Friday, May 27, 2011

Vegan parents feature #5


     This week hear from Caroline and her big vegan family.
                                                 



1: Name and age of your little person(s) and your family.



 We have 5 children, our eldest son Bj is 18, DJ our eldest daughter is 14, AJ is turning 10, Megan is 4 and Elijah is turning 2 this year.








2: Was your pregnancy vegan?,



no but  we were Vegetarian at that stage. I wish i had been vegan though, as i think i would have been healthier.



 We have been on and off Vegan since we were married but made a total commitment to being vegan for our health and our children's health 2 years ago. We have encountered so much evidence about how a meat eating and dairy eating diet is so bad for your health. The crunch for us becoming totally vegan was listening to Dr T Colin Cambell the guy who wrote The China Study.  We just couldn't give our children dairy  or animal protein laced foods knowing what we knew. Funnily enough the children have never asked for any of those things that we used to have.



 My eldest daughter and i love to shop at organic markets and try new vegetables and fruits. We have just moved down from sunny NSW to Vic, so we are missing the awesome markets up there but are excited about growing our own. 
  We are pretty eco minded and our next project is to be self sufficient. 
  Buying organic and locally is important to me but not always something we can afford or do.  
  Its an attitude you have about life,vegan is more than just eating the right foods and treating animals right. Its how you feel about life and what you value, if you value others and this world we live in it will show and come out in all that you do.
 There is a lot that makes us different from the normal, we homeschool, use cloth nappies, don't immunize and i make and sell cloth pads.  This can be very confronting for other people but don't ever be afraid to stand up for what you believe is right for you and your children.










3: Do you have support from family/friends? If you have made new friends since becoming a vegan parent please add how you met and how helpful it’s been to have like minded friends.


My family is accepting of us becoming vegan as my youngest sister has been vegan for quite sometime. She pathed the way for us. They have seen the positive health change it has had on her. They also see that our children are healthy, happy and in a normal weight range. Friends have also been good about it, some take time to prepare vegan meals for us. But we do get a bit of negative reactions, my husband is the one who stands up and gives them the information when they start having a go at us. He is awesome with the facts and because people dont research they have nothing to say to us. I think because our choices are made on firm decisions with lots of facts that when we meet opposition they back down. I find it crazy that people just accept what the media tells them.



4: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being a vegan parent and how do you handle moments when you might doubt yourself?



 I just asked my husband this question and he things there is nothing hard about being vegan! LOL!  I think its making sure they have enough protein, calcium, iron etc etc. If i feel we haven't had enough of these things i go to the books. I also keep a suppliment handy. I do believe though that if you low in something, say vitamin C then you should just go and eat an orange.





5: What do you consider to be the best thing about been a vegan parent?



That you are giving them the best!  All the food choices that are available are amazing, There is just so much variety. I feel sorry for the people caught up in the "meat and 3 veg" syndrome. Its crazy that they "worry" about vegan children's diets when they are having more variety than 90% of the population.





6: Please add any tips and favourite shopping and eating places that are child and vegan friendly?



We love going to The Vegie Bar in Brunswick st. We mainly eat at home as eating out is expensive with 7 to feed. :) I definately like organic stores, the atmosphere is so different to regular stores, I think growing what you can at home makes a difference, a few herbs etc, there is great satisfaction in growing your own. We also love going to Eastfields an organic shop in Croydon, it always smells so good in there.

7: Do you have any no fail foods for your fussy eater? Or please name some of your child's favourite meals/snacks, if possible please include recipes for other parents to try.



Aj doesnt like nuts at all, so i hide them grounded up in food. but apart from that we make our children eat a good range of things as we believe that they will eventually start liking them. letting them be apart of what you are buying, cooking helps. The eldest three regularly cook the main meal.
Aj just told me that she loves my carob cake.  Its hard to name a favourite we really enjoy food at this house. A quick and easy recipe we like to make is pancakes with vegies in them.

  Vegie pancakes
  Make a basic pancake mix with SR flour and oat or soy milk, blend up vegies such as broccoli, carrot, zuchini, tomato, pumpkin, etc mix it together with pancake batter, salt, massel stock (we use chicken for this one) yeast flakes, onion powder and fry. 
  We stack them on our plate with a little BBQ sauce and vegan mayo. Yummo!
  Carob shakes are always a winner at our house. 
  carob powder, soy milk, banana, dash of flax seed oil. we also sometimes throw in a few blueberries.




8: How have you have adjusted to having children? feel free to describe your style of parenting. because we know it’s not always just about veganism, being a parent is a whole new world. 


Having happy adjusted children i believe involves parents being selfless, giving and giving till it hurts, Loving their children always, loving discipline, good principles that are demonstrated by the parents. we cant seriously expect our children to not do what we are doing ourselves. This is hard when you are grounded in bad habits.


For us having children has made us better people, better communicator with each other and more fun. I totally advocate big families! :)



stuff-about-stuff@hotmail dot com

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Vegan parents feature: #4

This week were have Rachael With a school aged vegan child.


1: Name and age of your little person(s) and your family.

our family consists of me Rachael (vegan 12yrs), Matt (vegan 8yrs) and ocean aged 7yrs who has been vegan since conception.


2: Was your pregnancy vegan?

when Matt and I found out I was pregnant we moved our housebus up to bangalow near Byron bay and picked macadamia nuts until I was 8mnths pregnant. I didn't have any doubts about staying vegan whilst pregnant, my body was telling me that it really appreciated what I was putting into it so I saw no reason to change that. It also helped having a doctor who was open minded when it came to diet.
My iron levels only fell lower than average once and they were still well within the healthy range but my doctor suggested I freeze pineapple chunks and blend them with parsley to make a kind of sorbet and this worked wonderfully.



3: Do you have support from family/friends? If you have made new friends since becoming a vegan parent please add how you met and how helpful it’s been to have like minded friends.

whilst both our families may not 'get' our reasons for being vegan they do try and cater for us and don't give us a hard time for being vegan. They have never questioned our right to bring ocean up on a vegan diet and I think they can see that he is a normal healthy 7yr old who gets sick alot less often than most of his cousins.
We haven't met any other vegan families since having ocean but there are families at oceans steiner school who are vegetarian.


4: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being a vegan parent and how do you handle moments when you might doubt yourself?

I don't know what the hardest thing is about being a vegan parent is. I think the hardest thing about being a conscious parent is interacting with families and people who are less conscious and trying to counteract any negative influence this interaction causes. Even at a Steiner school we have had times when peoples thoughtlessness has caused a bit of a kerfuffle. Oceans teacher decided to reward the kids with some 'natural' lollies from the healthfood shop which contained milk and gelatine. Ocean asked me if we could eat them (which he always does if he is unsure) and was very upset when I told him what was in them. I sat him down and said I totally understood if he would like to eat them and that it was his choice as he was old enough to know what he was choosing to do but he shook his head and made it very clear that wasn't an option so we took him to the healthfood shop and bought him a vegan treat and he was very content.


5: What do you consider to be the best thing about been a vegan parent?

the best thing about being a vegan parent is watching my healthy happy 7yr old be conscious of what he is eating, where it came from, how it was grown and why it is good for him. It is also great to see other kids being brought into awareness of these things through interacting with ocean.


6: Please add any tips and favourite shopping and eating places that are child and vegan friendly?
where we live at present pretty much has zilch opportunities for eating away from home so we have alot of picnics instead. When we travel we try and find places before we leave where we can stop and enjoy some great vegan food. Ocean always wants to stop in Newcastle when we head south so he can have either a funky chunky pie or what he calls a pumpkin pie which is a vegani pie made by Byron bay gourmet pies I think.



7: Do you have any no fail foods for your fussy eater? Or please name some of your child's favourite meals/snacks, if possible please include recipes for other parents to try.

oceans favourite meal is vegan lasagne, closely followed by nutmeat w/ gnocchi both with lashings of nutritional yeast flakes. He also loves any type of nut butter with a vengeance! He has a great appetite and is always willing to try new foods. If he says he doesn't like something after trying it then I respect that and do not make him eat it, Although I will try and introduce it later on as I have found his tastebuds go through phases.

8: How have you have adjusted to having children? feel free to describe your style of parenting. because we know it’s not always just about veganism, being a parent is a whole new world.

I'm not sure Matt and I have adjusted to being parents yet!!!!! I guess we have always tried to respect ocean as a person with his own ideas and feelings rather than just as a child to be steered this way and that. At times when I am exhausted and fed up I wish I didn't care so much and could just give in to the mindless crap that surrounds us but there is always an instinctual part of me that won't let that happen. I think the main thing Matt and I have tried to do is to make sure each decision has been thought about and made consciously instead of out of fear or pressure from other people


If you would like to be apart of vegan parents please email me: stuff-about-stuff@ hotmail dot com

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Feature: Vegan Parents #3


So now we have number 3! This time we here from Simone who has a facebook page Being Vegan .


1: Name and age of your little person(s) and your family.
I'm Simone and I'm a single mum of Connor, 19 months.


2: Was your pregnancy vegan?,
No, I became vegan 6 months after Connor was born. I became vegan because I couldn't eat meat without thinking that what I was eating was alive at some point, and a living, feeling being, with parents or even children. It really upset me as a new mum. I saw dairy as stolen breastmilk from cows and as a breastfeeding mother, this broke my heart. If I ever have another child I will definitely have a vegan pregnancy. I know my diet gives me everything my body needs right now and will be beneficial in pregnancy. As an omnivore, I just ate to live and didn't know where any vitamins, minerals, etc came from. Now I know so much about nutrition, and am nearly a qualified vegan and vegetarian nutrition consultant. 

3: Do you have support from family/friends? If you have made new friends since becoming a vegan parent please add how you met and how helpful it’s been to have like minded friends.
My mum is a vegan, which is great! I have had family members express concern to other family members, who know nothing about nutrition and assume that my diet, and my son's will be lacking in iron. I'm very strong in my opinions so family and friends don't say anything. I live my life confidently and try to be a good role model. I think if you don't believe in what you are doing, nobody else will. I obviously believe what I am doing is the best for our health and that shows to people. I have influenced people in my life to lead a more compassionate lifestyle, and some have even given up animal products. I have met many vegans on Facebook and I consider many of these close, lifelong friends. Its great to have support, because sometimes I feel like the only vegan in the world. Its helpful on those days where I feel like nobody cares about the treatment of animals, and i just speak to them, and I feel better.

4: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being a vegan parent and how do you handle moments when you might doubt yourself?
I think at the moment its easy being a vegan parent, but my son is only 19 months old. I think the hardest thing will be when he gets older and goes to school and birthday parties. I will do my best to raise him vegan, and ultimately let him decide whether that is what he wants to do. I believe I will raise a compassionate boy and he will choose this lifestyle. I don't want him to see it as annoying, because he may rebel and eat animal products.  I will never doubt how healthy a vegan diet is, because I recently had a blood test, and I am 110% perfect and that's as a breastfeeding vegan!



5: What do you consider to be the best thing about been a vegan parent?
I know I'm giving my son the best start! He has a mad diet, full of superfoods, fresh fruit & veggies, wholegrains, and delicious treats. His diet is very alkaline and will benefit so much from being vegan. I also feel good knowing that no animal had to suffer for him to eat a meal.



6: Please add any tips and favourite shopping and eating places that are child and vegan friendly?
I think if you know how to spot an animal ingredient in a product you can easily pick out vegan friendly options wherever you are. There are some good iphone apps available if you don't know all the ingredients. And if you are going to a pizza restaurant for example, just order a vegetarian pizza without cheese. Its so easy eating out, there is always something you can order or change a little. 

7: Do you have any no fail foods for your fussy eater? Or please name some of your child's favourite meals/snacks, if possible please include recipes for other parents to try.
My son loves chocolate smoothies!! They are healthy, but kids will never know hehe! I blend a frozen banana (or tray of ice), non-dairy milk, agave nectar, cacao, vanilla extract and flaxseeds. The flaxseeds give it a texture like crumbled cookies, and tastes awesome!! He also loves soy cheese, soy yoghurt and his favourite dinner is pasta. I fry a can of Sanitarium casserole mince and add it to an organic tomato pasta sauce. I use a gluten free Orgran kids pasta because I think its better on his system. Then I sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top for a cheesy taste and for b12. Here are some yummy kid-friendly recipes:



Not Pigs In Blankets
Ingredients:
Pack of vegan sausages
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
Directions:
1. Wrap sausage in enough puff pastry to cover and press pastry together to seal.
2. Bake for about 15 minutes on 175'C.
3. Serve with mustard and sauce.



Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients:
Zucchini, spiralised
Pasta sauce
Can of vegan mince
Nutritional yeast
Directions:
1. Fry mince.
2. Heat pasta sauce and add mince.
3. Pour over zucchini and sprinkle nutritional yeast on the top.



Honeycomb
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Directions:
-In a large saucepan, heat the golden syrup and sugar together, bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
-Remove pot from heat and add the bicarb soda. Quickly mix it in because the mixture will foam up instantly (Make sure its mixed well or there will be clumps of bicarb in it.) Pour immediately into a cake tin. Leave to set for about 10 minutes
.

8: How have you have adjusted to having children? feel free to describe your style of parenting. because we know it’s not always just about veganism, being a parent is a whole new world.
I've adjusted really well I think. I use to be an out of control teen, but settled down as soon as I became pregnant. But since having my son I have completely changed and became a positive, healthy, calm person. I consider my style to be natural parenting. I breastfeed, co-sleep and I don't believe you can ever spoil a child with love and hugs. I never knew about baby-wearing or cloth nappies, but if I ever have another child I will do these things.


If you would like to be apart of the feature please email me at stuff-about-stuff@hotmail dot com

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Feature: Vegan Parents #2


Welcome to the second vegan parents feature.

The first one proved very popular with over 260 views! That is a lot for my little blog.
This week we will hear from Sarah and her little miss. 


1: Name and age of your little person(s) and your family: I have an almost 2 yr old daughter (approx 20 months), her name is Alison Constable-Kerr, my name is Sarah and Ali's dad's name is Owen. We also have 2 cats (Jack & Pepper), 3 guinea pigs & 1 dog (Toby).




2: Was your pregnancy vegan?, My pregnancy wasn't vegan, not because of any health reasons, but because, I only just went vegan not long before I fell pregnant and didnt know much about it, wasn't familiar with all the foods yet and hadn't gotten myself used to the diet yet, so when I fell pregnant, the cravings got the better of me and the main things i craved were cows milk, cheese and milo, but as i said, i didnt know much about the vegan substitutes back then like I do now.
I became vegan when my daughter was about 3 months old. Mainly because I was breastfeeding and didn't know much about the nutrients I needed, etc, at the time, I was doing my research, so when I knew I could do it, I went vegan.




3: Do you have support from family/friends? If you have made new friends since becoming a vegan parent please add how you met and how helpful it’s been to have like minded friends.
I didn't have any support from friends at the time, and the only people in my family I had support from was my dad (he is vegetarian) and my twin sister (vegan), and my partner who eats meat. Since then I have new friends and they are vegan,vegetarian or just love animals alot and respect who I am. 
My mum absolutely HATED the fact that I was bringing Ali up vegan and told me I was cruel and not giving her a choice, but i always told her-"Mum, forcing a child to eat meat is exactly the same-its not giving them a choice." I have told her that I hate the fact that she brought me up eating meat, I wish I was vegan since birth, so bringing Ali up as a vegan is actually giving her more choice and she wont have any regrets about eating the animals she loves! 
My partners family (Ali's grandparents and cousins, uncles,etc) were the same and it took me ages to be able to trust them alone with Ali because alot of them would make stupid jokes about giving her steak,cheese, etc. But I trust the grandmother now because she has done her research and knows the benefits of a vegan diet and knows it isnt bad at all!
It is so much easier having like-minded friends, it feels great to let out everything you have inside about veganism, why you're vegan,etc that you can't talk about to someone who eats meat. I met these vegan friends when I started attending Animal Liberation meetings.

4: What do you consider to be the hardest thing about being a vegan parent and how do you handle moments when you might doubt yourself?
The hardest thing about being a vegan parent is the fact that we have SO many negative people out there that will be happy to tell us that what we're doing is wrong,some people think a vegan diet will actually kill a baby. (I've been reminded many times of the 2 babies that died from malnutrition which they called a vegan diet)
I panic sometimes because I know its up to me and me only to make sure Ali gets the right amount of nutrients she needs every day, I know I am giving her enough but being a worrying parent, I worry about things like that a lot. But a lot of the reason I get worried about what to cook her, is because I can't cook and don't have imagination when it comes to cooking haha!



5: What do you consider to be the best thing about been a vegan parent?
Knowing that I'm feeding my daughter healthy food! knowing that I'm not putting something in her body that had been slaughtered for her. I feel good when I see Ali pat an animal and know that she doesn't eat them!
I hate seeing parents feeding their children animals that they love to hug and pat, and the fact that these children have NO idea where the food came from is wrong!
I also love the fact that she is on a totally different diet than most kids around her, I love talking about it, I am proud of it and love telling people WHY i chose her to be vegan.
I love when people say how beautiful and healthy looking she is and when I tell them she is vegan their mouths drop to the floor, they do not expect it at all!

6: Please add any tips and favourite shopping and eating places that are child and vegan friendly?
I don't really know which places are child friendly but I know of a few vegan restaurants in newtown including green gourmet. There is a shop in penrith called croc foods that sell vegan food (frozen), and an organic shop on the same street that sells vegan and organic food!
A VERY important thing to remember is-just because your child can't eat animal products it doesnt mean they have less of a choice when it comes to meals-A vegan can make ANY meal that anyone else can have and they arent restricted at all! You can still make cakes, spaghetti, nachos,casseroles,ice cream,anything!
I have actually had ppl that have never liked any cake before-taste one of my vegan cakes and they are shocked and say they love it! they have more and even take some home to let their family try it!

7: Do you have any no fail foods for your fussy eater? Or please name some of your child's favourite meals/snacks, if possible please include recipes for other parents to try.
Ali LOVES avocado, if she doesnt like a meal I have made her, I put some avocado in it and she eats it! one of her fave meals are meals made with cous cous, and her fave snacks are the corn flavoured cruskits spread with avocado. She also loves steamed carrots. I take them out with me for a snack and she eats them all! I usually make up a months worth of food and keep it in containers in the freezer so when its dinner time and we're in a hurry to get things done at that time, i can just take out an already made meal and defrost it, it has made life so much easier for me at dinner time which is always a rush around!




8: How have you have adjusted to having children? feel free to describe your style of parenting. because we know it’s not always just about veganism, being a parent is a whole new world.
I LOVE being a parent, obviously it is very time consuming and I wish I had more times to do a lot more things but no matter what the cons are, its worth it. I don't know how to describe our style of parenting, we are not strict but we still tell her whats wrong and whats right and what she can and cant do and touch, etc. I don't breast feed anymore, I only did the first 4 months since birth and I got mastitis so I stopped, it was way too painful. 





If you would like to be apart of the vegan parents feature please email me:  stuff-about-stuff@hotmail dot com