The Over-Processed, Hormone-Injected Backlash:
Could Your Family Go Vegetarian?
By Lisa Poisso
Mad cow disease, meat and milk afloat
with hormones and antibiotics, virulent food-borne illnesses,
super-sized junk
meals packing
on “diseases of nutritional extravagance,” heart
disease, cancer, diabetes – after biting into news like
this about meat, your favorite down-and-dirty, fast and healthy
chicken breast recipe doesn’t taste quite so succulent
anymore.
Mounting evidence points to animal
products as less-than-ideal sources of nutrition, while even
the most straight-laced organizations
tout the virtues of a plant-based diet. Savvy parents are turning
to vegetarian and vegan eating in record numbers. But isn’t
vegetarianism imbalanced and extreme? Could it possibly be right
for your busy family?
For many families
a vegetarian lifestyle is a healthy, simple, cost-effective – and
yes, tasty! – answer
to growing concerns about the safety of consuming animal
products. Once the province of hippies
and other radicals, vegetarianism is snowballing in public acceptance and
popularity.
“What once seemed to be overwhelming judgment and criticism has slowly
been overrun by curiosity, intrigue and interest,” says Lucy Watkins, a
vegan mom and “Veg Buzz” columnist for Veg News magazine, site manager
of VegetarianBaby.com and co-founder of VegetarianTeen.com. “We’ve
moved from across-the-board statements such as ‘Don’t you have to
have meat in your diet to be healthy?’ to ‘I wish my daughter would
eat her vegetables. How do you do it?’”
Despite the common misconception that you can be vegetarian and still eat
chicken or fish, a true vegetarian does not eat animal flesh of any kind
-- beef,
fish or poultry. Some vegetarians do consume dairy products (a “lacto-vegetarian”)
or eggs (an “ovo-vegetarian”). A vegan (pronounced “VEE-gun”)
is a vegetarian who abstains from eating or using any type of animal products
including milk, cheese and other dairy items as well as eggs, wool, silk and
leather.
The benefits of vegging out
So why would a family consider a vegetarian lifestyle and diet? For many, the
answer is simple: health.
“
I think that every American would be 100% healthier if we were all vegetarian,” says
Dr. William C. Roberts, director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute
in Dallas and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology. He rattles
off a horrifying list of diseases frequently linked to carnivorous (meat-eating)
diets: cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, many types of cancer,
kidney stones and gallstones, diverticulitis and appendicitis, osteoporosis,
constipation
and still more.
According to the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada,
vegetarians have been reported to have lower percentages of body fat – a huge bonus
in an age when childhood obesity is epidemic -- as well as lower rates of death
from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure
and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancer. “Well-planned
vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of
the life cycle,” add the two agencies, “including during pregnancy,
lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.”
Veggie families enjoy even more than the considerable health bonuses:
• Economy Bulk grains and
legumes are extremely economical; even tofu is cheaper than an
equivalent serving of
meat.
• Ecology Eating low on the food chain reduces exposure to pesticides,
antibiotics and hormones and relieves the enormous strain on
land and water resources associated with raising livestock.
• Weight control It’s hard to get fat (or stay fat) on a
plant-based diet.
• Compassion Animal agribusiness relies on many cruel practices.
Vegetarians eat more whole foods,
more organics and fewer processed foods than most Americans,
dovetailing with
the growing trend
toward removing highly processed, hormone- and antibiotic-laden,
pesticide-sprayed foods from children’s diets. “The
real benefits of healthy, plant-based diets full of whole foods
and natural products show in many ways that aren’t often
recognized as diet-based issues,” Watkins points out. “Besides
creating a physically healthier child, families switching to
whole-food, vegetarian diets often see changes and reductions
in their child’s negative behavior.”
Vegan mom Jamie Lattanzio from Arlington, Texas, says the nutritional
research she did when she became vegetarian uncovered a Pandora’s
box of artificial flavors and colors, chemical additives and
hydrogenated oils. “Once we started looking, all of these
dirty little secrets started coming to the surface,” she
says. “No one wants to admit that by choosing not to eat
these things, so many horrible issues could be reduced or eliminated,
such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, hyperactivity and developmental
issues in children. It's true -- we are what we eat!”
But isn’t it such
a pain?
We may be what we eat – but the days of perceiving vegetarianism
as a noble sacrifice are over. Vegetarians today no longer follow
iron-clad “complimentary protein” rules requiring
foods such as beans and rice to be eaten together at the same
meal. They do not find themselves relegated to a life of side
dishes and substitutes. In fact, vegetarianism is less about
finding substitutes for meat and animal products than it is creating
a whole new way of eating. Modern vegetarianism smoothly integrates
snacks and smaller portions with mainstays such as casseroles
and ethnic foods.
The availability of whole grains, legumes, produce and other
vegetarian staples has soared in recent years. Public awareness
and acceptance of the vegetarian lifestyle is rapidly climbing.
Support systems, from social networks to restaurants and even
health care providers who are knowledgeable about vegetarian
nutrition, are growing steadily. “The good news is that
our society, though still immersed in the Standard American Diet
of chips, colas, white bread and other highly processed food,
is slowly becoming more aware of correlation between diet and
health,” Watkins says. “Veggie-friendly doctors are
becoming more numerous. Veggie-friendly school meals are cropping
up everywhere.”
“
The greatest misconception I've had to deal with is people assuming
my children are under-nourished,” Lattanzio acknowledges. “I
think that this belief is slowly dying away, though, as all of
these issues such as mad cow disease are surfacing and even meat-eaters
are being forced to stand up and take notice.”
But what about the kids? Won’t your vegetarian kid be looked
at as – well, as a weirdo?
“Kids can handle this!” says Carol Adams, an internationally
known feminist-vegetarian author and vegan parent. “Kids
can handle it emotionally, kids can handle it physically, and
kids can handle it socially.”
Kids won’t feel awkward about their vegetarianism, Adams
explains, if parents talk to them about it. Kids need to hear
why their family has chosen vegetarianism, why other families
don’t, how meat-eating people do things and what questions
they might expect to hear. In fact, the process of discussing
eating habits and even the process of learning to live as vegetarians
can be a bonding process. “There’s a strong trend
of ‘tweens’ choosing to becoming vegetarian,” Adams
notes. “This is a great opportunity for mother and child,
especially daughters, to do something together, to learn to cook
vegetarian and eat these things together. At an age when many
parents and children are moving apart, vegetarianism can be the
force that moves these families together.”
Eating out: A manageable challenge
As the trend toward healthier eating sweeps America, vegetarian
and veg-friendly restaurants are multiplying. “The biggest problem is finding out the
ingredients of items on the menu,” bemoans vegetarian Lara Ashmore,
founder of Dallas Veggie Kids support group. “Oftentimes, the wait
staff does not know if the soup or sauce, for example, is made with animal
broth.”
Ashmore’s family looks for restaurants where the wait staff will ask
the chef about the exact ingredients of a dish. She scans the menu for vegetarian
options at new restaurants before the rest of the family comes in, heading
off the kids’ disappointment if the selections prove unsuitable. Flexibility
helps. “Most kid’s meals at restaurants include chicken, for some
reason,” she says. “If there is not a vegetarian option, the safest
bet for the children is usually a baked potato and salad or plain pasta with
olive oil.”
Lattanzio’s family takes a pragmatic approach to dining out with others. “When
we are eating out with a group and end up in a regular restaurant, we try to
do our best to remove anything that can be removed and not worry about too
much more than that,” she says. “It's practically impossible to
be 100% vegan in our culture unless you choose to prepare every meal at home
from scratch. Since we choose to eat out occasionally, we know that there will
be some things getting on our plates that we would rather not be there. We
just do our best.”
What about school and parties?
Common sense, education and respect go a long way in preventing
awkward social situations between vegetarians and meat-eaters. “It's important to
keep it positive and focus on how easy it is to be vegetarian,” advises
Melanie Wilson, senior editor of Veg News magazine and herself a vegan parent. “In
the beginning, you may have to bring substitutes for your child and offer
to assist during birthday parties, but it gets easier as time goes on. Labeling
your child's lunchbox can also serve as a reminder to those in charge of
serving food or overseeing mealtimes.” She advises making things as
easy as possible for caregivers by putting requests in writing and spelling
out exactly what children may eat – not what they may not eat.
Some families find it easier to homeschool or choose private schools for
their kids. “We purposefully sought out a school that would be supportive of
a vegetarian lifestyle,” Ashmore says. “The lack of healthy school
environments was one of the factors that led me to homeschool my children.”
And then there are the parties. Watkins advocates bringing vegetarian dishes. “It
never fails, at any party I attend, the vegan dish I bring for my children
and me is usually devoured by the non-vegetarians at the event,” she
says. “This, in itself, is a lesson that vegetarian food is not just
sticks and hay.” Watkins also frequently feeds her kids before they leave
for the party.
Ashmore also advocates bringing veggie fare. “I think about my children’s
birthday parties as an opportunity to showcase healthy foods for the children
and hope the parents will get some ideas for their parties,” she says.
Helping children navigate the social waters is also something parents can prepare
for in advance. Wilson roleplays with her children before a big event, practicing
a simple, polite “No, thank you” for situations where a child may
have to refuse something that’s offered.
She advocates helping children
learn to recognize how foods make them feel. “Teach them to pay close
attention to the ups and downs of sugar consumption, the heaviness after eating
meat or dairy products, or the irritation and headaches that may come with
consuming artificial colors and empty calorie snacks,” says Wilson, who
is also editor of VegetarianBaby.com and co-founder of VegetarianTeen.com. “(Co-editor)
Lucy (Watkins) is careful to point out these physical changes and feelings
to her daughters so they can predict how foods will make them feel and make
wiser choices.”
Sticky family situations
And just when you thought you had everything worked out, along
come old-fashioned grandparents or a stubborn sister-in-law. “The problem becomes trusting
relatives to respect your family’s diet,” Adams says. “Suddenly,
your parents are screaming ‘child abuse’ because you are not
feeding your children meat. What should you do?”
In her book Living Among Meat Eaters, Adams suggests giving family members
educational material on vegetarianism to read before discussing the issue.
If they won’t read it, she says, the issue is not really about nutrition
but about control. “Know your bottom line,” she advises. “Betrayal
by your parents is not acceptable. Let them understand very clearly, ‘I
love you, Mom and Dad. But you must respect my decisions on this. If you cannot
respect my decision, you are telling me that I can’t trust you.’ This
may feel very tough, but often it succeeds in communicating your bottom line
and from there negotiating something acceptable to you and your parents.”
In situations where your child will be eating with others, Adams suggest reviewing
acceptable and unacceptable foods beforehand with a responsible adult. “Once
the child is 5 or so, they know how to reject meat,” she adds. “By
the time they are 9 or so, they can negotiate even the esoteric issues of chicken
stock in gravy, etc.”
A light approach and plenty of tact helps keep the peace at holidays and other
special occasions. “For holidays and family celebrations, I usually serve
or bring the main dish, such as a ‘tofu turkey,’” Ashmore
says. “This past Thanksgiving was a problem, however, when one of our
daughters was offended by the real turkey on the table next to the tofu turkey.
It was difficult for her understand why some people choose to eat animals.
We try to promote respect and tolerance for other’s people’s choices,
even if they are different from our own.”
“Keep it simple, to the point and avoid getting dragged into a debate at
the holiday dinner table,” advises Wilson. “Such tried-and-true methods
of ignoring snide comments, changing the subject and repetition (just keep
saying no) often help to get past those difficult moments. I do believe that
the holidays are the time to focus on positives: family, togetherness, support
and acceptance.”
More about vegetarianism
The Vegetarian Resource Group www.vrg.org
Vegetarian Baby & Child Magazine www.vegetarianbaby.com
The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine www.pcrm.org
Healthy school lunches
CHOICE (Citizens for Healthy Options In Children’s Education)
www.choiceusa.net
Project Healthy Beginnings www.projecthealthybeginnings.com
© Lisa Poisso; first appeared
at Dallas Child magazine.
Lisa Poisso has performed in ballet
and musical theatre, edited magazines, slogged through the world
of corporate communications and run a home-based writing and editing
business while raising a family. A passionate advocate for attachment
parenting and natural family living, she is the founder and publisher
of APConnect!,
Dallas/Fort Worth’s online resource for AP and natural parenting.
She writes for publications and edits for authors specializing
in the natural family, attachment parenting, vegetarian and parenting
fields.
