RSS
Raising a Vegan Family In A “Non-Vegan World”
By Lisa, The Vegan Mom
My son Alex is 10 and my daughter Ava is 4, and they have been living free from animal products for over a year. Thankfully they both enjoy many veggies, as well as brown rice, whole wheat breads and pasta, beans, fruit and lots of other healthy stuff!
I am also thrilled that they are totally on board with the “not eating animals” thing!!! I know that many kids would pass out if they had to give up pork chops, bbq chicken and steak!!! But not my little Vegans! They are proof that children can physically thrive on a plant based diet and be completely content doing so!
My family could honestly be the “poster family” for Vegan living! All four of us are on board, including my husband. We love that our bodies are healthier, our foot prints on this Earth are lighter and no more animals will suffer for our meals, fashion or beauty products. My family is proud to live cruelty free!
Although becoming Vegan is truly one of the best decisions that we have ever made, I can’t tell people how great it is raising a Vegan or Vegetarian family, without being honest about some of the obstacles we encounter. These obstacles should not sway anyone from choosing this lifestyle, but instead prepare them for a few bumps in the road.
One issue is school lunches!!! I mean, would it kill our schools to have a Vegan option…. other than an ice-burg lettuce salad & PB&J?!?! The food they feed these children is horrible!! Lots of ham, cheese, sausage, fried chicken….. the list goes on!! I’m not even sure if there is actually any chicken in the “pop corn” chicken served in most cafeterias! Is it a surprise that so many kids are overweight and on their way to a lifetime of health issues? I truly hope that our nation’s schools will begin to make some “real” changes in our children’s cafeterias. The school systems need to realize that “food is health & good health begins with what we eat”!! I pack my son’s lunch on most days, but I won’t lie, it is tough to be creative every day. Some mornings I feel a bit overwhelmed, but fortunately there are a lot of great books that offer me inspiration.
The toughest obstacle for Vegan families is eating out. We have a few restaurants in our area that truly cater to our dietary needs, so we frequent those places. Once we venture out a little farther, we have to be careful of where we stop to eat. I find that most ethnic restaurants like, Asian, Indian, Mexican and Italian are good bets. They use a lot of veggies, beans and pasta. Just beware of egg noodles and creamy sauces & dressings. Ask questions about how the food is prepared!! Believe it or not, there are a few good phone apps that can let you know of Vegetarian and Vegan friendly restaurants in the area. Gotta love technology! Also, be sure to pack lots of healthy snacks for your outings, this way you won’t be pressured to constantly stop for food.
Of course there is also the issue of other children questioning, or making fun of Vegans & Vegetarians. The problem is, they don’t understand this type of diet, so they mock it. They might say, “Where do you get your protein” or “Meat is the most important part of the food pyramid” or “Vegans are weak & meat makes you strong”!!! Fortunately, my son is strong and he stands his ground, and recently a few of his friends have said that they would like to be a Vegetarian or Vegan just like him! I love this! The trick is to make your children feel proud of their Veg lifestyle and other people will be drawn to their positive “vibe” and influence! Alex has recently received his 1st degree Black Belt in karate, and he passed all of the the vigorous physical & mental testing with flying colors!
Knowledge is power, so children should be taught about the many benefits, a Vegan diet offers. My son loves the fact that his immune system is so strong and his cardio endurance has greatly increased!! He also realizes that his risk of obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancers are greatly DECREASED!!! Most factory farmed animals are pumped with steroids, antibiotics and other toxins, which have been proven to negatively effect human health.
My children also realize that a plant based diet is much kinder to the Earth, and that the “United Nations” has recently stated that a Vegan diet is vital for the future of well being of our planet, “A global diet free of meat and dairy is necessary for the world to mitigate the worst effects of climate change”.
I also believe that parents should not hide the truth about factory farming and animal cruelty from their children. Of course you don’t want to be graphic and emotionally scar them. But both of my kids realize that farmed animals are not happy, and they are often in pain and neglected. The media paints such a pretty picture of farmed animals, and many people don’t have a clue about what actually goes on, before they have that glass of milk, chicken nugget or scrambled egg. I recommend taking your kids to visit a local farm sanctuary. Spending time with these beautiful, gentle creatures, will really help your family “make the connection” between human being & animal.
A trick for Vegan parents, is to always have tasty, healthy snacks in the house and not be afraid of baking!! I bake a few times a week, so my kids always have something sweet after dinner. We buy very little processed snack food at the store.
Another trick is READ, READ, READ!! Blogs, magazines, books, etc…… There are so many great ideas for Vegan families! I never leave home without my newest cookbook or copy of VEG NEWS. It is important for me to have the extra support that they offer!
Raising a Veggie loving family can be tough at times, but just remember that you are offering your children a future that is full of compassion and optimum health. You are teaching them respect for living creatures and the Earth we live on. Being Vegan is “bigger” than just not eating meat, dairy & eggs. Veganism is a “Movement” and Vegans are truly “Enlightened” human beings. Our children will carry this enlightenment with them throughout their entire lives and because of this, they will help in changing our world….
My family could honestly be the “poster family” for Vegan living! All four of us are on board, including my husband. We love that our bodies are healthier, our foot prints on this Earth are lighter and no more animals will suffer for our meals, fashion or beauty products. My family is proud to live cruelty free!
Although becoming Vegan is truly one of the best decisions that we have ever made, I can’t tell people how great it is raising a Vegan or Vegetarian family, without being honest about some of the obstacles we encounter. These obstacles should not sway anyone from choosing this lifestyle, but instead prepare them for a few bumps in the road.
One issue is school lunches!!! I mean, would it kill our schools to have a Vegan option…. other than an ice-burg lettuce salad & PB&J?!?! The food they feed these children is horrible!! Lots of ham, cheese, sausage, fried chicken….. the list goes on!! I’m not even sure if there is actually any chicken in the “pop corn” chicken served in most cafeterias! Is it a surprise that so many kids are overweight and on their way to a lifetime of health issues? I truly hope that our nation’s schools will begin to make some “real” changes in our children’s cafeterias. The school systems need to realize that “food is health & good health begins with what we eat”!! I pack my son’s lunch on most days, but I won’t lie, it is tough to be creative every day. Some mornings I feel a bit overwhelmed, but fortunately there are a lot of great books that offer me inspiration.
The toughest obstacle for Vegan families is eating out. We have a few restaurants in our area that truly cater to our dietary needs, so we frequent those places. Once we venture out a little farther, we have to be careful of where we stop to eat. I find that most ethnic restaurants like, Asian, Indian, Mexican and Italian are good bets. They use a lot of veggies, beans and pasta. Just beware of egg noodles and creamy sauces & dressings. Ask questions about how the food is prepared!! Believe it or not, there are a few good phone apps that can let you know of Vegetarian and Vegan friendly restaurants in the area. Gotta love technology! Also, be sure to pack lots of healthy snacks for your outings, this way you won’t be pressured to constantly stop for food.
Of course there is also the issue of other children questioning, or making fun of Vegans & Vegetarians. The problem is, they don’t understand this type of diet, so they mock it. They might say, “Where do you get your protein” or “Meat is the most important part of the food pyramid” or “Vegans are weak & meat makes you strong”!!! Fortunately, my son is strong and he stands his ground, and recently a few of his friends have said that they would like to be a Vegetarian or Vegan just like him! I love this! The trick is to make your children feel proud of their Veg lifestyle and other people will be drawn to their positive “vibe” and influence! Alex has recently received his 1st degree Black Belt in karate, and he passed all of the the vigorous physical & mental testing with flying colors!
Knowledge is power, so children should be taught about the many benefits, a Vegan diet offers. My son loves the fact that his immune system is so strong and his cardio endurance has greatly increased!! He also realizes that his risk of obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancers are greatly DECREASED!!! Most factory farmed animals are pumped with steroids, antibiotics and other toxins, which have been proven to negatively effect human health.
My children also realize that a plant based diet is much kinder to the Earth, and that the “United Nations” has recently stated that a Vegan diet is vital for the future of well being of our planet, “A global diet free of meat and dairy is necessary for the world to mitigate the worst effects of climate change”.
I also believe that parents should not hide the truth about factory farming and animal cruelty from their children. Of course you don’t want to be graphic and emotionally scar them. But both of my kids realize that farmed animals are not happy, and they are often in pain and neglected. The media paints such a pretty picture of farmed animals, and many people don’t have a clue about what actually goes on, before they have that glass of milk, chicken nugget or scrambled egg. I recommend taking your kids to visit a local farm sanctuary. Spending time with these beautiful, gentle creatures, will really help your family “make the connection” between human being & animal.
A trick for Vegan parents, is to always have tasty, healthy snacks in the house and not be afraid of baking!! I bake a few times a week, so my kids always have something sweet after dinner. We buy very little processed snack food at the store.
Another trick is READ, READ, READ!! Blogs, magazines, books, etc…… There are so many great ideas for Vegan families! I never leave home without my newest cookbook or copy of VEG NEWS. It is important for me to have the extra support that they offer!
Raising a Veggie loving family can be tough at times, but just remember that you are offering your children a future that is full of compassion and optimum health. You are teaching them respect for living creatures and the Earth we live on. Being Vegan is “bigger” than just not eating meat, dairy & eggs. Veganism is a “Movement” and Vegans are truly “Enlightened” human beings. Our children will carry this enlightenment with them throughout their entire lives and because of this, they will help in changing our world….
Editor's note: Vegging Out is delighted to have this guest blog from Lisa, the Vegan Mom. Learn more about her lifestyle and life with vegan kids here.
Tweet
Labels: The Vegan Mom
posted by Helen Bennett Harvey at
3:20 PM
10 Comments:
i've been drinking bird nest soup every night (i only get the homemade kind back at home). the only reason why i drink it is because it's supposed to be good for complexion.
i’ve been taking the store-bought kind online (e.g. www.geocities.jp/hongkong_bird_nest/index_e.htm of famous branded only of course) which is directly mailed from Hong Kong. this would be at a more affordable price.
Hello, I'm italian and your blog is amazing!!!! I unterstand your problem... Im not vegan but for me an healty diet is a priority:.... This is the reason why I have problems to find a family for who I can work as au pair..... Being vagan is difficoult, infact few people unterstand the people qho tries to eat etically.........
They have classical horror movies, cult horror movies, scariest horror movies and like that. The titles available wouldmesmerise you for sure.
ffmovies
Children will love the fantasy of this movie, while adults can find humor in the underlying story. This is a great family movie, any time of the year.
123
And movies help us understand life through different perspectives.fmovies.to
Talking about the movies that are produced for entertainment purposes, here is a quote, from the Pulitzer Prize winner film critic Roger Ebert.
123 movies
When you take the time to look into movie library software, you will be able to catalog the movies you already own.
123movies
Another issue with the projectors and players... they're not widely used anymore. And, those old films won't play on today's players.
0123movies
This year at the Canadian International Film Festival 2012, there are a number of awards that were presented in various categories.123 movies
Notable film makers on the Roll call of Honour during the Celluloid boom era of the 70's include Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, late Herbert Ogunde, Adeyemi Afolayan a.k.a Ade Love (father of Kunle Afolayan of the Irapada fame), Ladi Ladebo, Moses Adejumo, Adebayo Salami and Afolabi Adesanya.
0123movie.net
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home