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> I'm reluctant to go even completely vegetarian, because of health concerns, especially for the kids, and certainly not vegan, until there is good proof otherw

> I'm reluctant to go even completely vegetarian, because of health concerns, especially for the kids, and certainly not vegan, until there is good proof otherwise. I don't want to start a flamewar, but am genuinely curious: is it not possible to raise a child on a vegetarian diet? What about vegan? Hasn't nutrition science made this quite feasible for some years now? If so, is the argument against it that it requires more planning, complexity, and probably cost than just going omnivorous?

telesilla 6y ago
Vegetarians (such as myself) tend to eat very well and make sure to eat a complete diet. I know several very tall, very healthy vegetarian kids. Plus, half of India also?
- HighlandSpring 6y ago
  India also has very high incidence of cardiovascular disease. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
  - EForEndeavour 6y ago
    That's a completely specious argument. How do you know vegetarianism itself is causing CV disease to rise? Is it the vegetarianism, or could it be the concomitant increase in "western-style" diets, reduction in physical activity, alcohol, and smoking? Hint: it's the latter. This paper establishes a beneficial association of vegetarian diet with CV risk factors compared to non-vegetarian diets in India: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4208768/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4208768/ I'd love to see the basis for your argument that India's high and rising CV disease incidence is somehow an argument against vegetarianism.
  - telesilla 6y ago
    I have very, very low cholesterol, likely due to a low carb diet more than anything: not sure that's related to meat eating.
jacknews 6y ago
"is it not possible to raise a child on a vegetarian diet? What about vegan?" IMHO, Vegetarian, probably OK, but should be voluntary, and make sure to get enough animal protein (egg, cheese, etc). Vegan, not proven.
- EForEndeavour 6y ago
  What do you mean, "voluntary"? Infants and children are subjected to all kinds of things in the course of their upbringing with zero consent of any kind, diet included. And I'd love to see any sources you might have for saying that going vegan from birth is "not proven" (ignoring the fact that nothing is "proven" in science). This recent (2019), multi-center, peer-reviewed article establishes that plant-based diets are perfectly feasible from birth, but I'm curious to see research from the "other side": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/

telesilla 6y ago

Vegetarians (such as myself) tend to eat very well and make sure to eat a complete diet. I know several very tall, very healthy vegetarian kids. Plus, half of India also?

HighlandSpring 6y ago
India also has very high incidence of cardiovascular disease. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
- EForEndeavour 6y ago
  That's a completely specious argument. How do you know vegetarianism itself is causing CV disease to rise? Is it the vegetarianism, or could it be the concomitant increase in "western-style" diets, reduction in physical activity, alcohol, and smoking? Hint: it's the latter. This paper establishes a beneficial association of vegetarian diet with CV risk factors compared to non-vegetarian diets in India: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4208768/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4208768/ I'd love to see the basis for your argument that India's high and rising CV disease incidence is somehow an argument against vegetarianism.
- telesilla 6y ago
  I have very, very low cholesterol, likely due to a low carb diet more than anything: not sure that's related to meat eating.

jacknews 6y ago

"is it not possible to raise a child on a vegetarian diet? What about vegan?" IMHO, Vegetarian, probably OK, but should be voluntary, and make sure to get enough animal protein (egg, cheese, etc). Vegan, not proven.

EForEndeavour 6y ago
What do you mean, "voluntary"? Infants and children are subjected to all kinds of things in the course of their upbringing with zero consent of any kind, diet included. And I'd love to see any sources you might have for saying that going vegan from birth is "not proven" (ignoring the fact that nothing is "proven" in science). This recent (2019), multi-center, peer-reviewed article establishes that plant-based diets are perfectly feasible from birth, but I'm curious to see research from the "other side": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/