...up like a vegetarian too.? i've been doing some thinking (usually because of what many people say about my diet being stupid and unhealthy) and if i become a grown man and am still a vegetarian would it be right to bring my child / children up not eating meat? i mean i know i will never go back to eating meat, but to not give my child the choice to eat it or not seems wrong. although on the other hand i was raised to eat meat and became a vegetarian... i guess i just need some opinions and reasons before i make a decision for myself... and if all you are going to do is bash vegetarians and be a typical redneck i highly suggest that you navigate from this page to the nearest pornographic website located in your bookmark section. you have no idea how old the bashing gets.

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yeah,you should definitely give them the freedom of choice.as you said you became a vegetarian but your parents gave you meat and vegies but not giving the child the option of meat would be equal to not giving him or her the option of vegetables.

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No..kids need their daily protein and fibres intakes. He/She can make up their mind later on in life..when they are old enough.Peace.

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It would be a healthy choice to feed your child vegetarian food. I am ovo-lacto vegetarian and have been for 20 years. I now look younger and am healthier than my other family members who are not vegetarians. When your child grows up he or she will probably thank you for it. Just make sure they get a balanced diet with a daily multivitamin. If they should choose to start eating meat as an adult, it would be their choice. Humans don't have the digestive system to eat meat anyway so we should be vegetarians.

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this is really a personal choice. so long as your child is getting a mulitvitamin and enough essential nutriants from the food s/he is eating (like protein, calcium, fiber, etc.) you should be fine.things to consider when making your final decision: 1.) will you feed your child brestmilk? most pediatricians reccomend this because it is the healthiest source of nutriants for a newborn/infant; however, there are pleanty of children who can't because they are lactose intolerant at birth. this is something you will want to discuss with your wife and pediatrician and, should you choose to keep your child a vegetarian, perhaps a nutricianist who specializes in early childhood. 2.) is your wife-to-be a vegetarian? if being a vegetarian is a personal choice, and if your spouse's personal choice is to be an omnivore, then this will definately affect the way your child eats. your child will have exposure to meat, and probably eat it because it's available. 3.) what kind of community do you live in? you've mentioned that being a vegetarian by CHOICE is difficult, and I'm assuming that you have some sort of personal reason for doing so. but imagine being a kid who doesn't eat meat and doesn't really know why, other than what her/his parents told her/him. living in a surburban neighborhood will make this difficult for your child. living in a more understanding community might mean it's not a big deal. but remember that your child's psyche may be at stake. 4.) what are your reasons for a vegetarian lifestyle? if you're vegetarian for health reasons alone, than helping your child make healthy decisions for her/his diet is fine. including meat in developmental years will probably be ok. if your reasons are along a moral line, than you're going to have to decide how comfortable you feel forcing those on your child early in her/his life. I grew up going to church because my parents went, and raising your child as a vegetarian for moral reasons is your right as a parent.5.) at what age will you know your child is "old enough" to make the decision for her/himself? there are different ways of measuring "old enough" - physical age, emotional maturity, scholastic ability, peer group - and assuming you raise her/him as a vegetarian, you need to decide what will be the right "age" for your child to make her/his own decision.there are more factors to consider, I'm sure, but this is just a list to get the ball rolling for you. either way, it's a parent's job in life to screw up her/his kids, so you'll be making the right decision regardless. good luck!!

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Vegetarian diets can be healthful. The major problem with eating only vegetables is getting a "complete protein". A complete protein is not a concern in diets that contain meat, as meat is a complete protein. Without proteins the body cannot repair and build itself properly. To get a complete protein on a vegetable diet you must consume legumes and whole grains. As with diets that contain meat it is also very important to eat a variety of energy providing vegetables and fruits to have a compliment of the vitamins, minerals and metals necessary for good health. If you have not already done so, I strongly suggest you go to the library and get books on how to maintain a healthful diet eating only vegetables. Some hospitals, clinics and health-food stores have classes given, or monitored by, Registered Dietitians. Check them out. In general, poor vegetable-only diets lead to health problems more rapidly than do poor diets that contain meat.After you are fully informed of the how-tos, whys and wherefores of a healthful vegetable-only diet, and practice those principals and guide lines, then and only then can you rear a child healthfully on a vegetable-only diet. A similar admonishment is also applicable to those who include meat in their diet.BTW those who bash vegetarians are not typically rednecks. People who bash vegetarians, or any group different than their group, are people who are simply uniformed, or close-minded to the other groups position. They may be rednecks, but since rednecks are a minority the "bashers" are more likely not to be rednecks. A bashers goal is to irritate - don't give them the satisfaction - be above it. I know it gets old and is quite exhausting, as I've been there myself - brush it aside and be more selective about who you hang out with.

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Hi,I am a vegetarian. am 22 yrs old... i have been bought up as a vegetarian. my parents, grandparents and their parents before them have been vegetarians. There is no harm to being a vegetarian or being raised as one. For proteins u can introduce diff types of lentils and beans( red, green and so on).Thou being around non-veg friends it mayb diff but if ur child tries to remain one, it actually reduces certain health issues as well.... When he or she goes out, and vegetarian food may not be always available. but some places actually cater to requests from the customers and cook up dishes which are meat-less.Should you feel ur child still lacks the necessary food components then u can also give him/her multivitamins.....Introducing egg would also be a gd idea as certain food or eatable have egg... for example: cake, and so on......Think about it......I am a brahmin, indian and a singaporean......Finding vege stalls here is diff but i have adjusted adn i have gd nutrition level as well.......All the best

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