my son is wanting to be a vegetarian!?

[squeakyballs]

My 3 year old has never had meat, and he is thriving.

Make sure your son knows that if he is going to be a vegetarian, he is going to have to make his calories count. No living off of doritos and mac&cheese. He'll need to eat a variety of whole grains, vegetables, and beans.

There are a number of vegetarian athletes, it can be a very healthy choice

A few weeks ago I met an 80 year old man who looked like he was 50. I asked him what his secrete was, and he said that he'd been a vegetarian since he was 30. His kids were vegetarians, and so were his grandkids. I was very impressed.

 

[chickened]

Kind of funny to hear that one group claims they can live longer by diet over another group which means they must have lived longer to conclude that finding.How do you really know you didn't really live just the right lenght of life afterall? give me a break.

 

[HHandbasket]

I think a lot of people who "go vegetarian" are also conscious about their activity levels and perhaps are healthier because of leading a healthier lifestyle, but I don't think it is solely because of the elimination of meat from their diet. As much as many people find it unpalatable and unpleasant, the simple truth is that the human body as it exists today is designed to be omnivorous, not completely carnivorous NOR herbivorous (vegan/vegetarian). If we were meant to be herbivores, we we would have flat, square teeth like cows and horses. We have meat-tearing and meat-chewing teeth, which means God intended us to eat meat. I prefer to not argue with Him. I figure He knows what He's doing far better than I do. LOL.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Risk for blood sugar issues, like what? He had his blood sugar tested and he was fine. No family issues with diabetes.

This is what he normally eat during the day:

For breakfast, toasted white bread, peanut butter with either Chex or Cheerios (never sugared cereals) or potato chips. He would eat about two sandwiches of that.

Lunch, same thing. Snacks, same thing.

Dinner: grilled cheese toasties and french fries OR same sandwich, eats two sandwiches.

He likes chocolate milk but only once a week. Rest of the time, just plain water.

Dessert, usually either pudding or cake or whatever I happened to make. As long there is NO fruit or veggies or nuts in them, he will eat them...ie. chocolate, vanilla, german chocolate, confetti, loves sugar, and peanut butter cookies, plain chocolates, Kit Kat and 3 Muskteers.

Once in a while, ordering out, always grilled cheese and fries or fries itself if they don't provide and root beer.

Now, he never been heavy but things I do notice, is lack of muscles (or the bulk of it) from working hard all day assembling CAT equipments into shipping containers, alot of pushing, pulling, shoving, assembling smaller parts into boxes. If he does not watch it, he would get a pouch (belly). However his energy is only short spurts and tires easily and often. Sleeps alot. He also donate blood at the Red Cross and most of the time, he is fine, however three times, he was turned away because he was one or two notch away on the iron test. If he is low on iron, he would step up more on the peanut butter to bring the iron back in his body. Eats NO beans except peanuts.

He would take about four to five loaves of white bread a week by himself. DD and I eat wheat bread sparingly.

Can one eat a very glycemic diet?

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
We have both sets of teeth, we're omnivorous, not carnivorous, and can survive on either diet. It is what helps make us successful as a species, our ability to adapt to radically different diets. (It is also shown omnivorous animals like humans tend to be more intelligent because more brain power is required to learn and remember what is edible and what is not, though that isn't the sole factor that leads to higher intelligence)

Also different religions also have different diet requirements. Some Buddhists do not eat meat because of their beliefs. There is a tiny sect of Buddhists that actually won't eat any plant material that doesn't kill the plant in the process of harvesting the food. While I admire their dedication I myself can not stick to such a diet.

 

[desertdarlene]

Ewe Sheep: He's healthy now, but that kind of eating usually puts a strain on your pancreas and insulin levels. Has he been doing it long? Does he have mood swings if he doesn't eat when he wants to eat?

But, maybe he's one of the ones that can eat that way and not have any ill effects.

I can't say it's a very interesting diet, that's for sure. Just sounds like sugar/starch almost all day long. The peanut butter is good, though, but some of those have a lot of sugar in them, too.

ETA: Sorry, I forgot who I was directing my comment to.

 

[True Grit]

Vegetarianism is a healthy choice practiced by millions. My step son has been vegetarian and then vegan since the age of 15 and he's 38 now. No health problems at all. A lacto-ovo vegetarian has no problem getting the protein he needs. A vegan doesn't even really have to combine different plant proteins in the same meal; it can be in the same day and your body will still get a complete protein out of it. The only thing vegans miss is B12- you have to supplement. I'm not all in favour of dairy as often it is high fat but it can be used in sensible healthy ways. Eggs are a great high quality protein deal. Good for your son for making a sensible choice and good for you for respecting his opinion.

 

[txhomegrown]

Hurry, before this gets out of hand. Check him into a medical facility where they can start an IV of bacon grease. He should be OK after that.

 

[chickened]

A balanced diet that includes red meat in minor quantities is healthy also. Moderation is the key to healthy eating. One of the reasons people can eat vegan/low protein diets is because people in developed countries do not work as hard physically. When you do a labor intensive job your body tells you you need energy. When you do it on a daily basis you soon realize through weak spells that your body needs adequate protein from animal foods. I have worked along side vegans bucking hay for several days and my 14 year old son can work them into the ground and these people just cannot function in that environment plain and simple. One must adjust their diet to fit their lifestyle. My father in law ate very healthy all his adult life and was nearly a vegetarian for the most part and he developed sickle cell leukemia at about 65 years old. Another vegan friend developed a brain tumor at about 50. I have a hard time believing that one lifestyle over another when in moderation is any better than the next. It says in the Bible that if you honor your mother and father that you will live long on the Earth. No where else is a long life promised on the Earth that I know of.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Most people do not buck hay and will be tired out doing it no matter what they eat. They are not in condition.

It is completely possible to be a vegan and be very well nourished, but the plain fact is that most vegans are not ONLY vegans, they are ALSO eating an unhealthy, unbalanced diet.

Vegans CAN eat a healthy vegan diet, the fact is that they just don't. They eat terribly, in most cases. They eat a diet that would kill anyone - extremely deficient in major ways. They could eat brewers yeast and get plenty of b12, but they don't. They could eat tofu, and other soy products, but they don't. They could drink fortified soy milk, but they don't. They could eat all KINDS of things and STILL be a vegan, but they don't.

And in fact, most are not eating a healthy vegan diet with adequate nutrients, vitamins and minerals, they are eating a disastrously inadequate social fad diet. They COULD eat a very healthy vegan diet, they just don't!

The fact is, that eating a vegan diet and making sure it is a healthy balanced diet, requires an immense amount of work, planning and knowldge. The more food choices are limited, the more one has to do one's homework.

Protein is not an energy source for muscular work. Carbohydrates provide energy for muscular work. Protein being converted for work when a person is starving for energy foods, is a very inefficient and biochemically costly energy pathway and not something the body, 'prefers'.

Protein needs do not decrease in less active people.

Protein is used for growth and development, such as to build new tissues. Protein needs do not decrease when a person is less active.