Discussing vegan parenting and the notion of “imposing your beliefs” on your children. How is vegan parenting different than any parenting?
Vegan Parenting Update: Since I first posted this, our eldest just moved for university!
I’ve been thinking a lot about being a mom lately. Partly because our eldest is turning eleven this week, and I cannot believe she is growing so quickly (don’t all moms say that? It’s true).
And, partly because this Pregnant Chicken piece brought me back to those ‘new mom’ emotions and experiences – again timely with our daughter’s birthday approaching.
And then this Should Kids Go Vegan? article was circulating. There is a quote in the article, which brings back that tired assumption about vegan diets:
“The main problem I have with this book is that children are impressionable, and this is too sensitive of a topic to have a child read this book,” Nicole German, a registered dietitian in Atlanta, writes on her blog. “It could easily scare a young child into eating vegan, and, without proper guidance, that child could become malnourished.”
Vegan Diet vs. “Normal” Diet
Yes, I suppose without proper guidance a child eating vegan could become malnourished. But so could a child on a meat and dairy-centric diet. Or, that “well-rounded” SAD approach to eating.
How much fibre are they getting on that diet? How much vitamin C? What about phytonutrients? And antioxidants?
Let’s flip that and talk about what most kids ARE getting a lot of on the standard diet…
Cholesterol. Saturated animal fats. Refined sugars. Refined flours. Empty calories. Probably trans fats and artificial colors and flavorings. Wait, you say, they can also get the sugars, white foods, and artificial junk on a vegan diet.
True. Except…
Most people eating vegan are very conscious about their food. We have to be, people are always asking us where we get calcium/protein/iron! 😉
Jokes aside, we tend to become attentive to the nutritional side of eating vegan. And even if they don’t personally, that typically changes with vegan parenting Because when you have a child, everything changes.
It’s not just about you anymore. All of a sudden, there is a small, innocent, vulnerable baby looking up at you. That baby is completely dependent on YOU for their survival and growth… to make choices in their best interest, for their health and well-being.
Vegan Parenting: Any different than ‘omnivore’ parenting?
Parenting is an awesome responsibility, and vegan parenting is one that I did not take lightly.
And, to move away from that one quote in the aforementioned article. I’ve often read, and heard people say: “Aren’t you imposing your beliefs on your children as a vegan?”
Yes. I am. Aren’t you imposing your beliefs as a meat-eater? Don’t we impose all our beliefs on our children, particularly in early, highly developmental years?
From how much tv they watch, which songs they listen to, what school they attend, which activities they are in, what manners they display around the home and in social situations, whether they go to McD’s or some other nutrient-empty fast food joint.
Don’t we all impose our beliefs as parents? At least in early years we do, until they gain more independence to make some of their own judgements and decisions. The only difference is which beliefs and values we are instilling, or imposing.
So, YES, in this role of vegan parenting, I want to impose my beliefs in eating a whole-foods vegan diet on my children. After all, I chose it for myself out of health, why wouldn’t I want my children to similarly benefit?
Of course, I researched the suitability of a vegan diet for children once I became pregnant. I was prudent in making healthy food choices for them.
Vegan Parenting: ah-ha moment!
And you know what? Our three girls value real food. They love our meals. I have even heard this at dinner:
“I am thankful mommy decided to eat vegan and feed us this healthy, yummy food“.
I am not kidding. And my kids are not angels. (I’ll save that for another post.) 🤣
But I am telling you, as a kid that grew up eating junk it took years to retrain my palate. Food habits – and preferences – start early.
I started with whole-foods plant-powered diet, and am optimistic that our girls will continue on this health- and compassion-promoting diet. So teach ’em wisely, teach ’em early, I say.
What about you – are you beginning or immersed in vegan parenting? Were you raised eating vegan or vegetarian foods? What is your take on this article and the notion of “imposing your vegan beliefs”?
Linnaea says
I’m glad you re-posted this recently (2015) on the new Vegan Parents Facebook page, it was well worth reading. I don’t have any doubts about raising our kids vegan, but sometimes it’s nice “arming” myself with a few replies for the judgy moms at daycare drop-off! It’s amazing how fired up I can get curb-side, as my kiddo is oblivious. The kids are doing great, and thankfully their teachers are awesome about this.
Katy says
Dear Dreena,
This is my first post on your great blog. I’ve been reading it for some time now (of course I already tried some of your great recipes either) and also bought two of your books. Vive le vegan especially because of the charter on feeding Babies vegan food. I am the mother of a 7 month old baby and cook most of her pap myself. I think it is right and also necessary to impose your own beliefs on your own family. Everybody does and it is strange that people always feel the urge to interfere, when it comes to vegetarian or vegan nutrition. I am planning on raising my baby vegetarian as minimum, vegan would be better. When she decides one day that she wants to eat meat, I am sure this will be a decision made conciously, and I can live with that. Food had always been very important in my family and I will go on with cooking healthy but great tasting food. So I am looking forward to your new book 🙂
Emma (This Kind Choice) says
This is such a great post. I recently got my hands on your Let Them Eat Vegan! and am now looking forward to looking through this blog!
I am still very far away from having children, but I completely agree with you that it is not possible to be a parent without imposing your beliefs onto your children, especially when they are still very young. It is therefore largely a matter of choosing which values you instill upon them, and with what kind of an attitude you do so.
An interesting point which I read somewhere (I can’t remember where, sorry that I cannot credit the person for their insights) is that so many parents want to teach their children compassion, respect and the value of standing up for those who do not have a voice, and yet they choose to feed their children foods that do not embody this at all. Veganism allows you to teach these values without hypocrisy and having to justify kindness to one species and cruelty to another, and that is something I look forward to doing if I ever have children!
Madeline says
I’ve thought about this a lot lately. I had been vegetarian (and an unhealthy one) for about 6 years until I chose to be vegan about 4 months ago. You’re so right. I’m so much more health conscious. I was under the impression that I would have to be very careful and begin taking supplements as a vegan. I went vegan for ethical reasons. So I did a significant amount of research to make sure I was doing it healthily. Turns out veganism is way healthier. Now that seems so incredibly obvious to me, but at the time, I was just pleasantly surprised. I just turned 20, so I don’t intend to have kids any time soon, but when that time comes, I know I’ll be raising them vegan. I regret that no one spared me the damage meat inflicted upon my health and psyche. I can never do that to a child. Teaching children compassion and healthy lifestyle choices? I can’t think of anything better to “inflict” upon your child.
child care benefit says
Wonderfully written! I laugh at the idea that imposing vegan beliefs on our children is harmful. I had to comment because my oldest, who is 9, says similar things to me. She thanks me for dinners she enjoys and says she’s glad her mom knows how to feed her such healthy, delicious foods.