Vegetarian diet

[Merfairy]

Hi, just a question; I am a vegetarian... I want to introduce my baby to a veggie diet, but not sre she will get all the right vitamins and minerals? Any suggestions.. I am a strong veggie, but it is my choice. I don't want to be the one making decisions for her future...

Any suggestion would be great.. x

 

[Hope81]

nope, you can't ,not yet at least, not until the baby is older, much older, near adulthood. growing babies need protein. and yes you can have protein for beans etc etc but it will really need to consume a big amount of those and a baby or toddler can't eat big quantities so they really need the protein that is in eggs, meat, fish etc. iron as also as main source that group of food. there is a lots of iron in some vegetables but it dosent get absorbed. you need meat or eggs for this one to happen.
how about you grow up your baby to really like the vegetables and when is older it can choose if it wants to follow this way of eating?
for better information you should ask your pediatrician as veggie diet for kids is possible but you some extra supplements for it to grow without any deficiencies.

 

[Sarah13]

I'm a strict veggie too also for moral choices but my hubby is a meat eater. I get him to only eat British organic free range meat which he is happy with and I don't cook it. I believe it's everyones right to choose so our son will also eat meat but my hubby will cook it then he can decide when he's old enough. My daughter only ate a small amount of meat as a child and decided to go completely veggie at 11 but she decided on her own, she always got a choice at meal times and I never forced my views on her even when at 4 she asked me 'how do you get the ham out of a pig!' she's a healthy 14 year old now with her own strong views and opinions on the subject that she's researched herself. If my hubby was veggie I would prob bring my son up veggie but he would always be able to chose meat if he wanted. You can have a healthy veggie diet as a child, just takes some thought while they are growing to ensure they get protien and all the vitamins needed.

 

[Belfast girl]

hi - i was brought up as a strict veggie, and believe that i am very healthy and apparently always have been, my sister and brother were as well and they are both over 6ft so it most have benifitted them!!

i do eat fish though. i have asked a couple of health visitors about bringing emma up veggie and they were very supportive but like i said that is with a bit of fish and eggs and plenty of dhals etc - in fact they said that would be the perfect diet!

i'll let her make up her own mind when she is older - and don't mind whatever she wants to do.

 

[timtam78]

Hi Merfairy I'm vegan and I've been looking into this lately too even though I'm not even preggers yet! Lol

With the right planning and varied foods it is perfectly healthy for a child to grow up vegetarian/vegan.
I initially became veggie then vegan for moral reasons but since i've learned the major health benefits of it over an omnivorous diet. (you might want to watch the film Forks over Knives if you get the opportunity)

This might be useful to read regarding raising veggie children
http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/infants-and-children.aspx

Hope that helps
X

 

[timtam78]

Oops doublepost

 

[pixie17]

i am a meat eater but my husband is a strict vegetarian. he felt quite strongly that our children should be vegetarian. although i am very open to and totally understand why some people chose to be vegatarian and vegan i do not want my child to be unless he decides to be. i do believe that a child can have a perfectly healthy vegetarian diet and get all the nutrients he/she needs, i have done a lot of research into this and i am certain. however i have still decided not to go down this road for the following reasons;

1. I think it is better for him if he is introduced to meat first and then can become vegetarian if he choses. If he starts of as a vegetarian and then decides he wants to eat meat his body may not know how to process meat and he may have difficulty with it. Therefore you are taking the choice away from him. If he starts of with eating meat and then decides he doesnt want to then his body will not be so much affected by it and he can still make that choice.

2. When you chose to become a vegetarian as an adult, you make an informed choice and realise that to get all your nutrients from a vegetarian diet you need to think and eat outside the box. Childrens taste buds change as they grown and they can become very fussy eaters. I think trying to get a child to eat enough variety while they are young and fussy may be very difficult. At least when you are an adult, you are deciding for yourself whereas a child may not understand why they have to eat certain things to get their nutrients.

I hope this makes sense (its late!). I just thought i would share my evaluation of things, but at the end of the day neither road is right/wrong, its personal choice.