Mama's Girl

My grandfather (my father's father) ate pasta with marinara sauce every night for the last couple decades of his life. I inherited his love for it. Given the choice, I'd eat spaghetti nearly every day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever! Anytime is fine.

Nora has decided that it's near the top of her list, too. We suspect a possible wheat allergy, because Robert had one as a child and because after her first wheat last week she developed red cheeks and a rash. More to come on that when we have more info, but in the meantime she's enjoying quinoa-corn pasta. A bit pricy, but what can you do? I dust it with rice cereal to make it a little easier to pick up. She gobbles it down every time!

Tip: When I used part of a jar of organic spaghetti sauce to make pizza for Robert and myself over the weekend, I froze the remainder in my baby ice cube tray and now have a bag of baby-size pasta sauce portions, ready to heat and serve.

Definitions

What does being vegetarian mean to me? Twelve years ago, I stopped eating all meat, including beef, chicken, and pork. I had never liked eggs very much, so I avoided those most of the time. I also eliminated any products made with meat, including broths and soup stocks.

Mid-way through college, a kid I was babysitting for saw me eating Lucky Charms at his house and asked, "Why are you eating marshmallows if you are vegetarian? Don't you know they have gelatin?" I hadn't known that gelatin was an animal product! After a call to the Jell-o company, in which they tried to assure me that despite being made from animals, their gelatin was still kosher, I sadly stopped eating Lucky Charms (and any other foods made with gelatin).

When I was about 23, PETA sent me information about the process of making milk from cows. I was disgusted, and stopped drinking it. I continued to eat some other forms of dairy, though, including cheese and ice cream. Part of me would like to go all the way and become vegan, but in general I do enjoy eating some dairy.

About that same time, I started eating a little bit of fish. Today I average 2 fish meals per month. So I know I'm not a complete vegetarian, but I still think of myself as one.

Introductions

I've been vegetarian since the age of 18. At the time, it seemed like a solid way to do some good in the world. As I went through college and early adulthood, I learned more about factory farming, environmental degradation, animal welfare, health, and nutrition, and felt even happier about my decision. At a certain point, I realized that I wouldn't be able to feed meat to my own children. My husband agreed that we could raise them vegetarian, at least until they are old enough to make their own decisions about such things.
As we moved closer to starting our family, and the topic of vegetarian children came up on occasion with family and friends, I started hearing the same questions over and over. "How will you be sure they get enough protein?" "What will you do if they want to eat meat?" "Don't you think you should allow them to make their own choices?" The questions bugged me, just as I am sure that critical questions bug most parents (or future parents).
I started trying to find information about vegetarian families on the internet, and discovered that it's not so easy. What I was looking for was true stories of real people -- not how-to manuals or heated debates. So, the idea for this blog was born. Long before I became pregnant, I decided I would want to share the experiences of vegetarian motherhood with any others who are interested. I hope this site is helpful for anyone who is looking for information about raising a vegetarian family.