Is it pointless to have my 3yo on a vegan diet if his dad feeds him meat??

[caryj24]

Hello, I am new here... I am a single mom of a 3 year old, I'm vegan but his dad eats meat, meat, meat, and potatoes. I don't ever feed my son meat, but I do give him yogurt, cheese, and other vegetarian but not quite vegan foods. I would rather quit buying him the nonvegan foods, but I know when he is with his dad he'll be eating McDonalds and who knows what else.... Is it pointless to switch him to completely vegan diet when he is with me (which is most of the time)?

[MrsKey]

I don' t think it is pointless at all. Your son is learning when he is with you. And the most important thing he is learning about food from you is that healthy vegan and vegetarian fair is not "gross" or "icky" or "boring".

The fact that his dad will be feeding him such lousy foods as McDonalds (can we even really call that chemical laden rubbish "food"?) is all the more reason to ensure tat when he is with you he eats healthy, whole vegan foods.

Also when he gets a little older he'll notice the difference between what you eat and what his dad eats. That will open up some great teaching moments where you'll be able to explain to your son what the difference is and why there is a difference.

I definitely think there is a point to feed him a vegan diet when he is with you!

[feline01]

I agree with Mrs. Key. Your son is too young now but as he gets older, he'll most likely make the connection of how he feels after he eats a healthy vegan meal versus how he feels after eating rubbish McMurder. As parents, we are instilling our own values in our children but ultimately, its our individual children who are going to decide how they will live their own lives. By raising your son vegan with you, you are instilling the values of compassion and kindess-always worth the effort!

[caryj24]

thanks for the responses!! the hardest part is when he visits his dad and comes home asking for fruit snacks and chicken nuggets... although he does like the soy versions of nuggets and all that. ugh and his dad feeds him "oranges".... which is just orange flavored jello with mandarin oranges in it. drives me nuts. Anyway thanks for the responses, I am going to go for it and phase out his cheese, yogurt, etc.

[Christa]

There is also a vegan version of jello if your son really likes that at dad's. It's called Super Fruits, if I recall correctly. I buy it in a little box at the HFS ocassionally.

[PikkuMyy]

You can also buy premade Horizon fruit gels - they come in packages in the dairy fridge. Orange and Strawberry.


I don't think you should stop either.

Feeding your son veggie food will make him healthier (espe. without all the bad processed stuff that his dad's giving him) and also reduce the harm to animals. It will make it easier to eat with him. And it will allow him to see that there are different ways of eating.

[liblady1]

Absolutely not!

You need to raise your son the healthiest you can, ESPECIALLY if he's going to be eating horribly when he's with his father!

[irthmum]

I was also, until recently, a single mother of a boy (I got remarried this summer). My son is now almost six but his Dad would always feed him McD's, meat lovers pizza, etc. I persisted feeding him wholesome vegan foods, although he would come home and tell me my food was "weird" and "yucky." When my son was about 4 1/2 or 5 he started to notice that meat and milk products made his tummy hurt and he gave them up of his own accord. Since there was nothing his dad could say about that, my son is now a happy vegan! Talk about "out of the mouths of babes!" I really encourage you to persist. Maybe your son will notice the difference in how his body feels and start endorsing your choices. Good luck!