Vegan Parenting

ive been veg for 6 years and vegan for 9 after that, and that will never change. i enjoyed this piece and it gave me hope for the future when i do have children. i taught kindergarten and was appalled by the disgusting pizza, ice cream, and tater tot meal that was offered every day. that is NOT a decent meal. my husband and i look forward to feeding our as of yet unborn children food that will be good for them and not detrimental, but with taste- we are not crazy hippies, we are otherwise fairly conservative in our ways despite our veganism!

I see nothing wrong with vegan parenting but I definitley hate the assumption that non-vegans with children are raising their children without "intention" and "purpose."
That's like me saying I will raise my children much better because they're going to have two mothers.
One type of parenting does not work for all children.
I am not knocking vegan parenting at all but I feel like the vegan parents in this pod were very arrogant and felt like they just OWNED the copyright to good parenting.

I caught the last 2 minutes of this vegan parenting piece on TV yesterday whan I was channel surfing (125, Salt Lake City, Comcast Cable). I have the TV guide feature with my cable package that tells you what shows are on & when and gives descriptions of each show. Unfortunately for Current, all it ever says is "Current Programming" and never tells you what the show you are watching is and gives no information about the shows that are being aired. So, I checked out the website to see if this story was available and it was!

Thanks for making this piece-it was really great! I have been vegan since 1995 (and was veg since 1986 before that), so seeing positive vegan promotion is a step in the right direction. It used to be that I would always be ridiculed for being vegan and standing up for something I believe in, but now that more people know what it is and it is going more mainstream, people now congratulate me for being vegan. A lot of them will say they could never do it, but they admire me for my convictions.

I had someone tell me the other day that they used to be vegan, but went back to the old ways and didn't feel as good when they stopped being vegan. So now they want to be vegan again. I think it is easier to be vegan now than it was almost 11 years ago when I became a vegan. With the advances in food technology and restaurants realizing people want more healthy choices, there are so many more options out there. Salt Lake City has 3 exclusively vegan restaurants and many restaurants with vegan and vegetarian options. We have a 4th vegan restaurant opening soon (a vegan diner). Some restaurants that you wouldn't think have any vegan options at all will surprise you. My husband and I decided to try a new place, and looked over the menu, and it was almost all exclusively meat, but we asked the hostess and she talked to the chef and he made something just for me that wasn't even on the menu. Everyone in the restaurant looked at my plate in envy and wished they ordered what I got.(It was a platter (literally!) of 5 or 6 different kinds of gourmet mushrooms, roasted potatoes, mashed vegan potatoes, seasonal vegetables seasoned with fresh herbs and a side of exotic greens (not sure what they were). That restaurant didn't ever get a lot of business, so they closed their doors, but I will never forget the chef who went out of his way to please a customer by offering something that wasn't mainstream.

J
SLC, UT

Great Pod! Love these child-rearing pieces, as a father of three.

Check out our latest family pod, "Flying Baby."

Keep up the good work and congrats on getting aired.

SL, GO Pictures

This is very well done. We are raising our daughter veg. She is 18 months and has only been sick once. She is so happy and healthy and smart.

I really like this piece. This is how people are going to change the world one day. Starting your kids out at being vegan and veg at birth is one way that they might stick with it and pursue it throughot life. Once again, amazing piece.

Yes, it is healthy :)
GL!

Is it healthy? GL anyway :)

great piece...greenlight. I think this definitely needs to be on TV..... I feel sorry for these kids when they go to a friend's birthday and can't eat cake though. seems like they might be missing out on their childhood a bit because of how they're raised. They can't always be carrying around a piece of vegan cake with them so they can also take part in the festivities. then again, if they only have vegan friends, that won't matter much, will it.

I really enjoyed this clip. There is no disputing the benefits of teaching these principles to children. Props to the parents! My greenlight...

VERY NICE WORK! I like this because it is not something you normally see on TV. There are a lot of books out there, but you don't see a lot of this information in the mainstream media. People in this country have NO idea how bad all the food that we eat is. There are so many myths out there, and your doctor is hardly even educated in nutrition! Vegans and people who do raw food diets, eat organic, etc. are going to live a lot longer than the rest of us! Im not a vegan, but I do try to be healthy.People in my hometown think I'm crazy when I won't eat meat filled with hormones, pesticides, steroids, (who knows what else)! Cheers to MelissaF for addressing this intersting, important issue. I would really like to see this on TV. Greenlight, good luck!!!

This video touches on a point I left out of my recent pod on living foods. Younger people can simply start eating better now to avoid the illness’s that are on the incline in the U.S. Prevention through diet is the “solution” to illness. Pills and drugs cover up the “symptoms” of the mess you’ve made yourself into after years of eating poorly. I think if you are sick you should look into detoxing with living raw foods before the more expensive alternatives.

Individuals have lived long lives on every sort of diet; from raw veggies to cooked veggies to meat. Individuals need to find what foods are right for their blood type, heritage and themselves.

However the “under advertised” vegetables have been proven to benefit “all” humans regardless of the state the vegetables are prepared in …GREEN-light …

I wish you had shown more older children too. My kid is in middle school (public) and has never had trouble with being vegan. Birthday parties, school events, fundraisers, etc., have been NO TROUBLE, and even though there aren't other vegan kids around (though other vegetarians, yes), my child has never had any teasing, misunderstandings, etc. Just raise your kid to know what he or she wants and how to explain it to others. Same with all our values, isn't it?

I think the boy who is screaming at the end is fantastic! Do not take it out!

I think that the girl who was scring should be tacken out!

It's nice to hear the medical facts about stronger bones coming from a plant-based diet, etc. If I am graced to have children of my own, they will be raised vegan for 1) their health, 2) a sustainable earth, and 3) a compassionate co-existence with our brethren creatures.

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! this video. I think it will definately give non vegans more of an understanding of the way us vegans eat and why we do it. When I first went vegan my husband told me I was going to get sick and die if I didn't eat meat. That shows the mentality we are brought up in and this video shows that the total opposite is true. It took some time but he gets it now but we definately need informative videos to be out their and show it is not crazy to be vegan it is the only ethical and healthy way to go!!!

I loved how the ultimate message of the video was so clear, that being a vegan parent is rewarding, easy, and healthy for kids! You did a great job of keeping it fun and concise with soundbites that covered a variety of topics without being too lengthy or didactic. The pace was excellent. This is definitely ready for TV. I liked that there wasn't a specific "angle" because veganism is a lifestyle, not a ritual. In order to cover the breadth of an entire lifestyle using several families without going off on tangents and keeping the video short and engaging is a challenge, and you did a great job.

I love the kid at the end. I think it's one of the best parts! It made me laugh! :)

O.K., I liked the fact that there were multiple families interviewed for this piece....and it was definitely a "real setting" in that one family's home was chaos with toys, books, bags of stuff everywhere--so was their refrigerator...but what is the ultimate message that this film wants to send?? Many of the people commented that it is "easy" to be a vegan mom & that they just worry about what it will be like when their vegan kid goes to school. Well, if it's so easy...tell us what makes it so easy, give your tips & tricks, talk about what you bring to school to make the other kids ooooh and aaaaah. I liked that Dr. Furhman was interviewed--his perspective is go vegan for health reasons--additionally, many parents mentioned that their kids were more healthy than other kids. Is that the central theme? To get this ready for TV there has to be an angle, a pitch and sound bite material. SO sell me on the benefits of being vegan & raising vegan families (well, I already am, BUT most people aren't--they're driving through fast food chains multiple times a day & sending their kids off with Lunchables thinking that "whew, eating is taken care of" YUCK).

Also, the kid at the end screaming about not killing animals & the mom struggling next to him with her active toddler I think would best be left on the cutting room floor.

this piece is DOPE! i've been vegan for six years and i've heard all of the reactions from non-vegans that you cover in this piece. you did an awesome job of putting a human face to the vegan lifestyle for kids and adults...very cool!!! this is very informative for vegans and non-vegans alike.

For those of you who believe what the website PETA Kills says, be informed that they are very close with the food industry. I am sure this has something to do with them not "liking" PETA (see below * )

As for the two who dumped bodies, PETA has stated they are against what they did.

(*)"PETA Kills Animals" is a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the full range of choices that American consumers currently enjoy. In addition to malicious animal-rights activists, we stand up to the "food police," environmental scaremongers, neo-prohibitionists, meddling bureaucrats, and other self-anointed saints who claim to "know what's best" for you.
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The Center for Consumer Freedom is supported by restaurants, food companies and more than 1,000 concerned individuals. From farm to fork, our friends and supporters include businesses, employees and consumers.
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Awsome Awsome film! kodos

Good eye. My post had nothing to do with the contents of this video. Now if you would be so kind as to read further down the page, you'll see that I was talking to CityzenJane.

I don't have a problem with Vegans, I have a problem with PETA manipulating them.

That's funny, Twisted Glen, I didn't see anything mentioned about PETA in this entire video. It seems like an inappropriate and misplaced comment. Did you even watch "Vegan Parenting"?

If you want the practice of euthinazation to cease, (which again, has absolutely nothing to do with this video) maybe you should take your extraneous argument against PETA to the breeders, the pet industry, and those who do not spay or neuter. You could encourage people to adopt more animals. You could help raise money so shelters do not have to euthanize animals. You could even take it to the government and try to get stronger laws enacted preventing the overbreeding and irresponsible purchasing and care of pets. Your true agenda is obvious.

Lastly, welfare is not spelled "well-fare", learn to spell and then make your arguments, otherwise people might not take you seriously.

Great video!

I wish PETA wouldn't kill perfectly healthy dogs and cats while protesting the very same thing.

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The preceeding link is not pretty to look at, but I think it should be seen by any animal lover that blindly supports PETA. I don't have a problem with vegans, and I don't have a problem with animal well-fare. I have a problem with PETA, and their violent and often hypocritical tacticts.

Great Job!!

Really well done.

My only issue is really with PETA based vegans myself. I wish there was information on the OTHER reasons for being a vegan -- resource use and global justice for starters. You can't really address that if its not the reason your parents are vegans - but I get annoyed with vegans who base the whole argument on animal rights - when 30,000 people a day die form malnutrician related disease in the developing world...

(But I understand that's out of scope)

Wonderful job!

This is so inspiring and amazing! I hope I'll be able to raise as well adjusted vegan kids one day. These parents deserve medals for going against the grain in such a carnivorous world!

AWESOME VIDEO!!! I watched it twice and I was smiling from ear to ear the whole time. It is so exciting to see other vegan families who are doing what you're doing and share the same values. I just forwarded it to a bunch of people and posted it on my myspace page! Thanks for making a great short film!

-Jade & Everest

the fact that you stuck with the positive aspects of being vegan makes this video effective. vegans enjoy their food more than anyone i think, and it makes me really happy to see parents that are putting so much care and attention into raising their children. if more parents paid this kind of attention to their children, the country would be a better place by the time they are adults.

This film was very well presented. Very interesting and easy to follow. Great job!

So honest and important...I hope many people get to see this, especially those who are not vegan~

I'm thrilled to see this video. You covered all the bases. One thing I think about is the sugar though. I think sugar is really bad for our heath. If you think about balance, with a vegan diet, sugar is even worse for us. We really need to keep our children away from sugars too and stick to brown rice syrup, agave syrup and some maple syrup (if organic b/c otherwise it's not vegan).
I like how you show that it's possible to have a "normal" family life while eating the healthy diet. I also like how you added a Dr so the animal eating folks can see we're not just a bunch of granola crunching tree hugging hippies (even if we are in our heart). What animal eaters don't realize is they have disassociated with the cruelty they are promoting and consuming. This circulated through their body and consumes them. It's not possible for them to NOT become more hostile. Look at what's become of our society. Ok, I could go on for hours, and preaching to the choir at that..... Thank you and all my best in getting this project out for the general public. I will post on my vegan macrobiotic yahoo group to share with as many as I can! Peace and Love.................

Vegan parenting,
Thank you so very, very much. You have no idea what a blessing it was to us to watch.
We lost custody of our pre-adopted son because people thought vegetarians/vegans neglect their children. Sadly in our area of the country it is still the same.
This film bought tears to my eyes knowing how happy children are growing up vegan. We are giving it another try with the help of friends who are doing a letter writing campaign for us.
Thanks you again and again.
Luv to the families who took the time to go on film.You have educated a lot of people.

Nice job!

So glad you made this film. It makes me even more excited to parent a vegan child someday.

Fantastic job! Please make more films like this.

You mean it's not ok to eat dead animals? Who woulda thought . . .
Excellent video. Maybe the next generation will be healthier and more humane. Now if we can just get someone to make sure there's enough clean air and water for these kids . . .

Very well done!

This is a good subject for revealing the plurality that life really is. Advertising in this country truly has most people believing in only "the most marketable" way to live. After hearing about all the steroids, hormones, pesticides and genetically modified feeds given to animals, I had no problem becoming vegan recently.

I have to say that some of your subjects were speaking too fast for me to understand, and coming in right on top of one another at times. Next time if you are aware of their tempo, I suggest stopping and asking them to speak more slowly. It will flow and still be natural.
One thing I was hoping to see is how to find the latest vegan recipies and foods: online? at the local bookstore? vegan clubs?

Good Job!

This is a fantastic depiction of vegan parenting. Vegan children are not alien species surviving on nuts and berries. Thanks for taking the time to give a much-needed take on this subject.

so inspiring for vegans, like myself, who hope to one day have children and raise them to be compassionate and healthy.

"...alot of our choices are smarter than the kid's that are going to get the Happy Meals everyday." So true! Great bite! Great film!
-Joseph

This is such an incredible film and resource. Everyone should see it. Thanks for doing such a great job!

This is such an incredible film and resource. Everyone should see it. Thanks for doing such a great job!

thank you so much for making this! i hope it gets around and round.
--laurajean.

love it!!!

great stuff, miss fornabaio. i hope to see more of your work.

Great video! I'm raising my baby vegetarian and it's great to hear about other like-minded peeps!

this is great!! and the kids are so funny

I enjoyed the video and found it interesting and very informative.

-josh
from Cincinnati

What a great film!

A really great introduction to a healthy, compassionate way to raise kids... great job!

A NONVIOLENT WORLD IS POSSIBLE!!!!

GREAT vid! :D

I enjoyed the film. It's intelligent and informative. Well done!

this was awesome. the little girl at the end is tops!

Great Film! Very informative! I lpve the little girl at the end! Makes me want to go vegan.

amazing! couldnt ask for a better ending clip .

Wow that was great! thank you for doing such a great topic!

The future overthrowers of the meat industry! Perfect!

this is so wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely love this.