Three Reasons to Raise Plant-Based Kids You May Not Have Considered
My daughter Leilanoor recently turned six months old and with that threshold came the rite of passage of eating solids. I’ve had my own rite of passage during this time – my first crisis of conscience about a parenting decision. What should she be eating? What should she be avoiding?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with the well-known reasons people choose to eat a diet free of meat or animal products – health factors, environmental concerns, in defense of animal welfare, on behalf of slaughterhouse workers, or some combination of all of the above – and it might be a no-brainer for you to raise your children accordingly. For me, it’s a situation fraught with dissonance; I’m not a vegan or even a vegetarian, personally. But– and obviously I’m far from being the first parent to have naive hopes that their kid will grow up to be a better, more principled version of themselves – it feels natural for me to wonder, should meat be part of her diet? Will she live a healthier and happier life without it? (Note: I’m not a nutrition expert and this is not intended to be medical or nutritional advice. Please consult your child’s pediatrician before giving your baby an exclusively plant-based diet.)
These questions made me want to learn more about what motivates parents to choose – and pursue – a plant-based diet for their children. I specifically wanted to know why they made this choice with babies and young toddlers in mind. Here are three of the most compelling motives I discovered while talking to parents who are doing just that: