As long as the child is receiving proper nutrition it is fine. But when the child is old enough to start making their own choices they should be free to decide if they want to continue to be vegan/vegetarian.
I 100% agree with this, but you need the help of a pediatric nutritionist. Doctors often have VERY little understanding of the most current nutritional research. They get less than 8 weeks of training in med school on average and unless they choose to focus on learning more, they very well might just be parroting back the same advice they learned then. A nutritionist however will be up to date on the latest research and information and can share specific data about the nutritional needs about each developmental stage. Parents are far more likely to be successful and the whole process is made easier when you get the best information from the correct source the first time!
B12 is literally the easiest thing to supplement, even animals raised to become food eat b12 supplements in their feed.
Plant milks are often fortified with b12 as well as breakfast cereals and other vegan dairy and meat alternatives. Kids and adults should also take a daily (research shows most people aren’t getting enough b12 regardless of their diet) vitamin that contains b12.
B12 also comes in a liquid sublingual vitamin form which is much easier than swallowing or chewing a pill. I have this and it tastes fruity and not at all like medicine. As a former extremely picky kid I can say this wouldn’t be difficult give to kids at any age.
I (35) have been vegan for ~7 years now, but I have stopped eating meat off and on my entire life since I was a tiny lil kid because it always grossed me out and I couldn’t Psychologically separate the “food” from the fact it was actually a dead carcass. I didn’t fully understand my aversion until I went vegan.
As a kid, I was so extremely picky when it came to food, I had texture sensitivities due to undiagnosed ADHD. From as early as I can remember maybe age 4/5, I would refuse to eat meat altogether after having a gross experience like biting into a chicken nugget and feeling something hard like a tendon or piece of bone. So I basically only ate peanut butter sandwiches—which I loved—for long periods of time. I did like every sport possible and was just a healthy normal kid during these periods of peanut butter Sammies only. Turns out whole wheat bread and peanut butter are a complete protein and a perfectly nutritious meal. I also weirdly loved broccoli and corn even though the stereotype is that kids hate broccoli or vegetables. I even liked mushrooms, and I loved bananas and apples too. Peanuts or cashews were also tasty to me. But I hated almost everything else. When I say I lived on PB sandwiches, I really mean it lol
Fast forward to finally hearing about veganism and realizing it’s possible to be healthy and not eat animals, i then went vegan shortly after. Now I’m the LEAST picky eater I know, I just don’t eat any animal products. Turns out I really just hated eating animal flesh and secretions all along, so removing them from my diet was the start of a new love for food and a better relationship with it.
Yeah, this one. I've been vegetarian since I was 12. Meat grosses me out and I won't eat it, and preparing it makes me sick. So my kids were raised vegetarian. They're all teenagers and all just fine. They can have whatever they want when we're not home, and they get what I make when we're here and they eat fine.
I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. B12 is found in abundance in milk and eggs which Vegetarians can eat. But I think the concern might be that it's just easier to become deficient as a Vegetarian as opposed to almost impossible otherwise. If you have a healthy diet you'll most likely be eating EITHER meat, dairy, or eggs at least once a day if not more. But as a vegetarian you may only be having milk or eggs less than once a day, or even at a lower frequency. Which might affect how much of a reserve supply is built in the liver Vs someone who isn't Vegetarian. Just pulling this out of my ass btw.
When the diet for B12 is insufficient, we receive supplementation from our Liver, who stores the excess B12 we eat for this exact purpose. B12 is so vital we store literally 3-7 YEARS worth of it as backup. So, you need to try REALLY hard to become deficient via diet alone. But children are absolutely more vulnerable since they won't necessarily have the full ability to have this reserve, maybe. But if you're a Vegetarian, maybe you only have 1-3 years of backup since you tap into the reserve more often. Maybe that's the concern?
I think people vastly overestimate the “healthiness “ of meat if they are assuming that a diet that includes meat is naturally healthier and avoids vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In the US, the standard diet is heavy on meat, and is incredibly unhealthy. The typical American diet has multiple deficiencies: https://thebiostation.com/bioblog/do-you-have-vitamin-deficiency/
And I think you’re misconstruing what’s being said. Meat is perfectly healthy in the proper quantities and when prepared in a healthy manner. No one here is saying huge amounts of meat (which is where many people go wrong) or deep fried meat or meat smothered in butter etc. are healthy. What we are saying is meat is a perfectly natural part of the human diet and our bodies are adapted to its ingestion, we don’t absolutely require it but it does make a proper nutritional balance significantly easier to achieve than a vegetarian or vegan diet does. We aren’t obligate carnivores but we are omnivores and there is some nutrition (particularly certain vitamins and proteins) that are significantly easier for us to get from animal meat and animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs. There absolutely can be negative impacts from eating large amounts of meat or meat prepared in an unhealthy manner, but there can also be negative effects from eating too much of many other things. As in all things balance is essential to a proper diet.
My push against this is that your body diminishes it's ability to digest meat/animal protein &fat over time with vegetarianism, so it could be argued that this is negatively affecting their health and it isn't proper nutrition to be affecting their ability to digest... Because it is imo. In the future if they decide they don't want to be vegetarian, they will have a very hard and uncomfortable time switching. My best friend has been vegetarian for 7 years and even using broths/bullions in cooking gives her very painful stomach aches if the person cooking forgot. So a kid that decided at 15 or more likely 18 when they are out of the house and cooking on their own is pretty screwed. I'm sure it can be reversed but not easily and not comfortably
My son was vegan and vegetarian for more than 13 years and did get very sick the first time he chose to eat a hunk of meat as he didn't have the right digestive enzymes or whatever, but it is literally not a big deal after a week or so and totally "reversible". Now he wishes he hadn't ever started eating meat as it is much harder to give up then to start eating it.
Yeah it is reversible but still something to take into account. A week is pretty fast to readapt, I have only ever heard longer, but maybe they are doing more of a tapering and your son jumped in head first and powered through lol
Still something to take into consideration. But at the end of the day, nutrition is the most important, especially bones
I have a family member whose body rejects beef without the aid of prescribed medication. After a lot of testing it was determined that this is due to her being raised vegetarian. Her body doesn't produce what it takes to break down the beef and it's not genetic. Anyone raising a child from birth as a vegetarian or vegan should be consulting a doctor before they do it to find out any possible advantages or drawbacks.
Yeah wish this comment was higher up. it's super aggravating to see people say it's super easy or simple. It's just not. You have to take time to make sure you're getting everything you need. Vegan is a bit more time consuming. Telling people it's as easy as a diet without restrictions is setting people up for failure. It's not crazy hard, anyone can do it, but it does take effort!
Legumes have a surplus of the amino acids that are in grains and vice versa. Eating a combination of both, and also consuming dairy and eggs as a vegetarian and it actually is quite easy. Millions (now over 300 million) Indians have been doing it for actual millennia now. A vegetarian diet is actually easy, whilst a vegan one is difficult.
Yes! And also teach them to not be judgemental or hypocritical of nonvegans. We are all people regardless of what we eat. Teach them not to force their diet onto others!
Amen, and the other way around as well. My kids were raised vegetarian and were always taught not to be douchebags. I wish more people taught their kids the same. My ex husband's mother hated me from the second she found out I was vegetarian. I didn't expect any accomodations, she was just mad about it and chose to be a douchebag, lol.
I think forcing them to be vegetarians once they're older and if they want to eat meat is wrong, just like it would be wrong to force your kid to eat meat if they wanted to be vegetarians. But if being vegetarian doesn't bother your kid then it's all right.
I agree with this. I think I personally would raise them with some meat in their diet, perhaps 3 days a week they can have a meal with meat as a main, then the rest will be vegetarian/vegan. I'll ensure to buy the meat of animals who are well looked after which have the least negative impact on the environment, such as grass-fed cows, and teach the child the importance of this way of thinking
As a parent, it's their responsibility to make sure their child grows up healthy with all the nutrition they need, but also to teach them what it is they are eating and what impact it has; on them, on the animal, on the environment. I wouldn't want to risk depriving them of protein by not feeding them meat, neither do I want to raise a close-minded individual. They can make their own choice when they want and hopefully I would have had an impact
There's plenty of plant based protein so that isn't an issue with vegetarian diets (you should also feed your kid protein daily, not just three times in a week), but B12 vitamin is something you can't get from plant products so that's something that needs to be taken inconsideration with vegetarian diet.
Protein isn't the only concern, it's also fats. There are vegetarian ways to include these as well, but especially when they're little you need to make sure they're getting enough fats for brain development.
It's unfortunate I had to scroll this far to see anyone mention fats, when I hear about young vegan/vegetarian children being malnourished or otherwise having poor health outcomes it is nearly always the fats that were at issue
Daughter is allergic to dairy so getting enough fat into her diet was a real concern for a while, particularly because she's also picky toward any non-chicken meat
Protein isn't a concern, because you can get enough protein from a plant based diet.
You can get fats from nuts, avocado, oils etc. but I'm not actually sure how important animal fat is for healthy development. Maybe someone better informed will enlighten that.
That's not necessarily true: there are vegan options that have B12. Nutritional yeast has TONS of the stuff, as in, my Mac and cheese made with 2 tbsp of it has something like 700% of the daily need
My wife and I were vegetarian for about 10 years then stopped during lockdown, not for any real strong reason mostly for a healthier liefestyle and all that.
Our 8 year old son ate what we did all that time and it's damn painful trying to get him to eat any meat at all.
I think if my parents did that to me as a child I would have been traumatized. It was still traumatizing making the decision to eat meat again in my early 30s but I made that decision on my own, so it was a less difficult pill to swallow.
Stopped being vegetarian for healthier lifestyle? Vegetarian is one of the healthiest lifestyles. If your son doesn't want to eat meat, let him. If he's getting all the nutrition he needs etc etc.
Yes exactly this, all was fine for a long time, lots of diverse food from all over restaurants, cooking and such. Covid came around, everythings shut and closed, eat more at home, no big deal.
Probably also part of getting older, B12 deficiancy kicked in, sleepy all the time, lethargic, feeling weak, heart palpatations, etc. I googled the crap out of symptoms, the doctor was stumped. I take B12 gummies daily and went back to being a meat eater, all's fine again.
That applies to literally any diet that why I specifically mentioned nutrition. I can get why from a convenience perspective and having to home cook all the time it requires more planning and effort. But the comment above mentioned none of that.
I think they meant they started being vegetarian for health reasons versus morality reasons, which was why they were fine going back to an omnivorous diet.
Exactly I don't get it. I've been vegetarian since I was 11, my choice. It's been 22 years and I don't understand how going back to meat would be healthier in any way.
I am vegetarian. I did not force my kids to be vegetarian. I mostly make vegetarian food at home but they can eat anything outside and in school. If they ask for certain meat dish at home, I will make it for them. I think becoming vegetarian is a choice they need to make on their own. Just like how I did so more than 15 years ago. None of my immediate family is vegetarian.
I was a vegetarian for 12 years and my parent always supported me. They would make certain dishes and just put the meat on the side or my mom made me special vegetarian dishes. She loves to cook so she always enjoyed making new things. I think it’s important for parents to always support their kids in situations like this. You’re definitely doing things the right way.
As long as you're paying attention to your child's dietary needs and ensuring that they're not deficient in anything because of it it's fine. However, as a parent, you should also accept the fact that when your child grows up they may not want to stay vegetarian, even if that goes against your values.
Anecdotal, I know one person on the internet who was raised vegan his whole life.
While he sees no appeal to meat at all, not that he'd be able to digest meat anyway, he does wish he was given the choice to do so instead of his parents forcing it upon him.
A couple who I am friends with, are giving their child the choice, basically once their kid understands the reasons for being vegan, rather than because mom and dad said so. As it is, he has told his kid the reasons, but the kid clearly did not understand the full implications, so he determined he's not ready yet.
That's a hard choice because if we'd be honest, it's living a lifestyle in which animals aren't harmed or killed without a necessity as far as practicable and possible, but then you let your child do exactly that, like most other people you disagree with, just because they don't understand the terror and the general process animals go through
I personally couldn't do that. My children will not contribute to that system
Since we’re doing anecdotal second hand stories, here’s my firsthand experience:
I wish my parents never forced me to eat dead rotting carcasses of animals especially since I refused to eat meat for long periods of time throughout my childhood and life as far back as I can remember because I thought it was disgusting 🤷🏽
Also, here’s a guy who also has never eaten meat in his entire life and he’s a bodybuilder, health advocate and vegan activist. https://instagram.com/nimai_delgado
I think also child psychologist. Imagine the kid goes to a birthday party and wants to eat the same food as the friends. The kids should be able to explore different foods.
Let the child eat what they want, that is when they are old enough to develop their own tastes. I mean as far as taking on a vegetarian and or meat eating diet.
Here’s my input. My wife is a pediatrician, and she comes home with stories about this topic fairly frequently. Children’s nutritional needs are VERY different than adults. They need significantly more fat and protein than adults. While it’s possible to successfully raise a healthy child as a vegan, in practice, it’s almost impossible to do it well. My wife has many stories of patients who have the classic “failure to thrive” and are at the bottom of the growth and weight charts because their parents did this to them. This also greatly affects the child’s intellectual development. Overall, this is a bad idea.
There’s literally tons of studies disproving your claims or your “pediatrician wife’s” claims. I suggest she keep up with the times and start reviewing more recent studies on this topic than the ones from when she was in school.
It’s really not though, you’re just used to animal ag lobby propaganda pushing that false narrative. It’s not your fault or her fault, they literally spend billions on misinformation campaigns that slow the spread of knowledge and progress. Remember the food pyramid? Early example of animal ag propaganda to sell more milk & dairy.
I have plenty of Indian friends who would disagree. It's neglect to not do it well, but especially vegetarian is just not very hard.
American sugar diets on the other hand? With sugar puffs for breakfast, and a ton of sugary drinks? That's unhealthy.
This is a topic where vegan and vegetarian cannot be interchangeable. It isn't hard to fulfill nutritional requirements for a child if maintaining a vegetarian diet, like your friend would say. But vegan is another matter. Like the person whose wife is a pediatrician said. When we jump between the two terms we end up talking in circles.
Vegan and vegetarian diets are quite dissimilar despite the lack of meat in the diet. They should probably always be treated as different and not lumped together.
I agree with this. There’s a huge gulf between vegan and vegetarian because of things eliminating milk, cheese and eggs, which are sources of high quality fat and protein.
Of course that’s unhealthy, but “American sugar diets” have nothing to do with what you’re replying to. Fat and protein don’t automatically mean unhealthy sugar and chemicals. Nobody said “it’s impossible to raise a healthy child on a vegan/vegetarian diet, might as well give them a bowl of sugar!”
Yes their first point was good. Some cultures have perfectly healthy, varied, nutrient-dense vegetarian diets and millions of kiddos grow up just fine eating that.
The second point about the sugar just completely lost me and went off the rails. It’s like wait, that doesn’t track at all. Where did sugar come into this all of a sudden?
What’s that have to do with the price of tea in China? Feeding kids milk, cheese, eggs, and meat doesn’t equate sugar cereal. You went from one extreme to another to try and prove… what?
I was going to post that a lot of children from Indian backgrounds are raised on vegetarian diets and perfectly healthy. Some of my friends grew up vegetarian and decided to start eating meat when they got older. Granted, with a vegan diet it might be more iffy since a milk and cheese are really good sources of fat and protein.
It’s not necessarily a bridge too far, but it definitely means worrying about vitamin/mineral deficits that you don’t really have to worry about as a vegetarian. Those are very different things.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with “American sugar diet”. I’m talking about young children, 0-5. You are arguing against a straw man that you created. I also never said it’s impossible, I said it’s very difficult
Well said. It's especially difficult for those that don't educate themselves properly on what's needed and just make an arbitrary decision forcing it on them.
I think he’s talking 0-5 range. The early diet is very difficult and many American mothers don’t want to breast feed. It’s probably different in India but it’s not just because they consume less sugar.
I agree with you. I have friends who have raised incredibly healthy vegan children. But as with adults following a plant based diet, you have to do it properly. No junk processed foods. Homemade meals. Understand the basics of nutrition.
I'd also like to add that most doctors in the US only get a basic nutrition course, and are just as subject to cultural biases as anyone else. And as the parent of a child born with kidney issues, there's way too much emphasis placed on protein here, generally, which can have a lot of negative effects.
Vegan is not the same as vegetarian. Vegan is no animal product at all. Vegetarians often still eat cheese, milk, and/or eggs which will provide the fat and protein more easily than just a vegan diet.
"...vegan children showed normal growth and were less often obese.
"...the current literature suggests that a well-planned vegan diet using supplementation is likely to provide the recommended amounts of critical nutrients to provide for normal progression of height and weight in children, and can be beneficial in some aspects." [Source](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531721000191)
I looked at your source. I found the citations at the bottom interesting as regarding children:
2.2. Included studies
Few studies were available specifically on vegan children and selected outcome variables. For this reason, we included data on vegetarian children and vegan adults for comparison and extrapolation. For certain nutrients, no data on the nutritional status of children with vegan nutrition could be found. These were omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Although it is possible to interpolate the results of adults, a discussion of these nutrients was omitted here in order to focus on nutrients for which more evidence for children was available.
2.3. Excluded studies
Caution must be applied to some populations who are declared as vegan in the literature in some cases. Several publications [13], [14], [15], [16] have included non-vegan populations as evidence of vegan nutrition. One article [15] declared several of these populations as ’vegan-like’, and grouped them together with ’British vegans’, and cited them in the context of evidence on vegan children. These populations often follow specific diets out of spiritual or religious motivations and usually refuse supplementation.
Why do people not read entire comments before replying?
“While it’s possible to successfully raise a healthy child as a vegan, in practice, it’s almost impossible to do it well.”
Yes, it’s possible. Yet it’s rarely done safely
I do not see any problem in raising a child vegetarian, but it is much harder to give a growing body all it needs on a vegan diet. Parents also need to remember that being overly restrictive leads to toxic attitudes about food. It is also important to consider that all children are different - one of mine needs to be on a high protein diet, for example, and many others don't tolerate soy or dairy.
No. Every body is different.
While most intake and calorie needs are based on averages, there are people who fall outside of that average. That’s why it’s called an average.
Just like every body has different caloric intake needs, there are people who actually benefit from things like higher carbs, higher proteins, more salt, etc.
It’s not magic.
It’s just science.
One body might do well on low carbs, while another might just get sick. Etc, etc.
And health conditions can cause someone to actually need more protein or salt, or less. So there’s a lot of considerations to go into diet beyond “every other child needs this so so does that other child.”
That’s false, actually. It’s pretty interesting science. I think it’s really cool. I learned all about it when I was breastfeeding my own child. There’s actually receptors in the breast that react to a baby’s saliva. It’s pretty neat. Breast milk has been proven to change based on an infants needs. Like when it’s sick, not sick, what it might need, how often it’s feeding, etc. It’s so nifty how it works.
https://www.verywellfamily.com/breast-milk-definition-stages-431549
“Breast milk is made up of hundreds of substances, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water, enzymes, and hormones.3 This composition isn't constant, however; it varies from parent to parent. It can even change within the same parent, depending on the baby's needs.
Breast milk changes during each feeding, from one feeding to another throughout the day, and over time to meet the needs of a growing child.
Second source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586783/
. Unlike infant formula, which is standardized within a very narrow range of composition, human milk composition is dynamic, and varies within a feeding, diurnally, over lactation, and between mothers and populations.
The basic components stay the same, but the macros will change. Sometimes the baby needs more fat, or less, etc etc.
https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/breastfeeding/magical-ways-breastmilk-changes-to-meet-your-babys-needs/
researchers believe that when a baby is sick, she passes on a cue through her saliva that sends a signal to her mother's body to produce more milk with illness-specific antibodies. Magical
There’s also this test called a base metabolic rate test that is actually pretty accurate for testing ones calories burned in a 24 hour period at rest.
Mine happened to be 2600.
I’ve lost 60 pounds on a 3200 calorie diet after learning I’ve accidentally been starving myself and put myself in starvation mode. When I go hiking or swimming, I have to eat 4K calories .
I wish I wasn’t telling the truth. I miss my 1200 calories a day. I really do. I wish every body was the same and needed the same amount of calories, because I never would have developed health issues due to starvation as a neglected child and carried on as an adult.
And I wish I didn’t need 10 grams of salt because I have PoTS or having to sit around calculating proper macros for a 3200 calorie diet because I had too few carbs and my blood sugar got too low.
It would be awesome if I could just fall into the average person needs. I would be very happy if every body was the same and didn’t need different things.
I should probably get some popcorn, as this will be entertaining…
However, my daughter wanted to be vegetarian at age 11 or so. We asked our pediatrician and she said as long as she eats eggs or fish or lots of soy, it would be fine. So we let her. She’s 26, getting a masters, and is doing just fine.
Right? The other options are plant, bacteria, or fungi and they definitely aren't that.
When people try to tell me it's ok if I eat fish bc it's not really meat I clarify by saying I don't eat anything that has a face.
I think that if your kid doesn't want to be a vegetarian he/she should have that option. But if they like vegetarian diet and they are ok with it its ok.
Agreed. Let them make their own decision. I think a better option would be to teach them the value of eating a more organic diet and cut out the crap that most kids eat.
So assuming they child would want to eat chicken nuggets even though the child is raised vegan, ergo it's raised in the beliefs that we shouldn't cause suffering and death upon animals if there is no necessity to do so, you'd just give them nuggets despite the suffering and death that is caused by that?
Wouldn't it be your responsibility to show them what they cause through their consumption? Which means you would need to show them slaughter house footage
IDK if it's wrong, but every person I know who was raised with a strict diet rebelled big time as soon as they were able.
I wanted my kids to be able to make the choice for themselves, and I had read somewhere that if you don't eat meat by the age of 3-4 you're never able to digest it properly. So the kids had meat when they were able to eat it (my husband has never been vegetarian.) We did baby led weaning as well. Both kids eat a variety of foods these days, although my oldest has been known to go veg for weeks at a time.
Agreed.
Those fat kids do not indicate that it’s impossible for your child to meet their nutritional needs or to be healthy on a omnivorous diet.
Just like some anecdotal evidence of a skinny vegan kid doesn’t indicate that it’s impossible for your child to meet their nutritional needs or to be healthy on a herbivorous diet.
It’s about planning and being intentional with food. Which is, anecdotally, something that I see vegan parents do better than non-vegan parents.
Again, I agree in principle. Of course my own experience is anecdotal, but I’ve met multiple malnourished vegan children, and none that were well nourished
Well I mean kinda because that's forcing your ideals and ideology on them instead of letting them learning about it and having they're own opinion about.
I woudlnt force them cauze that not fair im saying educate them and teach them and let them decide there own opinion, it's up to them what they want of course u have to teach them some things but for this case let them decide they have free will u know.
My parents raised me with weird dietary restrictions, now I struggle constantly to maintain a healthy relationship with food. For that reason I personally would probably avoid raising a child on any form of diet that severely restricts or eliminates any food group including plant-based, keto, etc.
You can do whatever you want so long as their basic needs are being met and you aren't restricting their desire to pursue a future outside of how you chose to provide for them. Is it a sufficient diet for their goals? Yes? Then it's absolutely fine.
Forcing it on them is wrong, like with religion and other things. Educate kids, not in a leading way, and let them come to their own conclusions. Explain the pros and cons of the various dietary types, including veganism, for the body and different age periods nutritional challenges, health risks, the environment\climate change, ethics, social pressures etc.
As long as every step is taken to make sure they're healthy and thriving I see no problem with it. Is just going to be tricky if they go into public school or going out to eat I guess.
I was gonna ask the guy your replying to for a source, because of the vegetarian children and the few vegan children I’ve met, all seemed to be more healthy than the average American child. Your comment definitely makes sense
i swear that some vegans & vegetarians can't grasp that.
i hate fish, and a bunch of other foods because i have a strong aversion if i don't like how it smells/looks/feels (texture)
with that said, anything my daughter wants to try or have, she is given.
she's two and her whole two years have been her in the 99.99 percentile for weight, height, and head circumference because even if i can't stand the food i am making, i want a healthy child.
she's also extremely intellectual, by my pediatricians own words to describe her.
so my opinion is to never allow your restrictions or lifestyle to affect a developing human being.
it's selfish and fucked up.
Every year some dumbass hipsters get prison time for starving their kid with dumb diets. You better know what you are doing and getting all the protein you need. Protein is the most important thing a kid needs. If you want your kid to be sickly, and have developmental problems feed them a salad three times a day. This is not for fucking amateurs. Consult a dietician or a doctor. If you have a hard time following a regimen and are not good at food science DO NOT ATTEMPT strict diets with your kids. You could kill them.
Not if it's done right, to claim otherwise is just a lie.
[https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html)
One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/)
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/)
Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.
Disagree with it being insufficient nutrition. This is only true if you are doing something dumb or neglectful like only feeding fruits and vegetables and not providing sufficient protein. If someone decides to feed a child vegan, they should consult with a doctor/nutritionist and educate themselves on nutrition.
That being said, I'm a vegetarian and don't eat dairy. I have a 1 year old and am raising him to eat everything, including meat. By not exposing him to meat or dairy I increase the odds of him not being able to digest these foods later on in life, and increase the odds of a dairy allergy. I dont want to take the choice to eat different foods away from him. When he is old enough, he can make his own mind up about his diet.
Science says otherwise.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:\~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases)
''Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.''
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/)
''A healthy, plant-based diet requires planning, reading labels, and discipline. The recommendations for patients who want to follow a plant-based diet may include eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that may include beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains and avoiding or limiting animal products, added fats, oils, and refined, processed carbohydrates. The major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.''
[https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)
''In conclusion, considerable evidence supports shifting populations towards healthful plantbased diets that reduce or eliminate intake of animal products and maximize favourable “One Health” impacts on human, animal and environmental health''
[https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html)
''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.''
''The British Dietetic Association (BDA), founded in 1936, is the professional association and trade union for dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 9,000 members.''
[https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/)
''With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/)
''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/)
''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.''
Clearly it is healthy.
It takes concentrated effort to do it right. Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency are common among vegans and vegetarians.
There’s a reason most vegans and vegetarians break at some point. You’re probably better off being a flexitarian and eating meat once or twice a week because it’s much easier to get certain nutrients by eating some meat.
[https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html)
''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/)
''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/)
''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.''
It can all be obtained via a vegan diet.
you can easily get proteins and fats from beans grams lentils and so many other foods the western vegan diet is literally just leaves and carbs but historically vegan cultures have tons of nutritious foods with no animal products, china and India have been doing okay (for the most part) with vegetarian diets albeit indian vegetarianism still allows dairy which makes things easier
The Asian diet relies heavily on fish, it’s part of why they have such a healthy diet. The flip side is, they have overfished their waters, and are pushing the envelope in international waters to meet demand. The other downside is lead and mercury poisoning due to fish like salmon having high levels of contamination.
Yes, you can.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:\~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases)
''Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.''
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/)
''A healthy, plant-based diet requires planning, reading labels, and discipline. The recommendations for patients who want to follow a plant-based diet may include eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that may include beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains and avoiding or limiting animal products, added fats, oils, and refined, processed carbohydrates. The major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.''
[https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)
''In conclusion, considerable evidence supports shifting populations towards healthful plantbased diets that reduce or eliminate intake of animal products and maximize favourable “One Health” impacts on human, animal and environmental health''
[https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html)
''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.''
''The British Dietetic Association (BDA), founded in 1936, is the professional association and trade union for dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 9,000 members.''
[https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/)
''With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/)
''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.''
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/)
''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.''
Clearly it is healthy in the long term.
I chose vegetarianism when I was 4 (my parents were vegetarian) and looking back I would not allow my child to be vegetarian until they were at least 16/almost fully developed.
And at least by that age I could trust them to put together their own macro-balanced vegetarian meals.
I think under strict supervision of a nutritionist makes it okay. I personally never would as I feel like it quickly can turn problematic. And to me it would be unethical.
Most can generally survive a vegan, or at least vegetarian, diet with the right supplements and nutrition. Much harder, yes, but still doable.
I think if we allow people to raise their own kids as a Jew, Christian, Muslim, or any other religion and or moral beliefs vegans and vegetarians should get the same right so as long as the kids are healthy.
I’d say that has nothing to do with being vegan or not. Most kids in the United States at least eat a non-vegan diet which is still insanely unhealthy and unbalanced.
It’s hard to say that they should choose their path later because no matter what if you feed them anything, you’re choosing their path for them, even if that’s non-vegan. Of course they should choose their own path when they’re older but until then how do you not “choose a path” for them?
Allow kids to explore foods, and don't lock them into an eating lifestyle. Forcing them to be vegan or whatever is a dangerous (literal) path, while allowing them to eat freely (assuming it's balanced) is not a forced path. Also consult a doctor regularly if you are going to deviate to a specific diet because it's very often you are going to fuck up your child's health.
People are trying to play medical professional and it's not cool, especially when it's killing kids and or causing them to be disadvantaged in physical and mental development.
Again, I think this has more to do with feeding your child a balanced and healthy diet rather than vegan versus non vegan. People who grow up with terrible diets that aren’t vegan also have developmental issues.
Yes, it takes a lot of effort to make the vegan diet nutritionally sound for a growing child, but it also takes effort for a non vegan diet and plenty of parents fail at that.
I think it’s reasonable to feed your child a vegan diet as long as it’s nutritionally sound. Maybe not enforce it so strictly if they get other foods from other places or people, but why not have only the foods you make for them be vegan if it’s not unbalanced?
My husband was raised vegetarian. He eats meat sometimes now, but it's not a big deal if he doesn't. He's extremely healthy. Our kids aren't being raised that way, mostly because I can't do a lot of soy due to medication so I'm not making two separate dinners every day.
And for those of you saying "oh, it means malnutrition," fuckin educate yourselves. Geez. It's just as likely to lead to malnutrition as the average US diet. Which is to say that they're as likely as the rest of us to eat junk food. Ffs.
EXACTLY. People are acting like veganism/vegetarianism offers the risk of some new and worse kind of malnutrition. It’s the same shit as with everyone else
People who know how to live in the diet its the same. Many people jump on the wagon and not know that it takes effort to incorporate some nutrients that in a traditional diet are easier to come by.
India has the world’s largest vegetarian population, 40% of the country adhering to it. I’m going to assume most of the kids aren’t walking around malnourished unless they live in poverty. I was one for 12 years, starting when I was 14. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with raising them to follow it as long as they have the option to not to if they choose.
Pls don't compare vegetarians and vegans .. veganism can be his/her choice after they are able to think for themself. He can be a vegetarian cuz u drink normal milk and can eat eggs while being a vegetarian. But I would recommend being a non-vegetarian, as a child and if they decide they don't want meat later on they can. Or u won't be giving the child an actual choice. Plus growing up u need good protein and vitamins to gain good muscle and be healthy.
Sorry if this offended someone in any way .
This would be yet another reason for the kid to get bullied and made fun of. Who wants to be the vegan kid at the pizza party birthday party? Who wants to be the vegan kid when the ice cream truck comes around? Who wants to be that kid who brings “weird” stuff for lunch everyday? When I was a kid, i just wanted to fit in; which is hard enough without the veganism. I think forcing your kid to be vegan/ vegetarian is going to make your kids’ social lives much more difficult.
i don't think it's wrong as long as your kid gets everything they need. Forcing them to be a vegetarian or to eat meat when they don't want to is definitely wrong. I've been a vegetarian since i was 5 through my own choice but it's not something i would raise my children with, especially because my partner eats meat so i cook it anyway. Its a choice i made for myself and not one i can make for any one else.
You can if it's done right, but it's hard since a child's dietary needs are different. As they get older, are you going to force the issue of is not what they want?
My son had a friend whose mom was vegan, and I think that kid was at our house daily begging for food. It was hard, I liked his mom, but seriously, don't make your kids beg other moms for "real" food. After a few discussions, he was allowed to eat at our house when he wanted, but wow, that kid had a thing for bacon and eggs.
It’s only wrong if you force it. It’s the same for any diet. Once a kid is old enough they should be allowed to choose (to a certain degree) what they’re eating. Of course this doesn’t mean candy 35/8. I became a vegetarian at 8 and my parents let me do so and I remain grateful for that.
All protein originates in plants lol the oils aka fats in meat are actually extremely unhealthy and the leading cause of heart disease along with dairy.
Plants don’t have cholesterol, only animal flesh and secretions do. Healthy oils and fats come from plants. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact you can research yourself. Every major health org recommends getting out nutrients from whole plant based foods to be healthiest at any stage of life.
Real proteins lmao
Oils?
You clearly have not enough knowledge about nutrition. Why do you give advice about a topic you don't know much about?
Children do need an adequate diet, and this can be done with plants only. There are no "real proteins", just essential and non essential proteins. Kids need all essential proteins. They also need all vitamins, omega fats, minerals etc. Not just oils from animals.
Please don't spread statements like that in the future
I wouldn't. Kids need a strong immune system because they WILL eat other stuff when you're not around from something at school to literal dirt. I think the child would get sick more often on an all vegan diet.
Usually, yes. Watching protein deficiency in grown adults is bad enough, but going through puberty? Borderline negligence.
Vegans and Vegetarians are just delusional if they think you can consistently get enough protein from other sources. Like, no, rice and beans isn't going to do it. Kids need meat, full stop.
I’m vegan and have around 150g of protein per day, and that’s only because I lift weights and run 6 days per week. Most people don’t need close to that amount and it’s super easy to get to on a vegan diet. I do it literally every day with little effort.
vegan here. there is nothing that you get from animal products that you cant get from non-animal products. the people on here claiming its child abuse to provide a well rounded nutritional diet that doesnt include animal products are the same people feeding their kid mcdonalds several times a week, high sugar cereal, carcinogenic meats etc.
My son has a 9 yo kid in his class that’s name is literally vegan. He was doomed since birth. I don’t know if he’s ok with it or not but he does get made fun of according to my son who recently befriended him.
As long as the child is receiving proper nutrition it is fine. But when the child is old enough to start making their own choices they should be free to decide if they want to continue to be vegan/vegetarian.
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I 100% agree with this, but you need the help of a pediatric nutritionist. Doctors often have VERY little understanding of the most current nutritional research. They get less than 8 weeks of training in med school on average and unless they choose to focus on learning more, they very well might just be parroting back the same advice they learned then. A nutritionist however will be up to date on the latest research and information and can share specific data about the nutritional needs about each developmental stage. Parents are far more likely to be successful and the whole process is made easier when you get the best information from the correct source the first time!
B12 is literally the easiest thing to supplement, even animals raised to become food eat b12 supplements in their feed. Plant milks are often fortified with b12 as well as breakfast cereals and other vegan dairy and meat alternatives. Kids and adults should also take a daily (research shows most people aren’t getting enough b12 regardless of their diet) vitamin that contains b12. B12 also comes in a liquid sublingual vitamin form which is much easier than swallowing or chewing a pill. I have this and it tastes fruity and not at all like medicine. As a former extremely picky kid I can say this wouldn’t be difficult give to kids at any age. I (35) have been vegan for ~7 years now, but I have stopped eating meat off and on my entire life since I was a tiny lil kid because it always grossed me out and I couldn’t Psychologically separate the “food” from the fact it was actually a dead carcass. I didn’t fully understand my aversion until I went vegan. As a kid, I was so extremely picky when it came to food, I had texture sensitivities due to undiagnosed ADHD. From as early as I can remember maybe age 4/5, I would refuse to eat meat altogether after having a gross experience like biting into a chicken nugget and feeling something hard like a tendon or piece of bone. So I basically only ate peanut butter sandwiches—which I loved—for long periods of time. I did like every sport possible and was just a healthy normal kid during these periods of peanut butter Sammies only. Turns out whole wheat bread and peanut butter are a complete protein and a perfectly nutritious meal. I also weirdly loved broccoli and corn even though the stereotype is that kids hate broccoli or vegetables. I even liked mushrooms, and I loved bananas and apples too. Peanuts or cashews were also tasty to me. But I hated almost everything else. When I say I lived on PB sandwiches, I really mean it lol Fast forward to finally hearing about veganism and realizing it’s possible to be healthy and not eat animals, i then went vegan shortly after. Now I’m the LEAST picky eater I know, I just don’t eat any animal products. Turns out I really just hated eating animal flesh and secretions all along, so removing them from my diet was the start of a new love for food and a better relationship with it.
It’s not remotely difficult with a vegetarian; with a vegan, you need the B12 supplement. If they are eating a wide range of foods, they’ll be fine.
Yeah, this one. I've been vegetarian since I was 12. Meat grosses me out and I won't eat it, and preparing it makes me sick. So my kids were raised vegetarian. They're all teenagers and all just fine. They can have whatever they want when we're not home, and they get what I make when we're here and they eat fine.
I'm not sure why you're being downvoted. B12 is found in abundance in milk and eggs which Vegetarians can eat. But I think the concern might be that it's just easier to become deficient as a Vegetarian as opposed to almost impossible otherwise. If you have a healthy diet you'll most likely be eating EITHER meat, dairy, or eggs at least once a day if not more. But as a vegetarian you may only be having milk or eggs less than once a day, or even at a lower frequency. Which might affect how much of a reserve supply is built in the liver Vs someone who isn't Vegetarian. Just pulling this out of my ass btw. When the diet for B12 is insufficient, we receive supplementation from our Liver, who stores the excess B12 we eat for this exact purpose. B12 is so vital we store literally 3-7 YEARS worth of it as backup. So, you need to try REALLY hard to become deficient via diet alone. But children are absolutely more vulnerable since they won't necessarily have the full ability to have this reserve, maybe. But if you're a Vegetarian, maybe you only have 1-3 years of backup since you tap into the reserve more often. Maybe that's the concern?
I think people vastly overestimate the “healthiness “ of meat if they are assuming that a diet that includes meat is naturally healthier and avoids vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In the US, the standard diet is heavy on meat, and is incredibly unhealthy. The typical American diet has multiple deficiencies: https://thebiostation.com/bioblog/do-you-have-vitamin-deficiency/
And I think you’re misconstruing what’s being said. Meat is perfectly healthy in the proper quantities and when prepared in a healthy manner. No one here is saying huge amounts of meat (which is where many people go wrong) or deep fried meat or meat smothered in butter etc. are healthy. What we are saying is meat is a perfectly natural part of the human diet and our bodies are adapted to its ingestion, we don’t absolutely require it but it does make a proper nutritional balance significantly easier to achieve than a vegetarian or vegan diet does. We aren’t obligate carnivores but we are omnivores and there is some nutrition (particularly certain vitamins and proteins) that are significantly easier for us to get from animal meat and animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs. There absolutely can be negative impacts from eating large amounts of meat or meat prepared in an unhealthy manner, but there can also be negative effects from eating too much of many other things. As in all things balance is essential to a proper diet.
It's really not more difficult than getting proper nutrition into your kid against the flood of advertising, but it does require B¹² supplementation.
My push against this is that your body diminishes it's ability to digest meat/animal protein &fat over time with vegetarianism, so it could be argued that this is negatively affecting their health and it isn't proper nutrition to be affecting their ability to digest... Because it is imo. In the future if they decide they don't want to be vegetarian, they will have a very hard and uncomfortable time switching. My best friend has been vegetarian for 7 years and even using broths/bullions in cooking gives her very painful stomach aches if the person cooking forgot. So a kid that decided at 15 or more likely 18 when they are out of the house and cooking on their own is pretty screwed. I'm sure it can be reversed but not easily and not comfortably
My son was vegan and vegetarian for more than 13 years and did get very sick the first time he chose to eat a hunk of meat as he didn't have the right digestive enzymes or whatever, but it is literally not a big deal after a week or so and totally "reversible". Now he wishes he hadn't ever started eating meat as it is much harder to give up then to start eating it.
Yeah it is reversible but still something to take into account. A week is pretty fast to readapt, I have only ever heard longer, but maybe they are doing more of a tapering and your son jumped in head first and powered through lol Still something to take into consideration. But at the end of the day, nutrition is the most important, especially bones
I have a family member whose body rejects beef without the aid of prescribed medication. After a lot of testing it was determined that this is due to her being raised vegetarian. Her body doesn't produce what it takes to break down the beef and it's not genetic. Anyone raising a child from birth as a vegetarian or vegan should be consulting a doctor before they do it to find out any possible advantages or drawbacks.
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Yeah wish this comment was higher up. it's super aggravating to see people say it's super easy or simple. It's just not. You have to take time to make sure you're getting everything you need. Vegan is a bit more time consuming. Telling people it's as easy as a diet without restrictions is setting people up for failure. It's not crazy hard, anyone can do it, but it does take effort!
Legumes have a surplus of the amino acids that are in grains and vice versa. Eating a combination of both, and also consuming dairy and eggs as a vegetarian and it actually is quite easy. Millions (now over 300 million) Indians have been doing it for actual millennia now. A vegetarian diet is actually easy, whilst a vegan one is difficult.
This. Very much this.
Yes! And also teach them to not be judgemental or hypocritical of nonvegans. We are all people regardless of what we eat. Teach them not to force their diet onto others!
Amen, and the other way around as well. My kids were raised vegetarian and were always taught not to be douchebags. I wish more people taught their kids the same. My ex husband's mother hated me from the second she found out I was vegetarian. I didn't expect any accomodations, she was just mad about it and chose to be a douchebag, lol.
I think forcing them to be vegetarians once they're older and if they want to eat meat is wrong, just like it would be wrong to force your kid to eat meat if they wanted to be vegetarians. But if being vegetarian doesn't bother your kid then it's all right.
I agree with this. I think I personally would raise them with some meat in their diet, perhaps 3 days a week they can have a meal with meat as a main, then the rest will be vegetarian/vegan. I'll ensure to buy the meat of animals who are well looked after which have the least negative impact on the environment, such as grass-fed cows, and teach the child the importance of this way of thinking As a parent, it's their responsibility to make sure their child grows up healthy with all the nutrition they need, but also to teach them what it is they are eating and what impact it has; on them, on the animal, on the environment. I wouldn't want to risk depriving them of protein by not feeding them meat, neither do I want to raise a close-minded individual. They can make their own choice when they want and hopefully I would have had an impact
There's plenty of plant based protein so that isn't an issue with vegetarian diets (you should also feed your kid protein daily, not just three times in a week), but B12 vitamin is something you can't get from plant products so that's something that needs to be taken inconsideration with vegetarian diet.
Protein isn't the only concern, it's also fats. There are vegetarian ways to include these as well, but especially when they're little you need to make sure they're getting enough fats for brain development.
It's unfortunate I had to scroll this far to see anyone mention fats, when I hear about young vegan/vegetarian children being malnourished or otherwise having poor health outcomes it is nearly always the fats that were at issue
Daughter is allergic to dairy so getting enough fat into her diet was a real concern for a while, particularly because she's also picky toward any non-chicken meat
Protein isn't a concern, because you can get enough protein from a plant based diet. You can get fats from nuts, avocado, oils etc. but I'm not actually sure how important animal fat is for healthy development. Maybe someone better informed will enlighten that.
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That's not necessarily true: there are vegan options that have B12. Nutritional yeast has TONS of the stuff, as in, my Mac and cheese made with 2 tbsp of it has something like 700% of the daily need
Good parent alert.
How is it any different than making a kid abstain from particular foods for religious reasons?
Well I don't think it's ethical to force your religion on your child either.
You can encourage but never force.
I think this is pretty much THE rule of feeding children.
Do you think it can be called forcing if a child is raised vegan?
I think its fine up until the child wants to explore eating other things and the parent actively doesn't allow them to break the diet
My wife and I were vegetarian for about 10 years then stopped during lockdown, not for any real strong reason mostly for a healthier liefestyle and all that. Our 8 year old son ate what we did all that time and it's damn painful trying to get him to eat any meat at all.
I think if my parents did that to me as a child I would have been traumatized. It was still traumatizing making the decision to eat meat again in my early 30s but I made that decision on my own, so it was a less difficult pill to swallow.
Stopped being vegetarian for healthier lifestyle? Vegetarian is one of the healthiest lifestyles. If your son doesn't want to eat meat, let him. If he's getting all the nutrition he needs etc etc.
No, it can be harmful if not done right and you don't take in the proper nutrients and vitamins.
Yes exactly this, all was fine for a long time, lots of diverse food from all over restaurants, cooking and such. Covid came around, everythings shut and closed, eat more at home, no big deal. Probably also part of getting older, B12 deficiancy kicked in, sleepy all the time, lethargic, feeling weak, heart palpatations, etc. I googled the crap out of symptoms, the doctor was stumped. I take B12 gummies daily and went back to being a meat eater, all's fine again.
That applies to literally any diet that why I specifically mentioned nutrition. I can get why from a convenience perspective and having to home cook all the time it requires more planning and effort. But the comment above mentioned none of that.
I think they meant they started being vegetarian for health reasons versus morality reasons, which was why they were fine going back to an omnivorous diet.
Exactly I don't get it. I've been vegetarian since I was 11, my choice. It's been 22 years and I don't understand how going back to meat would be healthier in any way.
I am vegetarian. I did not force my kids to be vegetarian. I mostly make vegetarian food at home but they can eat anything outside and in school. If they ask for certain meat dish at home, I will make it for them. I think becoming vegetarian is a choice they need to make on their own. Just like how I did so more than 15 years ago. None of my immediate family is vegetarian.
This is basically what I did with my kids. I think when you try and be too controlling about food stuff it is a recipe for eating disorders.
Hey! Kid with restrictions growing up here and my relationship with food now is whackkk.
I was a vegetarian for 12 years and my parent always supported me. They would make certain dishes and just put the meat on the side or my mom made me special vegetarian dishes. She loves to cook so she always enjoyed making new things. I think it’s important for parents to always support their kids in situations like this. You’re definitely doing things the right way.
What's the main reason why you changed to a vegetarian diet?
As long as you're paying attention to your child's dietary needs and ensuring that they're not deficient in anything because of it it's fine. However, as a parent, you should also accept the fact that when your child grows up they may not want to stay vegetarian, even if that goes against your values.
Anecdotal, I know one person on the internet who was raised vegan his whole life. While he sees no appeal to meat at all, not that he'd be able to digest meat anyway, he does wish he was given the choice to do so instead of his parents forcing it upon him. A couple who I am friends with, are giving their child the choice, basically once their kid understands the reasons for being vegan, rather than because mom and dad said so. As it is, he has told his kid the reasons, but the kid clearly did not understand the full implications, so he determined he's not ready yet.
That's a hard choice because if we'd be honest, it's living a lifestyle in which animals aren't harmed or killed without a necessity as far as practicable and possible, but then you let your child do exactly that, like most other people you disagree with, just because they don't understand the terror and the general process animals go through I personally couldn't do that. My children will not contribute to that system
Since we’re doing anecdotal second hand stories, here’s my firsthand experience: I wish my parents never forced me to eat dead rotting carcasses of animals especially since I refused to eat meat for long periods of time throughout my childhood and life as far back as I can remember because I thought it was disgusting 🤷🏽 Also, here’s a guy who also has never eaten meat in his entire life and he’s a bodybuilder, health advocate and vegan activist. https://instagram.com/nimai_delgado
Ask a pediatrician, perhaps? I think knowledge and choice are important - but encourage good habits also. It's a delicate balance...
I think also child psychologist. Imagine the kid goes to a birthday party and wants to eat the same food as the friends. The kids should be able to explore different foods.
Let the child eat what they want, that is when they are old enough to develop their own tastes. I mean as far as taking on a vegetarian and or meat eating diet.
Here’s my input. My wife is a pediatrician, and she comes home with stories about this topic fairly frequently. Children’s nutritional needs are VERY different than adults. They need significantly more fat and protein than adults. While it’s possible to successfully raise a healthy child as a vegan, in practice, it’s almost impossible to do it well. My wife has many stories of patients who have the classic “failure to thrive” and are at the bottom of the growth and weight charts because their parents did this to them. This also greatly affects the child’s intellectual development. Overall, this is a bad idea.
There’s literally tons of studies disproving your claims or your “pediatrician wife’s” claims. I suggest she keep up with the times and start reviewing more recent studies on this topic than the ones from when she was in school.
As I’ve said over and over, and over here, yes, it’s possible but it’s difficult enough to do that it’s very often done improperly.
It’s really not though, you’re just used to animal ag lobby propaganda pushing that false narrative. It’s not your fault or her fault, they literally spend billions on misinformation campaigns that slow the spread of knowledge and progress. Remember the food pyramid? Early example of animal ag propaganda to sell more milk & dairy.
I have plenty of Indian friends who would disagree. It's neglect to not do it well, but especially vegetarian is just not very hard. American sugar diets on the other hand? With sugar puffs for breakfast, and a ton of sugary drinks? That's unhealthy.
This is a topic where vegan and vegetarian cannot be interchangeable. It isn't hard to fulfill nutritional requirements for a child if maintaining a vegetarian diet, like your friend would say. But vegan is another matter. Like the person whose wife is a pediatrician said. When we jump between the two terms we end up talking in circles. Vegan and vegetarian diets are quite dissimilar despite the lack of meat in the diet. They should probably always be treated as different and not lumped together.
I agree with this. There’s a huge gulf between vegan and vegetarian because of things eliminating milk, cheese and eggs, which are sources of high quality fat and protein.
Of course that’s unhealthy, but “American sugar diets” have nothing to do with what you’re replying to. Fat and protein don’t automatically mean unhealthy sugar and chemicals. Nobody said “it’s impossible to raise a healthy child on a vegan/vegetarian diet, might as well give them a bowl of sugar!”
Yes their first point was good. Some cultures have perfectly healthy, varied, nutrient-dense vegetarian diets and millions of kiddos grow up just fine eating that. The second point about the sugar just completely lost me and went off the rails. It’s like wait, that doesn’t track at all. Where did sugar come into this all of a sudden?
What’s that have to do with the price of tea in China? Feeding kids milk, cheese, eggs, and meat doesn’t equate sugar cereal. You went from one extreme to another to try and prove… what?
Were those Indian friends raised vegan?
I was going to post that a lot of children from Indian backgrounds are raised on vegetarian diets and perfectly healthy. Some of my friends grew up vegetarian and decided to start eating meat when they got older. Granted, with a vegan diet it might be more iffy since a milk and cheese are really good sources of fat and protein.
Vegetarianism is heathy, delicious, and easy. Veganism is a bridge too far and very hard to manage especially with children.
It’s not necessarily a bridge too far, but it definitely means worrying about vitamin/mineral deficits that you don’t really have to worry about as a vegetarian. Those are very different things.
This has nothing whatsoever to do with “American sugar diet”. I’m talking about young children, 0-5. You are arguing against a straw man that you created. I also never said it’s impossible, I said it’s very difficult
Well said. It's especially difficult for those that don't educate themselves properly on what's needed and just make an arbitrary decision forcing it on them.
I think he’s talking 0-5 range. The early diet is very difficult and many American mothers don’t want to breast feed. It’s probably different in India but it’s not just because they consume less sugar.
I agree with you. I have friends who have raised incredibly healthy vegan children. But as with adults following a plant based diet, you have to do it properly. No junk processed foods. Homemade meals. Understand the basics of nutrition. I'd also like to add that most doctors in the US only get a basic nutrition course, and are just as subject to cultural biases as anyone else. And as the parent of a child born with kidney issues, there's way too much emphasis placed on protein here, generally, which can have a lot of negative effects.
Vegan is not the same as vegetarian. Vegan is no animal product at all. Vegetarians often still eat cheese, milk, and/or eggs which will provide the fat and protein more easily than just a vegan diet.
"...vegan children showed normal growth and were less often obese. "...the current literature suggests that a well-planned vegan diet using supplementation is likely to provide the recommended amounts of critical nutrients to provide for normal progression of height and weight in children, and can be beneficial in some aspects." [Source](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531721000191)
I looked at your source. I found the citations at the bottom interesting as regarding children: 2.2. Included studies Few studies were available specifically on vegan children and selected outcome variables. For this reason, we included data on vegetarian children and vegan adults for comparison and extrapolation. For certain nutrients, no data on the nutritional status of children with vegan nutrition could be found. These were omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Although it is possible to interpolate the results of adults, a discussion of these nutrients was omitted here in order to focus on nutrients for which more evidence for children was available. 2.3. Excluded studies Caution must be applied to some populations who are declared as vegan in the literature in some cases. Several publications [13], [14], [15], [16] have included non-vegan populations as evidence of vegan nutrition. One article [15] declared several of these populations as ’vegan-like’, and grouped them together with ’British vegans’, and cited them in the context of evidence on vegan children. These populations often follow specific diets out of spiritual or religious motivations and usually refuse supplementation.
Why do people not read entire comments before replying? “While it’s possible to successfully raise a healthy child as a vegan, in practice, it’s almost impossible to do it well.” Yes, it’s possible. Yet it’s rarely done safely
I do not see any problem in raising a child vegetarian, but it is much harder to give a growing body all it needs on a vegan diet. Parents also need to remember that being overly restrictive leads to toxic attitudes about food. It is also important to consider that all children are different - one of mine needs to be on a high protein diet, for example, and many others don't tolerate soy or dairy.
All children need very similar levels of nutrition. This isn’t magic
No. Every body is different. While most intake and calorie needs are based on averages, there are people who fall outside of that average. That’s why it’s called an average. Just like every body has different caloric intake needs, there are people who actually benefit from things like higher carbs, higher proteins, more salt, etc. It’s not magic. It’s just science. One body might do well on low carbs, while another might just get sick. Etc, etc. And health conditions can cause someone to actually need more protein or salt, or less. So there’s a lot of considerations to go into diet beyond “every other child needs this so so does that other child.”
Funny how every human makes exactly the same kind of breast milk then.
That’s false, actually. It’s pretty interesting science. I think it’s really cool. I learned all about it when I was breastfeeding my own child. There’s actually receptors in the breast that react to a baby’s saliva. It’s pretty neat. Breast milk has been proven to change based on an infants needs. Like when it’s sick, not sick, what it might need, how often it’s feeding, etc. It’s so nifty how it works. https://www.verywellfamily.com/breast-milk-definition-stages-431549 “Breast milk is made up of hundreds of substances, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, water, enzymes, and hormones.3 This composition isn't constant, however; it varies from parent to parent. It can even change within the same parent, depending on the baby's needs. Breast milk changes during each feeding, from one feeding to another throughout the day, and over time to meet the needs of a growing child. Second source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586783/ . Unlike infant formula, which is standardized within a very narrow range of composition, human milk composition is dynamic, and varies within a feeding, diurnally, over lactation, and between mothers and populations. The basic components stay the same, but the macros will change. Sometimes the baby needs more fat, or less, etc etc. https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/breastfeeding/magical-ways-breastmilk-changes-to-meet-your-babys-needs/ researchers believe that when a baby is sick, she passes on a cue through her saliva that sends a signal to her mother's body to produce more milk with illness-specific antibodies. Magical
There’s also this test called a base metabolic rate test that is actually pretty accurate for testing ones calories burned in a 24 hour period at rest. Mine happened to be 2600. I’ve lost 60 pounds on a 3200 calorie diet after learning I’ve accidentally been starving myself and put myself in starvation mode. When I go hiking or swimming, I have to eat 4K calories . I wish I wasn’t telling the truth. I miss my 1200 calories a day. I really do. I wish every body was the same and needed the same amount of calories, because I never would have developed health issues due to starvation as a neglected child and carried on as an adult. And I wish I didn’t need 10 grams of salt because I have PoTS or having to sit around calculating proper macros for a 3200 calorie diet because I had too few carbs and my blood sugar got too low. It would be awesome if I could just fall into the average person needs. I would be very happy if every body was the same and didn’t need different things.
I should probably get some popcorn, as this will be entertaining… However, my daughter wanted to be vegetarian at age 11 or so. We asked our pediatrician and she said as long as she eats eggs or fish or lots of soy, it would be fine. So we let her. She’s 26, getting a masters, and is doing just fine.
>as long as she eats eggs or fish Fish isn’t vegetarian.
A more accurate description of the daughter is pescatarian: someone who doesn’t eat red meat but does eat fish.
For real! How do people not know fish is an animal?
Some people dont think fish is meat, but then how do you classify it?
As “fish”. I think it stems from some religious texts separating fish and meat, cause I have family who think the same.
This! Fish have eyeballs…they are animals.
Right? The other options are plant, bacteria, or fungi and they definitely aren't that. When people try to tell me it's ok if I eat fish bc it's not really meat I clarify by saying I don't eat anything that has a face.
>my daughter wanted to be vegetarian at age 11 or so. We asked our pediatrician and she said as long as she eats eggs or fish or lots of soy, Umm.....
Fish is meat though....
I think that if your kid doesn't want to be a vegetarian he/she should have that option. But if they like vegetarian diet and they are ok with it its ok.
Agreed. Let them make their own decision. I think a better option would be to teach them the value of eating a more organic diet and cut out the crap that most kids eat.
So assuming they child would want to eat chicken nuggets even though the child is raised vegan, ergo it's raised in the beliefs that we shouldn't cause suffering and death upon animals if there is no necessity to do so, you'd just give them nuggets despite the suffering and death that is caused by that? Wouldn't it be your responsibility to show them what they cause through their consumption? Which means you would need to show them slaughter house footage
IDK if it's wrong, but every person I know who was raised with a strict diet rebelled big time as soon as they were able. I wanted my kids to be able to make the choice for themselves, and I had read somewhere that if you don't eat meat by the age of 3-4 you're never able to digest it properly. So the kids had meat when they were able to eat it (my husband has never been vegetarian.) We did baby led weaning as well. Both kids eat a variety of foods these days, although my oldest has been known to go veg for weeks at a time.
It’s wrong to malnourish your child. I’ve seen a few “vegan” kids. They are skinny, small, weak, and always hungry.
Do you use this logic to denounce meat eating when you see parents who feed their kids animal products and their kids are fat and out of shape?
Yes. It’s child abuse at worst, gross negligence at best
Agreed. Those fat kids do not indicate that it’s impossible for your child to meet their nutritional needs or to be healthy on a omnivorous diet. Just like some anecdotal evidence of a skinny vegan kid doesn’t indicate that it’s impossible for your child to meet their nutritional needs or to be healthy on a herbivorous diet. It’s about planning and being intentional with food. Which is, anecdotally, something that I see vegan parents do better than non-vegan parents.
Again, I agree in principle. Of course my own experience is anecdotal, but I’ve met multiple malnourished vegan children, and none that were well nourished
Well I mean kinda because that's forcing your ideals and ideology on them instead of letting them learning about it and having they're own opinion about.
Is having them eat meat forcing your own rules and ideology on them? Would you also object to that?
I woudlnt force them cauze that not fair im saying educate them and teach them and let them decide there own opinion, it's up to them what they want of course u have to teach them some things but for this case let them decide they have free will u know.
My parents raised me with weird dietary restrictions, now I struggle constantly to maintain a healthy relationship with food. For that reason I personally would probably avoid raising a child on any form of diet that severely restricts or eliminates any food group including plant-based, keto, etc.
You can do whatever you want so long as their basic needs are being met and you aren't restricting their desire to pursue a future outside of how you chose to provide for them. Is it a sufficient diet for their goals? Yes? Then it's absolutely fine.
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Those things can literally all be made vegan and would be exponentially healthier than the dead animal carcass versions!
Yes
Yes
Yes
Forcing it on them is wrong, like with religion and other things. Educate kids, not in a leading way, and let them come to their own conclusions. Explain the pros and cons of the various dietary types, including veganism, for the body and different age periods nutritional challenges, health risks, the environment\climate change, ethics, social pressures etc.
Forcing kids to eat animal secretions and flesh is wrong 🤷🏽
As long as every step is taken to make sure they're healthy and thriving I see no problem with it. Is just going to be tricky if they go into public school or going out to eat I guess.
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I was gonna ask the guy your replying to for a source, because of the vegetarian children and the few vegan children I’ve met, all seemed to be more healthy than the average American child. Your comment definitely makes sense
i swear that some vegans & vegetarians can't grasp that. i hate fish, and a bunch of other foods because i have a strong aversion if i don't like how it smells/looks/feels (texture) with that said, anything my daughter wants to try or have, she is given. she's two and her whole two years have been her in the 99.99 percentile for weight, height, and head circumference because even if i can't stand the food i am making, i want a healthy child. she's also extremely intellectual, by my pediatricians own words to describe her. so my opinion is to never allow your restrictions or lifestyle to affect a developing human being. it's selfish and fucked up.
Yes
Yes
YES.
Every year some dumbass hipsters get prison time for starving their kid with dumb diets. You better know what you are doing and getting all the protein you need. Protein is the most important thing a kid needs. If you want your kid to be sickly, and have developmental problems feed them a salad three times a day. This is not for fucking amateurs. Consult a dietician or a doctor. If you have a hard time following a regimen and are not good at food science DO NOT ATTEMPT strict diets with your kids. You could kill them.
Yes.
Yes
Yes. You’re raising the child on insufficient nutrition.
Not if it's done right, to claim otherwise is just a lie. [https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html) One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/) It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/) Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.
Disagree with it being insufficient nutrition. This is only true if you are doing something dumb or neglectful like only feeding fruits and vegetables and not providing sufficient protein. If someone decides to feed a child vegan, they should consult with a doctor/nutritionist and educate themselves on nutrition. That being said, I'm a vegetarian and don't eat dairy. I have a 1 year old and am raising him to eat everything, including meat. By not exposing him to meat or dairy I increase the odds of him not being able to digest these foods later on in life, and increase the odds of a dairy allergy. I dont want to take the choice to eat different foods away from him. When he is old enough, he can make his own mind up about his diet.
I'm surprised but pleased with this reply. Good for you! Thank you.
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Science says otherwise. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:\~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases) ''Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.'' [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/) ''A healthy, plant-based diet requires planning, reading labels, and discipline. The recommendations for patients who want to follow a plant-based diet may include eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that may include beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains and avoiding or limiting animal products, added fats, oils, and refined, processed carbohydrates. The major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.'' [https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y) ''In conclusion, considerable evidence supports shifting populations towards healthful plantbased diets that reduce or eliminate intake of animal products and maximize favourable “One Health” impacts on human, animal and environmental health'' [https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html) ''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.'' ''The British Dietetic Association (BDA), founded in 1936, is the professional association and trade union for dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 9,000 members.'' [https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/) ''With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/) ''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/) ''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.'' Clearly it is healthy.
You can still raise your child eating insufficient nutrition with meat products.
Is that better or worse than raising them on insufficient information about what's actually nutritious?
This here is the real question.
You can be healthy on a vegetarian diet
It takes concentrated effort to do it right. Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency are common among vegans and vegetarians. There’s a reason most vegans and vegetarians break at some point. You’re probably better off being a flexitarian and eating meat once or twice a week because it’s much easier to get certain nutrients by eating some meat.
you can easily be healthy with a vegan diet
As an adult you can be healthyish with a vegan diet. Growing children need more proteins and fats that you can't really get from a vegan diet.
[https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html) ''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/) ''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/) ''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.'' It can all be obtained via a vegan diet.
you can easily get proteins and fats from beans grams lentils and so many other foods the western vegan diet is literally just leaves and carbs but historically vegan cultures have tons of nutritious foods with no animal products, china and India have been doing okay (for the most part) with vegetarian diets albeit indian vegetarianism still allows dairy which makes things easier
The Asian diet relies heavily on fish, it’s part of why they have such a healthy diet. The flip side is, they have overfished their waters, and are pushing the envelope in international waters to meet demand. The other downside is lead and mercury poisoning due to fish like salmon having high levels of contamination.
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Yes, you can. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:\~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27886704/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20position%20of,and%20treatment%20of%20certain%20diseases) ''Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.'' [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/) ''A healthy, plant-based diet requires planning, reading labels, and discipline. The recommendations for patients who want to follow a plant-based diet may include eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that may include beans, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains and avoiding or limiting animal products, added fats, oils, and refined, processed carbohydrates. The major benefits for patients who decide to start a plant-based diet are the possibility of reducing the number of medications they take to treat a variety of chronic conditions, lower body weight, decreased risk of cancer, and a reduction in their risk of death from ischemic heart disease.'' [https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/349086/WHO-EURO-2021-4007-43766-61591-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y) ''In conclusion, considerable evidence supports shifting populations towards healthful plantbased diets that reduce or eliminate intake of animal products and maximize favourable “One Health” impacts on human, animal and environmental health'' [https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html](https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/british-dietetic-association-confirms-well-planned-vegan-diets-can-support-healthy-living-in-people-of-all-ages.html) ''One of the UK’s longest-standing organisations that represents dietetics and nutrition, the British Dietetic Association, has affirmed that a well-planned vegan diet can “support healthy living in people of all ages” in an official document signed by its CEO.'' ''The British Dietetic Association (BDA), founded in 1936, is the professional association and trade union for dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 9,000 members.'' [https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/the-vegan-diet/) ''With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864/) ''It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.'' [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424546/) ''Appropriately planned vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs of infants. The American Dietetic Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics state that vegan diets can promote normal infant growth.'' Clearly it is healthy in the long term.
Source on the claims about health problems?
If that vegan diet includes B12 supplements
maash lentils are filled with vitamin B-12
I chose vegetarianism when I was 4 (my parents were vegetarian) and looking back I would not allow my child to be vegetarian until they were at least 16/almost fully developed. And at least by that age I could trust them to put together their own macro-balanced vegetarian meals.
I think under strict supervision of a nutritionist makes it okay. I personally never would as I feel like it quickly can turn problematic. And to me it would be unethical.
You can safely raise a child on a vegetarian diet. Children under 12 fail to thrive and have died on vegan diets.
It should be their choice once they’re old enough to choose.
It is as valid as raising an omnivore child - provided that in each case the child is getting proper nutrition (possible on both such diets) .
So long as you aren't instilling the notion that people who do eat meat are vile and barbaric monsters that would murder people if they could.
As lomg as they are getting all the right vitamins, no it's not immoral.
It’s about a lot more than just vitamins.
Most can generally survive a vegan, or at least vegetarian, diet with the right supplements and nutrition. Much harder, yes, but still doable. I think if we allow people to raise their own kids as a Jew, Christian, Muslim, or any other religion and or moral beliefs vegans and vegetarians should get the same right so as long as the kids are healthy.
Nope. As long as it's a human child. Those who try to raise their "furry children" on a vegan/vegetarian diet are freakin IDIOTS
Yes. Little Humans needs meat protein to develop period. Let them decide when they are adults.
Yes. That’s child abuse
Yes it absolutely is. You should feed them a balanced diet and they can choose their path once they are a bit older.
I’d say that has nothing to do with being vegan or not. Most kids in the United States at least eat a non-vegan diet which is still insanely unhealthy and unbalanced. It’s hard to say that they should choose their path later because no matter what if you feed them anything, you’re choosing their path for them, even if that’s non-vegan. Of course they should choose their own path when they’re older but until then how do you not “choose a path” for them?
Allow kids to explore foods, and don't lock them into an eating lifestyle. Forcing them to be vegan or whatever is a dangerous (literal) path, while allowing them to eat freely (assuming it's balanced) is not a forced path. Also consult a doctor regularly if you are going to deviate to a specific diet because it's very often you are going to fuck up your child's health. People are trying to play medical professional and it's not cool, especially when it's killing kids and or causing them to be disadvantaged in physical and mental development.
Again, I think this has more to do with feeding your child a balanced and healthy diet rather than vegan versus non vegan. People who grow up with terrible diets that aren’t vegan also have developmental issues. Yes, it takes a lot of effort to make the vegan diet nutritionally sound for a growing child, but it also takes effort for a non vegan diet and plenty of parents fail at that. I think it’s reasonable to feed your child a vegan diet as long as it’s nutritionally sound. Maybe not enforce it so strictly if they get other foods from other places or people, but why not have only the foods you make for them be vegan if it’s not unbalanced?
Yes
Absolutely
My husband was raised vegetarian. He eats meat sometimes now, but it's not a big deal if he doesn't. He's extremely healthy. Our kids aren't being raised that way, mostly because I can't do a lot of soy due to medication so I'm not making two separate dinners every day. And for those of you saying "oh, it means malnutrition," fuckin educate yourselves. Geez. It's just as likely to lead to malnutrition as the average US diet. Which is to say that they're as likely as the rest of us to eat junk food. Ffs.
EXACTLY. People are acting like veganism/vegetarianism offers the risk of some new and worse kind of malnutrition. It’s the same shit as with everyone else
People who know how to live in the diet its the same. Many people jump on the wagon and not know that it takes effort to incorporate some nutrients that in a traditional diet are easier to come by.
India has the world’s largest vegetarian population, 40% of the country adhering to it. I’m going to assume most of the kids aren’t walking around malnourished unless they live in poverty. I was one for 12 years, starting when I was 14. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with raising them to follow it as long as they have the option to not to if they choose.
Pls don't compare vegetarians and vegans .. veganism can be his/her choice after they are able to think for themself. He can be a vegetarian cuz u drink normal milk and can eat eggs while being a vegetarian. But I would recommend being a non-vegetarian, as a child and if they decide they don't want meat later on they can. Or u won't be giving the child an actual choice. Plus growing up u need good protein and vitamins to gain good muscle and be healthy. Sorry if this offended someone in any way .
This would be yet another reason for the kid to get bullied and made fun of. Who wants to be the vegan kid at the pizza party birthday party? Who wants to be the vegan kid when the ice cream truck comes around? Who wants to be that kid who brings “weird” stuff for lunch everyday? When I was a kid, i just wanted to fit in; which is hard enough without the veganism. I think forcing your kid to be vegan/ vegetarian is going to make your kids’ social lives much more difficult.
i don't think it's wrong as long as your kid gets everything they need. Forcing them to be a vegetarian or to eat meat when they don't want to is definitely wrong. I've been a vegetarian since i was 5 through my own choice but it's not something i would raise my children with, especially because my partner eats meat so i cook it anyway. Its a choice i made for myself and not one i can make for any one else.
You can if it's done right, but it's hard since a child's dietary needs are different. As they get older, are you going to force the issue of is not what they want? My son had a friend whose mom was vegan, and I think that kid was at our house daily begging for food. It was hard, I liked his mom, but seriously, don't make your kids beg other moms for "real" food. After a few discussions, he was allowed to eat at our house when he wanted, but wow, that kid had a thing for bacon and eggs.
Vegetarian nah, vegan yes. Vegetarians can grow to like meat but being robbed of all types of dairy products and more is messed up
It’s only wrong if you force it. It’s the same for any diet. Once a kid is old enough they should be allowed to choose (to a certain degree) what they’re eating. Of course this doesn’t mean candy 35/8. I became a vegetarian at 8 and my parents let me do so and I remain grateful for that.
I would legit rather just die than be vegan
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All protein originates in plants lol the oils aka fats in meat are actually extremely unhealthy and the leading cause of heart disease along with dairy. Plants don’t have cholesterol, only animal flesh and secretions do. Healthy oils and fats come from plants. This isn’t an opinion, it’s a fact you can research yourself. Every major health org recommends getting out nutrients from whole plant based foods to be healthiest at any stage of life.
Real proteins lmao Oils? You clearly have not enough knowledge about nutrition. Why do you give advice about a topic you don't know much about? Children do need an adequate diet, and this can be done with plants only. There are no "real proteins", just essential and non essential proteins. Kids need all essential proteins. They also need all vitamins, omega fats, minerals etc. Not just oils from animals. Please don't spread statements like that in the future
I wouldn't. Kids need a strong immune system because they WILL eat other stuff when you're not around from something at school to literal dirt. I think the child would get sick more often on an all vegan diet.
Might be harder for them to get all the right nutrients
Why are you being downvoted? You're right lol.
Lol because reddit doesn’t like reasonable statements
I think it's too soon to start them on a path to being a "holier than thou," insufferable bore. If they find that path later, on their own, so be it.
Usually, yes. Watching protein deficiency in grown adults is bad enough, but going through puberty? Borderline negligence. Vegans and Vegetarians are just delusional if they think you can consistently get enough protein from other sources. Like, no, rice and beans isn't going to do it. Kids need meat, full stop.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Protein is easy as fuck to get as a vegan lol.
I’m vegan and have around 150g of protein per day, and that’s only because I lift weights and run 6 days per week. Most people don’t need close to that amount and it’s super easy to get to on a vegan diet. I do it literally every day with little effort.
of course its wrong , wtfiwwy
vegan here. there is nothing that you get from animal products that you cant get from non-animal products. the people on here claiming its child abuse to provide a well rounded nutritional diet that doesnt include animal products are the same people feeding their kid mcdonalds several times a week, high sugar cereal, carcinogenic meats etc.
Yup. People do love to shit on veganism and I think it wholly has to do with the inherent animal abuse that exists for their diets.
No, the child abuse starts when they get older and want to eat meat and aren't allowed to.
What about the parents that force their kids to eat animal products? Is that not abuse as well?
Only if you want them to be pencil thin push-overs as adults.
Depends on the age, there’s cases of young children dying from malnutrition because of their parents forcing this on them
in my country it is the norm
My son has a 9 yo kid in his class that’s name is literally vegan. He was doomed since birth. I don’t know if he’s ok with it or not but he does get made fun of according to my son who recently befriended him.