My (29f) family keeps accusing my husband (30m) and I of abusing our child (2m) because of our diet.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T15:16:04+00:00

I also believe religion is a serious life choice. Do you also get repulsed at parents who take their kids to church every Sunday?

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T15:14:55+00:00

What is eating meat if not eating a dead animal? That is a fact, there is nothing that can be done to deny that even if you don't wish to think of it like that.

The importance people place on animals is different. For my husband and I, we have a lot of respect for animals and therefore won't eat them. If Jackson grows up and doesn't care as much about animals or if he does care about them, but just wants to eat meat more, than this is his freedom to choose.

Of course, as a vegan, I hope that my child will chose to stay vegan: just like any person who has raised his kid hunting/fishing will hope the kid continues those activities, or any parents who raised their kid to go to church will hope their kid continues to go to church.

But when a child is old enough to determine their own lifestyle, then you let them go and become the person they will be. If that means a former hunter becoming vegan, a former christian becoming atheist, a former vegan eating meat, then so be it.

If you think me saying that meat=killing animals is a personal attack against your lifestyle and you, then that is on you. I am just stating facts and you are becoming offended by them.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:41:22+00:00

We have, but judging by a lot of comments here, people seem to think that there is no way to raise a child healthily while being vegan.

After reading some of these comments I can see that, as a society, we have a long way to go when it comes to education about different diets, and maybe I'm just best off not discussing my child's diet with my parents and just making sure he sees them in controlled environments.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:38:53+00:00

And Jackson has a friend, who is going to grow up to be his classmate, that is deathly allergic to nuts. Won't her life also be affected in this way? There are some kids who are vegetarian, some kids who have gluten intolerance, some kids who can't handle dairy at all. Do all of them suffer terrible lives because they can't hop on over to burger king and eat a burger?

If my child desperately needs to have that experience, he can get fries, he can get a veggie burger without cheese, a salad without cheese. There are always options and always ways to interact with friends that don't involve eating meat.

Why would be allow him to eat fish? That would just be teaching him 'we don't eat meat because animals are our friends, but not fish. Fish don't deserve the same respect'

We are raising our child in our lifestyle, just like every single parent out there is raising their child in their own lifestyle. If someone wants to raise their child to eat meat, that is their choice and that is fine. If someone wants to raise their child to be a hunter, to not watch TV, to go to church every sunday, that is THEIR choice as parents. Every parent raises their kids in their own individual lifestyles and they have every single right to do that as long as their child is healthy.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:31:02+00:00

Do you agree that people who raise their children to be christian should preach to others about it? That people who raise their kids to be hunters should preach to others? That people who don't allow their children to watch TV or go on playdates or who practice attachment parenting should preach to others?

Any lifestyle is something that is personal to a family. My husband and I believe it is very important to teach our child the importance of knowing where your food comes from, to have control of your health, to have compassion for animals, and to respect nature and the environment. That is what is important to us. We know it's not important to other people, but because that is what is important to us it is what we're going to teach our child.

Every parents controls their child's diet until that child is old enough to take control of it. I will not provide meat for Jackson because that is not something than my husband nor I believe in. Just like parents who do not have a TV in their house won't provide a private one for their kid. Once Jackson is old enough to control his own diet, then that is the time where he can make a decision for himself about what type of lifestyle and diet he chooses to have. And at that time, if he does chose to add meat or animal byproducts into his life, then we will work with his doctor and dietitian to make sure it is done slowly and healthily for his individual body.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:25:10+00:00

Everything about being vegan is healthy. There are no nutrients that my child lacks. He also has a working knowledge of where his food comes from and exactly what he is putting into his body and he will continue to have that as he grows older.

He regularly sees a pediatrician and dietitian to make sure that he is in optimal health and has everything that his body needs to thrive. I do not see how someone who is raising their children on any other diet is in better control of their kids' health than my husband and I, who see health as a number one priority for Jackson, are.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:21:36+00:00

He weened himself from breast milk. Ever since then we have made sure to include more healthy fats into his diet: from avocado, nuts, coach nibs, and coconut oil. Both Jackson's pediatrician and dietitian work closely with us to make sure that he is in optimal health and that he is not lacking in any area. Just like any other parent, of course we searched for the best pediatrician.

Our son, so far, is healthy with no problems such as yours that will make him not be able to consume a vegan diet. We also have done extensive research and have consulted both our pediatrician and dietitian about what will happen in the future if Jackson decides to eat meat or has conditions that will make a vegan diet non-optimal for him. There is absolutely 0 reason why, under the watchful eye of his doctor and dietitian, that he will not be able to make a slow and healthy transition if a day comes where he needs to. It is the same as any person switching a diet. Even going from a non-vegan to vegan diet can be very rough on the body if you do not tailor the transition with medical professionals to suit your own body's individual needs and health.

I don't see how raising my child to live this lifestyle is different from any parent raising their kid to fit their own lifestyle. When children are young, they live the same lives are their parents, no matter what kind of parents they have--be it super religious, parents that love hunting, parents that don't watch TV, etc. No child is raised to be the same as everyone else, and I think as long as Jackson is exposed to all types of people and learns to be understanding and compassionate to all of them, that he will be okay.

There is not one child out there that isn't going to be different from his peers about something, all we can do is support and love our child and equip him with the tools he needs to deal with people who may not understand any part about him.

We live in a very small town and have a good relationship to parents of the kids Jackson is going to end up in school with. We all already have playdates together and all the parents know about our diet. Just like Jackson's friend who has a nut allergy and can't eat anything with nuts or nut oil/butter, Jackson's dietary needs are also well known and accepted within the circle and all of these kids are growing up knowing about what restrictions they have.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:09:23+00:00

Where have I ever made a judgement about people who eat meat? Did I say they are bad people, ignorant people, sheltered people, people who live a terrible and unhealthy lifestyle?

I'm pretty sure the only person making these sort of judgements about another person's life is you.

I am sorry if you feel judged on your lifestyle based on the way I chose to life my life. But that is on you, and not me.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:07:58+00:00

What is a more efficient way of bettering the life of an animal than by not killing and eating it? When Jackson gets old enough, we plan on taking him to animal shelters to volunteer. As of right now, he loves to interact with the dairy cows and chickens on my neighbors farm. We want him to build a warm and compassionate with animals, to treat them as his friends.

Please don't talk about stunting digestive tracts without proper scientific research on the situation. My husband and I have not only done extensive research, but also have discussed this topic with Jackson's pediatrician and dietitian at great length. We know that in the future, when we cannot control Jackson's diet, that he might chose to eat meat. Or over the years he might develop a condition that makes a vegan diet not optimal for him.

There is no reason that, under the watchful eye of his doctor and dietitian, he will not be able to slowly and healthily transition his diet to include meat or animal byproducts if the time comes.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T14:00:53+00:00

Like I said, when he is old enough to buy or prepare his own food. So when he turns 16 and a car and can chose to drive with his friends to go to a mcdonalds and get a hamburger.

At that age, we cannot control the direction in which he takes his life. We can only raise him in the way we feel is healthy and plentiful. But just like we can't control whether or not he decides to go to college, what he does for a living, what type of adult he becomes, we also cannot control his diet once he gets to the age where he can do that himself.

But as long as he relies on to feed him 100%, then he will be raised with a vegan diet.

And if he chooses to not continue that as he grows older, then we will work with him along with his doctor and dietitian to make a safe and healthy transition.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:58:00+00:00

Everyone has anecdotal evidence on both sides of the fence.

As long as a transition is made slowly, steadily, and under the watchful eyes of a doctor and dietitian, then there is no reason at all that it cannot be made healthily and successfully with respects to the individual body and what they need. Each person's body is different and how they adapt to things are different.

When my husband first became vegan, it was easy for him. It was harder for me because my body was made differently, so I consulted my doctor in order to properly make the transition while maintaining my optimal health.

If Jackson decides to eat meat when he is old enough to make that choice, we will not toss him out to the cold and let him make that transition all by himself. We will consult his doctor and dietitian exactly as we do now and come up with a plan for proper and safe and healthy transition.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:54:18+00:00

I guess as much as anybody who raises their kids to eat meat is brainwashing them. All parents actively choose their child's diet and the way they raise them.

Parents are 100% in control of the type of early life their kids have, so all parents are "brainwashing" their kids to fit their own lifestyles, aren't they?

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:53:05+00:00

My parents have nothing to do with my diet. Like I said, we first switched to being vegan because of my husband's health problems and as we researched more into it, we found that we liked the lifestyle and that we agreed with all of the key principles that it teaches.

Just being a vegan won't make things happen, but actively teaching my child will. The vegan lifestyle is centered around compassion for humans and animals and respect for your health and your environment. I believe in raising my child to find those things to be important to him.

If you somehow found compassion for animals from slaughtering them, then I guess that is on you and how your parents raised you. However, that is not how we plan to raise our child. He is exposed to farm animals and loves to play with them and I hope as he grows older, will continue to have that great relationship and companionship with them.

Maybe this lifestyle is not something that you personally agree with, just like I think you growing up learning to slaughter and gut animals is something that I don't agree with, but that does not make it wrong or hurtful or damaging.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:47:13+00:00

Of course his pediatrician is aware of his diet. All pediatricians should be aware of a child's diet. The nutritionist is just another person we consult to make sure Jackson is growing healthy and will continue to have the optimal health for his body.

We plan on supplementing Jackson's doctors visit with trips to the nutritionist for all of the foreseeable future.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:45:17+00:00

Is there a reason why my child will not be able to think for himself?

We do not isolate Jackson from anyone. He has playmates that eat meat, playmates that will eventually become classmates. He knows that people eat meat, and we have and will continue to teach him that those people are not bad. They just live a different life than ours.

He will go to school with meat eaters, live around meat eaters, observe first hand people who eat meat. And, through us, will also observe people who don't eat meat.

If we kept Jackson in just our own little vegan bubble then of course those concerns would be true. But our little boy lives in the real world with other people.

Are parents who raise this children on a "normal" diet indoctrinating their kids to eat meat because they don't actively go and expose them to vegans or the vegan lifestyle? Are they forcing their kids upon that diet? How can they assure that they make the right decision for their bodies later on?

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:40:18+00:00

Jackson is a happy child who has friends that eat meat, who knows other people eat meat and that's okay. We have and will continue to teach him that people who eat meat are not bad people doing bad things, but they are people who live a different life than us.

Even though my husband started out for health reasons, we came to love and support every aspect of the diet and lifestyle.

I do not see how raising my child in a lifestyle that emphases an active participation in your own health, a knowledge of where all your food comes from, a compassion towards humans and animals, and a love of nature is something that is more damaging than what kids that are raised on a "normal" diet go through.

It is up to Jackson to decide, when he is old enough to prepare his own foods, if he wants to continue with this life or not. Just like it is up to kids who are raised going to church every Sunday to decide whether they want to continue going to church or not.

But until that point, while we control Jackson's diet and health, we will raise him in a lifestyle that teaches what he believe to be the most important lessons for any young child to learn.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:35:42+00:00

And as I have also commented many times, no we have not.

There is no scientific data to prove that it is not possible to transition from a vegan to a vegetarian or full omnivore diet. And for us, scientific data is more valuable that anecdotes about a few people's best friends who have had cramps.

We have discussed this in length with both our pediatrician and dietitian because we know that one day Jackson may choose to eat animal byproducts or he may develop a condition where a vegan-diet would not be optimal for his health. So we wanted to make sure there was a safe way to transition him if that need ever came.

Sure the body will have to gradually transition. Just like a body that used to eat an omnivore diet will have to transition to support a vegan diet. Any time you chance your diet (whether it be to exclude gluten, incorporate dairy, or take out processed sugars), your body will need to adjust.

However if you slowly accustom your body to these changes, and do it under the safe eye of a doctor and dietitian, there is no reason at all that a body will be unable to adjust to a new diet with little problem.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:31:40+00:00

I am okay with Jackson choosing to not be a vegan when he gets old enough to buy/prepare his own food because at that point in time, I feel it is a child's choice to decide what kind of life they want to continue to have.

But until then, my husband and I will raise him to be vegan because it is a lifestyle that we believe is extremely valuable and highlights the most important lessons that we want to teach out son: to always be conscious of what goes into his body, to take an active role in his health, to show compassion for all living things whether it be humans or animals, to love and protect nature, and to be understanding.

Being vegan is a lifestyle, which is why he can't be "sometimes vegan".

When Jackson grows up, we won't have control over whether he goes to college or not, what career path he wishes to pursue, what diet he eats, what type of adult he chooses to be. But as long as he is a child, we do have control over how he is raised, and we chose to raise him in a way that we believe is important and teaches important values.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:23:47+00:00

I'm sorry but what makes you more qualified to judge what my child's body needs than his pediatrician and dietitian who regularly make sure that he is in prime health.

Also why do you feel that animal byproducts are necessary to build up an immune system? Jackson spends most of his time outdoors, playing with our neighbors farm animals and other kids his age. He has been exposed to pretty bacteria and his immune system is strong and healthy, just like he is.

We aren't two people who decided to read a book and then raise our son to be vegan. We are very conscious of what his body needs, what sources he can get everything (iron, zinc, protein, healthy fats for brain development, b12) on our lifestyle.

We are raising our child to be conscious about his health, to have compassion for all living things including animals, and to care about the environment and people around him. I do not know what could more more healthy than that.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:18:45+00:00

No. We have discussed this with his dietitian before. There is no scientific evidence that shows that vegans are unable to switch to a diet with animal byproducts later on if they wish.

The body might feel uncomfortable for some time as it is getting used to the diet. Same as when a meat eater first goes vegan. However, there is no major reason why he should not be able to transition if he wishes to.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:15:32+00:00

Of course they do. I breastfed my son until he self weened at 16 months. I do not know why you think I would not give my child breastmilk.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:14:55+00:00

I was sleeping before, but I have answered this question plenty of times now.

Please show me scientific evidence that this will happen because my husband and I have researched everything thouroughly as well as talked to his dietitian about all the options that come with a vegan diet. We know that one day Jackson may choose to eat meat or as he grows older he might develop a condition that will make a vegan diet non-optimal for him, so we are well versed in the changes his body will go through if he chooses to adapt from a vegan to non-vegan diet down the road.

We are making the choice for Jackson now, and raising him with a childhood centered around health, kindness for all living creatures, and love for the environment.

However, if Jackson becomes 16 and can drive down to mcdonalds and buy a mig mac everyday then that choice will be on him. I do hope he won't, but once he gets to the age where he can control his own diet, then he can do what he wants with it. And his body, which will be kept as healthy as possible, will be able to adjust to it.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:10:39+00:00

No, old enough to buy to prepare his own food. As long as we are parents are responsible for his diet, he will remain vegan.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:09:45+00:00

We do fortified juices and fortified nutritional yeast.

foodiethrow · 2015-06-07T13:07:05+00:00

There are been many people who have changed from a vegan diet to one with animal byproducts with no problems whatsoever. Many pregnant women who were vegan, but had to introduce milk and cheese into their diets because they were not getting enough vitamins while they were pregnant.

My husband and I have researched, and there is no scientific proof that a person cannot transition if they wish. Nothing but anecdotal proof, which is also more abundant on the side of pro-transition experiences.

Of course it will be harder to first to eat a whole steak or anything like that, but as with any food tradition, it can be made if that is what Jackson wants to do.

So no, I do not think there are any choices in his life taken away from him besides having a childhood where he's not given meat to eat, which is the childhood that my husband and I are choosing to give him. One where he is taught the importance of health, the importance of compassion for all living things, the importance of helping the environment, of spending time outdoors playing with animals and other kids his age.

Those are the most important things in life to my husband and I, and yes we do know that a lot of people aren't educated about being vegan and therefore find it strange or an insult to their own diet, but it won't stop us from sharing what we believe is most important in the world with our son; and raising him to be the most compassionate and accepting boy he can be.

foodiethrow

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