My youngest has decided to become a vegetarian unless we raise our own

[DarkUnicorn]

Talk about being dumbfounded....

He must have watched something over his fathers house that grossed him out. He announced he is only going to eat a vegetarian diet (Funny since he really fights about eating veggies). BUT if we raise our own meat he will eat it.

He said he can't stand the way the commercial operations treat animals.

oh my.... so we talked and if I can find a local farmer who raises animals for sale such as pasture raised beef and my youngest MUST see the farm and how the animals are treated.

I never thought I would have to think about processing my own animals. BUT the look on the Grandparents faces were PRICELESS.

Any one else ever had their loving kids pop something like this on you?

 

[debilorrah]

my son once came home with every single cat he could fit in his back pack because they were "mis-abused" by being outside where they could get hit by a car. Those poor cats were scared to death when I opened the wriggling backpack. There were about 10 - mostly young.

 

[favoritekitty]

Yes, it happened to me about 4 years ago with my 10 year old daughter. After we moved into the country and got chicks she came to me and said she would no longer eat chicken. "Would you ever eat cat or dog meat?", she asked me. When I yelled "Of course not!" she then asked why we still ate chicken if we have them as pets. Didnt know what to say to that so I did all the reading and advice asking I could to make sure she stayed as healthy as possible. She believed in what she was doing so strongly I couldnt make her stop. Especially after I knew that it wouldnt hurt her. A month later I joined her after all the scary reading I did. Then my 4 year old son joined us and shortly after my boyfriend

We all did it in our own time and are all happy and healthy.

I think kids are smarter than we take them for. They connect our pets with the animals that we eat, and why shouldnt they? They are all animals and they all deserve to be cared for. Most children I know at one time or another asked to stop eating meat, or at least want to stop eating it. Its us parents that usually talk them out of it and continue to make them eat the way WE want them to.

You can live on vegetables alone. You cannot live on meat alone. I, myself, dont believe our bodies are made to eat, chew, and digest meat properly. Why do we cook it? Why are we the ONLY beings to cook raw meat before we eat it? If we didnt we would die of illness, wouldnt we? Where are my canines to tear into flesh? Do you daydream about chasing down a wild animal just to eat apart their back leg? I would bet any other carnivore/omnivore would but we dont. If you are given the choice to eat a salad or a hamburger if you dont feel well, what are you (or what SHOULD you) choose? I could go on about this forever

The point is, is that there is nothing wrong with not eating meat if your son chooses. He can still be healthy, maybe even more so. There are doctors that recommend this way of eating, there are stores and restaurants dedicated to it, there are Yahoo groups, message boards, and even churches dedicated to it! If he does decide to eat meat, the best place for that is local farmers that he agrees with their practices. He is right. You should be proud you have a caring, compassionate son, Mom! If you have any questions I will be more than happy to help you guys!

 

[DarkUnicorn]

Oh... He said he will eat meat but ONLY if it is humanely raised. He has to see the animals are happy and taken care of. There is one farm I know of around here that has pasture raised beef, I used to go by it on a bus run every day. Until then he wants to eat veggies for now.....

He has no issue with us raising meat birds as long as he knows they are going to food, he just wants the chickens to have a chance to be chickens. To feel the grass under their feet, to catch bugs and all that good stuff.

He has no problem eating venison. I just don't have a steady supply of that, I don't hunt and no one in my family hunts.

He has no problem with eating fish that is wild caught, but only certain types and has said he prefers to catch the trout. No farm raised fish, after watching Dirty Jobs he didn't think they had a chance to be fish....

He just wants to get away from commercially raised food. I have no problem with going along with his wants. He has every right to want to see better food on his plate. He enjoys gardening. He loves the chickens and has seen what the caged chickens live like, he waited until ours started to lay before he would eat eggs again. So I see his point, I've seen the difference in his thinking in the last 8 months.

Until I can find a good source of wholesome and humanely raised meat, he is concentrating on Veggies.

I just got a kick out of the way he went about announcing he wanted to promote better food. He didn't think I would go along with his veggie idea. I guess his Dad gave him a hard time when he was over there for the weekend.

We don't eat a lot of meat in general. I try to focus the meals mainly on Veggies and starches. Meat has gotten expensive in the stores so I've been tweaking meals anyway.

I do like his thinking as far as better treatment of the animals for their short lives. I am just stuck in a situation where I can't raise meat chickens here...

 

[favoritekitty]

How old is he? What a great way of thinking he has

Has he ever talked about this with you before?

 

[DarkUnicorn]

10 Years old. He has made comments about how happy the chickens are.

He is a smart kid. The chickens are the first thing that has slowed him down.... He's the bounciest kid I know....

 

[digginchicks]

I'm thinking about telling my parents the same thing so I can get some more animals lol

 

[chook pen jen]

I think your son is right ,we are omnivors ,but there is no reason to eat meat,milk or eggs from animals that are miss treated ,If we did not eat these animals they would become extinct and the land would be used for other things like GM crops ,soaked in herbasides pestasides and artificial fertalisers.I also think your son is one smart kid and sure to do well.

 

[Wifezilla]

Your son sounds like a smart kid. Just be careful about the vegetarian diet. A lack of B-12 is a real issue if you aren't eating meat and a diet high in starches increases the body's need for b vitamins as well as vitamin C (glucose and vitamin C compete for the same pathways in the body...starches easily convert to glucose and crowd out vitamin C. ). Sugars and starches also suppress the immune system. Think leafy greens for good vitamins with a virgin olive oil dressing. Healthy fats are needed for the vitamins like A, K and D to be absorbed (avoid soy, corn and canola oils).

Wild caught salmon is very good. You might also be able to find artisan goats cheeses from local craft farmers and be sure he gets those fantastic eggs from well spoiled chickens who actually get time in the sun. The nutrition value of eggs from chickens who get free range time is much higher than store bought....especially the vitamin D content.

 

[Southernbelle]

Consider meat rabbits - much easier than plucking feathers! All white meat, easy to raise, not much space needed, great manure for gardens, fast growth, etc. It tastes just like white meat chicken, in my opinion.