Slowly but surely

[HyperSquirrel]

So, my family (and by family, I mean my parents- I've just given up on my brothers at this point...) have at least been trying to accommodate for me in the way of meals. I've been getting a lot of soy milk recently and we have been cutting down on the amount of meat we consume and I have been able to choose vegetarian (or vegan, when possible) meals if I am given the option. My mum is opening up to the idea of vegetarianism and veganism and is asking one of her vegetarian friends for some vegetarian recipes for meals. I'm definitely happy with this outcome so far. Hopefully they'll let me prepare vegan meals for myself, with the help of my dad. One of my brothers is always asking me (condescendingly, of course) whether or not what I'm eating has any protein in it. I then point out that the vegetables I am eating have a lot of protein in them, but he doesn't really care. I'm starting to think the fact that I want to be vegan is legitimately annoying him for some stupid reason. But hey, I'll hardly give up my efforts to cut down on and eventually eliminate meat from my diet just because one family member doesn't like the idea of it.

So, all in all, this is good progress, and hopefully my mum's friend (who is also the mum of one of my friends) will help thoroughly convince my mum that it is ultimately beneficial to have a diet with no meat or at least very small amounts of meat.

Side note: My dad asked me if I would raise my hypothetical children as vegans and he said that if I did, I would be putting them at a disadvantage. Is this true, or is it beneficial to raise them as vegans?

[brimstoneSalad]

That's great news! I'm glad they're coming around.

Side note: My dad asked me if I would raise my hypothetical children as vegans and he said that if I did, I would be putting them at a disadvantage. Is this true, or is it beneficial to raise them as vegans?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.

It's just fine for kids, as long as you balance the nutrition right and give them supplements. If and when you have kids, just see a registered dietitian for help and advice on meal planning.

In the end, establishing life long healthy habits for children is very important. Teaching children to eat junk food results in adults who eat junk food, which of course is a fast track to heart disease and cancer.

[EmperorPalpatine]

Have to agree with Brimstone here, the anecdotes of kids going on vegan diets and having health issues are about as strong as people going vegan and losing hair. They are either patently false, or were following poorly executed diets. There is a rare condition where to body doesn't produce an animal based nutrient (Taurine or L-carnitine.) and in this case you would need to supplement or give him meat, but besides that, presuming your kid is taking algae based DHA, and B12, he will be all set, just stay away from raw food diets for children obviously. When I was 2 my favorite food was tofu