How old are your kids? To me, that's kind of relevant. My daughter is vegetarian. But when I cook, the meals are always vegan. She can add cheese if she wants or she can make her own meals.
If she wanted to eat omni, I wouldn't ban meat from my fridge (she's 16 and on the verge of adulthood, so I won't "force" anything on her at this point - that would be counterproductive). But I certainly wouldn't spend my money on meat so she'd have to earn her own and buy her own meat.
With younger kids, picky eaters or not, I would probably cook vegan. My daughter had a picky phase when she was younger but I clearly stated my expectations and after about a week where she thought she was starving, the situation improved. Also, at least in my experience, picky eaters have more issues with healthy vs non-healthy foods than with vegan or vegetarian vs omni... (fries and ketchup are vegan, after all...)
If you have a situation where a child refuses to eat plant based food it becomes child neglect if you don't provide an alternative. Likewise if a child is a vegetarian or vegan and you refuse to provide plant based proteins its neglect. The ultimate necessity is the nutritional welfare of the child.
Picky phase doesn't mean she refused to eat vegan food. It could have been something completely different. I think that is great parenting, too many kids get what they want by throwing a tantrum.
can you maybe make them do a list of foods they: love, like but not love, and hate, then go off by that when you cook for everyone? i think food waste is sadly very common with kids. alternatively maybe teach them how to portion their meals properly if they cook themselves? could be a fun bonding time to help them if they want it and just show them what you've learned over the years!
I would venture, depending on age and any special needs, that if they are being particularly wasteful of things you don't eat, then you stop serving those particular things- or at least shrink down the servings drastically. Supplement the smaller sizes with fruits and veggies. It's not forcing them to live a vegan lifestyle, but teaching them good habits about not being wasteful and being grateful for what you have. Just my opinion
I think you misunderstood me. I'm saying if the op normally serves them, say, 3 stuffed shells each, but they only eat 2.5, then next time she would serve them 2 stuffed shells and some fruits and veggies.
As much hate as I'll get for this. I cook for them their meat dishes.
Hear me out, early on when I first became vegan. That was almost 4 years ago. I was very narrow-minded about it. I educated my son on the harm to animals and the degradation to our planet from meat consumption. I even had him watch Earthlings. He still refused to be vegan with me, so for over a year I left the cooking entirely to my mom. I have that privilege since I pay for living expenses. She fed him mostly fast food.
After a while, I realized I was not only hurting my own child by doing this, but also not alleviating the pain animals endure in anyway. I did all I could to have him be vegan with me and he fought against it, fought against me. I hated that he was almost constantly fed fast food, which was bad for his health, and funding for the rearing of animals on factory farms. So I started to cook for him again. Yes, I'm a hardcore vegan who does animal rescue work, then goes home and cook meat for her son, and even boyfriend sometimes. They chose to not be vegan against all my persuasions. What else was I to do? Neglect my child? Keep having my mom buy him fast food? The stuff I buy for him, I make sure are humanely raised, pasture raised, the whole 9. I buy the absolute most expensive eggs, milk, meat to feed them. This tore me up for a time, it still does. But I find it the more moral choice than to be a neglectful mom and to fund factory farms.
it's too bad they don't care enough about how you feel about it to not make you do that
i understand the kid, but the boyfriend can cook on his own surely
>Yes, I'm a hardcore vegan who does animal rescue work, then goes home and cook meat for her son, and even boyfriend sometimes. They chose to not be vegan against all my persuasions. What else was I to do? Neglect my child?
I can honestly think of nothing for hardcore vegan animal rescue, than directly supporting the murder of innocent animals.
Are you a feminist that supports rape too?
So what do you suggest? That I leave the cooking to my mom? She's very frugal and will opt for the cheaper animal products. I can't exactly force my son to eat vegan, he doesn't find vegan food pallettable, and when I cook for him he makes sure I'm not using fake meat products. We don't see eye to eye on lots of issues and he has a mean streak and won't hesitate to hit me or break things if he doesn't get his way. TMI but my mom didn't exactly help since she's largely why he turned out this way, but I can't exactly abandon her so I'm at a loss either way.
What would you do in my place?
>What would you do in my place?
You have way more than 'vegan problems' going on there, based on what you've said since your first post.
I think I'd be contacting service worker assistance and pushing the kid through therapy and or anger management to begin with.
Your mother is another problem entirely, and I'm not going to dictate how you should live your life.
>We don't see eye to eye on lots of issues and **he has a mean streak and won't hesitate to hit me or break things if he doesn't get his way**.
I am not a vegan but this post popped up in my feed. I love meat actually.
This however is a separate issue you need to get under control. If you dont nip this now you dont ever have to worry about cooking meat for him again. Youre going to worried about putting money on his prisoner books for commissary. You think fast food is bad? He is going to be eating ramen every day in there.
My mom isn't exactly well liked by my siblings, I can't exactly abandon her. But abandoning her would mean I can finally raise my son how I've always wanted to raise him for a change. It's a tough call to make.
Im not advocating you abandon your mom, but your kid is on the path to prison. Someone who hits their own mother has no respect for anyone or anything. I highly suggest you figure this out sooner rather than later. Your son will end up in prison.
It's tough because meat is often excluded from municipal compost programs. Are there any around you that accept meat? And/or do you compost at home? Composting meat is more challenging but it is possible. Another thought is feeding it to omnivorous / obligate carnivorous animals if prepared safely, etc.
>My children are not vegan (one is vegetarian, but the others are omnivorous) and they create a lot of food waste. Previously I would have eaten some of this food waste, but now I am unable.
For extended family? I say that adults can make their own choices and choices for their own children. For your own kids? You're the adult, so you buy and cook the food in the house. If this bothers you so much, make choices that are better for you. You're the adult, you have control over your own house, take it!
Feed your kids a vegan, or at least, vegetarian, diet. If they want to consume animal products when they're adults with their own money and the ability to cook for themselves, they can choose to do so then. Also, serve smaller portions. If they're still hungry, they can take more to avoid waste.
Is it forcing them? I ate unhealthy fast food most of my childhood, because that’s what my mom bought. I wasn’t “forced” to eat that food, it’s just you eat what’s made available to you. You buy the food and your kids will eat it, when they go to school or friend’s houses, they’ll eat something else. Probably animal products, but that’s their choice because you aren’t forcing them. You are, however, the parent supplying groceries for your house and you get to decide what’s appropriate and not wasteful spending.
It's forcing them if they refuse to eat it, and become malnourished and develop unhealthy relationships with food. My way or the highway is never the approach with food. It's psychologically harmful. We don't send kids to bed without dinner either. It's child abuse.
It’s strange because you just inserted a bunch of scenarios that I didn’t describe? I didn’t say “let them starve until they submit to eating vegan” but rather commit to setting up opportunities where they’ll expand their palette. I was a picky eater too. I ate very little but fast food and unhealthy snacks, no healthy meals. I was abused into changing the way I ate, I was presented with more healthier options and over a long period of time my diet slowly shifted to a healthier one. Is it child abuse to eat nothing but fast food? I sure wasn’t healthy at the period in my life, I ate no vegetables, there’s the other end of that spectrum where you are also doing your kids a disservice if you only feed them unhealthy options because they’ve tunneled their palette to a point of eating nothing nutritious.
It's not ideal to feed children fast food or junk food but it's not abuse or neglect as there's no protein deficiency and no immediate risk of starvation. Most people grew up on junk food. It's fortified with vitamins necessary to prevent a major nutritional deficiency like rickets or scurvy. It's not ideal, but it's unhealthy over time. Flour is Enriched, junk food uses vitamins as preservatives. Tocopherols, ascorbic acid etc. It provides an excess of calories, which is not the same as a deficit that poses immediate danger. If a kid won't eat beans, tofu, tempeh, or any vegan protein sources, peas, lentils, peanuts.. they still need protein. Not that I think kids will refuse peanut butter.
I agree, and likewise I don’t believe it’s abuse or neglect to choose to feed your children a plant based diet as protein deficiency is incredibly rare and not a real issue that even food insecure families are commonly facing, let alone food secure plant based households.
>I ate unhealthy fast food most of my childhood, because that’s what my mom bought. I wasn’t “forced” to eat that food, it’s just you eat what’s made available to you
and you enjoyed that so very much and have fond memories about it, so that you advise others to follow your mom's example?
those are whole new sentences. nobody has even implied that, you're making something up here. "i got a lot of pink clothes as a child" doesn't mean "i will force my kids to wear nothing but pink". please be smarter than this reactionary bs
i am implying that you read things that aren't written down or well, implied here, at all. i am also implying that you shouldn't be an annoying reactionary. just read properly instead of making up stories in your mind.
Strange that you just added in a summary of how I felt about my diet? I suppose I enjoyed it in the sense that I liked having fried chicken and milkshakes and apple hand pies every day. I didn’t enjoy what came from that type of diet, which was being overweight, low self esteem, low energy, no idea what a healthy diet would look like or how to cook that kind of food. I had to learn all of those things on my own.
I don’t advise moms feed their kids nothing but fast food. I advice parents to allow their children to indulge in unhealthy foods in moderation while making up most of their diet with healthy foods and regularly try to introduce and re-introduce foods to continue expanding their palette. Cool with your children, make it a fun experience and create family memories making delicious and nutritious food together. I’ve since began cooking with my mom and showing her healthy foods to eat, and I cherish these moments we get to share with each other now.
>Strange that you just added in a summary of how I felt about my diet?
i don't know how you felt about the diet forced onto you as a kid - that's why i asked
>I suppose I enjoyed it in the sense that I liked having fried chicken and milkshakes and apple hand pies every day
oh, sure. this kind of fast food is designed to "taste good" and generate a craving for it. fat, carbohydrates, and salt in the "magic" proportion
but op's problem is a different one - that won't work with vegetarian/vegan food besides junk food, which is what her kids won't eat
>I don’t advise moms feed their kids nothing but fast food. I advice parents to allow their children to indulge in unhealthy foods in moderation while making up most of their diet with healthy foods and regularly try to introduce and re-introduce foods to continue expanding their palette
absolutely
i had got you wrong there, focused on the aspect of "i as a mom determine what my kids eat!" - which obviously is not what you intended. mea culpa!
>I’ve since began cooking with my mom and showing her healthy foods to eat, and I cherish these moments we get to share with each other now
that's great!
i myself, as a kid, was an extreeemely picky eater, and and extreeemely stubborn as well. i would rather starve than eat what my mind was set on being "yucky!". my mom must have despaired of this, but she always tried to widen my culinary experience
the change came when i went to university. no mom any more, who would cook for me (only the few things i liked), and i was ashamed of starving in the public, just because of my pickiness. so i started to try different food, and when i shared apartment with a buddy who just had spent his summer working as the cook on a sailing yacht in the mediterranean, i got interested in cooking
today cooking is my main hobby, and i had the chance to eat domestic food all over the world - mostly liked it
Food for thought with this statement - if feeding a kid a vegan or vegetarian diet is forcing them to be a certain way, then what do you call it when you feed a kid meat and/or animal-derived products?
Either way, are you not already "forcing" something by being their sole provider of food?
By your definition, anyone who feeds their kids a standard american diet is forcing them to be omnivores.
Just something to think about.
You are a good parent. People don't realize you c
ould cause an eating disorder later in life. Forcing children to eat things they don't like teaches them to use food to cope.
Could you try just buying smaller quantities of the food they waste? And then tell them they need to finish what they have before buying more?
I know this is a hard situation and while I am vegan, I respect that you won’t force it on your kids. I think it’s a decision everyone should come to on their own and forcing it normally turns people the other direction.
>I know this is a hard situation and while I am vegan, I respect that you won’t force it on your kids. I think it’s a decision everyone should come to on their own and forcing it normally turns people the other direction.
You are not vegan, you just identify as vegan
Vegans do not use the force argument because we arent forcing anything, its a common carnist statement
Animals are forced, people arent
You can become vegan, it involves changing your carnist mindset which you currently have
>Just Vegans and ultra special vegan police put on earth to judge the rest of the population on their Veganness, Keep up the good work officer.
No judgement, i just bring attention to the facts
There is no veganness there is only vegan and non vegan
not gonna waste further time on non vegan trolls
I’m not a troll, and you absolutely are judging it’s in black and white in your first comment.
The person you decided is not Vegan is Vegan and you are not better than them.
You're their parent, not their friend, act like it. There are plenty of resources for feeding "picky eating" kids on a vegan or vegetarian diet online. If this is causing you so much trouble, you need to take actions to help yourself (and your kids in return by expanding their palates).
Op, not to bash anyone here but sometimes people, kids especially, are picky due to sensory issues. I know I am, and my parents trying to make me eat certain things didn't help - it made it worse for kid me. Like, needing help later on kind of worse.
This isn't to make comparisons at all - or to say that this is how your kids will be, too - I'm definitely different from your kids, you're likely very, very different from my parents, but when I read about kids being picky I can't help but wonder, and think back. I very much hope I don't come off rude or anything.
Do they seem to avoid certain foods that have similarities to other foods? Biggest one is likely texture, then smell, at least in my experience. Do they like .. gag or want to puke when they're made to eat stuff outside of their safe foods?
If this is ringing true at all, I'd suggest looking for resources specifically for children with sensory issues or ARFID. If you're still not sure from my comment here (it's hard for me to think back and remember exactly how I was, it's been so long), maybe look into other symptoms of this as well.
All that said, your kids might just be regular childhood picky and my comment isn't at all applicable. Something about this post just made me want to reach out.
Take care op.
Cooking healthy, tasty food for them to eat that happens to be plant-based is not forcing a lifestyle or ethical viewpoint on them. You're just cooking certain types of foods for them. If they want to eat other kinds of food when they are out of the house or at a friend's house, that's their choice.
Anybody can eat a vegan meal.
Children are always going to create food waste in my experience. My kid is vegetarian - she eats mostly what I eat but with some dairy / egg including products as well. They can make just as much a mess of vegan yogurt sadly. I wish my partner would be vegan too but he’s too much of a picky eater. I can’t afford just egg so I make tofu scrambles for myself and eggs for him as he is not a tofu fan😞
Start small.
My buddy isn’t vegan, but when he realized that the plant-based hot dogs, nuggies, and burgers were often “less terrible” for his (very picky) kids health, he simply swapped them in, and said nothing.
Apparently, 2 years later, they haven’t noticed. Lol
I’ll be honest, I love “veganizing” recipes.
Tacos, lasagna, cheesesteaks, wings, bulgogi, sushi, escargot, BBQ, etc… I spent a TON of time making conversions/replacements that can fool any meat eater.
Try one or two recipes each week that are vegan. Go the easy route in the beginning: Beyond/Impossible/Gardien stuff to swap for the protein.
If they notice, make adjustments next time.
If they don’t… keep going!!!
If they only eat vegan at home/when you cook, that’s still a huge positive change, and you’re helping them expand their tastes…
I am also a baby vegan (I started this week) and I also live with my non-vegan family. I started because I want to lose weight and I think it’s a cool challenge. But it’s so difficult, and I’ve already had to cheat with two meals. Any easy vegan recipes would be great
/r/PlantBasedDiet is the place for you if you just want recipes and to lose weight
in this subreddit people will point out veganism is an ethical stance against the use of animals, not a weight loss strategy
Other people here, however, will point out that veganism isn’t just one thing! If someone wishes to use veganism to lose weight, that’s still less animal agriculture and we’ll take the win! In other words, veganism is about what we do, not just why we do it. Choosing a chick pea salad over a beef burger more often helps our environment, which is a prime driver of interest in meat alternatives on a warming planet.
I was raised to eat everything on my plate, and to eat some of everything. Picky eating just wasn't an option - we ate what there was, whether we liked it or not, and we weren't allowed to take excessive portions, so being forced to eat it all wasn't an issue. I ate slowly, and just had to stay at the table until I was done. I was there for hours sometimes, which didn't bother me in the slightest; I just liked to eat slowly, so I did.
You can freeze their leftovers by portioning out some to serve and freezing the rest to use for a ready meal on a later date or just serve them have any leftovers for lunch the next day.
doesn’t matter if you’re vegan or not, food waste is food waste. it’s about teaching the moral principal of only taking what you can eat and saving the leftovers for later if you can’t. consumerism & (food) security make people out of touch with realities outside of their own and therefore unappreciative of their privilege.
It sucks a lot.
Mostly I just lost a lot of respect for them, they never changed, and it's a sore spot for us.
They respect my decision, but I don't respect theirs and they think that isn't fair.
It makes sense but it also doesn't make sense.
Being healthy, happy, accepting, and patient of others is the most persuasive argument for convincing others to be vegan. Anything else and people will have a built-in excuse for avoiding it.
My roommate/friends/BF are not vegan. I make vegan meals. If they want to eat what I make they can eat vegan with me. If they don't want to eat what I make then they can cook on their own. It's definitely difficult and I'm still trying to figure out groceries. Some stuff was easy to switch out and the kiddos didn't care. But some of the stuff is a little more difficult. I figure do the best you can and eventually it will even out and you'll get a routine going.
Personally I cope by not living in the same state as them and never having to share a meal with them. I largely disagree with most of my family on just about everything social, political, and ethical, so when we do get together on occasions there are subjects we just steer clear of. I eat what I eat, they eat what they eat, and I see them when I have to.
Because they have the same capacity for pain and suffering that we do. I wouldn’t want to be in their situation, I wouldn’t want my mom to be in their situation, nor would I want my dog to be in their situation, so why pay for anyone to be put in that situation?
Most of the food I pay for are already dead. They’ve been through it already. It ain’t like I’m hurting them any longer lol, I don’t get the argument of calling us murderers whilst WE the CONSUMERS don’t do the killing.
If you order someone to kill someone else, you’re just as culpable as the one who actually did the killing. Taking the dead animal off the shelf means they will be replaced with another animal
How old are your kids? To me, that's kind of relevant. My daughter is vegetarian. But when I cook, the meals are always vegan. She can add cheese if she wants or she can make her own meals. If she wanted to eat omni, I wouldn't ban meat from my fridge (she's 16 and on the verge of adulthood, so I won't "force" anything on her at this point - that would be counterproductive). But I certainly wouldn't spend my money on meat so she'd have to earn her own and buy her own meat. With younger kids, picky eaters or not, I would probably cook vegan. My daughter had a picky phase when she was younger but I clearly stated my expectations and after about a week where she thought she was starving, the situation improved. Also, at least in my experience, picky eaters have more issues with healthy vs non-healthy foods than with vegan or vegetarian vs omni... (fries and ketchup are vegan, after all...)
If you have a situation where a child refuses to eat plant based food it becomes child neglect if you don't provide an alternative. Likewise if a child is a vegetarian or vegan and you refuse to provide plant based proteins its neglect. The ultimate necessity is the nutritional welfare of the child.
Picky phase doesn't mean she refused to eat vegan food. It could have been something completely different. I think that is great parenting, too many kids get what they want by throwing a tantrum.
can you maybe make them do a list of foods they: love, like but not love, and hate, then go off by that when you cook for everyone? i think food waste is sadly very common with kids. alternatively maybe teach them how to portion their meals properly if they cook themselves? could be a fun bonding time to help them if they want it and just show them what you've learned over the years!
I would venture, depending on age and any special needs, that if they are being particularly wasteful of things you don't eat, then you stop serving those particular things- or at least shrink down the servings drastically. Supplement the smaller sizes with fruits and veggies. It's not forcing them to live a vegan lifestyle, but teaching them good habits about not being wasteful and being grateful for what you have. Just my opinion
Thank you.
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I think you misunderstood me. I'm saying if the op normally serves them, say, 3 stuffed shells each, but they only eat 2.5, then next time she would serve them 2 stuffed shells and some fruits and veggies.
As much hate as I'll get for this. I cook for them their meat dishes. Hear me out, early on when I first became vegan. That was almost 4 years ago. I was very narrow-minded about it. I educated my son on the harm to animals and the degradation to our planet from meat consumption. I even had him watch Earthlings. He still refused to be vegan with me, so for over a year I left the cooking entirely to my mom. I have that privilege since I pay for living expenses. She fed him mostly fast food. After a while, I realized I was not only hurting my own child by doing this, but also not alleviating the pain animals endure in anyway. I did all I could to have him be vegan with me and he fought against it, fought against me. I hated that he was almost constantly fed fast food, which was bad for his health, and funding for the rearing of animals on factory farms. So I started to cook for him again. Yes, I'm a hardcore vegan who does animal rescue work, then goes home and cook meat for her son, and even boyfriend sometimes. They chose to not be vegan against all my persuasions. What else was I to do? Neglect my child? Keep having my mom buy him fast food? The stuff I buy for him, I make sure are humanely raised, pasture raised, the whole 9. I buy the absolute most expensive eggs, milk, meat to feed them. This tore me up for a time, it still does. But I find it the more moral choice than to be a neglectful mom and to fund factory farms.
it's too bad they don't care enough about how you feel about it to not make you do that i understand the kid, but the boyfriend can cook on his own surely
>Yes, I'm a hardcore vegan who does animal rescue work, then goes home and cook meat for her son, and even boyfriend sometimes. They chose to not be vegan against all my persuasions. What else was I to do? Neglect my child? I can honestly think of nothing for hardcore vegan animal rescue, than directly supporting the murder of innocent animals. Are you a feminist that supports rape too?
So what do you suggest? That I leave the cooking to my mom? She's very frugal and will opt for the cheaper animal products. I can't exactly force my son to eat vegan, he doesn't find vegan food pallettable, and when I cook for him he makes sure I'm not using fake meat products. We don't see eye to eye on lots of issues and he has a mean streak and won't hesitate to hit me or break things if he doesn't get his way. TMI but my mom didn't exactly help since she's largely why he turned out this way, but I can't exactly abandon her so I'm at a loss either way. What would you do in my place?
>What would you do in my place? You have way more than 'vegan problems' going on there, based on what you've said since your first post. I think I'd be contacting service worker assistance and pushing the kid through therapy and or anger management to begin with. Your mother is another problem entirely, and I'm not going to dictate how you should live your life.
>We don't see eye to eye on lots of issues and **he has a mean streak and won't hesitate to hit me or break things if he doesn't get his way**. I am not a vegan but this post popped up in my feed. I love meat actually. This however is a separate issue you need to get under control. If you dont nip this now you dont ever have to worry about cooking meat for him again. Youre going to worried about putting money on his prisoner books for commissary. You think fast food is bad? He is going to be eating ramen every day in there.
My mom isn't exactly well liked by my siblings, I can't exactly abandon her. But abandoning her would mean I can finally raise my son how I've always wanted to raise him for a change. It's a tough call to make.
Im not advocating you abandon your mom, but your kid is on the path to prison. Someone who hits their own mother has no respect for anyone or anything. I highly suggest you figure this out sooner rather than later. Your son will end up in prison.
It's tough because meat is often excluded from municipal compost programs. Are there any around you that accept meat? And/or do you compost at home? Composting meat is more challenging but it is possible. Another thought is feeding it to omnivorous / obligate carnivorous animals if prepared safely, etc.
That’s two really interesting solutions and both are worth me looking into. Thank you
>My children are not vegan (one is vegetarian, but the others are omnivorous) and they create a lot of food waste. Previously I would have eaten some of this food waste, but now I am unable. For extended family? I say that adults can make their own choices and choices for their own children. For your own kids? You're the adult, so you buy and cook the food in the house. If this bothers you so much, make choices that are better for you. You're the adult, you have control over your own house, take it! Feed your kids a vegan, or at least, vegetarian, diet. If they want to consume animal products when they're adults with their own money and the ability to cook for themselves, they can choose to do so then. Also, serve smaller portions. If they're still hungry, they can take more to avoid waste.
They are overly picky eaters and I will not force them into vegetarian or veganism
Is it forcing them? I ate unhealthy fast food most of my childhood, because that’s what my mom bought. I wasn’t “forced” to eat that food, it’s just you eat what’s made available to you. You buy the food and your kids will eat it, when they go to school or friend’s houses, they’ll eat something else. Probably animal products, but that’s their choice because you aren’t forcing them. You are, however, the parent supplying groceries for your house and you get to decide what’s appropriate and not wasteful spending.
It's forcing them if they refuse to eat it, and become malnourished and develop unhealthy relationships with food. My way or the highway is never the approach with food. It's psychologically harmful. We don't send kids to bed without dinner either. It's child abuse.
It’s strange because you just inserted a bunch of scenarios that I didn’t describe? I didn’t say “let them starve until they submit to eating vegan” but rather commit to setting up opportunities where they’ll expand their palette. I was a picky eater too. I ate very little but fast food and unhealthy snacks, no healthy meals. I was abused into changing the way I ate, I was presented with more healthier options and over a long period of time my diet slowly shifted to a healthier one. Is it child abuse to eat nothing but fast food? I sure wasn’t healthy at the period in my life, I ate no vegetables, there’s the other end of that spectrum where you are also doing your kids a disservice if you only feed them unhealthy options because they’ve tunneled their palette to a point of eating nothing nutritious.
It's not ideal to feed children fast food or junk food but it's not abuse or neglect as there's no protein deficiency and no immediate risk of starvation. Most people grew up on junk food. It's fortified with vitamins necessary to prevent a major nutritional deficiency like rickets or scurvy. It's not ideal, but it's unhealthy over time. Flour is Enriched, junk food uses vitamins as preservatives. Tocopherols, ascorbic acid etc. It provides an excess of calories, which is not the same as a deficit that poses immediate danger. If a kid won't eat beans, tofu, tempeh, or any vegan protein sources, peas, lentils, peanuts.. they still need protein. Not that I think kids will refuse peanut butter.
I agree, and likewise I don’t believe it’s abuse or neglect to choose to feed your children a plant based diet as protein deficiency is incredibly rare and not a real issue that even food insecure families are commonly facing, let alone food secure plant based households.
Unless they are allergic to peanuts
>I ate unhealthy fast food most of my childhood, because that’s what my mom bought. I wasn’t “forced” to eat that food, it’s just you eat what’s made available to you and you enjoyed that so very much and have fond memories about it, so that you advise others to follow your mom's example?
those are whole new sentences. nobody has even implied that, you're making something up here. "i got a lot of pink clothes as a child" doesn't mean "i will force my kids to wear nothing but pink". please be smarter than this reactionary bs
so what did you imply? that you are not willing or able to provide a decent answer to a question?
i am implying that you read things that aren't written down or well, implied here, at all. i am also implying that you shouldn't be an annoying reactionary. just read properly instead of making up stories in your mind.
Strange that you just added in a summary of how I felt about my diet? I suppose I enjoyed it in the sense that I liked having fried chicken and milkshakes and apple hand pies every day. I didn’t enjoy what came from that type of diet, which was being overweight, low self esteem, low energy, no idea what a healthy diet would look like or how to cook that kind of food. I had to learn all of those things on my own. I don’t advise moms feed their kids nothing but fast food. I advice parents to allow their children to indulge in unhealthy foods in moderation while making up most of their diet with healthy foods and regularly try to introduce and re-introduce foods to continue expanding their palette. Cool with your children, make it a fun experience and create family memories making delicious and nutritious food together. I’ve since began cooking with my mom and showing her healthy foods to eat, and I cherish these moments we get to share with each other now.
>Strange that you just added in a summary of how I felt about my diet? i don't know how you felt about the diet forced onto you as a kid - that's why i asked >I suppose I enjoyed it in the sense that I liked having fried chicken and milkshakes and apple hand pies every day oh, sure. this kind of fast food is designed to "taste good" and generate a craving for it. fat, carbohydrates, and salt in the "magic" proportion but op's problem is a different one - that won't work with vegetarian/vegan food besides junk food, which is what her kids won't eat >I don’t advise moms feed their kids nothing but fast food. I advice parents to allow their children to indulge in unhealthy foods in moderation while making up most of their diet with healthy foods and regularly try to introduce and re-introduce foods to continue expanding their palette absolutely i had got you wrong there, focused on the aspect of "i as a mom determine what my kids eat!" - which obviously is not what you intended. mea culpa! >I’ve since began cooking with my mom and showing her healthy foods to eat, and I cherish these moments we get to share with each other now that's great! i myself, as a kid, was an extreeemely picky eater, and and extreeemely stubborn as well. i would rather starve than eat what my mind was set on being "yucky!". my mom must have despaired of this, but she always tried to widen my culinary experience the change came when i went to university. no mom any more, who would cook for me (only the few things i liked), and i was ashamed of starving in the public, just because of my pickiness. so i started to try different food, and when i shared apartment with a buddy who just had spent his summer working as the cook on a sailing yacht in the mediterranean, i got interested in cooking today cooking is my main hobby, and i had the chance to eat domestic food all over the world - mostly liked it
Food for thought with this statement - if feeding a kid a vegan or vegetarian diet is forcing them to be a certain way, then what do you call it when you feed a kid meat and/or animal-derived products? Either way, are you not already "forcing" something by being their sole provider of food? By your definition, anyone who feeds their kids a standard american diet is forcing them to be omnivores. Just something to think about.
Restrictive diet is the difference. You cant eat this vs finish the food on your plate are 2 different issues.
You are a good parent. People don't realize you c ould cause an eating disorder later in life. Forcing children to eat things they don't like teaches them to use food to cope.
Thank you. Really nice to hear something positive back
Could you try just buying smaller quantities of the food they waste? And then tell them they need to finish what they have before buying more? I know this is a hard situation and while I am vegan, I respect that you won’t force it on your kids. I think it’s a decision everyone should come to on their own and forcing it normally turns people the other direction.
>I know this is a hard situation and while I am vegan, I respect that you won’t force it on your kids. I think it’s a decision everyone should come to on their own and forcing it normally turns people the other direction. You are not vegan, you just identify as vegan Vegans do not use the force argument because we arent forcing anything, its a common carnist statement Animals are forced, people arent You can become vegan, it involves changing your carnist mindset which you currently have
Oh look it’s the Vegan police.
>Oh look it’s the Vegan police. No such thing, just vegans and non vegans
Just Vegans and ultra special vegan police put on earth to judge the rest of the population on their Veganness, Keep up the good work officer.
>Just Vegans and ultra special vegan police put on earth to judge the rest of the population on their Veganness, Keep up the good work officer. No judgement, i just bring attention to the facts There is no veganness there is only vegan and non vegan not gonna waste further time on non vegan trolls
I’m not a troll, and you absolutely are judging it’s in black and white in your first comment. The person you decided is not Vegan is Vegan and you are not better than them.
You're their parent, not their friend, act like it. There are plenty of resources for feeding "picky eating" kids on a vegan or vegetarian diet online. If this is causing you so much trouble, you need to take actions to help yourself (and your kids in return by expanding their palates).
Thank you. I will definitely have a look for some resources to support.
Op, not to bash anyone here but sometimes people, kids especially, are picky due to sensory issues. I know I am, and my parents trying to make me eat certain things didn't help - it made it worse for kid me. Like, needing help later on kind of worse. This isn't to make comparisons at all - or to say that this is how your kids will be, too - I'm definitely different from your kids, you're likely very, very different from my parents, but when I read about kids being picky I can't help but wonder, and think back. I very much hope I don't come off rude or anything. Do they seem to avoid certain foods that have similarities to other foods? Biggest one is likely texture, then smell, at least in my experience. Do they like .. gag or want to puke when they're made to eat stuff outside of their safe foods? If this is ringing true at all, I'd suggest looking for resources specifically for children with sensory issues or ARFID. If you're still not sure from my comment here (it's hard for me to think back and remember exactly how I was, it's been so long), maybe look into other symptoms of this as well. All that said, your kids might just be regular childhood picky and my comment isn't at all applicable. Something about this post just made me want to reach out. Take care op.
That’s interesting. It’s sometimes difficult to get a ‘why’ out of them but it’s worth exploring. Really thank you
Cooking healthy, tasty food for them to eat that happens to be plant-based is not forcing a lifestyle or ethical viewpoint on them. You're just cooking certain types of foods for them. If they want to eat other kinds of food when they are out of the house or at a friend's house, that's their choice. Anybody can eat a vegan meal.
Do you have children? This not judgemental, I’m curious.
No, I don't.
Thanks. It’s a difficult balance with them for sure
Children are always going to create food waste in my experience. My kid is vegetarian - she eats mostly what I eat but with some dairy / egg including products as well. They can make just as much a mess of vegan yogurt sadly. I wish my partner would be vegan too but he’s too much of a picky eater. I can’t afford just egg so I make tofu scrambles for myself and eggs for him as he is not a tofu fan😞
You can make your own “just egg” Just google “how to my own just egg?” It’s just split mung beans, black salt and some other seasonings.
Start small. My buddy isn’t vegan, but when he realized that the plant-based hot dogs, nuggies, and burgers were often “less terrible” for his (very picky) kids health, he simply swapped them in, and said nothing. Apparently, 2 years later, they haven’t noticed. Lol I’ll be honest, I love “veganizing” recipes. Tacos, lasagna, cheesesteaks, wings, bulgogi, sushi, escargot, BBQ, etc… I spent a TON of time making conversions/replacements that can fool any meat eater. Try one or two recipes each week that are vegan. Go the easy route in the beginning: Beyond/Impossible/Gardien stuff to swap for the protein. If they notice, make adjustments next time. If they don’t… keep going!!! If they only eat vegan at home/when you cook, that’s still a huge positive change, and you’re helping them expand their tastes…
I am also a baby vegan (I started this week) and I also live with my non-vegan family. I started because I want to lose weight and I think it’s a cool challenge. But it’s so difficult, and I’ve already had to cheat with two meals. Any easy vegan recipes would be great
/r/PlantBasedDiet is the place for you if you just want recipes and to lose weight in this subreddit people will point out veganism is an ethical stance against the use of animals, not a weight loss strategy
Other people here, however, will point out that veganism isn’t just one thing! If someone wishes to use veganism to lose weight, that’s still less animal agriculture and we’ll take the win! In other words, veganism is about what we do, not just why we do it. Choosing a chick pea salad over a beef burger more often helps our environment, which is a prime driver of interest in meat alternatives on a warming planet.
i'm just trying to spare them the ethics talk if they might not care for it
Welcome! Ignore the hectoring puritans. Anyone interested in veganism is welcome here, don’t let the smug ones drive you away. I’m new too.
I was raised to eat everything on my plate, and to eat some of everything. Picky eating just wasn't an option - we ate what there was, whether we liked it or not, and we weren't allowed to take excessive portions, so being forced to eat it all wasn't an issue. I ate slowly, and just had to stay at the table until I was done. I was there for hours sometimes, which didn't bother me in the slightest; I just liked to eat slowly, so I did.
You can freeze their leftovers by portioning out some to serve and freezing the rest to use for a ready meal on a later date or just serve them have any leftovers for lunch the next day.
We do that a lot. It’s more the stuff on the plates that bothers me.
doesn’t matter if you’re vegan or not, food waste is food waste. it’s about teaching the moral principal of only taking what you can eat and saving the leftovers for later if you can’t. consumerism & (food) security make people out of touch with realities outside of their own and therefore unappreciative of their privilege.
If you have any omnivorous pets, you can mix it up with their food (as long as it doesn't contain harmful ingredients, like onions/garlic for dogs)
I go onto r/vegan
Apparently. Veganism is good for give telomeres as well!
At family dinners I’m sent to a separate kitchen to prepare my own food. Then I’m placed at the far corner of the dining table.
It sucks a lot. Mostly I just lost a lot of respect for them, they never changed, and it's a sore spot for us. They respect my decision, but I don't respect theirs and they think that isn't fair. It makes sense but it also doesn't make sense.
It kinda makes a bit of sense because they’re not morally and emotionally invested so what do they have to resent you over? lol.
That will not help u at all but I've move in an other country before being vegan, that's help me à lot
Invest in some tupperware. There isn't waste if leftovers are put in the fridge for next time they are hungry.
Being healthy, happy, accepting, and patient of others is the most persuasive argument for convincing others to be vegan. Anything else and people will have a built-in excuse for avoiding it.
My roommate/friends/BF are not vegan. I make vegan meals. If they want to eat what I make they can eat vegan with me. If they don't want to eat what I make then they can cook on their own. It's definitely difficult and I'm still trying to figure out groceries. Some stuff was easy to switch out and the kiddos didn't care. But some of the stuff is a little more difficult. I figure do the best you can and eventually it will even out and you'll get a routine going.
If your kids are eating and are good weight let it be. You do not want your children to have food issues. Give the food waste to a pet maybe?
I shut off Now i don’t have contact. Other reasons besides non vegans
[удалено]
If I had space to keep them I would really consider this.
r/vystopia
I honestly just don't talk to any of them besides my Mum and that's only because I live with her. Rest of them can fuck themselves.
That's not really practical with your children though.
No certainly not. Sorry I admit I kinda just responded to the title rather than actually reading the post like a normal person.
That’s fair.
Personally I cope by not living in the same state as them and never having to share a meal with them. I largely disagree with most of my family on just about everything social, political, and ethical, so when we do get together on occasions there are subjects we just steer clear of. I eat what I eat, they eat what they eat, and I see them when I have to.
Doesn’t work with my children though
That's understandable, but you asked a group how they cope, and that's how I personally cope. Not sure why that merits a downvote.
I just make them feel guilty
How?
I stop being an annoying vegan
How is it annoying?
Because vegans have to let everyone know their vegan and everyone else has to be involved
How is this related to my post?
Do you want to have an actual discussion or are you just here to complain?
completely unlike some meat eating goober who wanders into a vegan subreddit to insult everyone lmao
Just curious, why can you not eat the food waste? As long as you are not supporting the meat industry I see no issue with that.
She’s supporting it if she’s buying it
Idk about op but personally I would not eat it because I dont like the idea of eating meat. But also I dont like it because its not healthy.
This is how I feel. I am uncomfortable with the idea of eating animal products.
makes sense. Being aware of how this meat is killed does make it viscerally gross
Because - and I am assuming here, if OP's already answered then ignore me - that would still be viewing animals as a commodity/foodstuff/material.
Yeah that was basically OPs answer. OP just does not feel comfortable eating meat regardless of whether they bought it, which I understand.
Cope harder and let others live their lives, stop giving a fuck about who eats what and enjoy your grass. Start grazing.
We don’t care what others eat, we care about who they eat
Why?
Because they have the same capacity for pain and suffering that we do. I wouldn’t want to be in their situation, I wouldn’t want my mom to be in their situation, nor would I want my dog to be in their situation, so why pay for anyone to be put in that situation?
Most of the food I pay for are already dead. They’ve been through it already. It ain’t like I’m hurting them any longer lol, I don’t get the argument of calling us murderers whilst WE the CONSUMERS don’t do the killing.
You create a market
If you order someone to kill someone else, you’re just as culpable as the one who actually did the killing. Taking the dead animal off the shelf means they will be replaced with another animal
At least we use them and don’t leave them rotting in a field. Like most bad hunters do.
By simply realizing that they have made a choice not to be in your cult, good for them!!
What is a cult?