Hands down, one of the most asked questions I’ve received since I announced my pregnancy last March is whether we will raise our daughter a vegan. It’s something that Eric and I discussed long before getting pregnant, but we revisited the topic again when I did get pregnant. I’ve been clear in the past that our household is not a vegan household – Eric doesn’t follow a vegan diet, although a lot of his meals are vegan because he loves the food that I make (yup, tooting my own horn! hah). He now enjoys hundreds of foods he wouldn’t even touch when we first started dating and it’s been incredible to see his diet transform over the years from deep fried fast food to vibrant veggie-filled home-cooked meals. From eating a huge bowl of frosted flakes cereal to a huge green smoothie every morning, the change has been huge. So even though he’s become more conscious about selecting organic meat from local farms whenever possible and eschewing a large amount of dairy from his diet, he has no plans of going vegan. I support him completely; after all, he was never vegan before we met and he is happy and healthy which is what matters.
Many people have assumed that we would raise Adriana on a vegan diet, but we’ve actually decided not to label her diet in any shape or form. This is for a couple reasons. First, I want her to be able to try any food that she wants to, including the food her dad and family members eat in front of her. Second, I want her to decide for herself when she is older whether she will attach any sort of label to her diet. I have personally experienced benefits and drawbacks to labeling my own diet, and I don’t want to put my beliefs on her or assume that my diet is the best diet for her. That being said, we eat so many plant-based meals in this house I have no doubt that her diet will be filled with vegetables, fruit, legumes, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats! We are very grateful for the food we have access to and above all, I’d like to instill this sense of gratitude in her and also an excitement for healthy food, understanding its impact on our energy, etc. We are incredibly lucky that we even have the privilege of discussing this topic. But would we stop her from enjoying some of her dad’s chicken or a birthday cake at a friend’s party or a home-cooked meal at Mimi’s or Babcia’s house? No we won’t (assuming she doesn’t have an allergy down the road, of course).
I know that deciding what to feed one’s family is a very personal topic, but I want to be open about it as I have with my own dietary changes in the past. Obviously, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Vegan households can work really well if that is the goal (and I know many friends who are currently rocking it!), but this is what we’ve decided is right for us.
I’d love to hear from you about this topic. Have you ever struggled with the decision as to whether to label your child’s diet? Do you live in a household with different diets or allergies? How do you find a balance?
PS – Adriana turned 6 months on Saturday! We celebrated by giving her her first solid food – avocado. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. It was seriously awesome. I also re-read her birth story and cried a little. More on this feeding thing later.
xo
Comments are now closed – May 20/15
well I can’t wait for the (inevitable, I hope) OSG Baby/Toddler cookbook chock full of kid approved vegetable based recipes!
Our households sound very similar! I chose to follow a vegan diet seven years ago and did it because I personally felt convicted to make the change. My husband eats mostly vegan because I do the cooking and he made the choice on his own to become pescatarian three years ago. He’s healthier than he’s ever been and much more conscious of his choices, but doesn’t have the desire to cut out all dairy or the occasional fish. Our son is 2.5 and we are raising him vegan because he’s eating the food that I make. However, we’ve agreed that when he starts making his own food choices we won’t limit him to only vegan food. I think it comes down to trust and practicality. I’ll share my views and I trust that my child will make choices that are right for him. But frankly I’m not going to police what my child eats when I’m not around. That’s just not reality.
This was so helpful! My husband and I will meet our first child in early June and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my being plant based and Curtis being a consumer of all foods. What you’ve written is a great way to honor both parent and child autonomy and to respect all people and their food choices in the child’s life.
Great great post!!
It’s good to hear your story. I had my first babies (twins) just before Adriana was born and while I also mainly follow a vegan diet, my partner also eats meat occasionally and dairy when I don’t cook the meals. We also decided to be flexible with food, as I feel that we have a duty to offer our children choices to make for themselves. That said, until they are able to make those choices and understand the different options and benefits/drawbacks, we have decided to feed them a vegetarian diet.
But hearing your story was reaffirming and I applaud you for not feeling boxed into some one-size fits all! Because I am “mostly vegan” I sometimes feel a bit of pressure to either not identify as vegan, or feel bad because I’m not 100% vegan. So I like to hear others support a more open-minded approach to food!
I love this post! I really struggled with this when I first started feeding my now 17 month old solids. When it was time to head back to work, our son had been fed 100% vegetarian (not vegan) foods. I gave him egg yolk and whites early because I wanted to see if he had allergies. When we were lucky enough to find an amazing childcare spot, I was faced with the option to pack meat alternatives for his meals. I decided that I didn’t want him to feel different during those first days of eating socially with his baby peers. He now eats whatever is on the daycare menu, and is vegetarian at home with the rare exception of some fatty fish. The only thing I try to consciously limit is sugar which is only a real challenge with yogurt. I also find it funny that he LOVES milk.
Beautiful! I completely agree with your view 100%. I think letting Adriana experience what she chooses and to let her decide what is best for her down the line is wonderful. And if I decide to have children someday, while I will most likely be raising them in a veg household, I will absolutely not deny them a piece of birthday cake at a friend’s party. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking that would that be for them to be left out. ): How you raise your children, veg or not, is a very personal topic and choice, and there is no right or wrong answer. I think everyone has to do what is right for them. It is so brave for you to post this, and I thank you for it.
Well, I have been vegetarian/vegan my entire life (due to health issues) – I chose to allow my son to choose though. My ex was a deep fried white meat and potatoes guy when I met him and over the 20 yrs we were married, he added tones of healthy foods to his diet because of the food we cooked at home.
My son – eats fairly healthy for a 17 yr old boy. The junk food he has – typically is ‘raman’ and ‘nachos’. He loves soups with lots of veggies in it. He loves eating beans, edamame, avocado, onions, carrots, etc.
I think he is healthier for living in a house that has lots of variety and has offered him lots of options as he’s grown up. I can see him becoming more and more veggie as he grows older – mainly because he’s starting to notice the killing of animals, which is interesting as I have not really pushed that aspect of being vegan.
I think it is great that you aren’t putting any labels on Adriana’s diet. I don’t have children yet but as vegetarians, my husband and I both have decided it would be up to them to choose. Like you said, what matters most is that they are healthy. The best we can do is educate them on what’s happening in the food industry and hope they make the right decisions down the road (like sourcing humanely raised meat and dairy, if they choose to eat it).
Very rational and wise. Everyone comes to their own place in their own time. I am a veggie, my husband is not, my daughter is veggie and my sons would live on bacon if they could. No one likes a zealot and leading by example is the best for long term success. Lasting change comes from the inside.
I’m am so grateful for your openness here! My husband is very similar to yours, it sounds (although possible a little less healthy – Cheezits and Coke Zero are regular items in our shopping cart, but it’s all about baby steps, right?). For us, we try to cook a new item once per week and each week we rotate between something non-vegan (with vegan-friendly sides, usually) and something hearty & vegan (your blog has been a goldmine there!). And even though we don’t have kids, I get this question a lot. I’m on the exact same page as you here – I want my kids (someday) to be exposed to everything, educated about the many factors that go into the food on our plates, grateful for what we have, and empowered to choose for themselves.
Another question I get all the time is whether I’ll stay vegan through pregnancy if / when I have kids. I’d love to hear your answer here. I always say that my goal would be to stay vegan and consistent with my beliefs and lifestyle through pregnancy, but only if I could do so and maintain my health and the baby’s. Any thoughts on this loaded question?
I’m totally on board with you, Angela. I’m not vegan, but I’m a vegetarian with vegan tendencies/preferences (and thanks to YOU for helping me eat more vegan!) and when our daughter was born we had the same decision to make, like yours, my husband eats meat as well as what I cook. Our daughter eats meat some days and vegan/vegetarian most days as we want her to try everything (within reason!) and let her decide whatever she chooses when she’s older. I have a vegan friend who was a bit opinionated and wasn’t shy to tell me I’m already deciding for our daughter by giving her meat. To that take on it, I say it’s a very personal choice and you need to follow your instincts and heart. Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes with us all and always with your friendly tone, it’s such a gift to everyone and I think you are totally awesome!!
As always, a delight to read your blog. This one really hit home as I have been asked the same question over and over again. Though I don’t like relating what I am eating as being called a “diet”, I knew I had to put a lot of thought into what my new little man would be eating when he reaches solids (I am a bit ahead of the game seeing as I still have a month left with this little turkey baking away in my belly!).
I just wanted to thank you, once again, for being the most insightful and best go-to girl for nutritional advice. You are the best!
That’s how I raise my daughter. I’m vegan, but my husband (meat and potatoes) and family are not. Though my family is far more willing to try vegan foods.
She eats all kinds of things. She has always loved spinach and brussle sprouts.
It’s her decision as to what she eats. Though for about 8 months she decided to be vegetarian. It was a bratwurst that ended that. lol
Same decision/situation here, although honestly it breaks my heart a little every time I see her eat meat, dairy or eggs. This is for both health and ethical reasons. She’s only 5 and starting to make the connection, asking me why I don’t eat animals, etc. I’ll be patient and let her make the decision on her own, but I sure hope serving her yummy food like yours will sway that decision!
So glad you posted this! Good luck with the solid foods!!
Angela, your’re a smart girl! Very wise decision :)
My partner and I have had exactly the same chat (still in the planning stage!) and came to exactly the same conclusion. What I think is really…frustrating, or even a touch hypocritical, is that people find it so nuts in the first place. Nobody seems to care whether people raise their kids addicted to sugar and fast food but, woah, vegan children? How can you do that to your kids?!
Congratulations on your baby, Angela!
I am happy and proud to be raising a vegan child who wasn’t raised with “labels” as much as an age appropriate understanding of what it means to eat animals. You can “label” me as self-righteous, judgmental, whatever as you prefer, but to me raising our son as a vegan was in alignment with the values of critical thinking and empowered, compassionate action that is important to us, more important than silly labels. Today, our son is twelve and is a proud, strong advocate for all animals. We raised him with the knowledge that many of our family members (okay, all of them) and some of our friends were not vegan but we still loved them. People might like to think that you can only raised vegan children with a strict dogmatic approach but we did not. We are raising him to ask questions, think critically and be guided by compassion and justice. This is really not so radical. Today, our son owns his veganism: it is not forced upon him. He makes the choice every day to live in alignment with his values and to spread the message of compassionate living to his peers. Again, not so radical.
Wishing you the best with everything!
my hubby is omni, i have been veg even before i met him. we have three gorgeous children who have been vegan since birth. we decided to raise them veg until they are old enough to decide for themselves. i have never judged my hubby’s diet, just as he’s never judged mine. my kids know where meat and dairy come from, and at this point, they are not interested in trying it. but if they ever do, i think it’s important to love and support them no matter what.. i am sure they will make tons of decisons differently than i do.
Thank you for this post:
You say, “I have personally experienced benefits and drawbacks to labeling my own diet, and I don’t want to put my beliefs on her or assume that my diet is the best diet for her.”
I’d like to just say that every parents puts beliefs onto their children and makes decisions for their children. Meat, dairy and eggs are so horrible for us, and don’t help us thrive. As parents we should be giving our children the very best, maybe even better food than we get!
Although you see it as limiting your daughter for when she reaches for something, you will encounter this throughout her whole childhood. She will want something that isn’t good for her to have and you’ll need to take it away and replace it with something else.
maybe try thinking of it that way!
Kudos to you! I’ve made the exact same decision with my children, for some of the very same reasons. I want them to be able to eat/try any foods they want to when they’re at school or over friends houses. They eat a ton of healthy, vegan dishes I cook for dinner. (I am vegan, my husband does not eat dairy or meat, but eats fish) As a result, I’ve found they’re a lot more open to trying new foods, as a large variety has always been their norm.
Mmm, avocado. It’s funny but I never thought of it as baby food but it really is the perfect texture and the prep is probably minimal compared to other homemade baby food.
Talking about how to raise a child is such a touchy subject, so I’m not surprised by some of the comments I’ve read here and on Facebook. Combined with veganism and that’s a whole other can of worms. :)
That being said, I fully support your decision on how you and Eric will raise your child. It is your family and how you feed them should be no one else’s business but your own.
i feel you are obscuring one very important fact–“plant based diet” is not synonymous with veganism., which is, fundamentally, an ethical way of looking at the world. I suspect at some point you too will return to your husband’s carnivorous ways. Sadly, those who don’t understand this distinrtion inevitably do. my mom? She taught me one very basic thing–“they want to live, too”. Then I realized that it was never about a “plant based diet”.
At Trader Joe’s yesterday, while waiting in line, I noticed that a mother and a store clerk were trying to explain the concept of salmonella to her little son. She was fumbling for words, but, not surprisingly, “spinach” and “peanuts”seemed to flow quite easily out. The “low hanging fruit”, if you will–in vegetable form. I couldn’t help myself. I interjected “it’s mostly from dead animal carcasses from tortured animals who wanted desperately to live”. As someone who is not a parent but has learned wisely from my parents, I feel very strongly that the concept of parenting and the resultant “maturity into adulthood” comprise, essentially the long-term process of acclimation, acquiescence snd ultimate stupefying acceptance of conformity and the all too forgotten violence of everyday life that concomitantly and consequently comports, like a glove, with such a world view. What did Stephen Hawking say? Children do not know not to ask the really important questions. Adulthood is simply the process by which the “really important questions”, together with elusive Fairy dust elements of imagination, creativity and compassion are squeezed out and evaporate into the ether.
Navdeep, it is so refreshing to read your comment which is so full of logic and compassion. Reading through the comments, I simply could not believe my eyes. Except few truly aware vegans who commented on absurdity of “letting an infant have a choice” (a total oxymoron), the rest of comments just blow me away. The human reasoning why to fit in instead of stand up for what is right is simply astonishing. Indeed, a plant based diet (aka a health oriented, selfish reason) has nothing to do with veganism. Angela is not vegan and her choices of recipes have nothing to do with ethics. This should be cleared up right from the beginning and the confusion would be avoided.
Seriously? You think its okay to butt into a conversation between a parent and a child with the comment “It’s mostly from dead animal carcasses from tortured…”? I would have told you to mind your own business.
And, if it takes this much self-righteousness to be a vegan, count me out. I’d prefer to be a person who consumes a plant based diet while treating animals ethically.
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been veg since 7 & (almost) vegan for 2 yrs & I’ve been thinking about raising my (very theoretical future) children the same way as you. I don’t want my kids to resent me ffor forcing them into a dietary plan! My parents were liberal with me which is why they let me go vegetarian, even though neither of them were.
Please do not call yourself a vegan. A true vegan would not be okay with raising a child to eat animal products because that would teach and enable enormous animal suffering. You eat a plant-based diet, but you are not vegan. The comments on here are crazy. Like “I’m 90% vegan”. There is no such thing!
Good on you! Its a hard decision (Ive found) and i still struggle with it sometimes. But its your decision as a family and no one elses business at the end of the day. Your daughter will be healthy and have a varied diet and when the time comes may decide to follow your footsteps regardless :)
Your cookbook is off my list. There are plenty of real vegans writing cookbooks. I have zero desire to buy a vegan cookbook from someone who just wants to make money off the movement but can’t be bothered to actually live vegan. Since your personal choice is to not be vegan, my personal choice is to not support your support of torture and killing. Humans do not need to have their plants predigested by the guts of other species.
Well said Joy. Perhaps Angela should clarify her position right from the start that her recipes have nothing to do with veganism.
Agreed.
Agree. And I’m so sad about it. I keep coming back to read more comments. I bought her cookbook, my husband and I always cook her recipes, scour her website for new things to try. Her food was my favorite. Now I just feel off about it. It’s so hard to support someone you thought you believed in. I know it’s her choice, but it’s a personal and private one she shouldn’t have shared.
It is your OPINION she shouldn’t have shared it. It is her own blog and what she shares is her own business. Stating she “shouldn’t have shared it” is a moronic comment. You said it yourself, it is a personal and private choice. Why not leave it at that?
I am also disappointed as I love her cookbook. I feel betrayed. She doe snot get it.
Hi Angela!
I love your website and appreciate your stance on the matter. In our household I am the only full vegan, even though we have a vegan household. My husband will eat outside the vegan diet occasionally outside of the house or at events. We are choosing to raise our daughter (13 months) on a vegan diet, as We both believe it is the healthiest choice, and we do what’s best for our children. But also being an ethical vegan, and believing it is not right to take the life of another being for our own selfish consumption, and on the same note, torture or abuse them for other things such as eggs, and milk, it will be important to teach the WHY of veganism. If after being presented with the facts she will be free to make her own decisions OUTSIDE of our home, but will obide by our standards within. I honestly don’t see this becoming an issue, since all children are born with compassion and a love for animals (IMO) so it should be an easy choice, and with so many great tasting things, her life shall never be lacking a foodie experience!
Thank you so much for sharing this. it makes me want to follow all your recipes and your journey even more. I haven’t been able to label our diet for the longest time. I think I’m going to call it oh she glows diet from now on. My kids eat all kinds of vegetables, legumes, healthy fats, but are not vegan nor planning on transitioning. They can make their choice later down the road! Thank you.
Veganism is not a “diet.” It is a philosophical stance. People who are vegan are not so for themselves, but for the animals – because we don’t believe animals should be exploited, enslaved, and murdered. You, Oh She Glows, are *following a plant-based diet*. That is not the same as being vegan. Vegans do not say things like “as long as my husband is happy [eating exploited, murdered animals and their secretions], that’s all that matters.”
It is critical for the sake of the animal rights movement that people who are not vegan but following a plant-based diet do not label themselves as “vegan,” for that leads to confusion among animal exploiters as to what veganism is and what our positions are.
A great reply! Thank you!
I think the author framing veganism as a diet is to miss the point of the wider ethical position. Obviously it’s a false equivalence to suggest the majority non-vegan culture and veganism are both personal choices. A choice isn’t personal if it impacts others, be they human or non-human animals.
That said at least this article doesn’t support the myth that it is possible to breed “vegans” into existence. Rather the baby/child will be plant-based during their time with parents but no more a vegan than a communist or a christian. How the baby/child and their many possible descendants will choose to behave is a gamble. They will make their decisions in the aforementioned non-vegan culture.
I am vegan but my husband isn’t. For the most part he follows a vegan lifestyle simply because he also loves all the food I make and he doesn’t feel the need to cook two separate meals. We have a one year old and we are not bringing him up vegan. Just because I am vegan doesn’t mean my son or husband should be. I believe my son should be able to make his own decisions in life. I won’t lie to him when he asks why I am vegan or I won’t lie to him when he asks what he is eating but I won’t encourage any type of diet. If I deprive him of foods he wants to try then he’s most likely going to end up ending a crazy amount of it when I’m not around. For the most part he eats vegan because he eats our dinners but he does get cheese for snacks and whatever meat daddy cooks up for him. I find a lot of people assume I’m raising him vegan and lecture me about depriving him of things before I even get a chance to say he isn’t vegan. People always have something to say.
Love this. Love YOU!
We decided to raise both of our children breastfed (which worked!) and vegan. We have a vegan household and we are so happy to have done it this way. The only part that is hard is when we go to a kids party and there are non vegan food choices – but it doesn’t seem to bother our kids as much as us. When the kids are older clearly they will have to choose for themselves what to eat, but we give them the opportunity to be lifetime vegans if they want!
Totally my way of doing.my daughter is six and she is very clear to understand the concept animals are friends not food. She even taught her cousin if she loves animals we shouldn’t eat them. I can tell my daughter avoided to tell me as she had sneaked to taste meat at kindergarten public school meal couple times. At last she understand it’s disgusted to eat meat on her own.
Thank you. A voice of reason and acceptance of everyone and their ideals. I wish I read more articles like this voicing how everyone is different and allowing them to make their own deicisions without judgement…….the world would be a more peaceful place if there were more people with the same attitude. Thank you.
This is very different from our thoughts – mine and my fiancé’s.
We are both vegan (vegan lifestyle, not just diet – as veganism isn’t just a diet), and will feed our child the same food we eat. Just like my parents brought me up eating meat (“you eat what you are served”), we will bring up our child eating vegan food. For animals, for health, for the environment. There is not really any other option for us.
When our child is older they can decide for themselves, of course, but before that – and under our roof – they will be vegan. And may God have mercy on anyone who dares feed them meat behind our backs, haha.
But of course it’s different when you are not both vegans. There will be no non-vegan food in our house, that is out of the question for both of us.
So disappointing to hear this particularly as we know that a whole foods plant based diet is the healthiest way to live as you attest to in your book. We know this. We see people recover from chronic health conditions when adopting a whole foods plant based diet. Today there isn’t a single solitary reason to eat a single animal or their secretions – it’s a purely selfish choice. This is a bloody cruel, unnecessary, miserable industry that wastes valuable resources, causes untold suffering, deforestation, polluted air and water, takes food out of mouths to feed animals, causes wildlife destruction and death and health issues. Choosing to support this vile industry is for personal selfish palates. Nothing more. We know we can live healthy, cruelty free lives without harming anyone. Ask the thousands of people too who have recovered from chronic life threatening illnesses and who now enjoy great health and ask the thousands of people who choose this lifestyle for ethical and moral reasons and who enjoy great foods and a clear conscience. Open your eyes, open your hearts. Choosing to eat someone is not a personal choice if the animal did not get to decide if he/she wanted to live. Animals and their secretions are not food. If we want a planet for the future of our children then eating a plant based diet and living a vegan lifestyle is the kindest and most ethical decision. I have given your book as gifts to so many people but in all good conscience I cannot do this anymore. I cannot support something that does not support my values and I believed that you were a proponent of a vegan lifestyle as I am sure you stated this in your book. If we know we can live healthy, cruelty free lives without harming anyone, why wouldn’t we?
My daughter wrote a book about her sister recovering from a chronic condition after years of chemo and meds and just by eliminating animal protein, after reading The China Study, she fully recovered. She lost her childhood and I would hate for any other children to go through what my daughter went through. Her book is : www.rethinkfoodbook.com If only I knew then what I know now, my daughter’s childhood would not have been spent with weekly and monthly visits to a hospital and countless medications, emotional and physical pain. I hope more people will raise their children on a whole foods plant based diet and teach them about true compassion, leaving animals alone and off our plates and raising them vegan.
As a previous fan of your blog and cookbook, I am extremely DISAPPOINTED. This is not a balanced approach. As a parent, we are here to teach our children our values and belief systems. Your husband is an adult. He’s got free will to make decisions – even bad ones – that can negatively impact his health, other animals who suffer extreme cruelty and the environment. Children rely on us as adults to teach them personal responsiblity and to define what are good choices or bad ones. I would have thought that having a child would make you more conncerned about our global environment. Animal production and consumption is the number one contributor to global environmental destruction. So each time your daughter drinks a glass of milk or eats a hamburger, I hope you teach her how she’s just help desemate 10 more hectres of rainforest and added massive amounts of polution to rivers. Otherwise, your “balanced approach” isn’t balanced at all.
TOTALLY agree. Here, raising/educating a child gave us the push to go vegetarian then vegan a few months later. We weren’t feeling honest to ourselves teaching our daughter that meat/dairy were “okay” and just a “personal choice”. It gave us the motivation to stand and be stronger. We have to educate and give the right example. That’s what I believe.
100% agree
I’m not a f/t vegan, but I don’t eat much meat or other animal foods…yet my husband and kids LOVE them! (When my daughter Anya was 8, she sat down across from me on the couch and said: “What should we talk about? Let’s talk about food. I want meat!” and went on and on about meats she loves. Honest–she really did this.)
I have no need to change who they are, and they support me in my choices, too.
I had eating disorders in my youth and I too don’t want to push labels on my kids or push “good” versus “bad” foods. Now that they are getting older (14 and 10) I see that as even more (not less) important. I also have been reminded of the importance of health because my son is a type 1 diabetic. So, we “count carbs”–but only to know how much insulin to give him. He understands that although he *can* have sugary or white-flour foods sometimes (good heavens, one has to have birthday cake), they aren’t good for him all the time. I’ve tried to send the same message to my daughter–she doesn’t have the direct impact her brother does, but she too will be healthier if she focuses mostly on healthy foods with treats as treats.
Interestingly, they differ on fruits and veggies: My son will try and likes almost any fruit, but eats few vegetables. My daughter? She tries and likes almost any vegetable…and eats almost no fruit. Pretty funny!
(Sorry to go on so long. I think about this stuff a lot…it sounds like you have a great attitude and have found the right fit/approach for *your family.*)
You cannot be a part time Vegan!
You are either a vegan or you are not.
In the same way you could not be a part time racist or homophobe.
Our 19 month old has been raised on a “vegan diet” and is very healthy. We don’t like to label ourselves as vegan, nor do we like to label him as vegan. So, we call our way of eating (that works for us) as purely nutrition :)!
I am very disappointed to see that you are misusing the word vegan. You are not a vegan. You are a plant-based dieter profiting off the vegan movement and actual vegans who genuinely believe in creating a better world for animals. Shame on you.
Hi Sara,
I have known Angela for many years and if anyone was involved in something strictly to profit, Angela would be at the bottom of that list as she is a fair, honest and very sweet person with the kindest of intentions.
As a mental health therapist who sees the effects of children being raised in environments that do not foster choice, I celebrate her open-minded, inclusive – and most importantly – non-judgmental approach to this approach to this very difficult topic.
Most of these comments breathe like a sigh of relief from people who want to be told that it’s okay to do whatever one pleases, regardless of horrific large-scale animal suffering. This moral relativism leaves out the perspectives of the animals. When choosing foods, we are choosing our ethics as well, even if that is not our intention. I wish someone had told me this when I was a child; I didn’t realize what I was really choosing when I put meat/eggs/dairy on my plate.
Great approach! I’m not vegan or even vegetarian but I do enjoy cooking your recipes. I feel like more people should have the same mentality when piercing their baby girl’s ears. Her body, her choice.
What?
Eating dead animals is more about the animal’s body than the girl’s body. It is not really comparable with getting your child’s ears pierced..
And parents always choose what their children should eat. It’s called parenting.
I respect that outlook and don’t think there is a wrong or right way to approach this. My husband and I are vegan for ethical reasons first, environmental reasons secondly and health reasons third. As my baby turns 6 months old in a couple weeks I am worried about how to give her the best nutrition with a vegan diet but it is important to us to teach her compassion towards animals and feel good about not eating animal products and be proud of it. We have slowly influenced people around us by what we eat and if we go to their house they know they need to cook vegan for us. I want her to be proud of being vegan and for standing up for the animals and I plan to educate her and include her in cooking with me. I hope that she will keep up a compassionate vegan lifestyle but if she chooses to eat meat then that’s her choice. She won’t eat dairy anyways because she and I are both allergic to it.
I hope at least you’ll educate properly your daughter about the truth of the meat and dairy products, a thing that 100% of omnivore parents I know don’t want their kids to know, they just want to perpetuate the brainwash. I’m sure you’ll explain to her that someone have to hurt the pig/chicken/cow so people can eat meat/milk. I’m sure you’ll educate you daughter about the impact on the planet of the choice of eating meat/dairy. I’m sure you’ll explain the human exploitation linked to the meat/dairy. Only with the real information she’ll be able to make a real choice. Will you explain to her even if it offense the rest of the family? And yes, kids can handle the truth, they are way smarter and compassionate then most brainwashed adults in our sad modern society.
Thanks for opening this dialogue!
My husband and I are vegan, aside from eggs we get from a small local farm that treats their chickens extremely well and keeps them as therapy chickens when they stop laying. :)
I am 36 weeks pregnant and we plan to raise our baby vegan, but have discussed how he/she would feel isolated at school functions or birthday parties because of it. We will most likely educate our child as soon as he/she is old enough to understand why we are vegan (we don’t want to harm anyone, other animals included!) and there are a few great children’s books that can help with that.
However, if our child wants to eat meat when he/she is older, maybe around 8, that’s their choice when we/he or she is/are out of the house. It’s not something I’m willing to cook and have in our home however.
But who knows how this will all really play out! ;)
You are not vegans.
Of course you can call yourself what you like, but if you eat eggs, you are vegetarians.
Thanks for you post Angela! I’m just weeks away from giving birth and have been faced with the same dilemma. I was on completely vegan diet before pregnant and my partner still ate meat but of course became much healthier because I only cooked vegan food. But during my pregnancy and on the advice of my vegan naturopath I started having the odd bit of meat from my partners meals and then having tiny bits of organic meat once a week or fortnight. I didn’t plan it this way and feel guilty that my baby has been getting a taste before she is already born but at the end of the day eating a vegan diet was never a religion for me. I did it to be healthier and found that I felt better for it and have had great influence on my family who are now eating more vegan meals. I am starting to not like the vegan label and prefer to say I eat a plant based diet. I think I will do the same with my daughter. I don’t want her to be at the odd one out at social gatherings but I will insure she is eating good quality foods. Anyway its refreshing to hear someone talking about this as a human reality rather then from their own pedestal. We can all only try to do our best to avoid or reduce eating animal produces but we aren’t all the same and sometimes leading by example and showing you aren’t perfect has the biggest influence on others around you who may even try do the same.
I feel the same way you do. I am a vegetarian and I don’t cook meat at home, but when Christmas came my kids and husband were free to eat the (grass fed organic) turkey at grandma and grandpas house if they pleased. My older son and daughter ate some and then my husband surprisingly decided not to eat any.
We eat a very alkalizing based diet at home, full of whole foods and raw salads, fruits, gluten free grains and I make everything from scratch.
The hardest part is birthday parties. Yes I may say “Well they eat so healthy at home it’s okay if they eat the food at the party” but once I’m there I turn into that protective mom and I ask “Okay…what’s organic? What doesn’t have refined sugar?” And I find myself being “that mom”! It’s hard because I know how toxic some foods are and I don’t want those in my kids systems at all. So for now while my youngest is little ( 2 years old) I think I will continue to keep her on my diet until she is older, like her brother and sister, then they can go to bday parties and make up their own minds if they want to eat that stuff or not. Once my 8 year old son came home from a party and puked…then asked for a salad! Then talked to me about how he knew he was making the wrong decision but did it anyway! Everyone needs to learn their own lessons.
No one needs a label! People are constantly evolving and so are their lifestyles! Just live, show love, and eat healthy. That’s all that matters!
Hi Angela! I read a sentence on a vegetarian message board that I wanted to share with you. While many people on there stated their 2 or 3 year olds ‘were vegan’, one mom who had a similar approach to yours wrote: ‘My baby is not vegan, she only has a vegan mom.’ And that she just wanted to give her a good start in life an lead by good example. That sentence stuck with me until now that I’m a mom myself.
My baby girl is 9 months old and just started daycare, so I had to tell the daycare which solids to give her (they are really diligent and write down in a notebook what your child ate every day) and I told them that for the moment, she eats only plant-based foods. I am vegan and my husband isn’t, but since I’m the one who cooks at home and he loves my food, he only eats non-vegan foods outside of the home. We have started solids at 5 months and it might interest you to hear that so far she has tried a variety of things and loves her tofu cubes, red lentils, split peas, quinoa, hummus… along with a ton of different veggies of which her favorite is broccoli! So I gave daycare a list of all those things and they are surprised how many things you can give a baby who only eats plants! I just didn’t want to feed her anything potentially harmful to her health at an age where she doesn’t choose anything yet anyway. And I will tell family members never to feed her meat. BUT as she grows older, I’m thinking preschool, she can try eggs and whatever else she wants to try, I want her to discover the world on her own. It just doesn’t make sense yet at the baby stage to me, because I still make choices for her.
It’s entirely up to you how you want to raise your children. (Congratulations, by the way!) My only concern is that these kinds of posts change people’s understanding of what was originally a very clearly-defined term. “Vegan” means to eschew all animal products. In addition to not eating meat, dairy, or eggs, vegans don’t eat honey; don’t wear leather, silk, or animal wools; don’t buy products that were tested on animals; don’t go to zoos, aquaria, or circuses with animals; etc. Sending the message out that it’s still “living a vegan lifestyle” if you buy, cook, and feed meat to your kids is simply an improper use of the term. “Plant-based diet” is more accurate.