Veggie Mama?? Help!!

[Summer Breeze]

I am not sure where I should be. So forgive me if I am in the wrong forum.

Let me start with stating that I am not a vegetarian, nor do I have any desire to be. I am very anal about only eating organic, and farm raised tho. But I guess that is beside the point.

Here is my dilemma and question.

My son is nine. (almost 10). He has been opposed to eating meat since he was about 4. I make him.. he pretty much will eat 1/2 a dozen hotdogs in the summer.. he does like shellfish (not fish) .. and turkey (breast, sliced). (those are the only three things he does *like* and being forced to eat meat .. those are his choices)

But has been pretty consistant since he was about 6 or 7 that he does not want to KILL animals to eat. He eats what I tell him to, (even beef, pork, chicken and fish) because.. well he has to! He needs PROTEIN!

The last year it has been coming to a head.. tonight was big. We had a huge family discussion...

HE WILL NOT EAT ANIMALS.

Okay. H and I respect that ( H is kind of a fake vegan... he eats dairy products, eggs, seafood, and boneless skinless chicken/turkey breast on occasion... primarily tho.. he eats his wholegrains, legumes, etc. Meat is limited, but not eliminated. actually I guess he's not fake vegan.. just a health nut? anyways) He (my son) is old enough to make that decision, and I, as a parent, need to respect that. I respect his choice.

SO! That being said..

I am his mother, and it is my responsibility that he (as a growing young boy) have a well balanced diet! I am at a loss..

I will respect his decisions, and told him so tonight. So what I need to know are the ramifications of a vegan diet. I know that beans and wholegrains will provide him with the protein (altho to what degree?? ) . However.. only beans he likes is baked beans! And he doesn't like whole grain, wheat, etc. pasta or rices or breads.

I am willing to do what it takes to respect his wishes, and will cook the extra meal.. he has been consistant for five years in his feelings .. but I want him to be healthy and have a well balanced diet..

Can anyone help me? Whether here , or direct me to a site for healthy vegan meals for children??

I want him to know that I respect his choices AND have him be healthy.

Anyone??

[elibrown]

While I think it's horrible that you forced him to eat meat out of ignorance, I think it's fantastic that you are now choosing to respect his wishes and learn about the type of diet he wants to adopt. You are making a good decision and when you see how much healthier he is as a vegan, you will feel a lot better about all of this.

Now, that being said, here is the advice I can give you:

The average American gets THREE times as much protein as they need. The average adult only needs about 45 grams and at your son's age, I'm sure it's around 35 grams. There are two kinds of protein: complete and incomplete. A protein molecule contains I think 18 amino acids that are it's "building blocks". A complete protein contains all 18 amino acids. An incomplete contains less than 18. This sounds complicated, but it's really not. Animal products like milk, cheese, yogurt, etc contain complete proteins. The only plant that contains a complete protein is soy, so all soy products contain complete protein. Grains and legumes contain each other's complimentary amino acids, so when you serve a grain, serve it with a legume. Like rice and beans, tortillas and beans, bread and peanut butter, etc. Don't worry- you'll get used to the rule until it's second nature.

If combining incomplete proteins and serving complete ones still doesn't fulfill his daily needs, there are tons of fillers you can use. Unflavored protein powder can be added to smoothies, sauces, etc. Lots of granola and energy bars are very tasty and have tons of complete protein. Just look for a percentage next to the protein content in the nutrition information, or look for a legume and a grain both listed in the ingredients. Bragg's is a liquid amino acid substance that tastes like soy sauce, used in cooking.

Look for the updated food pyramid. It is on a government website and should be easy to find on Google. Instead of grouping foods by source (meat, dairy, etc.), it groups them by type (protein, fat, etc.). Meat is not the only food that has protein, and it is in fact the poorest way to get protein. But once you look at this modern, more scientific food pyramid, that will make a lot more sense to you.

Buy a book about vegetarian nutrition and read it. Buy lots of them. Don't worry about following the advice to a T because there are conflicting opinions, but you will get the basics and find habits to adopt that work for you and your son.

Buy recipe books. There are tons of books for kid-friendly vegan foods available.

The BEST website I can tell you for this is www.veganlunchbox.com. It is a blog created by a vegan mother for her vegan 7 year old son. Every day, she photographs the lunch she packed for him to take to school and provides a description of what's in it. It is an EXCELLENT source for kid-friendly vegan foods, and she even reviews what her kid ate/didn't eat, liked or disliked. Jennifer, the lady who makes the site, is also very friendly and will answer any questions you have about vegan children.

Once you figure out what's healthy and what's not, be consistent with feeding it to your child and limit unhealthy options. If he gets used to the taste of healthier foods and forgets about the taste of unhealthy ones, it will "train" his palate to like more things.

Variety! You said he's very picky, so make it your mission to find things that he DOES like. Get those recipe books I mentioned and start trying things. The world is full of millions of foods and there's bound to be a LOT more that he likes, just hasn't tried yet.

[rabid_child]

I think first you need to get your definitions right...
When someone says vegetarian, they usually mean lacto-ovo vegetarian, which is someone who does not eat meat (and poultry/seafood is also meat) but does eat eggs/dairy.
A vegan is someone who doesn't eat meat, eggs, dairy, or honey.

Thus, your husband isn't anywhere near even being a vegetarian, let alone a vegan, and it sounds like your son is transitioning onto a vegetarian lifestyle.

Your concerns about protein are really unfounded. Protein is in just about everything, and you really don't need tons of it. Surely you're aware that meat isn't the only place protein comes from, and that plenty of children are raised vegetarian with no ill results. Aside from nuts/nut butters and legumes and whole grains, (and eggs/dairy where applicable) try things like tofu, tempeh, seitan, TVP (textured vegetable protein, aka, textured soy protein) or fake meats for protein.

I suggest you purchase a vegetarianism for dummies type book for yourself to get a good idea of what vegetarianism is all about. Getting an appointment with a nutritionist for you and your son would probably also be good so you can both understand what is necessary for him to get all the nutrition he needs.

[SavedbytheBlood]

Wow, your son is somethin' eles. Haha, so cute. He is only 10, wow. :)

Ok, back to the original post. If your son wants to be a vegan, he will have to get his nutrition from something else. Not meat. If you don't Know a lot about what to eat, you will not be getting enough of the things your body needs. You can get sick. BUT, if you know what to eat and how much, you can be a very healthy person. :)

Ummmmmmmm, that's all folks. Haha. I just had to throw that in there.

I wish you and your family the best. God bless yall. :)

[Rdy18]

myself being a vegetarian at 18 is much easier than at such a young age, like your younger son. obviously he's going to need your help to maintain his desired diet, and having your respect will make it a lot easier for him (whether you agree with him or not), especially because it sounds like he is doing this for moral issues.

my advice is definately go to veganlunchbox.com - (earlier suggested by elibrown).
also, you must have internet access to be on veggieboards, so simply go to any search engine and look up recipes for veg*n's! there are so many people out there in your position who have recipe ideas posted online for this exact situation. it's as east as hitting the search button at google!:p

[silverfire]

Hi Summer,

your son sounds like a great little guy!

Being veggie is actually very easy once you get the hang of it. He wont have to give up hotdogs, etc. as there are great substitutes for these.

These foods, along with lots of fresh fruit and veggies will mean your son will get all the nutrients and variety he needs.

Don't worry about protein, it's one of the most enduring and common myths about a vegetarian diet. TOO MUCH protien (wich is what most westerners eat) is a big problem though.

I suggest to start reading up on vegetarian nutrition and theory and make sure you understand the basics of nutrition (everyone should but sadly most poeple don't :( )

See the link below for a similar thread with some helpful suggestions:

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=48783

Go easy on him, children are naturally sensitive and keyed into the suffering of animals. We just seem to filter this out as we get older, which I have tried very much to avoid (hence my vegetarianism).

GOOD LUCK!

[Vegmedic]

First off: I don't think that you are horrible that you forced your son to eat meat. Lots of parents force their children to eat vegetables. That is what parents do when they are concerned about their child's wellbeing. (It is not the best thing to do, of course, and kids who grew up being forced to eat things generally end up always hating those things as adults) But there is no reason to be concerned, forcing him to eat meat is completely unnecessary and there is no need to you and he to go through the battles that you have been going through. He has been like this for 5 years, so it is not a phase. I think that it is great that he doesn't want animals to die. But, what you are interested in is his health. Well you do not need to eat meat to get protein. And protein is only one of many important nutrients.

Someone earlier mentioned combining proteins. While it is true that non-animal proteins are incomplete (except soy, and rumor had it that they now consider corn a complete protein, but that is probably wrong) you do not need to be sure to combine proteins with every meal. As long as your son is comsuming a variety of foods over the course of a week he should be fine.

As others have said there are a variety of sources of protein. legumes of course, whole grains, soy products, mock meats, and Vegetables generally have quite a bit of protein, but fruits are generally not a good source. Chances are your son should have little problem eating enough protein as long as he is eating enough calories.

I don't have children so I am not sure what there is for resources for you. I know that there is a magazine on raising children vegetarian, I don't know if it is any good. http://www.vegfamily.com/ Does anyone read this magazine? One of my favorite books talking about vegan nutrition is called "Becoming Vegan" by Vesanto Melina http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570671036/sr=1-1/qid=1138674065/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2815535-6958435?%5Fencoding=UTF8 she has also written a book called "Becoming Vegetarian" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570671443/sr=1-2/qid=1138674065/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-2815535-6958435?%5Fencoding=UTF8 I haven't read it, but I am sure it is good.
As for websites with recipes? There are tons of them, but I can't think of any of them off the top of my head. I am sure others will continue to post them.

[Amy SF]

- Hi Summer Breeze - :hi:

Have you checked out the "Raising Vegetarian Children" forum here on VB yet? There's one specific thread I especially recommend you look at: http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=16935

[froggythefrog]

Congratulations on having a son with values and ethics. Y'all must be great parents.

A healthy diet of beans and wholegrains can actually provide just as much or more protein than meat. Thing is -- like Silverfire mentioned -- Americans tend to consume too much protein already. Here's a post from Goatee showing some protein stats so that you get a good idea of how much protein veggie foods have compared to meat foods: http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showpost.php?p=1134075&postcount=7

I don't know if I would take the "force" approach, but I would encourage him to try different kinds of whole grains. Does he like oatmeal? Does he like Cheerios? Has he ever tried brown rice? Will he do baked beans on whole wheat toast? He can even speak in an English accent while he eats it if he wants to. ;)

I would definitely encourage plenty of fresh fruits and have him try lots of different kinds of vegetables. His tastes will develop, especially as he eats less meat and starts eating more of the healthy food.

Even though it shouldn't be everyday stuff, there certainly is "good" junk food out there that he might like to try: Tings, Veggie Booty (As in pirates, not butts), Primal Strips, Soy Delicious soy cream.

As long as you and he can agree that he will try things -- fun and things that don't seem quite as fun at first -- I think your son will do just fine and grow up to be a healthy man. If he does go vegan, please do get him a B-12 supplement and a supplement of D2 or lots of play in the sunshine.

For recipes, visit our recipes section on this site, www.vegweb.com, and www.theppk.com.

[DelicGrape]

As a teenager I'm not a very good cook, and sometimes not very open to trying new things (although I have and found some things I really love) Does your son want to be a vegetarian or a vegan? If he is only against eating meat, then there are tons of options that will probably appeal to him. You can make him pizza, pasta, peanut butter and jelly, vegetarian hotdogs, vegetarian chili, fruit slices, cereal, oatmeal, and tons of other "kid" foods. He can use soy milk and bananas with his cereal and oatmeal, cheese on his pizza, and nuts on his icecream, all of those things will give him protein :) I read an article once saying that most people eat way more protein than they actually need, so I suggest picking up a few vegetarian books to read with your son and finding out what he really needs and picking out different recipies he thinks sound good.

[Summer Breeze]

Wow.

I'm sorry.. I truly did not intend to offend anyone. Yes, I made my son eat meat.. just like I made him eat broccoli.

How was I to know it wasn't a phase when he said "I'm not eating pig ribs.. it would make Wilbur dead and Charlotte sad!"

But as I said.. he has been consistant about this for long enough, that I feel this is something that he strongly feels. And I have no objections. I won't even say I "disagree".. because I don't. He has made some very valid points.. and has very definite ideas! Good for HIM! I encourage my children to think and act on their own values, morals, etc. I want them to think for themselves and not follow the herd!

I will support him in this.. just as I support him in everything that is not going to hurt him! I know that millions of people are vegans, and very healthy being vegans. I don't dispute that. Nor would I ever minimize his moral dilemma with eating meat. Once I realized that this was not a "phase". (Sorry, at four, I wasn't taking him too seriously.. ) I have agreed to that. I am just trying to learn more so that he can be healthy and be vegan.

H (who was vegan (( but ate dairy and eggs.. so not the right term)) for about a year in college.. about 18 yrs ago) even told son if he was serious.. then H would go vegan (octo lavo?) too... and they could do it together. So H will be cooking for himself and son... while I cook for me and daughter. We believe in tolerance in our family.. we choose to celebrate our differences.

So I imagine that this journey will be very enlightening for the whole family. I will respect H and son's decision to go vegan ( you know the ones that eat dairy and eggs. ).. and they will respect my and daughters decision to not be vegan.

And for the record.. I guess that would be "lacto ovo vegan"??? Is that right?? They will still eat dairy products and eggs... since son's choice is based on "moral" he has no problems with by products of animals.. the animals don't die to produce milk, butter, eggs, etc.

I have not informed him yet.. he already has enough on his little mind.. but I will continue to buy organic dairy products and eggs.. I don't want eggs from a chicken who is forced to sit under artificial lights for 20 hours a day in order to "increase production of eggs".. It's not healthy.. not healthy eggs.. for one.. plus, I think everything you eat has a spiritual quality or energy (what have you) and a tortured animal is not going to produce heart healthy and soul healthy eggs. I want my eggs from a chicken who is happy on a farm.. walking around on the grass and soaking up the sunshine.


Okay.. I hope I haven't offended anyone again. But I am just trying to be honest.

Thank you for all the links.. I will probably spend most of tomorrow following each and every one, and bookmarking them.

thank you so much for your help!

Summer

[froggythefrog]

Lacto-ovo vegetarian is the term you're looking for.

[stellar26]

And for the record.. I guess that would be "lacto ovo vegan"??? Is that right??

Summer

No no no no no. Lacto-ovo vegetarian.
A vegan is somebody who doesn't eat any animal products- no eggs, dairy, meat, or honey.
Thank you for your openmindedness. It sounds as though your son has a great set of parents.

[stellar26]

Lacto-ovo vegetarian is the term you're looking for.

Guess you beat me to that response :D

[Summer Breeze]

Thank you, y'all.. I'll get this right, one way or another! LOL!

"Lacto-ovo vegetarian " Got it! :D

I think it will be an interesting alternative way to eat!

And I guess son has a head start on the fruits and veggies.. because that is all we keep in the house.

junk food (ie. chips, soda, cookies, etc) are a luxury.. not a staple.

My son was four before he learned that fresh fruit was not candy! LOL! (those kids at preschool clued him in!!) So my daughter was clued on the uptake.. she had big brother to tell her.. "Nu UH! Strawberries and oranges are NOT candy! CHOCOLATE IS!"

and Lordy.. does she have a sweet tooth? :shy:

But my children's fave snacks are a variety of fruits (strawberries, melons, berries, kiwi, etc) with skim milk or whip cream.. and a variety of fresh veggies (baby carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) with ranch dressing... and of course .. BANANAS! Not to mention.. oranges, apples, grapes, watermelon, etc.

which I think provides their need for sugar.. but it's natural sugar.. not that processed stuff that is in candies chips etc.. aka.. JUNK FOOD.

Anyways.. thank you again for the info.. I will be busy tomorrow.. following all the links.. bookmarking and printing out stuff.. I'll check out the library too.

And I will keep checking in here for more info.

Thank y'all so much for being so helpful and supportive to an "newbie" !! :wayne:

[silverfire]

Hiya summer,

a quick guide to the different types of vegetarianism.

Lacto ovo vegetarian: Someone who doesn;t eat meat (including no fish, chicken etc.) but who does eat dairy (lacto) and eggs (ovo), also honey.

Lacto vegetarian: Someone as above but who doesn't eat eggs (only milk).

Ovo vegetarian: Someone as in the first definition but who doesn't eat milk (only eggs).

Strict Vegetarian: Someone who doesn't eat milk, eggs or any other animal products (can include honey, or not). Also known as 'dietary vegan' to some.

Vegan: Someone who eats no animal products at all, including all of the above (most vegans don;t eat honey). Someone who also tries to omit where possible, all non food products (like shampoos, soap, makeup, clothing etc.) that contain animal products or that have been tested on animals.

Hope these quick definitions help! the last two could (and defintely are!) debatable.

I'm vegan, not too hard for me afetr eight years (ten altogether as a veggie).

Bit envious of your son's foresight and individuality! also of your acceptance and encouragement.

And don't worry about offending people, you're new, people have to expect you may not know everything (who does!?).

It's fantastic what you are doing! We'll try to help as best we can!

:) :)

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Summer - welcome to VB!

In reading this entire thread, I'm appalled and embarrassed at the way some people jumped all over you about things! Usually VB tries to be a welcoming and helpful community, but at times our zealousness takes over I guess!!

You shouldn't be apologising for offending anyone, I'm just hoping YOU are not offended by some of the rude and LESS THAN SUPPORTIVE comments.

You came here to ask questions, this is the right place to do that (Note to other VBers: THIS IS A SUPPOT FORUM FOLKS!) and hopefully you got some of those questions answered, it looks like you did.

Unfortunately the first thing said to you was: "I think it's horrible..." and I just want to let you know that not all of us feel that way. The important thing to know is: it's WONDERFUL that you're asking for advice and ideas - and are willing to research and read to find out how to best help your son.

Since you expressed interest in websites, here are two with very accurate and family/child oriented information: www.vegfamily.com and http://www.vegcooking.com/index.asp - also my favorite sites for amazing recipes are: www.theppk.com which I noticed my darling Froggy :love: already mentioned and www.veganmania.com . I'm a vegan Mom with three kids, so I can vouch for the "child-friendly' aspect of those websites/recipes.

Also, just so you're prepared, you'll probably get a few long wordy posts from people going into great detail about the horrors of the dairy and egg industries and the evil conditions even "free-range" animals actually endure.
Everyone has a degree of vegetarianism that they're comfortable with. Unfortunately, too many people here think everyone should be converted to their way of thinking immideately. Take it slow and absorb whatever you're ready for. The rest can wait.

You're to be commended for supporting your son as you do, I think you're doing far, far more than so many parents would ever think to do. Please don't let a few overly opinionated and enthusiastic Veggie Boarders scare you off!!

If you need more information, PLEASE feel free to post, there are NO stupid questions. If you'd rather, you can also send a Personal message (PM) to anyone here for further help or advice.

[silverfire]

Gold, TNS, GOLD!

What she said!

[Summer Breeze]

Thank you to all who responded..

I think we did okay last night..

Son had 1) steamed broccoli and carrots 2) baked potato, and 3) baked beans.

Okay.

Today, I will look up all the sites that were mentioned.. already looked at the vegan lunchbox one (from the mom w/the seven yo) even looked at the site about what's bad about "free range".. very enlightening and pretty disgusting. So I guess I won't feel so high and mighty when I do resort to buying "free range" at the supermarket.

But have to say (at the expense of upsetting anyone) my brother and my parents own farms. Their animals are "truly" free range! And that is where I get my meat and veggies..truly free range, and no chemicals on the veggies. I can/freeze all my own veggies and fruits.

On that note.. I am truly excited to learn more about the vegetarian lifestyle. I want to be more informed, so that I can help son deal with this. I have read alot (here) about people not understanding or even condemning the vegetarian lifestyle. And since my child has chosen this route, I would like to be able to make sure that he has the resources to deal with that.

I am pretty much a pacifist.. until it comes to my children. I don't want to have to go beat people up for making fun of him.. I want to give him the tools to state his decision clearly and intellectually. With no room for argument.

Also.. I was amazed at all the "meat substitutes".. altho I don't think that will be an issue for son.. he not only does not want to eat animals for moral reasons.. he also claims that he does not like the TASTE and TEXTURE of meat.

Can someone be BORN vegetarian???? Because even as a baby.. he didn't like the "meat" babyfoods??

[Diana-Kate]

I'm a vegetarian mama with two healthy vegetarian kids. My advice is never to argue with family over food. Make meals a happy time. The dinner table is a sacred place for the family and I'm not being religous here, just honoring the importance of eating together with good intentions for everyone at the table. Of course as a mother you are concerned about your child's nutrition, but I think as you research nutrition and vegetarianism, you will not only learn a lot, but you will relax in the kitchen.

To me, preparing food with love and kindness is of utmost importance. I'd make that your priority as you learn about vegetarianism and enjoy the way your son wants to eat. I have a feeling that your kid might be leading the whole family down a new path. Great!

You sound like a great mama raising a really cool kid. Bravo!

[karenlovessnow]

Ditto to what TNS and Diana-Kate said!

[Bios]

Hi VeggieMama,

It warms me to see you being respectful of your kid's beliefs (and putting your effort where your mouth is) while still remembering you're the parent. I can't add much to the good advice you've gotten here, but I had one thought to offer.

Isn't this a good time to reinforce the idea that actions have consequences? Perhaps explain to him that ok, he doesn't want to eat meat -- but he still needs to get certain nutrients from food -- so it's his responsibility to be open about trying new things that may offer those nutrients? Let him see that he's really *choosing* the whole-grain stuff instead of the animal foods he doesn't want. You're doing the veggie cooking for him, so he should do his part by giving the new foods an good-faith try.

I'm not a parent, so maybe I'm not onto the 10 yr old psyche, but it's a thought. Good luck.

Jeanne

[Summer Breeze]

Bios.. thank you..

You said what I was trying to. I am NOT here to defend my position to be a meat eater..

But I AM here to support my son in being a vegetarian. I WILL cook his meals for him.. AND respect his choice. But I still want him to be HEALTHY.

Yes... he will have to explore more options. he will have to eat beans and whole grains..

I have been surfing all morning.. this is NOT as difficult as I thought it would be!! :pibo:

Cool!

There's lots of stuff that he will enjoy that will give him protein.. I have already learned so much.. that we (meat eaters) consume up to 3X what we need.. YIKES!!! I guess we should ALL cut down.. it's about dietary nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle.. I had no idea~

Maybe he's on to something!

[piratebean]

Summer,
If you want the nitty gritty, scientific details of well-balanced vegetarian nutrition, I'd recommend this book: Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet (Paperback)
by Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis, Victoria Harrison (ISBN: 1570670137.)

There's also a newer edition: The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet (Paperback)
by Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis (ISBN: 1570671443.)

And, there's a related voume on being vegan, in case your son ever decides to go down that path: Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet (Paperback)
by Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina (ISBN: 1570671036.)

The authors of all three of these books are registered dietitians, so they know what they are talking about. The books are very thorough, but also well-written for a general audience, so you don't have to be a medical professional to read them.

Each book has a chapter on appropriate diets for children. (The chapter isn't very long - the idea is that you read the rest of the book, and then that chapter helps you figure out how to tailor a veggie diet for children.)

I think this is the kind of book you might want to own, to use as a reference. But, you might want to check it out from your local library - if they don't have it, have them get a copy for you through interlibrary loan.

If you decide to buy it, you can get a used copy of 'becoming vegetarian' for less than $5.

Whichever book you choose, it will show you just EXACTLY how much and what kinds of proteins and other nutrients your son needs - so you can feed him his veggie diet without ever worrying that he isn't getting proper nutrition.

Also, I think you'll see that eating a vegetarian diet is not at all complicated (and a vegan diet is only slightly complicated) - the only times you'll ever have to worry about planning ahead is if you're on a road trip, and your son just can't get a bite to eat at a fast food place. (Although you sound like the kind of Mom who would keep healthy snacks available - fruits, veggies, granola - for just this sort of thing - yay for you!)

By the way, these books are great to have on hand if your son ever visits a doctor and the doctor complains that your son isn't 'getting enough protein' since he doesn't eat meat - you can show the doc that you have researched the topic and your son is eating protein. (Docs probably worry about 'junk-food vegetarians' - kids who will only eat potato chips, soda, and pop tarts. You can assure the doc that your kid is getting GOOD nutrition.)

Good for you for listening to your son, and exploring what he will need to have a healthy adolescence. Best of luck!

Piratebean

[rainbow_clouds]

Also.. I was amazed at all the "meat substitutes".. altho I don't think that will be an issue for son.. he not only does not want to eat animals for moral reasons.. he also claims that he does not like the TASTE and TEXTURE of meat.

Can someone be BORN vegetarian???? Because even as a baby.. he didn't like the "meat" babyfoods??
I agree with your son. Besides bacon and salami I really stay away from meat subs. :worried: Texture is huge for me.

And about being born veggie: Yep! I truely believe that! I was born with the veggie mindset as well. I went years with eating no hunks of meat but I would eat broth/byproducts out of ignorance. Last time I had a hotdog was 13 years ago, and I didn't want to eat it but had to because that's what they served me in school.

I am not suprised one bit that I ended up a vegetarian.