My Daughter

[^dawn^]

Hi everyone. I would like everyones opinion on something if it's ok. First let me say that we are not vegetarians, but I have a lot of respect for those who are. I think it is great to be passionate about something and make that kind of commitment.

Now here is what is going on at my house. I have a 4 year old daughter, and a 21 month old son. Both refuse to eat meat. I don't force it on them but I worry that they aren't getting everything that they need. They are both picky eaters. Now I know my son isn't making any kind of statement. He is too young. But my daughter has started asking a lot of questions about meat and where it comes from. She thinks it is terrible that people eat animals. Last night she was telling my husband and I that animals are helpless and they should be free and happy. I think that it's fantastic that she has that much compassion.

I realize that I am talking to a biased group, but I wanted to get your point of view. I'll be honest, my husband and I will never be vegetarian, however even though my daughter is only 4, And even though it will be offered at meals, I don't think it would be right to force her to eat animals if it upsets her that much (and it really does upset her).
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could handle this? And how do I make sure that she is getting enough of what she needs?

[Chaos&Order]

This might help PCRM >> Health >> Vegetarian Diets for Children: Right from the Start

Perhaps you could talk to a nutritionist? They'd be able to help you with your children's specific needs.

[ihrtPosh]

try fishsticks, they look like french toast, also boca burgers which are soy but taste good and have alot of nutrients. Also its fine for teens and aduls to do that but shell need her strength try hiding meat by grining it up.

[kathrynj]

My daughter is eight and has plenty of strength, yet has never eaten meat in her life! Nor fish sticks.

She is appauled at the idea that people eat animals, and asks which animal when she sees others eating it.

I guess it is easy for me as I have been veg for over 20 years, so I don't really think about it too much, and love veggies and pulses and other things.

I figure as long as we have a varied nutritious diet, we do fine I do give her a swisse vitamin and mineral supplement.

[socal805]

May daughter is almost 10 and has never had meat in her entire life. She has always been at the top of the charts in her growth and health and rarely gets sick. Now she is not a vegan, she eats dairy but the bulk of the protein in her diet comes from soy. She loves tofu (I cut in cubes and bake, season with garlic and salt) and she also eats all of the meatless products that are available. We use the veggie bologna, hot dogs, burgers, chickn nuggetts, meatless balls and a ton of other vegetarian products. All of these help to add some protein to her diet plus they make meals a bit more "normal". We buy organic and hormone free milk and cheese.

[^dawn^]

kathrynj and social, Thanks for the advice. She is still refusing to eat any meat. At every meal she asks me if it's an animal.

ihrtPosh, I don't know a lot about the subject, but I do know that a lot of people do not give their children meat. There are a lot of other sources of protein out there.

The reason I posted this thread is, if my daughter doesn't want meat ..there isn't much I can (or really want) to do about it. As a parent I think as long as she stays healthy and gets what she needs out of the food she eats then she should be able to choose. Even at four. I would never force feed her meat knowing her reasons for not wanting it. (I wouldn't force feed her, period!)

I can't find any evidence that not eating meat will do her harm. And to be honest I had the hardest time getting her to eat her veggies before she found out that meat came from an animal. I would argue that she eats much healthier now!

[socal805]

dawn I think its wonderful that you are allowing her to be who she is and to choose for herself. Of course as parents we have to use our common sense and good judgement when it somes to letting them choose for themselves! If I were you I would go and look for some vegetarian subsitutes this weekend. I'm not sure where you live but our local supermarket carries a large variety of vegetarian products. Being that she is a kid she might like the veggie hot dogs or chickenless nuggetts. Ask your store what they carry and try a few different things. If you show her the packaging and assure her its not meat I bet she will try the new veggie foods. If you cook a meal for your family, replace whatever meat that you are feeding the rest of your family with a soy product for her. Try the tofu baked with some seasonings for her, my daughter loves it! I buy only firm or extra firm tofu, the other is to mushy! Good luck and keep us all posted!

[^dawn^]

Thanks again Social and I just wanted to say thank you to Chaos&Order too, I took a look at the link, it was helpful, I didn't mean to leave you out!

I will look for those vegetarian hotdogs and nuggets, chicken nuggets were her favorite thing before she found out what it was! If you can think of anything else like that that she might like could you let me know? I'm going to see what I can find Monday when I go shopping.

[socal805]

Dawn, Mornigstar Farms makes a ton of vegetarian products like the hot dogs and nuggets. They are sold in most large chain grogery stores and can be found in the frozen section. Hopefully your local store carries this brand

[DzBigNutz]

i hav been a vegataran fore 7 yrs my childern and husbnd are not i think the frst poster gav you good advise and you can try fishsticks. you are better to try greinding up meat and hideing it in the food it will be tuff to have to counstently perpare sepearate meals all the time butt if your willing to give in to her not wanteing to eat meat then speak to yur peditrishon or nitrishonist and they shuld tell you how much proteen etc she needs to thrive and maybe the nitrishonist can give you kid frendly meatles ides
good luck

[VoodooJoint]

Do not bother replying to DzBigNutz post. The appear to only be here to cause trouble and are not worthy of any attention.

Sneaking meat into a wanna-be vegetarians diet is ridiculous and ignorant. It is very poor advice and I do not recommend it. There are other, vegetarian, ways to insure a healthy diet without betraying trust.

[socal805]

This is to all those who say that children cannot be healthy if they do not eat meat.....My daughter has continued to prove critics of vegetarian children wrong, when she was a baby she was not sick at all until she was 15 months old. No runny nose, earaches, fevers, nothing at all. When she finally did get sick it was a simple cold. To this day she rarely gets sick, is a competitive dancer and gets rave reviews at her annual well being check ups. She is kind to all animals and says she would never want to eat them. If at some point in her life she decides to eat meat then I will stand behind her 100%. She eats well balanced meals, in fact she eats healthier than most of her meat eating friends! The belief that children need meat in their diets to be healthy and strong is wrong and very ignorant. Frankly it surprises me that in 2007 we still have narrow minded individuals who refuse to accept what many of us know as fact!

[^dawn^]

I'm not vegetarian, but when I think of vegetarian I automatically think healthy. I don't understand how closed minded some people can be.

[VoodooJoint]

Dawn - you are lucky to have a child that shows such great compassion and understanding at such a young age. There are many cookbooks and informational books out about vegetarian cooking for children. Most of the recipes are so yummy that you will find yourself eating healthier as well.

I recommend looking into some of these cookbooks and having your daughter help you cook. Most likely she will find it fun even if it isn't much "help" to you--I have children as well and understand that often their "help" only makes things more difficult but it's a great bonding experience and can be a lot of fun.

Double or triple recipes you make (once she has approved them) and freeze the leftovers in single serving containers. That way, even if you are in a rush to cook for the rest of the family and don't want to bother with a vegetarian dish as well, you have something quick to warm up for her.

There are some very simple food combinations hat create protein in the body when eaten at the same meal. Beans a rice, milk and potatoes are a couple that come to mind. I also highly suggest the fake meats like Boca or Garden burgers, chik patties or nuggets and even the fake ground burger.

I have a very picky son and while he does not eat red meat or pork he does eat chicken. Since the rest of the family is pretty much vegetarian I have to create foods he likes while serving the vegetarian needs of the rest of the family. He adores those chik nuggets and fake burgers and they are so quick and easy to make if I've created a meal that he won't touch.

[Percy's Mom]

Ditto on having your daughter help you in the kitchen. This goes for any parent with children. Especially starting at such a young age, it can only help her to nurture good eating habits, and will help her once she starts in school with reading, math, history, and a myriad of other subjects. Plus it's a great way to spend time together.

I've personally started creating a lot more vegetarian meals for my own family. None of us are vegetarians, but eating less meat can't hurt anyone. One of our favorite products are the "meat" crumbles from Morningstar. They make a great substitute for ground beef, chicken, or pork in things like spaghetti sauces, chilis, and tacos. Try it with the whole family. My father couldn't tell the difference the first time I set up a taco bar with "fake meat", and he usually makes faces (mostly joking) at my veggie dinners.

[^dawn^]

Thanks for the tips VoodooJoint, I've been doing some research and it seems like it might be a little easier than I thought. I'm going grocery shopping later and I will look for some of the things you all have suggested. I think having her help me make some extra and freezing it is an excellent idea.

My little girl amazes me. She is her own person, that's for sure. At every meal I have to explain what it is made of before she will touch it. (even her breakfast cereal) We had beef and noodles the other day for dinner and the first thing out of her mouth was "Is that an animal?" I said it was, and she wanted to know what kind of animal, I told her it was a cow and she just shook her head at me. She simply said "I don't eat animals." I ended up just buttering some noodles before I put the beef over them and giving her some veggies.



I could never lie to her and hide meat in her food. It would be really cruel, the thought of eating an animal truely upsets her.

Sorry Percy's Mom, I didn't see your post, Thank you. I'm actually looking forward to shopping for food today. I think it will be interresting to see what I can come up with for my daughter.

[sarahnmadison]

My 8-year-old daughter enjoys the Soy Taco Meatless type of fake meat. She also enjoys some of the Boca and MorningStar types of fake meat.

There are tons of great-tasting vegetarian/vegan recipes on internet sites as well that the whole family can enjoy.

[VoodooJoint]

Dawn - See if you can find the book Vegetarian Baby and Child by Petra Jackson. I have it and if has some decent info about nutritional requirements and vegetarian food groups in easy to understand language as well as recipes. I don't know if it's in print anymore but you might find it on Ebay or Amazon used books if it's out of print.

There are also several good vegetarian magazines that always have great recipes in them. you can pick one or two up when you are at a bookstore or newsstand and even get a subscription if you find one helpful.

You also might find some of the info on PETA and their veg started kit helpful as well PETAKids.com » Vegetarian Starter Kit

[Percy's Mom]

Here is a quick link to a few forum members' favorite vegetarian recipes and several links with other recipes and nutrition information. Vegetarian Recipe Links

[^dawn^]

Thanks VoodooJoint, I'll look for it. I take the kids to the library a lot. I'll look for it there the next time I go.

I just want to thank everyone for their help, I didn't know how I would be recieved when I told everyone that we aren't vegetarian. I just wanted what was best for my daughter. And as long as eating meat upsets her I will never force it. I don't know if this is something she is going to do and feel throughout her life or not, either way my job is to make sure that she eats healthy and that's what I try to do. (My cousin decided not to eat meat at a very young age and never went back, she got a lot of opposition from her father, he would force her to eat it and I think it did a lot of harm, she has no relationship with him and she is a bitter person in general. )

I'll check out the link now Percy's Mom. Thanks.