Parents of vegetarian/vegan kids: Have they been positively/negatively affected?

[Anonymous]

I am considering a vegetarian/vegan diet.

My coworker grew up vegetarian and she told me that she sometimes felt left out because she couldn't have some foods at friends' houses, had limited options at restaurants or college dining hall, etc. Did your kids have experiences that were positive, negative, or both?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Its much easier to be a vegetarian now than 20-30 years ago. When I went to college it was a huge struggle on the meal plan and I rarely ate at the cafeteria. Most schools now have veggie options. Vegan is still hard but doable. My child is a vegetarian and it hasn't been an issue. He's picky so that is an issue but now expanding and we go to places that he can at least get rice or something. For me, it was tuff. It was 100% my choice and I started at 16. I've eaten at college campuses like UMD and tons of options. Friends homes are sometimes tuff but we avoid it when possible but most families are ok with just giving my son something simple or we just feed him before he goes over (except he's not going over now). Most people do try.

[Anonymous]

My H is in his mid-40s and has been vegetarian his whole life (cultural reasons). He agrees with PP, it's a lot easier now than 20-30 years ago...let's just say in college we spent A LOT of time at Taco Bell. He's never felt like he missed out on anything, he's just always gone with the flow. For example, he went a guys weekend to Austin TX and while everyone else got up early to wait in line at Franklin's Barbecue, he just slept in. Or if a work dinner is at a steakhouse, he just asks politely and they will always make him a pasta primavera.

Our son is vegetarian too and has had no issues. It was a little difficult to teach him what was veg and what wasn't when he was younger (before 5) but now, at 8, he understands. I'd say the most negative experience he's had in regards to being veg is at a birthday party, he was still hungry when they ran out of cheese pizza and only had pepperoni.

I'm not technically vegetarian but pretty much am considering my husband and son. One thing I am thankful for is that pretty much all restaurants put menus online, giving us a chance to see what options are before visiting. Being veg sometimes means planning meals/restaurants in advance, especially while traveling. Sometimes we find someplace not on our list to try, but we don't like being somewhere without knowing at least one place we can eat that has more than one vegetarian choice.

[Anonymous]

Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Our family is vegetarian including our six year old. It hasn’t seemed to have any negative effect on her. Veganism would be tougher socially. She hasn’t expressed any desire to eat meat but I’d let her eat it outside the home if she wanted because I myself ate meat for 16 years. Seems she should have the opportunity if she really wanted to. I’d be surprised though because vegetarianism is part of our identity. We visit farm sanctuaries and do a lot of veg cooking and veg restaurants.

[Anonymous]

I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

So bizarre you felt compelled to write this here. And that you cannot fathom that other people have different morals and beliefs that guide them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

Agree that this is a bizarre post. I'm PP with the veg husband. He's Hindu. He respects his religion, culture, and family by not eating any meat and fish, including things like chicken stock and gelatin. Why randomly criticize his personal choices? BTW he's never labeled himself Vegetarian with a capital V...it's just a part of his overall identity. Good grief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

So bizarre you felt compelled to write this here. And that you cannot fathom that other people have different morals and beliefs that guide them.

NP. Agree with original PP. Not bizarre at all, it's a facet of the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

Agree that this is a bizarre post. I'm PP with the veg husband. He's Hindu. He respects his religion, culture, and family by not eating any meat and fish, including things like chicken stock and gelatin. Why randomly criticize his personal choices? BTW he's never labeled himself Vegetarian with a capital V...it's just a part of his overall identity. Good grief.

I think religious reasons are different than ethical reasons. OP didn't say this was religion-related. (But some could argue that all religions are a cult and so the PP still has a point.)

[Anonymous]

Pretty much everyone was accommodating and remembered to order a cheese pizza or grill a veggie burger. However, DD did not mind going hungry if someone forgot. She just sat there while everyone else ate and that actually helped sear into people’s brains that even at 8 she was dead serious about not eating meat. People who forgot once didn’t do so again. I would pick her up and the hosts were so mortified. Of course, I’d feed her on the way home.

Oddly, people were much more accommodating of my DD that didn’t eat meat by choice than the one who had several food allergies. One “class mom” actually said “C’mon!” to my face when I handed her the list of restrictions. We sent along a lot more snacks and full meals for her than my vegetarian kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will never understand this all-or-nothing attitude about vegetarianism. Why can’t people eat less meat or almost none but not be so militant about it? Do they need the capital V Vegetarian label? Choose to not eat meat, don’t join a cult. If someone makes soup with chicken stock or someone puts jello in a dessert, eat it if you want to. If you try to live your life in such a moral black & white way, you will fail at every turn.

So bizarre you felt compelled to write this here. And that you cannot fathom that other people have different morals and beliefs that guide them.

Really? Seems like being less rigid would make OP’s problem go away. It would also attract millions more to vegetarian meals which will be necessary to save the planet.

[Anonymous]

I'm a lifelong vegetarian. My son was veg until 5 when someone offered him pepperoni pizza. He hasn't looked back since and its been 5 years. He knows what meat is, because we've always been very matter of fact about it. He made a choice and its ok.

My advice is to ok w/whatever your kid chooses to do regarding meat / dairy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not keep your house vegetarian/vegan, but let your kids be kids outside of the house. If they decide later on in life to be 100 percent vegetarian or vegan for their own reasons, isn't that better?

Agree with this.

+2