/deaths: Not so much.
Excellent point.

Another thing that disturbs me... I'm concerned about parents indulging a child's every whim. It seems parents feel obliged to kowtow to their kids and I don't think that's right. Me telling my mother I didn't like, say, brussels sprouts because they were icky and I didn't want to eat them, well that just didn't fly. My mother worked all day and then came home and cooked dinner for us and we ate it. And that was all there was to it. I don't care for this idea of a 10 or 11 year old dictating to adults in anything situation, including what they will and won't eat. I think it's a sad state of affairs that society has come to this point and because it's sheik or politically INcorrect to eat meat, 10 year olds are being empowered to control what the rest of the family eats.
I'm not making a judgement on endcycle, I'm just stating that children are being empowered for the wrong reasons and I think it's bad.

[Confuzius]

Protein isn't the problem. Jello is loaded with protein. The problem is most vegetable proteins (with the exception of legumes) are lacking in a couple of essential amino acids which humans need to make our own proteins. A vegetarian diet, while it may have plenty of proteins, it lacks the Amino Acid lysine. Eat 4-5 oz of meat and it's not an issue.
Excellent point..

Egg whites have more lysine than beef per gram, and most processed soy "meat alternatives" contain soy protein isolate that is rich in lysine. Not much of an issue.

[kwk285]

when you are a carnivore or vegitarian you can eat healthy or not. I don't feel one guarantees a better quality of life. To me it all comes down to what you feel the most comfortable eating.

[rabidpotatochip]

I'd like to add one bit to this discussion, if your daughter stays vegetarian make sure she develops a response as to why it's wrong to eat animals. I know vegetarians that don't eat meat because they're against the commercial production of it. Fair enough, but I couldn't get them to eat hunted game. I know a vegetarian that won't eat love. Creepy, but still a reason. I couldn't convince her to eat sea turtle though. Go figure. I've met vegetarians that just don't like meat. In my opinion, that's the easiest one to defend/justify.

Now, I don't care what your family does/doesn't eat, but I suggest you and her do some thinking as to why she feels it's wrong so she doesn't grow up to be one of "those vegetarians" that works for PETA.

Some interesting (and semi-off-topic) trivia: most people that do eat meat are musculutarians rather than carnivores. If any of you vegetarians want to have fun with people that call themselves carnivores offer them prairie oysters, salmon skin (delicious when fried), tongue, sweetmeats, and so on. By definition, a carnivore eats pretty much everything that's not fur or bone.

Yeah, I like poking people on both sides of the fence.

[kongjie]

Me telling my mother I didn't like, say, brussels sprouts because they were icky and I didn't want to eat them, well that just didn't fly. My mother worked all day and then came home and cooked dinner for us and we ate it. And that was all there was to it. I don't care for this idea of a 10 or 11 year old dictating to adults in anything situation, including what they will and won't eat.

Well, how about if she takes responsibility for her choices and helps to prepare her dinner?

Tastes change as we age and one thing that parents may not consider is that, to a child, things like Brussels sprouts and broccoli truly can be ghastly. If your wife told you she hates beets, you probably wouldn't try to force her to eat beets, or convince her that beets taste good. So why do we think it makes sense to force kids to eat things they claim they don't like? I'm not talking about indulging a kid who wont' eat, for example, any vegetables. But if there are a couple things your kid gags on, why force the issue just to prove you're not going to let a 10-year-old push you around?

My mother worked all day and cooked dinner for us. And sometime around my late teens I realized that my mother didn't know how to cook vegetables and that done properly, they were delicious. For example, broccoli: she boiled it until it was the olive-green color of 70s kitchens. I finally had to teach her to stop cooking it while it still has a bright green color.

If a mother is a really crappy cook, should her kids have to smile and swallow her worst disasters? Yes, if we're on the prairie in 1850 and there is no option. But times have changed.

[Confuzius]

When I started eating meat, I told myself that I wouldn't discriminate, as it would be hypocritical of me. I also need to get into hunting, at least once. I'm well aware that what I am eating was once a living breathing thing, and I figured that if I'm good enough to eat it, I'd better be prepared to kill it too. I just haven't found the opportunity to go hunting yet. I respect that my steak was once a cow, pretending it wasn't is disrespectful to the cow.

As an ex-vegetarian, nothing makes me angrier than someone who eats meat complaining about hunting or slaughterhouse practices. If you don't like it; don't eat meat.

[masonjarjar]

Meat is a necessary part of everyones diet.

I like meat myself, but I don't agree that that statement is true for everyone.

[endcycle]

Well, how about if she takes responsibility for her choices and helps to prepare her dinner?

Tastes change as we age and one thing that parents may not consider is that, to a child, things like Brussels sprouts and broccoli truly can be ghastly. If your wife told you she hates beets, you probably wouldn't try to force her to eat beets, or convince her that beets taste good. So why do we think it makes sense to force kids to eat things they claim they don't like? I'm not talking about indulging a kid who wont' eat, for example, any vegetables. But if there are a couple things your kid gags on, why force the issue just to prove you're not going to let a 10-year-old push you around?

My mother worked all day and cooked dinner for us. And sometime around my late teens I realized that my mother didn't know how to cook vegetables and that done properly, they were delicious. For example, broccoli: she boiled it until it was the olive-green color of 70s kitchens. I finally had to teach her to stop cooking it while it still has a bright green color.

If a mother is a really crappy cook, should her kids have to smile and swallow her worst disasters? Yes, if we're on the prairie in 1850 and there is no option. But times have changed.


Quoted specifically because... well, YEAH! Exactly.

I don't subvert my kids' will about ANYTHING. Yes, I'll step in when they're wrong and correct them, but (so far) they're really good kids that actually make pretty intelligent choices. I've found that the trick to get them there has been to let them express themselves, and when they're wrong I make damned sure they get why they're wrong. No spanking. No screaming (well, not totally true - we all lose our temper over stupid things sometimes though :)). No belittling them. Somehow it's worked out pretty well. They both get great grades, they're relatively responsible, and they are definitely compassionate and interesting people.

THAT said, they're both within a few moments of their teenage years... at which point, being that they're girls and I'm a dad with full custody, I'm just gonna close my eyes and hang on for dear life and hope my girlfriend wakes me up for the inevitable disasters.

[Robxcarlson]

My wife and I have been a vegetarians for 6 years. We have a two year old son who's never eaten meat. He's not just healthy, he's very healthy. My wife, of course, ate no meat during the pregnancy and had no health problems, no anemia. Our son was born at 8 lbs. My son's pediatrician supports his diet.

Our choice to abstain from meat is personal. We don't proselytize, nor do we judge others for their choices. We don't feel the need to defend our choice either.

In any diet you have to make careful choices to ensure proper nutrition. Not only is eating meat not a guarantee of a healthy diet, many, many meat eating kids are overweight and due for some serious medical problems. Of course many kids eat meat and are healthy - I'm just trying to make the the point that no diet guarantees health. Some vegetarians are malnourished from poor food choices, not because vegetarianism isn't a healthy option.

I think it's great that your daughter wants to become a vegetarian. It doesn't really matter for which reason she's made the choice. Indulge her and teach her how to make healthy choices. Make her a part of the family meals, even when you choose to prepare meat, by making acceptable vegetarian sides and having her prepare a something else for herself to eat with the family. If she decides later (or sooner) to eat meat again, fine. Perhaps the lesson she'll take away is how to prepare and eat healthy foods. In the future if my son decides to eat meat, that'll be his choice and we'll never force him to do anything that is unnatural to him. We want to raise our son to think for himself.

[Mysterion]

I've been a vegetarian for 35 years, since I was 15. I spent a number of those years working in the natural foods industry.

Your daughter may be going through a phase, or she may make this change permanent. Whatever her choice, it sounds as if you're prepared to be very supportive. (My mother still forgets that I'm not having brisket...)

There's no reason your daughter can't have a perfectly healthy, meat-free adolescence. Most of the suggestions for protein sources are good, although I agree with one poster that many folks eat too much protein. One soy food that hasn't been mentioned is tempeh; it provides both lysine and B-12. Some people love it, some hate it. (Sauté cubes with tamari until they're crusty. Yum.) Your daughter will probably need to experiment a bit with soy foods--some people find them difficult to digest. If push comes to shove, and she really needs more protein (unlikely,) Natureade makes a good vegetarian protein powder, in soy-based and soy-free formulas.

Also agree that a good supplement is appropriate; Rainbow Light and New Chapter both make good teen multis.

Calcium really shouldn't be an issue, even if she gives up dairy. (Dairy isn't a great calcium source anyway; that's a notion that's been heavily promoted to doctors by The Dairy Council, a lobbying group.) Kale and almonds are two quick suggestions.

Two final kvetches: Folks who eat fish are not vegetarians. No judgment made, but you need to invent a word to describe yourselves.

Also,
...Jello is loaded with protein...
True enough, but it's hardly vegetarian...

[endcycle]

Thanks for the suggestions Mysterion - and I have to say I laughed out loud at the fish line.

[DunEdinRanger]

Considering the price of meat, the kid may have done you a huge favor. :biggrin:

[kongjie]

Two final kvetches: Folks who eat fish are not vegetarians. No judgment made, but you need to invent a word to describe yourselves.


Fish and egg "vegetarians" are called pesco-ovo vegetarians as I recall.

[Mysterion]

You may also want to check out a local vegetarian organization, like Baltimore's Vegetarian Resource Group. (http://www.vrg.org/) They can provide some guidance on local resources, veg-friendly restaurants, even dining-plan details for college-bound kids.

Naturally, there are a ton of good books and cookbooks. Moosewood has been mentioned by another poster; it's a good basis to start, though a bit heavy and high fat--very 70s, cheese and nut-butter rich recipes. Passionate Vegetarian, (http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/)by Crescent Dragonwagon would be a great book for a young vegetarian. Yes, she has a goofy hippie name, but it's a great, varied book, and the cuisine is both direct and sophisticated.

[kongjie]

Two great veggie cookbooks of recent note:

Mark Bittman and Alan Witschonke's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison