Monday, January 08, 2007

My daughter the vegetarian

Fabien and I are meat eaters. We've munched on everything from horse, flying fox to shaggy yak. He's a Frenchman with an adventurous palate, and hey - I have Chinese DNA - the only thing with 4 legs that I don't eat is a table.

Of course we've been blessed with our daughter who absolutely LOVES fruits and vegetables and hates meat. Perhaps she is trying to right the karmic balance of her carnivorous parents.

We have been trying out chicken, beef and various other meats with Sophie which she doesn't seem to be hot about at all. She'll accept beef broth as long as you blend lots of yummy spinach in it. But anything with just greens gets gobbled up pronto. Peas, spinach, green beans are great. Carrots and pumpkin are not so yummy but are acceptable. She can't get enough of apple compote, bananas and pears.

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Just to clarify I am pretty happy to have a herbivorous daughter, but since she doesn't do dairy products and the milk factory will cease operations once mommy goes back to work, my only doubt is whether a vegan diet is okay for my baby brahmin? A quick online search seems to suggest that plants lack vitamin B12.

So what do you guys think? Is it a problem if she hates meat? If it is then how do you think we should introduce meat to her? It's the stuff of parental late night angst...

5 comments:

DC said...

I love this post!

Why should you worry that your little girl is a vegetarian-to-be? Vegetarians lead perfectly healthy lives, if not healthier.

If she doesn't like meat, you should leave her be! It's a blessing!!

DC said...

Sharon - your baby girl is simply gorgeous. I laughed so hard thanks to this post, really (the irony!).

You can get enough B12 from eggs alone. Apparently soy products like tofu, are good too.

I've been a vegetarian for over 10 years and the only thing I really need to worry about is iron. If your baby doesn't like meat, you can give her this:

FLORADIX Herbal Iron Supplement - it's made in Germany and organic. It is pleasant tasting (a bit like juice, really).

Other than that, just give her lots of lentils and nuts (esp. almonds and walnuts).

Another natural supplement is organic barley grass (it' basically a natural multi-vitamin).

I know lots of vegetarian kids (from birth) and they're the healthiest I've seen of all!

I am so impressed that your baby is a little eco-warrior!

Best of luck. :-)

DC said...

Sharon, hi there, sorry but my anti-spam software got to your email before I could reply (!). So this is the only way.

- I think you can get Floradix online. Otherwise, a good health/organic store should stock it. There are two main types - one with honey added. Both are bearable. :-)

- I found your site from "Gina in Italy" site. I was linked to Gina's site via Food Porn Watch. Yeah, I like to torture myself looking at pics of food I can't eat. :-) Oh, but really, I enjoy expat. stories - I was an expat. for years and it's always been a lifestyle I enjoy and even, prefer.

You are very brave to move about with a little baby in tow. Best of luck over there!

PS: You should still consult a doctor in the first couple of years of your baby's vegetarian lifestyle. Some people absorb nutrients/vitamins differently, after all. Supplements are good but should preferably be organic when possible. And, try not to buy US organic products - they don't really have a sound reputation. Germany is pretty good though. Ditto France, Australia, NZ and Switzerland.

Ex Night Queen said...

Hey, I know meat eaters who regard vegetables with disdain.....so I think Sophie is pretty normal. What's wrong with being vegetarian?? The whole of my mum's side is vegetarian - being brahmin and all. Though I eat chicken and fish only, I still prefer vegetables any day. And cooked right, you don't miss out on any flavour. And there are plenty of minerals and nutrients going around - can't go wrong.

mini said...

my cousin's kid was like that as a baby. she ate only fruit and was really picky. now she's all grown up and her meat of choice is hot dogs and pepperoni :P HRMMM