Displaced!

“If there’s one indulgence I permit myself, it’s gravy. Poutine is something I simply cannot forgo.” These remarks come from a transitioning vegan.

My daughter, who is just 10, is deciding to forgo meat.

While she identifies as a pescatarian for now, her affection for her five pet fish (each in separate tanks) suggests it won’t be long before she finds it hard to savor a plate of wild salmon.

At her age, I quickly developed a taste for porterhouse steaks; in contrast, she has cultivated a sense of empathy.

Her reasoning echoes that of many who choose vegetarian or vegan diets: a profound sympathy for animals, who, even under the care of the most ethical hunters, meet a terrifying end.

To her, the issue is straightforward—much like my own reaction to a beautifully marbled New York strip fresh from the grill. “I just don’t like the taste, and I feel bad for the animals. Imagine being an animal, knowing you won’t get to live at all. It’s just like, ‘I’m going to die, now.’”

I can’t fault her. She’s inherited her father’s love for animals. While her compassion has blossomed into decisive action, my own feelings have remained a bit more ambiguous.

Her dietary journey has prompted me to reassess my own eating patterns. It has also caused that strange sensation of feeling like I’m the last person to discover a secret. It appears vegetarians and vegans are everywhere, while I seem to be stuck with my Herefords.

My teenage neighbor Oliver identifies as a “strict vegetarian, primarily vegan.” He notes he turned to veganism “for environmental and political reasons. It’s essentially a defiance against the environmentally harmful factory farming system.”

Yikes. I don’t feel personally attacked, though this weekend I suspect I’ll be burying my meat freezer under the garden shed, accessible only via a secret door hidden under the tomato plants.

My daughter’s interest in altering her diet has instilled in me a sense of unease. I have often written about eating disorders, teen peer pressure, and issues surrounding body image. These challenges can be incredibly damaging, particularly for young women.

Is my daughter’s new dietary choice a cause for concern? Do I possess the knowledge to guide a 10-year-old, and eventually a teenager, through the complexities of vegetarianism and veganism?

I sought some unbiased counsel for my aspiring vegan.

Kim Arrey, a registered dietitian and author, suggests that there is a wealth of resources available for parents and children interested in alternative dietary options.

One of the authors she recommends is Vesanto Melina, who is the lead author of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ position paper on vegetarian diets. Melina has authored several books, including Raising Vegetarian Children (McGraw-Hill Education, 2002).

I can easily envision my daughter at the dining table—her spoon deeply immersed in her homemade bean and apple salad—reciting the advantages of veganism, thanks to passages from the book I suggested she read.

The hunter has now become the hunted.