introduction and help with 17 mo old. - tracy

[Guest guest]

Well we have always had some friends and family that eat meat and we've always

explained that they ate meat, but they knew we didn't. They knew why we didn't

it. We don't ostracize those that eat meat, we just join in on family and

friends get togethers and either they provide some things we can eat or we offer

to bring some. It is really not a problem to eat vegetarian, while in those

group situations. Everyone knows we are vegetarian and they don't make a big

deal out of it either. I think it is important for them to not ever develop

a taste for meat, because for many, it is hard to give up. It is better to not

even have them start eating it growing up and then when they are on their own

one day, then they can make their own decision. You are giving them a much

healthier start to life, especially during the most informative, teachingable

and growing years of their life.

 

 

-

Tracey Ward

Saturday, April 21, 2007 10:54 AM

Re: introduction and help with 17 mo old.

 

 

When did your children start asking questions about why you and they

don't eat meat?? My children have never asked me. If we are grilling

I would eat a veggie burger, if we are having having nuggets I would

eat veggie nuggets, and I love the " fake " bacon. They always just

refer to all the 'meat'less stuff as Mommy's stuff. But they do

it 'Mommy's stuff' too.

 

I guess when the time comes and they know that meat comes from

animals I will tell them why I don't. And at that time they will

decide. I will provide them all the info but I really would like it

to be their decision.

 

Tracey

 

, " wwjd " <jtwigg wrote:

>

> I don't think that processed soy/wheat products are a bad thing.

Many of these substitutes can be made, but these ones already made,

are easy to makes meals with the shorter time for preparation and

provide the chewy texture that many enjoy. They provide lots of

variety to meals and you don't make a whole meal of them. Many times

you are adding them to a dish with many other things in it like a

stir fry, casserole, shiskabobs, soup, chili's, pizza, etc.......

so it is not like you are eating a huge concentration of it and only

that.

>

> Wheat gluten, is great meat substitute and very easy to make, if

you choose to. You can buy it, in a can also already in chunks or

slices.

>

> On my dad's side of the family, I am a 3rd generation vegetarian,

and raising a 4th generation of lacto- ova vegetarians and we are all

healthy, with no side effects of eating soy products or drinking soy

milk. We have been eating the meat substitutes all of my life and

most of my fathers life. There is a ton of misconceptions about

soy. It is really a very good legume and very versitile to make

many wonderful things. Processed things often mean, just mixed

together ingredients, like in a recipe and maybe baked or cooked and

ground up or formed in shapes. That isn't a bad thing.

>

> A healthy vegetarian diet is a good thing to raise our children

with and teach our children why it is. The next generation will be

so much better off than those raised on meat would be. We have tons

of variety in our diet and love it. I am constantly amazed at the

meat eater friends of ours, that have such limited things that they

include in their diet of good healthy veggies and fruit. Raise your

children with your convictions. They love having set parameters to

live within and will really wonder why they can eat meat and yet you

don't. Too wishy washy and confusing to children, IMHO. If you

feel it is unhealthy to eat meat, why in the world would you feed it

to your children. We do feel it is very unhealthy and our children

are great at teaching others, who are curious about their vegetarian

diet. Except for us and some families from India, we are the only

vegetarians in our city, as far as I have met. It doesn't bothe me

or our children at all. It is just our way of life. Not a debatable

issue in our home, whether it will be served or whether any meat or

would ever eat it. It just repulses us way to much to even consider

it.

>

> Judy

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