The vegetarian child leaves home

[rainforests1]

When a person leaves home when reaching adulthood, they will make their own decisions whether to eat meat. Even if they were raised vegan, they may decide to switch diets. Based on your own experience or those of people you know, do vegetarians remain vegetarian after moving out, or not?

 

[Calliegirl]

My daughter was raised vegetarian from birth. While in elementary school she was curious about meat and wanted to taste it in the cafeteria. I told her that was her choice to make. She tried it and didn't like it. As an adult she sampled a piece of chicken from a restaurant she was working in, and again thought it was disgusting. Now she's becoming a vegan and has already given up dairy milk and is working on cheese, all without any influence from me.

 

[Amy SF]

I like to think that children who were raised on a vegetarian or vegan diet and who subsequently decide to become omni will still base their diets on the healthy aspect of the veg*an diet they were raised on. In other words, instead of rushing out to consume mass quantities of greasy burgers and fries and sodas the minute they leave home, they choose a "healthy" omni diet, with plenty of veggies, fruits and grains and other whole foods and a minimum of animal flesh in the diet. Maybe skinless chicken in a salad, baked fish for dinner, that kind of thing. That's what I think. I don't know that for a fact.

 

[Forster]

My daughter was raised vegetarian from birth. While in elementary school she was curious about meat and wanted to taste it in the cafeteria. I told her that was her choice to make. She tried it and didn't like it. As an adult she sampled a piece of chicken from a restaurant she was working in, and again thought it was disgusting. Now she's becoming a vegan and has already given up dairy milk and is working on cheese, all without any influence from me.

IMO the key to good parenting, within reasonable limits of course.

 

[Mischief]

The only person I've known raised in a vegetarian household did not remain vegetarian. In fact, he now hunts and fishes also.

 

[thefadedone]

The only person I've known raised in a vegetarian household did not remain vegetarian. In fact, he now hunts and fishes also.

This blows my mind. I'm assuming that he was raised vegetarian just for the health aspect and not any ethical ones?
I know the human body is a very complex, individual thing , yet I am still always in shock when I hear about a lifelong vegetarian consuming flesh and not getting sick.

 

[Mischief]

This blows my mind. I'm assuming that he was raised vegetarian just for the health aspect and not any ethical ones?
I know the human body is a very complex, individual thing , yet I am still always in shock when I hear about a lifelong vegetarian consuming flesh and not getting sick.

No, ethical reasons. He's my nephew.

 

[ledboots]

This blows my mind. I'm assuming that he was raised vegetarian just for the health aspect and not any ethical ones?
I know the human body is a very complex, individual thing , yet I am still always in shock when I hear about a lifelong vegetarian consuming flesh and not getting sick.

The human body is pretty adaptable.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the young man becomes a vegetarian again after a few years.

 

[Mischief]

The human body is pretty adaptable.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the young man becomes a vegetarian again after a few years.

I would. He's been eating meat and hunting and fishing for nearly two decades now. He's also very politically conservative, in a family in which the prior two generations never voted for a Republican for President.

It happens. Kids from religious families grow up to be atheists and vice versa, conservatives have liberal kids and vice versa. I think that both upbringing and how the brain is wired have something to do with many of these worldview issues, and that the brain wiring plays a more important role than most people think.

 

[rainforests1]

The only person I've known raised in a vegetarian household did not remain vegetarian. In fact, he now hunts and fishes also.

Does he also promote factory farms? Some hunters think they're doing some good for animals.

 

[peacefulveglady]

Does he also promote factory farms? Some hunters think they're doing some good for animals.

I think hunting is a different aspect then factory farming, some hunters does it for a sport and some hunters does it for feeding families, there are special areas and dates to hunt and there are guidelines, I am not saying to support hunting just that factory farming is more of our problem.

 

[hungryraccoon]

My boyfriend was raised vegetarian along with his siblings. They now all eat meat. :'( very disappointing. However they definitely eat less meat than the average person, having many of their meals still vegetarian.

Just to clarify, they are the only vegetarians I have ever known/met...& they're not even vegetarian anymore.

 

[Amy SF]

I think hunting is a different aspect then factory farming, some hunters does it for a sport and some hunters does it for feeding families, there are special areas and dates to hunt and there are guidelines, I am not saying to support hunting just that factory farming is more of our problem.

I've seen on the TV show Extreme Couponers, in order to keep to a tight shopping budget when there's very little money, some families (or the father and/or mother therein) will hunt and keep the animals for meat. As much as I hate hunting, at least they're not doing it just for sport. But it begs the question: If they could afford to buy meat in the supermarket, would they still go hunting for sport?

ETA: I've also read that during the second World War, meat was so strictly rationed that many families ate very little of it, or even went without meat completely until after the war. It was likely something that was considered a patriotic move for the war effort. It makes me wonder, if families then could do that, why can't families on a tight budget do that now? The answer, of course, is that these people are 21st century American omnis and giving up meat is inconceivable to them. Even if they can barely afford it.

 

[peacefulveglady]

I've seen on the TV show Extreme Couponers, in order to keep to a tight shopping budget when there's very little money, some families (or the father and/or mother therein) will hunt and keep the animals for meat. As much as I hate hunting, at least they're not doing it just for sport. But it begs the question: If they could afford to buy meat in the supermarket, would they still go hunting for sport?

ETA: I've also read that during the second World War, meat was so strictly rationed that many families ate very little of it, or even went without meat completely until after the war. It was likely something that was considered a patriotic move for the war effort. It makes me wonder, if families then could do that, why can't families on a tight budget do that now? The answer, of course, is that these people are 21st century American omnis and giving up meat is inconceivable to them. Even if they can barely afford it.

Yes I feel like that also like the Little House on the Prarie days they had little to no meat to eat but when they do the father or husband or the man of the house would go hunt for their food and come back and that lasted for days.
I know my pastor that hunts he does sport and to feed his family but he only does it a few times a month and is very careful about.
I think its pride really that is why they would not give up meats and that is why we have a mess of factory farming. I have said this for a few years now that the meat does taste different then even 20 years ago, its not really healthy taste either .

 

[Mischief]

Does he also promote factory farms? Some hunters think they're doing some good for animals.

He buys supermarket meat and eats fast food. He really doesn't care. He hunts because he enjoys hunting - he even hunts doves, and there's not enough flesh on one to make a meal. He does eat the animals he kills, for what it's worth - he doesn't trophy hunt.

He's not alone in that. I have met more ex vegetarian hunters than I have met (IRL) people who were still vegetarian at the time we met, and I've met a whole lot more former vegetarians than I have met practicing vegetarians.

Based on my experience, there are very few people with respect to whom I am confident that they will be vegetarian for life.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I'll be vegetarian for life. I'm fairly confidant my brother will be, too.

 

[ledboots]

Well our story is a little different. My son, now 20, at a young age became vegetarian, and my husband and I joined in. We became vegans a couple of years later. My older child, 24 now, eats omni when out but vegan food at home. I am confident my son will be a vegan his whole life, and my husband too. They really can't conceive of eating meat, dairy, or eggs any more than they would eat a piece of paper. My daughter, sigh, but compared to other omnis she eats far less meat, and is lactose intolerant so dairy is out.

 

[Calliegirl]

Maybe my daughter stayed veg*n because I exposed her to animals pretty young. I took her to petting zoos/rescues, and she volunteered at one when she was a teenager.

 

[thefadedone]

I have said this for a few years now that the meat does taste different then even 20 years ago, its not really healthy taste either .

 

[Wolfie]

The only person I've known raised in a vegetarian household did not remain vegetarian. In fact, he now hunts and fishes also.

Same here. I only know 1 person raised veg and he's about as anti-veg now as one can get.