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Vegetarian Mom Fears Family Will Feed Baby Meat Behind Her Back, Seeks Perspective Online
Interview With ExpertVegetarianism is no longer for adults only; kids want to do it too! 5% of adults in the U.S. identify themselves as vegetarian or vegan, with 5% of children saying they’re vegetarian and 2% saying they’re vegan. People get into heated debates over whether a no-meat diet gives children all the nutrients they need.
And this mother’s family worries as well. Recently, one mom asked others for advice on how to deal with family members who disagree with her vegetarian lifestyle. She decided not to feed her baby any meat but worried the in-laws might do so behind her back.
To know whether vegetarian diets are suitable for infants and children, Bored Panda reached out to specialist pediatric dietitian Lucy Upton. She told us all about what parents who want to skip the meat in their baby’s diet should know.
More info: The Children’s Dietitian | Lucy Upton
RELATED:
This vegetarian mother decided not to feed her baby meat but faced backlash from her family
Image credits: YuriArcursPeopleimages / envato (not the actual photo)
That’s why she sought advice online, asking others whether her decision was so unreasonable
Image credits: Angele J / pexels (not the actual photo)
A vegetarian diet can be perfectly suitable for infants if parents pay close attention to the nutrients the baby is getting
Image credits: Pexels User / pexels (not the actual photo)
The family in this story worries that without meat the 8-month-old might not be getting enough of the nutrients he needs to grow into a healthy child. However, most specialists say that it’s completely reasonable to feed your baby a vegetarian diet as long as you monitor their protein intake.
In 2009, the American Dietetic Association concluded that a well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet is suitable at any stage of life. They claimed it’s safe for pregnant women and nursing mothers as well as children and babies.
Specialist pediatric dietitian Lucy Upton tells Bored Panda that feeding a baby a vegetarian diet is completely doable. “A well-planned vegetarian diet can absolutely provide all the nutrition a baby needs,” she told us. “It is encouraged that parents pay close attention to nutrients like:
- fat, which can be found in foods like oils, dairy, nuts/seeds, avocado;
- iron, which can be found in beans, pulses (legumes), tofu, fortified cereals, nuts and seeds and eggs;
- B12, from dairy, eggs, and fortified foods like cereals.
And, of course, overall dietary variety,” Upton added.
Generally speaking, there’s no need to panic when it comes to a baby having no meat in their diet. “Despite common worries, protein intake is rarely a concern for vegetarian babies as it can be found in a wide number of foods, from tofu to beans, lentils, eggs, dairy, and even whole grains,” Upton explained to Bored Panda.
Vegetarian children might grow up more empathetic and sensitive to others and the world around them
Image credits: Tatiana Syrikova / pexels (not the actual photo)
People choose to go vegetarian or vegan for different reasons. In a 2023 YouGov poll, 55% of Americans said they don’t eat meat because they want to live a healthier lifestyle. 38% said they are vegetarian or vegan based on personal preference, 31% cited food safety concerns, 30% said it helps them watch their weight, and 39% do it because of moral reasons.
The mother in this story didn’t explain her reasoning for going vegetarian, but she also stressed how she wouldn’t object if her son wanted to eat meat when he grew older. Surprisingly, adopting a vegetarian diet from an early age can have some positive benefits for children in the long run.
Child psychotherapist Ryan Lowe explained to The Independent how not eating meat can make children more empathetic. “It builds empathy and sensitivity to others and a very different way of looking at the world, and it creates a level of being able to think about and bear pain,” she explained. “I think this is an important part of bringing up a well-adjusted and empathetic human being.”
However, she recommends implementing the changes in diet early on. If parents decide to suddenly make their children go vegan or vegetarian in adolescence, that can have a negative impact on the children. “Parents need to be careful not to introduce any anxieties or shame around food along with the change in the diet,” Lowe said.
The mom clarified that if the kid wants to eat meat later in life, she’s totally cool with it, just not as long as she’s controlling his diet
The reactions from people varied: some believed it’s nobody else’s business what the baby eats, and others saw red flags in the mom’s philosophy
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What do you think ?
The Doom Song 1 year ago
I think kids should try everything. Meat, veg, fish, fruit, all of it. My 1 year old nephew is at that age where he wants to try everything, and I think that's fantastic. I think if you force a diet on kids, you end up with super picky eaters that never want to try anything new. But having said that as long as bubs is happy and healthy, then I guess it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks rigbt
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
Plus, we're omnivores. We are not designed/evolved to eat only plants.
Load More Replies...
Marnie 1 year ago
I would be really concerned when OP says in answer to nutrition, "I know what makes me feel good." Babies need a specific amount of fat and cholesterol to have proper brain and sexual development. And where is her husband in this? He's not a vegetarian, but her views trumps his??!! That's not right. Humans are naturally omnivores. We need a certain amount of meat and compensating for not having that requires more than just knowing what feels good.
Royal Stray 1 year ago
While we can technically substitute meat for other things, and people today do eat more meat than we have to you need to eat quite a bit more of other products to get the results that meat and fish would give you. And it's not exactly recommended to start feeding the baby pills of supplements instead of just giving him some fish and meat every now and again. OP sounds controlling and would rather do what she feels good doing than what's actually the best for the baby.
Load More Replies...
Full of Giggles 1 year ago
My only concern would be how meat will affect the child’s bowels the first few time he tried it. People tend to get sick from meat if they haven’t eaten it years. I assume meat would have the same effect on 4-5 year olds who’ve never had meat. If the kid does get sick, it may persuade him to never eat again. It wouldn’t be a fair opinion.
n75mk9nk2n 1 year ago
The biggest problem here is that Mom is making the decision unilaterally, and not allowing other family members to follow her same logic. "I will have the final say on this matter"... yeah, that's a severe red flag. Mom can feed her child anything she wants... under her own roof. But if she wants people to respect that decision, she needs to have the mutual respect for others to do the same. This is especially cruel to the dad, as mom is basically saying she doesn't care about him, his opinions, or his thoughts. It's his child too.
Nikole 1 year ago
If the husband is fine with it, who gives a shít what the extended family members think? My nephews are 3 and 6 and are vegetarians like their parents. They can also decide for themselves when they’re older.
Load More Replies...
Royal Stray 1 year ago
If you go with a vegetarian or vegan diet for too long (if you started as a baby) you can actually get sick from eating meat as your body never got used to it. Also why on earth does the mom think she is the only one with a say, what about her husband? It's his child as well. Also a 3-4 year old are very much old enough to know what they want to eat.
RP 1 year ago (edited)
If you're body needs to get used to it like that...maybe that's a good sign to consume in moderation and that it's not as necessary as we think. My kid got curious about it around 4. That doesn't mean that they are old enough to truly understand the implications of it. They know that animals have to die to make meat (at least, they should!) but they might not have a great concept of death or hopefully won't have a good concept of pain and suffering let alone large scale environmental factors. I told my kid that I don't think that's fair to kill an animal when I can just eat something else and that they should really think about whether it's ok for them and if it is, they can try some of their friends' food but that I was not cooking it in the house or buying it. I think that at that age, they can make that choice at that level of understanding. But that doesn't trump what you're willing to support with your money and time.
Load More Replies... greenideas 1 year ago
My cousin's wife was on a health food kick and only fed her sons bland, boiled food, no sweets (except 2 squares of very dark chocolate per day), goat's milk, etc. These little boys were so skinny and pale, I felt sorry for them. I understand avoiding artificial addiditives in food, but don't put your kids on any extreme diets, unless it's for diagnosed health issues.
LB 1 year ago
Agreed, but I don't think vegetarianism or pescetarianism is extreme
Load More Replies...
OrangeStripey Hat 1 year ago
The phrase "while I'm in control of this decision" really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it is just how it's phrased, I'm not sure. You are one of two parents, madam, the 'control' is not yours.
similarly 1 year ago
If a person wants to be vegetarian or vegan, I really don't care. It's none of my business. However, one should be aware that unless one lives on an island in a grass house, wearing a grass skirt, in a modern society, one is never really "animal free". Virtually everything has animal products in it. Plastic, synthetic rubber, virtually every kind of paint or varnish or stain, almost any kind of electronic appliance, almost every kind of glue or adhesive or any product that includes an adhesive strip: they all include animal products, typically animal blood, and sometimes bonemeal. Lots of foods contain gelatin, the stuff between bones. Likewise, animal products are in lots of things you wouldn't expect. "Faux fur" could be polyester, but could also be wool. "Faux fox", "faux mink", etc. are sometimes still animal fur, just not fox or mink, and could be anything from cat, to rat, to dog. So, go meat free in your diet: just be aware you're never very far from an animal product
RP 1 year ago (edited)
That's absolutely true. One of the reasons I am so grateful that I was raised vegetarian in terms of diet is that going without meat is not a struggle for me. It's one small good thing that doesn't cost me a bunch of energy. Doing without dairy or without other animal products is so much harder. But at least I can reduce something. Not everything has to always be an extreme. Some things we can make feel less extreme for our children
Load More Replies...
Falafal salad 1 year ago (edited)
Been veggie since I was 12 and brought my daughter up on a veggie diet. She was always the tallest in her class and a top student so I just find the anti veggie comments bizarre. It’s very easy to eat well and stay healthy as a vegetarian with a varied diet.
Tamra 1 year ago
You'll find a lot of anti-veggie sentiment on this site, for whatever reason. We were a veggie family when my son was born, and that's what he grew up on. I did consult his pediatrician, and we talked about his diet at each well visit. She had no problems with it, and encouraged it.
Load More Replies...
zatrisha 1 year ago
I actually think this is a very good idea as long as the child gets a healthy and balanced diet. If the child is old enough to understand the moral aspect of meat, they can still decide whether they want to eat animals. I wish more parents treated it this way, because many people only eat meat out of habit because they don't know any other way and the switch to vegetarian is too uncomfortable for them. It would be better for everyone from a moral and economic perspective.
The Doom Song 1 year ago
I think kids should try everything. Meat, veg, fish, fruit, all of it. My 1 year old nephew is at that age where he wants to try everything, and I think that's fantastic. I think if you force a diet on kids, you end up with super picky eaters that never want to try anything new. But having said that as long as bubs is happy and healthy, then I guess it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks rigbt
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
Plus, we're omnivores. We are not designed/evolved to eat only plants.
Load More Replies... Marnie 1 year ago
I would be really concerned when OP says in answer to nutrition, "I know what makes me feel good." Babies need a specific amount of fat and cholesterol to have proper brain and sexual development. And where is her husband in this? He's not a vegetarian, but her views trumps his??!! That's not right. Humans are naturally omnivores. We need a certain amount of meat and compensating for not having that requires more than just knowing what feels good.
Royal Stray 1 year ago
While we can technically substitute meat for other things, and people today do eat more meat than we have to you need to eat quite a bit more of other products to get the results that meat and fish would give you. And it's not exactly recommended to start feeding the baby pills of supplements instead of just giving him some fish and meat every now and again. OP sounds controlling and would rather do what she feels good doing than what's actually the best for the baby.
Load More Replies... Full of Giggles 1 year ago
My only concern would be how meat will affect the child’s bowels the first few time he tried it. People tend to get sick from meat if they haven’t eaten it years. I assume meat would have the same effect on 4-5 year olds who’ve never had meat. If the kid does get sick, it may persuade him to never eat again. It wouldn’t be a fair opinion.
n75mk9nk2n 1 year ago
The biggest problem here is that Mom is making the decision unilaterally, and not allowing other family members to follow her same logic. "I will have the final say on this matter"... yeah, that's a severe red flag. Mom can feed her child anything she wants... under her own roof. But if she wants people to respect that decision, she needs to have the mutual respect for others to do the same. This is especially cruel to the dad, as mom is basically saying she doesn't care about him, his opinions, or his thoughts. It's his child too.
Nikole 1 year ago
If the husband is fine with it, who gives a shít what the extended family members think? My nephews are 3 and 6 and are vegetarians like their parents. They can also decide for themselves when they’re older.
Load More Replies... Royal Stray 1 year ago
If you go with a vegetarian or vegan diet for too long (if you started as a baby) you can actually get sick from eating meat as your body never got used to it. Also why on earth does the mom think she is the only one with a say, what about her husband? It's his child as well. Also a 3-4 year old are very much old enough to know what they want to eat.
RP 1 year ago (edited)
If you're body needs to get used to it like that...maybe that's a good sign to consume in moderation and that it's not as necessary as we think. My kid got curious about it around 4. That doesn't mean that they are old enough to truly understand the implications of it. They know that animals have to die to make meat (at least, they should!) but they might not have a great concept of death or hopefully won't have a good concept of pain and suffering let alone large scale environmental factors. I told my kid that I don't think that's fair to kill an animal when I can just eat something else and that they should really think about whether it's ok for them and if it is, they can try some of their friends' food but that I was not cooking it in the house or buying it. I think that at that age, they can make that choice at that level of understanding. But that doesn't trump what you're willing to support with your money and time.
Load More Replies... greenideas 1 year ago
My cousin's wife was on a health food kick and only fed her sons bland, boiled food, no sweets (except 2 squares of very dark chocolate per day), goat's milk, etc. These little boys were so skinny and pale, I felt sorry for them. I understand avoiding artificial addiditives in food, but don't put your kids on any extreme diets, unless it's for diagnosed health issues.
LB 1 year ago
Agreed, but I don't think vegetarianism or pescetarianism is extreme
Load More Replies... OrangeStripey Hat 1 year ago
The phrase "while I'm in control of this decision" really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it is just how it's phrased, I'm not sure. You are one of two parents, madam, the 'control' is not yours.
similarly 1 year ago
If a person wants to be vegetarian or vegan, I really don't care. It's none of my business. However, one should be aware that unless one lives on an island in a grass house, wearing a grass skirt, in a modern society, one is never really "animal free". Virtually everything has animal products in it. Plastic, synthetic rubber, virtually every kind of paint or varnish or stain, almost any kind of electronic appliance, almost every kind of glue or adhesive or any product that includes an adhesive strip: they all include animal products, typically animal blood, and sometimes bonemeal. Lots of foods contain gelatin, the stuff between bones. Likewise, animal products are in lots of things you wouldn't expect. "Faux fur" could be polyester, but could also be wool. "Faux fox", "faux mink", etc. are sometimes still animal fur, just not fox or mink, and could be anything from cat, to rat, to dog. So, go meat free in your diet: just be aware you're never very far from an animal product
RP 1 year ago (edited)
That's absolutely true. One of the reasons I am so grateful that I was raised vegetarian in terms of diet is that going without meat is not a struggle for me. It's one small good thing that doesn't cost me a bunch of energy. Doing without dairy or without other animal products is so much harder. But at least I can reduce something. Not everything has to always be an extreme. Some things we can make feel less extreme for our children
Load More Replies... Falafal salad 1 year ago (edited)
Been veggie since I was 12 and brought my daughter up on a veggie diet. She was always the tallest in her class and a top student so I just find the anti veggie comments bizarre. It’s very easy to eat well and stay healthy as a vegetarian with a varied diet.
Tamra 1 year ago
You'll find a lot of anti-veggie sentiment on this site, for whatever reason. We were a veggie family when my son was born, and that's what he grew up on. I did consult his pediatrician, and we talked about his diet at each well visit. She had no problems with it, and encouraged it.
Load More Replies... zatrisha 1 year ago
I actually think this is a very good idea as long as the child gets a healthy and balanced diet. If the child is old enough to understand the moral aspect of meat, they can still decide whether they want to eat animals. I wish more parents treated it this way, because many people only eat meat out of habit because they don't know any other way and the switch to vegetarian is too uncomfortable for them. It would be better for everyone from a moral and economic perspective.
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