School Lunch

[AnjiB]

Does anyone have a problem with schools thinking that you are not feeding your child properly, since you dont include meat in the lunch? My son is allergic to milk as well, so I stay away from that. The school frowns:confused: on my decision to only send him with juice. Any suggestions or ideas?

[Erin Pavlina]

I'm surprised they are so concerned about you not sending him with milk. So many kids are lactose intolerant. Make sure you reassure them that your child is getting adequate calcium. There was a school here in Los Angeles that reported two of their kids to Social Services because the parents had them on vegan diets. It was awful for them!! You don't want your son's school officials "taking matters into their own hands" so to speak.

When you say the school frowns on your decision, how exactly did they convey that to you? Verbally, in writing, etc?

[AnjiB]

They showed thier disapproval by the looks on thier faces, and by continuing to give him milk. Even though I got a letter from the doctor, they still gave him milk for the longest time. I explained what milk does to him, but they still didnt see the connection between him having a runny nose, fever, and flu like symptoms as a connection to the milk. They did seem a little relieved when I would send soy milk with him from time to time. But the idea of him not having milk with breakfast and lunch seemed to floor them.

[Erin Pavlina]

Wow, even with a doctor's note they still gave you guys grief. I'm shocked. How old is your son? Is he able to say anything to these people when they give him milk?

[5xblessed]

Wow, I'm really surprised they even noticed what he takes in his lunch. My kids usually take water and no one has ever questioned it. The only thing I've ever gotten was offers for free lunch because they assumed if I didn't buy their lunch it meant I couldn't afford it and not that I just wouldn't want my kids to eat that stuff.
Lisa

[Kristin]

I'm a teen veggie and I had some problems with my school and lunch too. I would pack a large peanut butter & banana sandwich on whole wheat bread, a grannysmith apple, and a snack size carton of calcium fortified juice. I would still get comments from students and teachers that were "concerned" about my nutritional status when they themselves were eating a bag of fritos and a supersize mountain dew for lunch. I pointed this out to certain rude people and they looked at me like I was crazy. I guess some people can't tell the difference between real and fake food anymore.

[AnjiB]

My son is 3 years old and does try his best to tell them that he cant have milk, cheese, etc., but they tell him that he needs to eat all of his food.

I think, that they too are "concerned" for his well fair, yet they are making him sick.

I hate to hear that even as a teen that you run into this mindset, but I am not surprised. When I stopped eating meat, a lot of people would call to "check on me" to make sure I was still doign alright. Yet they were the ones always gettign sick.

Today is the first day of our new plan of sending him to school with his lunch. I made a really big deal out of it by letting him pick out his lunch box and all.:cool:

[infinity]

I don't know how the schools can say anything to you in judgement of your childs diet when all they offer our children is junk!!! Everything is full of fat, salt, artificial everything, etc.

[AnjiB]

I agree with you. Since I have been sending him to shcool with lunch, he has not gotten sick. I dont know if they have put two-and-two together yet!:D

[vegma]

There's a great article over on Mothering.com this week about feeding toddlers in their new "Ask an Expert" section. The expert really downplays meat and dairy - in fact, she says neither is needed in a healthy diet! (Like we didn't already know this, but its always nice to see an "expert" put it in writing!)

[veganerd]

my daughter is nearly 5 and she goes to a montissori they are really awesome abour her being vegan since she is not the first vegan child at the school. she packs her lunch everyday and we have never had a problem. the school keeps a carton of silk for her to drink whenever she wants! i dont see why other schools cant be the same way. people are just kinda dumb i guess

[duckie1978]

Erin (or anyone in LA area)

Do you know if there was anything in the newspapers or something in print about the students who were reported to Social Services because they were from a vegan home? Do you remember what year it happened? I tried looking in the LA Times website but didn't come up with anything. I'd like to use it in a paper I am writing. Thanks.

[Christa]

Duckie 1978,

This may not be what you are looking for, but you can check the following web addresses for info on vegan families who were charged with child abuse - In most of these instances these families were following really bizarre diets where there children were being fed nuts instead of breast milk, or nothing but raw fruit, so I wouldn't really call them your average vegans. It does give us all a bad name b/c it makes us sound like we are starving our children. In some of these instances, the babies died. Anyway, if it is any help for your paper here they are:

"Vegan Child Abuse":

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/child-abuse.html

"Vegetarians face child abuse charges":

http://vegsource.com/campbell/messages/4535.html

Good luck!

[Erin Pavlina]

I remember the two cases at the McBride school (where I was actually a substitute teacher for a short while).

in one case the child was a foster child being raised vegan. That couple lost their child back into the system, just for being vegan.

The second couple got their child back after a long 6 month court battle.

I would contact the PCRM since I believe they were involved in helping the families in the case. www.pcrm.org.

And it was probably in the early to mid 90's. Not sure of the year myself.

[Christa]

For some reason that first web address doesn't seem to be working, but I did just see it on second-opinions.co.uk, so maybe you could just search the site if you want to find it. Second opions is in favor of a low carb diet, so they obviously do not support veganism.

[duckie1978]

Hey thanks for the help!