some people are just rude

[Snadger]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would just 'tag on' an observation to this one!

Does being a veggie give a parent the right to impose vegetarianism on there offspring?

From what I've read our bodies have evolved as omnivores to eat meat and vegetable matter. Our teeth are edged for cutting and tearing meat but we also have the grinding teeth of herbivores. Not clued up on anatomy, but think our stomach's and digestive systems are also that of an omnivore?
We get adrenalin from the thrill of the chase. We are hunter gatherers.

I think it's noble for someone to give up meat, and morally it is something to be proud of. But to impose our beliefs on our offspring.........nah!!!

[sewer rat]

I know quite a few vegetarians now (many of my customers are veggies) but I have yet to meet a single vegetarian who has imposed their beliefs on their kids. Kids should be allowed to make their own decisions about what they like and don't like - you can encourage them to follow certain paths but ultimately they will decide themselves. Like most kids, Iona will eat some veg but not others and eat some types of meat but not others. We never encouraged Iona to drink fizzy drinks but we never stopped her trying them - all she drinks now is water, milk - and the occassional hot chocolate before bed. She decided herself that she doesn't like fizzy drinks.

[Rhona]

I'm a sort of moral-meat-a-terian (sure veggies would disagree!). We only eat properly raised, free range (and organic where possible) stuff. Happy meat, as Mr R says. My sis is veggie and has a toddler - she's not going to press meat onto him, but will let him have it if he shows an interest as he starts choosing his food. Our baby girl hates meat and eats everything but!

[kernowyon]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would just 'tag on' an observation to this one!

Does being a veggie give a parent the right to impose vegetarianism on there offspring?

From what I've read our bodies have evolved as omnivores to eat meat and vegetable matter. Our teeth are edged for cutting and tearing meat but we also have the grinding teeth of herbivores. Not clued up on anatomy, but think our stomach's and digestive systems are also that of an omnivore?
We get adrenalin from the thrill of the chase. We are hunter gatherers.

I think it's noble for someone to give up meat, and morally it is something to be proud of. But to impose our beliefs on our offspring.........nah!!!

I have seen the results of parents imposing vegetarianism on children, and in one case with very dangerous consequences i.e emergency blood transfusion. So I guess I know what you are trying to say.

I AM not saying that either diet is right or wrong, as a butchers son I know what I like and thats my lifestyle choice, I do try to eat a balanced diet but thats as far as it goes. just hate it when I get preached to or people look down at me for the choice I have made.

[zazen999]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would just 'tag on' an observation to this one!

Does being a veggie give a parent the right to impose vegetarianism on there offspring?

From what I've read our bodies have evolved as omnivores to eat meat and vegetable matter. Our teeth are edged for cutting and tearing meat but we also have the grinding teeth of herbivores. Not clued up on anatomy, but think our stomach's and digestive systems are also that of an omnivore?
We get adrenalin from the thrill of the chase. We are hunter gatherers.

I think it's noble for someone to give up meat, and morally it is something to be proud of. But to impose our beliefs on our offspring.........nah!!!

Nope - the only meat in our house is for my OH's daughter. He only eats meat when we are out but she eats it all the time. I'd never impose MY choice on her - but he loves my cooking. Fortunately, I can't get anywhere near making food taste like the food she eats [she wouldn't eat it unless it was packaged and covered in 'breadcrumbs']. If she had been mine rather than inherited - I might have stood more of a chance of getting her to eat a more rounded diet [and yes, I'd cook fresh meat if I thought she wouldn't sniff it and leave it] but school dinners have alot to answer for.

[janeyo]

My wee boys both eat meat. OH does too and I cook it all for them ,just don't choose to eat it myself.

I know what you mean about being veggie in France when I lived there I was constantly told to 'enlever la viande', ie pick the meat out!

I know the man was being rude by the look on his face, but am going to now think that he defo fancied me instead and stop being so cross about it lol. I guess I was more annoyed cos of losing 3 stone and actually looking ok!

I have never been a pale and pasty veggie, but I do know some of them. I like to think I eat healthily just with no meat.

It was actually a morbidly obese taxi driver who offered me the sausage roll (he clearly had no need of it lol) as the trader didn't want it. I should have just taken it and fed it to the toddlie, he loves them!

I just found it amazing that some people feel they can make personal comments to total strangers, I mean I could have been a manic depressive or somethign who went out and topped myself after that, or a binge eater, or an alcoholic or anything and his remarks COULD have set me off on a path of destruction. Before I lost the weight I have done it would have triggered all sorts of bad stuff in me. Now I know I am hot anyway

Luckily I am more grounded than that and I just whinge on a garden forum

[Mrs Jackson]

I am a veggie and because I do most of the cooking and won't touch meat, it's inevitable that the majority of the food my boys eat is vegetarian food. I wouldn't impose a vegetarian diet on the boys and in fact I've been encouraging Mr J to feed the boys more meat when he's doing the cooking. If Mr J was also veggie then we probably wouldn't feed the boys any meat, but wouldn't necessarily stop them eating it if someone else was doing the cooking. I think if you choose to bring your children up veggie then it's perfectly possible to do so, providing you make sure they get a healthy balanced diet. It's easier said than done though, especially if you have picky eaters.

Mrs J

[Capsid]

Rather than start a new thread I thought I would just 'tag on' an observation to this one!

Does being a veggie give a parent the right to impose vegetarianism on there offspring?

From what I've read our bodies have evolved as omnivores to eat meat and vegetable matter. Our teeth are edged for cutting and tearing meat but we also have the grinding teeth of herbivores. Not clued up on anatomy, but think our stomach's and digestive systems are also that of an omnivore?
We get adrenalin from the thrill of the chase. We are hunter gatherers.

I think it's noble for someone to give up meat, and morally it is something to be proud of. But to impose our beliefs on our offspring.........nah!!!

You can only get vitamin B12 from animal sources; it is very important for growing kids to have vitamin B12. Imposing a strict vegan diet on young children is detrimental to their health.

[petal]

Can you drink milk and eat eggs if you are vegetarian? Just wondered, especially about the milk one....
Back to the original thread - he was kidding around and probably regretted it the moment he opened his mouth - we have all said something in jest - it could of been far ruder- I have had work colleagues that have said far far worse !!! The poor man was probably cringing that night - you know when you replay the days events and shudder in sheer horror at your stupidity!!

[TEB]

ovo-vegetarian: eats eggs; no meat
lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats dairy and egg products; no meat
lacto-vegetarian: eats dairy products; no eggs or meat
vegan: eats only food from plant sources

[rogesse]

I've only known one palid skinny veggie and she was neurotic anyway.....(and tried to steal my then boyfriend so not at all biased) all the rest are/have been robust healthy people - one was the only girl on her building course!

Although I would agree about certain nutrients (particularly at least 2 essential amino acids during developement)) only being available from meat, my experience has been that it's the kids that turn the adults veggie!

I have read there is a grain called quinoa which may address the above and will be trying to grow some this year.

[petal]

ovo-vegetarian: eats eggs; no meat
lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats dairy and egg products; no meat
lacto-vegetarian: eats dairy products; no eggs or meat
vegan: eats only food from plant sources

Call me naive but surely you can't be any sort of vegetarian or say you don't eat meat if you drink milk - or, being brought up on a farm in Cumbria, did I miss something? A cow has to have a calf to produce milk and what happens to that calf is not always very nice, by drinking milk you might perpetuate their misery.

[TEB]

Hi Naive
I didn't make it up honest, it was on a vegetarian site that I was reading about children and vegetarianism re Snadger interesting question.

[NOG]

I like vegetarians....If I am ever marooned on a island I want all the others to be Vegies......then if the food runs out I would be safe but I could knock off the Vegies and eat them....they would be lovely and tender and corn fed.

[petal]

I like vegetarians....If I am ever marooned on a island I want all the others to be Vegies......then if the food runs out I would be safe but I could knock off the Vegies and eat them....they would be lovely and tender and corn fed.

Thats sick! Did make me laugh though. I wonder what Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's views are on going vegetarian. We always have 2 meat free days, simply because I want them to enjoy vegetarian food, which if prepared properly can be delicious. I wish I could convince the family to try more meat free days but there you go.