Looking for vegan/vegetarian moms..

Cassie - posted on 05/31/2013

I have been a vegetarian for 25 years and turned vegan 10 years ago. My partner is vegetarian and we will be raising our 6 month year old daughter vegetarian. We have been researching the best ways to raise her as vegetarian.

Kate - posted on 05/14/2013

I'm in :) everybody is vegetarian in my family so we hadn't have adjusting problems!

April - posted on 03/11/2013

Hi,

I'm vegan and I have a 3,5 yr old and 16 mo old. I also believe a vegan diet is the most healthy way to eat. With that said, I give
My kids all the food I eat but add a little meat here and there. My kids hate beans so it's tough on the protein end. They do eat a lot of nuts but we don't do soy products. Our family dr is also vegan and recommended that we do milk for kids under 2 then we can switch to almond or coconut. My 16 mo old is still breastfed so it's not currently an issue.
With that said we do all organic and not processed food. If they don't adhere to a totally vegan diet, at least I know they are getting good food.
For me, it's hard to be 100% vegan with the kids (my husband is a huge meat eater) but if you can do it I applaud you bc it's the best way to go. Our dr recommends it as well and says its perfectly healthy (but to stay away from soy bc of the hormones.)

Stepsinstilettos - posted on 03/11/2013

Our blog, http://Stepsinstilettos.com, which was also voted Top 25 on this site, is dedicated towards vegan Moms and Kids! I raise both of my children 1 and 3 on a plant-based diet and there are thriving! I am currently in week 33 of a vegan pregnancy. We offer lots of different tips on our site, feel free to subscribe for our weekly updates! I find the more support I have, the easier it is for me. Would love to hear how your kids are doing too!

Jamie

Chris - posted on 06/27/2012

Danielle - if he has no issue with nuts, add some of those to his diet for extra fat. And then there are the omega fats like hemp that you can put in too.
How old is he?
Is he further down on the height/weight chart from when he was a baby or still the same?

Danielle - posted on 06/17/2012

I am a whole foods vegan and I try to give my son as many whole foods as possible. He loves green smoothies and hummus and avocados! I am playing with the idea of giving him meat bc his doctor thinks he doesnt weigh enough! Idk.. he may just be on the leaner side anyways but I would love to talk about vegan foods to keep him vegan and make sure hes getting the right nutrition!

Steffi - posted on 02/10/2012

I am vegan and have raised my daughter vegan from day 1. She is now seven and I believe her personal goal is to bust all negative myths about vegan children. She has never been sick enough to need antibiotics, she is athletic, excels in school and has as much or more energy than any kid I know. If you have any questions about raising a vegan child I would love to answer based on my experiences.

Nancy Cuevas - posted on 12/02/2011

Tarryn, thanks so much for starting this conversation! My husband and I are vegan for almost two years now. We had been vegetarians before that. I have set out to help my extended family with cancer issues and the more I find out the more I am reassured about a plant based diet is the way to go. We are vegan for compassionate reasons. We believe this world will not survive if we so not stop factory farming. After seeing the movie Earthlings at www.earthlings.com I can never eat animal products again. and until just recently started giving away all my leather shoes and bags :) My journey has led me to pursuing a holistic health coach certification because I want to know as much as I can about nutrition, health and taking care of our environment. The more I learn the more I stand firm in going vegan. Protein is necessary but a little bit goes a long way. Please research where your food comes from and make sure you are feeding the best possible foods to your children no matter what they are... meaning organic, humanely raised..non GMO. Our planet depends on it. here is a great video on how much protein we actually need. it's a bit long but it's the best one i've come across so far.

Rachel - posted on 11/29/2011

hi im a vegetarian and so are my kids. We have been vegetarians for about a year now. My son is going to be 1 this thursday and has never ate any meat or cow milk. He breastfeeds, and drinks soymilk. He loves tofu and all the veggie meats. and My daughter shes working on it, shes having a little bit of a hard time with the change, but we are working on it. I want whats best for my kids, especially knowing what our meat is like in these days

Angela - posted on 11/22/2011

we are 100% vegan absolutely no animal products in our house at all, even the dog is on vegetarian food I have been this way for a few years and my daughter who is 8 has mostly been this way when we decided to take all animal products milk, cheese eggs and such out of diet it was a big change but our health and hers is 100% awesome.

Becca - posted on 11/16/2011

I've been veggie for almost twelve years, vegan for 3 and then when pregnant started to eat organic eggs and cheese -Thought I would raise my 2 year old vegan, but found it was easier (and healthier?) to give him eggs and cheese - I only get organic dairy though - Non organic eggs and milk are completely different products then organic ones...I will feed him no meat until one day (which I am sure will happen) he goes off with his buddies and tries a burger - At that point he can make his own decision - As long as I'm feeding and housing him he will eat no meat!
BTW he is SOOO energetic and has a really "mature" palate
Let me know if you have any more questions :)
Becca

Corey - posted on 11/15/2011

Hey Tarryn. My husband has been a vegetarian since he was young, so I am mostly preparing veggie meals for the family... including the kiddos. Come check out my blog. I have a ton of vegetarian recipe ideas :)
http://familyfreshmeals.blogspot.com/sea...

Charmaine - posted on 10/03/2011

The good thing abt stayn vegetarian is my son gets to eat various veggies, his digestive tract learns to digest them. Meats are good but you end up giving only 1 type of protein - muscle protein no matter which animal. When you are vegetarian you will try various gram - chick pea, peas, soya bean etc and various veggies, etc...varied sources of nutrition

Melissa - posted on 09/11/2011

I realize this is an very old post however I thought you might find this blog interesting: http://anti-ism.posterous.com/

Heather - posted on 09/07/2011

I am vegan and have raised my daughter as a vegan since conception. Ask away!

Chris - posted on 07/28/2011

I've been a veggie for a decade or so. I've been vegan and will likely be again in the future. I have 2 year old twins who are being raised veggie. When they are old enough to understand, they can decide to eat meat if they want. Since my kids have never known anything else, there is no adjustment for them. I'm trying to find foods with enough calcium in them that they like. I dont want to be soy dependent, although is a part of their diet.

Chammeana - posted on 07/04/2011

I am vegetarian but I lean more towards vegan. I dont eat meat, eggs or cheese. I eat only fish, tofu, and beans for my proteins. My husband and kids wont stop eating meat. I'm letting them make their own choices. I'm preganent with our third. Maybe one day we will be a vegan family.

Rachel - posted on 04/24/2011

Hi!
I have been a vegetarian all my life. My husband has not. But when I cook, he eats. Since I cook most of what we eat, he's pretty much vegetarian also. Our daughter is almost 11 months old now. We are working on solids, though she pretty much just nurses. We are working on this plan (we'll see how it goes for sure when we get there):
Fruits and mild veggies to start with, simple, non-gluten grains after a year, then introduce nuts and more complex foods closer to 2 years. I eat dairy and eggs, but would rather leave that until much later. I DON'T want her to eat any meat..... ever. :-p If she decides to eat meat when she is old enough to decide for herself, ok. Otherwise, no meat.
My nieces and nephews eat meat and say they want to be vegetarian because the food is so good. :-p
When the diet is whole, well rounded, with lots of variety, there is no need for meat, in my opinion.
Did you know it takes *48 HOURS* for humans to digest meat??? Eww. That right there is a turn off....
Thanks for posting!

Chris - posted on 03/10/2011

My daughter is also looking for advice on whether or not to raise her son vegetarian..
http://www.circleofmoms.com/baby-bullet-...

Chris - posted on 03/10/2011

My daughter is also looking for advice on whether or not to raise her son vegetarian..
http://www.circleofmoms.com/baby-bullet-...

Chris - posted on 03/10/2011

http://www.circleofmoms.com/baby-bullet-...

Joelle - posted on 05/15/2010

Been a vegan for eleven years, and I have 3 kids (ages 5, 8, 9) who have been vegan since tummyhood. They LOVE their vegan lifestyle. Sure, it's all they have ever known, but I have been blessed that I don't have to force them, really they make a choice daily. "I will not eat anything that is/has a mommy or has a face." And they are around non-vegan meat eating kids/adults all the time. I also homeschool my kids, so we are studying human anatomy all the time which helps them to understand WHY we are vegan. They completely understand how the body digests whole plants foods and how that translates into good blood. THey have never been sick enough to see a doctor.



My biggest piece of advice for mommies of vegan kids 1)make sure you have a delicious vegan dessert for your kids at bday parties or other events so they don't feel deprived or left out.

ME - posted on 05/15/2010

I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 (33 now!) I was vegan until I met my husband in 2006, now just veg...it was too hard for us to eat out together, and my first pregnancy was hard on me too...was tired all the time, needed more sources of protein.

My son (2 years and 3 mos old) was vegetarian until very recently...I won't keep meat from him when he wants it, because my vegetarianism was a very personal decision. He is very healthy, and fruit and veggies (mostly raw) are his favorite foods. I don't mind if he eats (free range, organic) meat occasionally. I think forcing him into my lifestyle would eventually send hime running from it; I'd rather he comes to his own conclusions. He refused meat and dairy until he was about 18 mos old and he quit nursing...not sure if that had something to do with my own vegetarianism or not...I have many veggie recipes that he likes a lot tho...he LOVES tofu and morningstar veggie crumbles, and most days he doesn't eat any meat...

Anne - posted on 05/13/2010

Only just read the post about land clearing. Meat farming requires much more land resources. The UN has just put out a report which states that the world needs to reduce it's meat consumption. That meat consumption is at the head of factors leading to a loss of global bio-diversity. http://www.meatinfo.co.uk/news/fullstory... It is well established that the biggest thing you can do for the environment is to go veggie. It's just common sense. Feeding crops to animals to kill and eat them is not as efficient as eating the crops yourself. I encourage you to look up the energy consumption figures for meat farming. I don't have them to hand anymore but they will open your eyes. It isn't true to say that something has to die to feed you. Slaughtering a menagerie of sentient beings in no way compares to the death toll of eating an organic carrot! :-) Remember more land clearing is done for meat farming. If everyone went vegetarian we would have a surplus of land and food. I dispute what you are saying about our ancestors. Our biology indicates that we are most suited to being vegetarian. If you want to get in to the bible and what God intended he asked Adam to name the animals - an act that was associated with friendship. He said that humans were to eat from the fruits of the trees and the implication was that we were to look after his kingdom and creatures. The commandment says 'thou shalt not kill' plain and simple.

Mary - posted on 05/13/2010

Hi Tarryn,

My kids are vegetarian and have been their whole life. We used to be completely vegan and are almost vegan now, we just eat pizza sometimes, but definitely do not eat any sort of meat, bird, etc. I have been eating this way for over 15 years so I went through two pregnancies when I was totally vegan. What questions do you have?

Garima - posted on 04/09/2010

To all here who are asking why or how to be a vegetarian--- Please see this presentation by PETA . Everyone should see this. http://www.peta.org/vsk/

I am a vegetarian by birth I should say . All my family has been vegetarian since generations. We all are very healthy and happy.You can find many many Indians who are strictly vegetarian since ever. I have a healthy very active 19 month old daughter. To those who say they don't want to impose vegetables:) on their babies??! Aren't they imposing meat on their babies?? Please see this presentation for further knowledge that we DO NOT need to eat meat in order to get full nutrition . AGAIN -http://www.peta.org/vsk/

I am ready to discuss this to all extents . Take Care..

Rachel - posted on 04/09/2010

Hello,
I've been a vegetarian all my life! My husband isn't, but he says that if I cook it, he'll eat it, which I very much appreciate. So... I'm thinking it will work out for our children (first due in about 2 months) to be raised vegetarian. If, when they are older, they decide to eat meat, that will be up to them... but not now, and not any time in the near future. Children have a more sensitive digestive tract, and meat is much harder to digest anyway. I don't believe that God intended for us to kill animals to eat, when there are so many plants that provide the same nutrients. Meat came into the diet of man only after sin came in.
I think it would also be good to be vegan, but I would rather have animal proteins from dairy and eggs than too much soy right now.
So, if you're looking for a vegetarian family, here we are! :-)

Jane - posted on 04/05/2010

I am a meat eating "vegan" (I have egg and dairy allergies, also I refuse to eat soy). I will eat organic grass fed meat and a little fish. I would have concerns about using soy as your main protein source. Soy is one of the most genectically modified foods. If it doesn't specifically say non-GMO, then it is genetically modified. Also, legumes are an inflammatory food. An anti-inflammatory diet includes grass fed beef and fish.

Katie - posted on 04/04/2010

I am newly switched from vegetarian to vegan and I am raising my 3.5 year old vegetarian:)

Jessica - posted on 04/01/2010

I have been vegetarian for 5 years now, thru 2 pregnancies. My partner who I was with for 4 years before I fell pregnant is not so I was already preparing meals that we could both eat (meat on the side that I wouldn't eat) or vegetarian meals he would eat. I raised both my girls vegetarian untilled they were old enough to look at daddy's plate and ask to try it. It was never a secret where meat came from either. One of my daughters loves meat, so I'll give her what dad eats, but my youngest prefers my diet. I am making sure they are well educated about things in the food industry so when they are more mature they can make more educated decisions.

Maggie - posted on 03/29/2010

Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

http://www.westonaprice.org/Myths-Truths...

Maggie - posted on 03/29/2010

I agree factory farming is horrible and damaging to the earth. But so are monocrops. In order to grow soybeans, trees need to be cleared. The truth is that agriculture requires the wholesale destruction of entire ecosystems.
The truth is also that life isn’t possible without death, that no matter what you eat, someone has to die to feed you, that goes way beyond what’s dead on your plate. I’m asking about everything that died in the process, everything that was killed to get that food onto your plate. Despite what you’ve been told, and despite the earnestness of the tellers, eating soybeans isn’t going to bring them back.
Ninety-eight percent of the American prairie is gone, turned into a monocrop of annual grains. What about all the life that once lived where these 1000's of acres of soybean fields are now? Just because you are not eating the rabbit, squirrel, bird, tree etc. does not mean it did not die for your food to be grown.

How many rivers were dammed and drained, how many prairies plowed and forests pulled down, how much topsoil turned to dust and blown into ghosts? Soybeans, corn, wheat, tomatoes, bananas, fruits vegetables are all grown on factory farms!!!!! and they are just as disgusting as animal factory farms!!!!! eat they way god intended. our ancestors thrived on meat. http://www.westonaprice.org/Vegetarian-T...

Dawn - posted on 03/27/2010

"Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin B12. As the vitamin B12 occurs naturally only in animal products (eggs, meat, milk); a vegan diet can produce a deficiency unless one uses supplements or eats enriched food" - Wikipedia, B-12 deficiency, Causes

Here are 2 links I found interesting;

http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2008/...

http://www.acu-cell.com/veg.html

About me: I am a meat eater; I support vegetarianism; I am against a vegan diet in most instances.

Skye - posted on 03/26/2010

I am a strict ovo-lacto vegetarian and have been for about 7 years. I understand the reasoning behind veganism but it is not the lifestyle for me. However, when I do drink milk and eat eggs I always buy organically fed, hormone and antibiotic free, cage-free or free range products. I love ice cream too and I check to make sure the coffee and chocolate ingredients are certified fair-trade. There are a limitless number of things in our daily lives that impact the environment. But that was only one of the reasons for my meatless diet. I also believe in animal welfare as well as the health benefits of my chosen diet. That's why I plan to raise my son (8 months old) vegetarian as well. I become a bit confused when parents say "I'm going to let it be my child's choice." A young child cannot make an informed decision regarding their diet. A six-year-old will say he wants cake, potatoes chips, and soda for dinner but no parent would allow that. Adolescence is the time to allow your children to try new things and make their own decisions. The problem I have is that none of my family members (except one) really supports the choice I’ve made for my son. There are still too many myths surrounding vegetarianism. My father-in-law says “he’ll be small and weak without meat.” Grrrrrr.

Wendy - posted on 03/24/2010

I'm a vegetarian, was when I was pregnant as well. Raising my son to be one, but dad isn't. Son has taken a bite of chicken nugget but he didn't like it. We have relatives that have farms so he has seen where meat comes from (living animals). He is 6, I have a 17 year old he has decided to eat meat but I raised him as a vegetarian. Worst part is dealing with relatives & nutritionist at the pediatrician's office. I also had fun when pregnant, midwife had me suppliment diet w/ protein shakes. Had 10lb 14oz baby... totally blame the shakes.

Janan - posted on 03/20/2010

I agree with that...Tofu & many Soy oriented foods, that have nourished Asian people for literally CENTURIES, have double the protein & not saturated fats that have them building plaque in arteries etc. I, don't eat meat, so I am not feeing that to my child. My principles are not only for me, it's for my baby, whom I want doing much better than I ever did., She is so strong & healthy, people can be around her with Colds & so on & she has been home with me since birth (i work part time & have a sitter) and has little "exposure" to "kid germs" and resists colds & other things because of her healthy diet. So, I say, it's it's healthy & meatless...sounds good to me, she eats an apple everyday, she eats salads, with all kinds of veggies in it, she like asparagus, string beans, zucchini, avocado, water melon, peaches, nectarines, plums, sheesh...I feed her Tofu DAILY! She is VERY, VERY healthy...Her pediatrician has said & still says, She is THE healthiest patient she has, her Ped also does not eat Meat, I didn't know that until recently, she, herself doesn't trust meats anymore & she grew up in Russia & meats are a staple food in their diets. Her mother was a Physican & her Sister is also a pediatrician, her ped was a pediatric surgeon in Russia & is a ped here. so as long as they are getting nutrients, then she is fine. I give my little one Enfamil Soy Based next step, has ALL daily vitamins in it, so I do not worry that she is not getting essential nutrition, She will never be exposed to fast foods as long as I feed her, there's so many wonderful foods available & your body just works better with natural ingredients. Wishing everyone a healthy life!

Beth - posted on 03/19/2010

I'm vegetarian. Only for 3 yrs though. I have my 2 children, 4 3/4, and 8 1/2, on a mostly vegetarian diet. They do get meat a few times a week, but I get as much of it organic as I can.

Mary - posted on 03/19/2010

Thanks AnneMarie! I guess they are just slow growers but sometimes I feel like I didn't do something right. Thanks for the encouragement.

Anne - posted on 03/19/2010

B6 is in most foods. The vegetarian society says this about B12 'When deficiency occurs, it is more commonly linked to a failure to effectively absorb B12 from the intestine rather than a dietary deficiency. Absorption of B12 requires the secretion from the cells lining the stomach of a glycoprotein, known as intrinsic factor. The B12-intrinsic factor complex is then absorbed in the ileum (part of the small intestine) in the presence of calcium. Certain people are unable to produce intrinsic factor and the subsequent pernicious anaemia is treated with injections of B12.



Vitamin B12 can be stored in small amounts by the body. Total body store is 2-5mg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.



Vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and is effectively reabsorbed. This is known as enterohepatic circulation. The amount of B12 excreted in the bile can vary from 1 to 10ug (micrograms) a day. People on diets low in B12, including vegans and some vegetarians, may be obtaining more B12 from reabsorption than from dietary sources. Reabsorption is the reason it can take over 20 years for deficiency disease to develop in people changing to diets absent in B12. In comparison, if B12 deficiency is due to a failure in absorption it can take only 3 years for deficiency disease to occur. '



The following link states research that shows vegetarian children end up taller and with higher IQs than their meat eating counterparts http://www.petaindia.com/campaigns/veg_h... .

You shouldn't worry that you have stunted their growth Mary. You gave them a great advantage.

Mary - posted on 03/18/2010

I used to be vegan and am vegetarian now. I have 2 small boys and they both eat meat rarely. I heard that if you raise a vegan baby that vitamins B6 and B12 are VERY important. They are the vitamins that most people get through meat. Make sure you feed them lots of Iron and Protein rich foods. I didn't do this in the beginning and fear I might have stunted their growth. Carrot juice is also very good for them! This of it as a multivitamin. Anywho just research research research! A great Vegan website is www.hacres.com Hope I helped!

Kate - posted on 03/18/2010

Hi,
I was raised as a vegetarian, and have been a vegetarian all my life (my parents are now vegans). My husband and I are both vegetarians, until we decided to become vegans. We've been vegans for about 1 1/2 years now. I enjoy the dairy-free lifestyle, and so does our 18 month old son, that's all he knows.
I believe he's healthier because he eats that way. Our son, is an exellent eater, he'll eat whatever I make for him. I make many dishes using raw cashew pieces, such as, cashew cheese sauce, tastes great on nachos, macaroni and cheese, steamed veggies, etc. We drink soy milk always have and always will. Scrambled tofu is a hit with our son for breakfast as well with a fruit smoothie. I make many things using tofu, such as a tofu lasagna, blueberry tofu pancakes, and tofu and rice. They are many cookbooks are there that are vegan geared. If you like any more information on anything, just write me back and I'll get back to you.

Janan - posted on 03/18/2010

Hello There, so far I am a vegetarian-like, myself. My parents are Vegan. We, as a family, do not consume meats. I, myself, do eat fish, I know, that is not a vegetarian fully. I have serious inflamatory problems, the only proteins that have helped in fish, otherwise I would not be eating that either. I feel bad, believe me. But, my little one only eats fruits, veggies & snacks, no meat at all. Lots of things for protein, she LOVES Tofu, she has it daily, so far no problems with that, she loves lettuce, tomato's, potato's, zucchini (raw), asparagus. raw spinach, LOVES Apples, has 1 daily, all kinds of fruits veggies, to be honest, I never exposed her to other kinds of foods, so she won't aquire a taste for fast food or anything else. I suppose if the kids have been exposed to this already, perhaps start small, give them 1 thing in place of something you want to replace, so it's not such a huge change over & they hopefully will not resist, don't give up, in the long run they will be so healthy. My little one is about 2 yrs/3 months & my husband had a pretty nasty cold & she did NOT get it, we live in a small 1 bedroom apartment & she didn't get sick, I'm convinced her immune system resisted, because she is healthy. Good foods really "feed" your body. So many easy recipes for quick prep foods. Pesto on foods really add a kick, so many things out there, all the very best of luck..

Anne - posted on 03/14/2010

Hi
I have been a vegetarian for 20 years (I am 30 now) and I am raising my daughter vegetarian. Ideally I would like to raise her vegan but because of not having enough time and resources (the shops around here are not very good) for practical reasons she will just be vegetarian for now. She is 1 year old and is very advanced, tough and glows with health. I know this is quite common in vegetarian children. I started off being vegetarian because of moral reasons but over the years I've continued to research the nutrition and health aspect and now I would never consider poisoning a little baby with meat. When she is older it will be her choice but it is my responsibility to look after her health until then and there is no denying that vegetarinism is the healthier choice. There are just so many things wrong with meat eating.
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about vegetarianism:
We have canine teeth so we need to eat meat - have you seen a gorillas nashers?
We need the protein - Animal protein is strongly linked to cancer. It is the easiest thing in the world to get protein from vegetarian diets. Started off worrying about incorporating proteins but now I pay no attention to it - I've always got plenty. Children raised on vegetarian diets are often taller and stronger than their meat-eating counterparts and vegetarians live longer.
You will be anemic - Only one of my female friends who has never been so and I've been tested plenty (first thing GP suspects when learning you are veggie).
Never had to supplement with vitamins. Even when travelling and existing on junk food for months I got a blood work-up and every single thing was off-the-scale good.
So my baby will be steering clear of hormones, antibiotics, flies eggs, worms, prion diseases, PCBs, dioxins, mercury and other heavy metals, saturated fats, allergens, e-coli and other excrement related diseases (you know meat has poop in it), and all the other nasties in meat.
She loves her veggies and we have done the baby led weaning thing - sticks of broccoli, carrots... I won't go on because there is just so much wonderful veggie food.

Holly - posted on 03/04/2010

I would have to say Dinah, that for those who eat meat then what you have pointed out should be done by all meat eaters, I couldn't agree more! As far as soy and tvp go its really hard to say. Too much of anything isn't good for you anyway! It is always a good idea to eat a variety of foods to get the proper nutrients whithout over doing it on any one substance. I alternate with milk, soy milk and rice milk, but have notice my daughter having belly aches after dinner and her glass of cow milk, now she just drice soy and rice, while i look for a yummy almond milk to try!! And really it's hard to say whether humans were meant to eat meat or not, I think as survival goes, it might have been necessary and then humans became addicted....as we do with so so many other things. This might be interesting to read.......

http://www.rense.com/general20/meant.htm

Holly - posted on 03/04/2010

I am a vegetarian, 29 years old and have been my whole life. My children too are vegetarians, and have no problems adjusting especially since that's all they know. There are so many alternatives for meat today, compared to when i was growing up, it makes things so much easier. Yves, have super yummy products, from veggie dogs, to deli meats, and taco filling. Quorn products are also super delicious and not made from soy as everything else mostly is so it gives a nice alternative. The principal ingredient in all Quorn products is mycoprotein (“myco” is Greek for “fungi”). But don't worry it doesn't taste like fungi, my non vegetarian friends are always surprised at how good the Quorn products taste, that some of them buy Quorn chik'n nuggets and patties rather than real chicken!! The one thing about being a vegetarian that can be difficult is that there are many different brands and they don't taste the same, you need to experiment and try whats out there to figure out what you and your family likes best especially with children,(for example the Quorn chik'n nuggets are the only ones my kids will eat, the other brands just don't taste as good) I have been doing that my whole life :)

Kim - posted on 03/01/2010

I'm predominantly veg, but I've started incorporating more saturated fats into my family's diet in response to some reading I've been doing. This includes more coconut oil, but also real, pastured butter and other dairy, as well as some fish. My reason for going vegetarian several years ago was mostly personal preference - not huge into meat - and for creating more diverse meals. Who wants boneless skinless chicken breast every day?! And ground beef is kinda gross. Then I read more vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and websites. The statistics and reasons given for having a vegetarian diet seem so concrete and correct, you wonder why anyone in the world would eat meat, so I was hooked. It's hard not to get militant and shout it from the rooftops that meat eaters are ignorant and killing the world.

There are many reasons to avoid animal products, all of them noble and respectable in one way or another. But there are many equally noble and respectable reasons to walk a middle path - to, as Michael Pollan says, "Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much" - and try to source more healthy animal products, if you choose to do so, for your growing children. We're omnivores, so we have a choice, but (though I'm still not really comfortable with it) we humans became humans with the help of nutrient-dense animal foods. Buying responsibly-produced food, veg or animal-based, is better for the world either way. Industrial feedlots AND agriculture are to blame for all those nasty statistics. Also, if we really wanted to be kind to ourselves we'd avoid processed foods, but that can be quite difficult to do when raising kids vegan or vegetarian unless you're a gifted chef or your kids have the most advanced palates. Kids can grow up strong and healthy on a vegan diet if planned properly, to be sure, but I think it's okay to serve them high-quality/organic/pastured/wild/grass-fed, etc. animal products on occasion, and if they're not allergic, seafood, because these foods do have their merits and are nutrient-dense for growing bodies. And of course, plenty of fruits and vegetables!

I would implore all vegetarians and vegans to research more into non-traditional, processed soy products - i.e. those that contain soy protein isolate/TVP/isolated soy whatnot. These aren't really good for anyone, especially kids.

User - posted on 02/26/2010

I am not vegan /vegetarian but I am and have been a vegetarian for over a year now. I have two girls. I cook and allow them to eat meat because they need the protein. I am not a vegetarian because of the animals or anything like that . I just dont like meat that well. My children drink soy milk with their cereals and they eat mainly fruits and veggies. which they love. The main thing is to be consistant on their diets/ meals

Debra - posted on 01/13/2010

Thank you for replying! For me, meat eating is a moral issue. I can't raise my son to do things - any things - that I think are morally wrong. It doesn't matter whether it is hitting others, or stealing, or killing and eating animals. I don't feel that I am "forcing" him to do anything. I would feel I was "forcing" him to eat meat without letting him know and decide what he was doing.

Just a note about rice and soy. Meat takes far more land, grain, and water than any other food. If we stopped raising animals for meat, we would have enough land and grain to feed a billion more people. 12,000 children die every day of starvation while we feed over 50% of the worlds grain to animals. It takes approximately 14 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. That grain could feed over 35 people directly. That means there are 35 children with empty bowls for every small family that sits down to burgers. The beef also takes between 1000 and 4000 gallons of water to produce (so much for turning off the water while you brush your teeth in order to "save" it!). The beef also causes environmental destruction and global warming.

This is all without mentioning the terrible suffering of the animals, which is the real reason I became veg. I didn't mean to say anyone should be "forced" to be veg. I just don't understand why a parent who chooses to be veg wouldn't want it for their child. Obviously it has brought good things to the parent's life - better health, a clean conscience, etc, so why would they deny those things to their own child?

Suzie - posted on 01/13/2010

I guess we are entitled to our own views. I would rather my child make his own mind up about the way things are. The reality is that soy takes ip a lot of space to grow, rice consumes a lot of water in it's production and cotton (for fibre) is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. I agree with you that cows milk is not for humans. I haven't touched any for 10 years. But if we are to be planet saavy then we should all go organic or grow our own ( something that I grew up on and still follow as much as I can). However, if I were to feed my son meat, it would have to be organic. I would teach him about the reality of the meat industry from a young age and offer him a diverse range of healthy vegetarian /vegan food. Ultimately I would prefer him to make an informed decision he can be proud of, whatever that is. We can't force people to go vegan but encourage them by showing the reality and then offering an awesome home cooked meal made with love and fine fresh ingredients. Even if they don't go vego, even part vego is better than nothing and still saves lives. I work in conservation and understand the devastation of our forests all too well. But forests are not only destroyed for meat production but for plant production too. I don't want to preach to anyone, my approach is more hands on but let's not loose sight of reality. The bigger issue is globalization and forcing poorer countries to cut there remaining forests to get paid pittance for our luxuries, meat/ veg and all! I guess this thread is about nutritious vego food for our babies. I don't disagree with you, we have huge discussions in our home about meat but my husband has a right to play a part in our son's decision making process and it's up to me to provide a strong arguement 'for' my choices. Anyway, this is all food for thought!! Thanks 4 your post, it certainly got me thinking and you're right, the people of this planet need a shake up!! :)

Debra - posted on 01/13/2010

Hi, I am vegan and so is my 3 year old son. We are in a playgroup and someone recently remarked "Sid (my son) is the youngest but he is the tallest and his language is the most advanced!". He is smart, happy, and healthy. Meat is very damaging to health so I have no problem keeping him away from it! Lets face it, if a child saw a slaughterhouse he would never eat meat again! We have to hide the source of the meat away from them to get them to eat it.

I don't understand vegans/vegetarians who feed their kids meat. Its bad for their health, its destroying our planet, and they would not eat it if they knew what it was. My husband wanted to give our son milk, but I wouldn't let him. How could I explain to my son later that I let him participate in something that creates so much suffering for animals (factory farming and the veal industry)? I don't want him to have that on his conscience. Milk isn't good for him anyway. Dr. Spock recommended a vegan diet for children and the American Dietetic Association makes it clear that the veg diet is superior to the meat eating diet. Vegetarians have much lower incidences of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. (See "The China Study)

By the way, I didn't become vegan until after my son was born. I had been veg for many years but I still had milk products. My son was allergic to milk and was having reactions to the milk proteins in my breast milk. Being vegan was much easier than I thought! When I was nursing I started to see parallels between my breast feeding and dairy cows. Their milk is for their babies! And their babies are taken from them so we can have their milk. How horrible. Then I found out about all the male calves becoming veal. I didn't understand before that it is the milk industry that creates the veal industry. Every time I drank milk, I was supporting another calf being tortured in a veal crate. I couldn't do it any more.

Meat is also destroying our world. The World Watch Institute recently published a study that 51% (yes, 51%!) of greenhouse gases are from the meat industry. We could stop global warming immediately if we all cut our meat intake by half or became veg! Yet governments only focus on transportation (the THIRD largest source of greenhouse gases) and other smaller sources.

The livestock industry also uses 70% of all available water, has polluted tens of thousands of miles of our rivers, causes dead zones in the oceans from the agricultural runoff, has caused the majority of deforestation in the Amazon (the "lungs" of the Earth) and so very much more.

There is a global vegan TV station that you can see live at www.suprememastertv.com It has lots of vegan cooking shows, vegan news, etc.

Go veg, be green to save our planet!!!!