Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
642
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
Poll Question
Total votes ·
Thanks! Check out the results:
Total votes ·
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
Explore more of these tags
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.
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.
You May Like 58 Times Parents Turned Their Crazy Moments Into Funny Tweets This November “Because I Was Born Male”: 36 Cases Where Parents Dislike Or Actually Hate Their Kids Someone Asks Parents If They Regret Having Kids And These 40 Say Yes And Share Why
Evelina Šiukšterytė
Dominyka Proškėnaitė
Shelly Fourer
Related on Bored Panda
24
135