Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 16:09     Subject: Re:To offer meat or not to a toddler?
OUr family is like your too. I eat no meat - and haven't since age 12. My husband eats meat out only, maybe once a week or so. I have two kids who have been offered meat and have always chosen veggie. And I have one who is a hard core meat eater. He loves meat. Even as a toddler, he'd talk about meat and ask for meat - it was hilarious to hear him order in a restaurant because at age three he'd tell the waiter, "I want big meat, please." I have no idea why the other two don't like it and the middle one does, but that's how it worked out. I think you're doing great by offering your child choices, but also teaching him to respect the choices you've made. Please don't stress yourself on this issue!!
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 15:59     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Out family is like yours. I don't eat meat at all and DH eats it occasionally when outside of the house. Our toddler has been offered meat at friends/relatives houses and restaurants. Sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn't.

I don't think it's anything to worry about either way.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 15:15     Subject: Re:To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Anonymous wrote:As an omnivore, I think it is perfectly fine for your child to have a predominantly or even regularly vegetarian diet, as long as your child is exposed to meat. You offer meat and if your child does not eat it, that's not a problem. Why do I think they need to be exposed to it? Because over the next 10-15 years of their life they will be in communal situations with other kids, parties, school, special events, where they may or may not have specialized menus made that will include vegetarian options. Kids want to fit in and sometimes in social situations, fitting in may entail eating with the group and you really don't want your child to be skipping meals at day camp or at an all day school outing because there were not vegetarian options planned for the kids. If all the kids are going to some burger joint after their school event, you want your child to be able to go and enjoy camraderie even if the restaurant doesn't have boca burgers on the menu. I've seen a number of kids who have had specialized diets for one reason or another who have had awkward times when socializing is mixed with meals and if they are too picky about a specialized diet, then the other kids will start associating that kids as the "difficult" one or may not want to invite that child because it's too much trouble or they can't go to their favorite hang-out because that child can't eat anything there.



I think parents make a bigger deal out of this than kids do. I grew up with some vegetarian friends and when we initially found out they didn't eat meat we were surprised but it was then no big deal. The veggie kids knew how to get by at not so veggie friendly places. "I'll have a burger with L&T, hold the meat"

OP - keep doing what you're doing - no need to force it on him. If your kid at some point wants to try meat, then let him explore.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 14:37     Subject: Re:To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Anonymous wrote:As an omnivore, I think it is perfectly fine for your child to have a predominantly or even regularly vegetarian diet, as long as your child is exposed to meat. You offer meat and if your child does not eat it, that's not a problem. Why do I think they need to be exposed to it? Because over the next 10-15 years of their life they will be in communal situations with other kids, parties, school, special events, where they may or may not have specialized menus made that will include vegetarian options. Kids want to fit in and sometimes in social situations, fitting in may entail eating with the group and you really don't want your child to be skipping meals at day camp or at an all day school outing because there were not vegetarian options planned for the kids. If all the kids are going to some burger joint after their school event, you want your child to be able to go and enjoy camraderie even if the restaurant doesn't have boca burgers on the menu. I've seen a number of kids who have had specialized diets for one reason or another who have had awkward times when socializing is mixed with meals and if they are too picky about a specialized diet, then the other kids will start associating that kids as the "difficult" one or may not want to invite that child because it's too much trouble or they can't go to their favorite hang-out because that child can't eat anything there.



I say bullshit to this. I was born and raised a vegetarian in the 70s/80s in a small agricultural town. I grew up fine, went to places with no veggie options but made out great and wasn't shunned by my classmates or friends. I learned to speak up for myself, letting school officials know that at school functions, a veg option was good to have and healthy. Nowadays, there's a lot more awareness and options for vegetarians. There's even an all vegetarian public school in NYC!
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 14:32     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Anonymous wrote:As a meat eater, I think it would be totally appropriate for you to raise your child vegetarian at home. Let him know that whatever it is you're serving for dinner is what he will eat, or not. Same way we handle our kids, and sometimes they don't eat a lot for dinner.

When he's out of the house or you go to restaurants, he's welcome to eat whatever he wants, within some reason, or eats whatever is given to him if at a friend's house for example. You could always prepare something special for him occasionally, such as hot dogs on his birthday.

If you do choose to be vegetarian for moral reasons, it is important that you convey that to him so he can digest it and decide if he agrees with it eventually or not. Might be good to let him know that we meat eaters are not necessarily immoral, just choose to prioritize our lives differently.


Not op but what if I do think it's immoral to eat meat? Then what should I tell my child?
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 11:34     Subject: Re:To offer meat or not to a toddler?
As an omnivore, I think it is perfectly fine for your child to have a predominantly or even regularly vegetarian diet, as long as your child is exposed to meat. You offer meat and if your child does not eat it, that's not a problem. Why do I think they need to be exposed to it? Because over the next 10-15 years of their life they will be in communal situations with other kids, parties, school, special events, where they may or may not have specialized menus made that will include vegetarian options. Kids want to fit in and sometimes in social situations, fitting in may entail eating with the group and you really don't want your child to be skipping meals at day camp or at an all day school outing because there were not vegetarian options planned for the kids. If all the kids are going to some burger joint after their school event, you want your child to be able to go and enjoy camraderie even if the restaurant doesn't have boca burgers on the menu. I've seen a number of kids who have had specialized diets for one reason or another who have had awkward times when socializing is mixed with meals and if they are too picky about a specialized diet, then the other kids will start associating that kids as the "difficult" one or may not want to invite that child because it's too much trouble or they can't go to their favorite hang-out because that child can't eat anything there.

Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 10:27     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Why is it important to you that your child develop a taste for meat? I eat meat everyday but if my kid naturally didn't enjoy meat, I'd offer other protein. Meat's not really necessary and chances are your kid will also choose to be veg, which is totally legitimate. Don't sweat it!
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 09:19     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
As a meat eater, I think it would be totally appropriate for you to raise your child vegetarian at home. Let him know that whatever it is you're serving for dinner is what he will eat, or not. Same way we handle our kids, and sometimes they don't eat a lot for dinner.

When he's out of the house or you go to restaurants, he's welcome to eat whatever he wants, within some reason, or eats whatever is given to him if at a friend's house for example. You could always prepare something special for him occasionally, such as hot dogs on his birthday.

If you do choose to be vegetarian for moral reasons, it is important that you convey that to him so he can digest it and decide if he agrees with it eventually or not. Might be good to let him know that we meat eaters are not necessarily immoral, just choose to prioritize our lives differently.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2013 00:07     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Nothing to worry about. I am a vegetarian, my husband eats meat, but happily eats vegetarian and often prefers it too. Our child is vegetarian. When he is old enough, he can make the decision but right now he has a strong preference to what I eat and has no interest in meat so its a non-issue.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2013 23:02     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
You are unconciously doing lots of things that will influence your child forever -- significant things like eating habits and respect for others, medium things like dog person, cat person, or neither, and insignificant things like does toilet paper pull from the top or the bottom. But your child will go through independent streaks (if you're doing it right) when he will do the opposite of you, just because he can, and he might make meat one of those choices. Also, he will meet people who also profoundly impact him, like girlfriends, and that could lead him to try meat and maybe eat it regularly. I think that if he chooses to eat meat at any point in his life, that's fine, and if he doesn't, that's fine too and it's not because you conditioned him in a bad way. If you conditioned him to never want to leave the house or never want to bathe, that would be bad. But no one will be hurt if he eats healthy without meat, and he and the environment will probably benefit. I say all this as a meat-lover and I guess it's just a very long way of saying "let it go."
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2013 21:49     Subject: Re:To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Don't humans need to have meat, at least occasionally, for health reasons? *Putting on flame retardant suit now.*
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2013 21:40     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Anonymous wrote:Let it go.


+1
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2013 21:27     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
Let it go.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2013 16:31     Subject: To offer meat or not to a toddler?
DH and I eat vegetarian food. I am a full-time vegetarian but DH eats meat when we go out (one meal a week). DH prefers to have vegetarian at home for health reasons. We have a toddler, who would not touch meat when offered. We cook a lot of variety of vegetarian food and he eats most of it.

I was reading another thread a while back and one poster said that since she was never given any meat by her vegetarian parents, she never developed a palette for meat.

Now, I am a vegetarian for my own philosophical/moral/religious reasons. I don't preach it to anyone but I made this decision for myself when I was about 15 and never looked back. I don't want to make this decision for my children. My only concern is they eat healthy and if they see meat as part of it, so be it. I am wondering if I am ruining his appetite for meat for life by not ever cooking meat at home.

Is this issue worth worrying about or should I just let it go? Thanks.