I was discussing vegetarian type things the other day with a vegetarian type friend when this issue came up. Her conclusion was that if she married and reproduced with another vegetarian, and the food around the house reflected those mutual preferences, it would only make sense that their kids would eat vegetarian food as well.
The issue becomes a bit more tricky when you inquire about food eaten out. It's one thing to feed your children meat-free meals at home, but would it be going to far to prohibit them from ordering a burger at a restaurant, or refusing to buy meat-based products if they specifically asked? On this, she was unsure.
So I ask the question of you all: If you're a vegetarian or vegan, does it mean your kids will be too? Or already are? Is there anything wrong with that?
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Comments (70)
I'd raise them vegan.
my boyfriend is a meat eater and i am a vegetarian...or at least i'm trying to be. so my children will have their choice.
i was raised by wolves.
I have raised two daughters, my first is a meat eater..my second doesn't care for it. Both my husband and I are meat eaters. If my second daughter decides to go vegitarian then so be it. It is her choice. I will weigh the pros and cons with her and let her decide. I would never force her to do it. My mother used to force us kids growing up to eat our veggies..even if we didn't like them...I hated that and will never force mine to do it. I make them try it and if they don't like it so be it... It has to be thier choice and if you give your children enough freedom to make thier own choices then you have to stick by them....no matter what..they will be closer to you for it and know they can make choices...good or bad and you will support them
I would respect their personal decisions. Right now, I cook meat about once a month (although I sometimes eat things like canned sardines). If I had kids, I would cook a much greater variety of foods, including meat, so they learn to enjoy all kinds of food from different cultures. If my hypothetical children chose to be vegetarian, I would encourage them not to abstain from meat 100%. By that I mean I would encourage them to eat meat in certain circumstances—for example if we went to a dinner party where the host spent hours cooking a turkey, or if we traveled to a foreign country where a local delicacy contained meat. Of course I wouldn’t force them one way or another; what would be more important to me is that they learn to make healthy and balanced choices by themselves.
I am going back to vegetarian soon, because Meat is only ruining myself, and when i do have children, yes, they will be vegetarians.
I'm not a vegetarian so no I wouldn't but if my kids wanted to be then I wouldn't stop them. I mean it's they're own choice, right?
If I was still a vegetarian, I would raise my kids as vegetarians, too.
But once they grow up a bit and start making their own decisions, I'd cook meat for them if they wanted.
My mother raised us as vegetarians. We were allowed to make our own food choices as we got older, but she did not cook or buy meat. It was (and is) something that she strongly believed in.
I'm raising my children as vegetarians.
If I have children, I would raise them vegan. Parents teach their children their ethics, veganism fits with mine, it would only make sense.
@smiling_veggie@xanga - agreed.
I'm ovo-vegetarian, and if I were to have kids, they would have their choice.
No, I wouldn't. While I certainly believe that kids shouldn't have total freedom in anything, as long as they eat healthily, I wouldn't forbid them from meat. That's unfair to them. I'm not a vegetarian now, although I have been in the past, but if I were to go back, I still wouldn't impose my diet on them.
I'd raise my children as vegetables.
If I ever have kids they will have a choice in their preferred religion, and eating style. I'm vegetarian, and my husband is not. So they would have the right to choose which they prefer. I would just inform them as best I could on both sides of the subject. I would probably start them off vegetarian, and then when they are old enough to make their own decisions, I'll let them choose.
@soyeahthatswhathappened@xanga - You took the words right out of my mouth.
I'm vegetarian, but I would never force a life decision like that on my children. It seems similar to forcing my religious beliefs on them, which I'm against as well. Even at a young age, we seem to know what tastes good to us and what doesn't. I'll just start from there, leading in a "make healthy choices" direction. :]
@soyeahthatswhathappened@xanga - My boyfriend is a meat eater too. More like a carnivore than an omnivore but he's trying to change that. Haha.
I'm not a vegetarian myself, and neither is hubby. I would continue to cook the way I do and when they are old enough, if my kids decided they don't want to eat meat, I would let them make that choice (but ensure they are eating the proper substitutes, of course). I will not force my kids to eat anything they don't want. I used to hate meat as a child and it really bothered me when my parents forced me to eat it. I like it now, but I won't force my kids to eat it if they don't want it.
I'm a veg. and my fiance isn't. ONCE in a while I'll try to cook meat for him, but it skeeves me a lil, and I'm just plain not good at it. I decided at the age of 9 to become a vegetarian and 20 years later, I don't even think about it in every day life. When we have kids, I'll let them choose. Luckily my fiance is a good cook, and he even cooks tofu and other vegetarian type things and enjoys them with me :)
I've always thought that I would probably raise my kids (if I ever had any) as vegetarians, just because I am and it would be easier. Also I believe there are valid reasons (read: supporting facts) to not eat meat, so to me, it is difference than shoving religion down a kid's throat.
I sort of think it's wrong to forbid meat from a child's diet... because I personally believe that there's nothing wrong with eating meat... but I guess from a vegetarian's point of view, it's the same principle. You go by what your parent believes in.
I'd allow my child to be a vegetarian ONLY If I could ensure they were getting proper vitamins and nutrients, even picking up the slack in pill form.
I'd just want a healthy kid... lawl.
they can do w/e they want.
i like meat
@macphoto@xanga - No offence, but I think that is one of the worst ideas. Veganism has pros, and I know many people who look so young because they've turned vegan. But as a growing human being they need protein and being "raised up" as a vegan may cause deficiencies in their diets and lead to a lot of health problems. At least let it be your child's decisions after they grow up.
@WildChildWhit10@xanga - but veggies are so good for you! ha ha, If my child weren't eating veggies, I'd force them to eat at least some too.
Personally, I am so against growing children being vegetarians. They need meat. After they're past puberty, I don't care. Vegetarianism and veganism is really healthy and has great benefits and you can get as much protein as you want from tofu and beans (although this cannot be a total substitute for meat, it is a competent one). However, this is my solid opinion that under almost no circumstance should a child grow up as a vegetarian or a vegan unless they have some health issues around it. I stand by my beliefs 100%. At any growing stage.
As for the whole religious thing, is there any religion that forbids ALL kind of meat? Just curious, because if my SO followed a different religion than I did, then I would try to just work around his restrictions. Like, I know that some religions forbid eating beef and such and such.
Yes, because I'm a vegetarian and I mostly likely won't marry a meat eater, so my kids would be raised vegetarian and they can decide to change later on.