Kitchen Gadget Vegan
  • Blog
  • Recipes by Gadget
  • My Pantry
  • Nutrition Research and Reading
  • About

The Vegan Child Who Started My Journey

2/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Mom, what do you blog about?"
"Recipes, mostly."
"You should blog that picture you took of me before gymnastics."
"Okay."

This is my first kid.  My only daughter.  The greatest red head to walk the Earth since Lucille Ball.  When I was pregnant with her, I took HypnoBirthing and read Eating Animals and suddenly it all clicked for me that I shouldn't be eating meat- or any animal products.  She asks me all the time, "How did you know I was vegan?"  I try to explain that it was a choice I made and brought her along for, but the truth is that part of me feels like she is the one who was vegan first, and taught me.  She's got one of those personalities that people just feel drawn too.  They tell me she's special, she's an indigo child, she's a fairy.  It's always been this way.  Strangers recognize a magic in her.

Either way, she's always been an ideal candidate for veganism.  She loves fruits and vegetables, is a proponent of justice for animals and humans alike, and has a natural affinity for activism, while maintaining an open heart of acceptance.  
Do kids make fun of her for being different?  
Well, she has fire red hair, tons of freckles, and she's vegan.  Really, the vegan thing is low on the totem of getting made fun of, and quite frankly, if you look at this girl and think she gives a crap about your opinion of her, you are sorely mistaken.  
Is she healthy?
Again, please refer to the first picture.  She's always been very strong, from excelling at tummy time and being advanced in neck strength to doing the monkey bars and gymnastics with ease.  She started swimming as a toddler, and was a strong swimmer by age 3.  She's got some seasonal allergies like her parents, but otherwise is usually the least likely in our home to catch a cold or flu going around.  She's a math whiz and makes friends quickly and easily.  She's fine and exceptional and, yes, healthy.
Picture
What does she like to eat?
One of her quirks is that she gets into very particular routines.  She's my more adventurous eater overall, but given a choice she likes repetition.  So her ideal day is:
  • Oatmeal for breakfast (I cook it with half water, half soy milk, then top with brown sugar and a little Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
  • For lunch she's very much a creature of habit.  Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich (no strawberry, a classmate has an allergy), snap peas, fresh berries (again, not strawberries!), and an almond milk.  Sometimes some carrot or celery sticks too.
  • After school, she's a sweet hound, so fresh fruit is preferred, cookies are her ideal.  
  • Her dinner favorites are tacos and salad or spaghetti, but she is also a big fan of big veggie and bean soups with fresh bread
  • If we are out and about she likes Subway with all the veggies and sweet onion sauce or avocado maki rolls from a sushi place (or a grocery store if we are in a pinch.  If there are people working the sushi counter they are usually happy to make a roll with just avocado for the kids)
  • Her favorite foods are melon, artichokes, asparagus, tacos, Chinese Tofu Stir Fries, miso soup, avocado sushi, oatmeal, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate, and french bread.

What about birthday parties?
Ugh.  Here's where things are getting tough.  My kids have never minded me making and bringing our own slices of cake/cupcakes when we go to a party, but in school it's a bit tougher with cupcakes getting passed around.  Recently she's been saying that she wants to eat the cupcakes/cake at parties.  She's 7.  I don't feel like it's time yet to hand over that decision making, but I also don't want to have a big battle/resentment/sneaking.  So we're struggling with that for now.  We will see.

So that's the girl in the picture.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    I wrote a children's book, How Our Vegan Family Celebrates, to help vegans and vegan allies know how to include vegans in their celebrations and give affirmation to vegan kids who may feel alone.  The book goes through holidays throughout the year and has a section at the back with parent tips!
    ​Order your copy here today!
    Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for even more tips, tricks, and fun!
    See what I'm pinning on Pinterest!
    Check out my YouTube Channel!

      Join mailing list!

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Picture

    Author

    I love cooking and playing in the kitchen with my toys, so let me share that joy with you and your family to bring the FUN back into the kitchen!

    I am: a mom, a wife, a hippy, and a gardening enthusiast.

    I am not: a professional photographer, a nutritionist/doctor, skinny, or an electrician.

    All links to Amazon are affiliate links and help support my blog.

    Categories

    All
    Air Fryer
    Almond Meal
    Apple Sauce
    Aquafaba
    Autoimmune
    Avocado
    Avocado Mousse
    Baby Food
    Banana
    Banana Bread
    Beans
    Blender
    Bloody Mary
    Breakfast
    Broccoli
    Brown Rice
    Carrot Dogs
    Cashew Cheese
    Cashews
    Champion Juicer
    Chips
    Chocolate
    Chocolate Mousse
    Cider
    Cocktail
    Coconut Cream
    Coconut Milk
    Container Gardening
    Cookbook Review
    Cookie Scoop
    Cream Whipper
    Crinkle Cutter
    Crock Pot
    Cucumber
    Cultured Cashew Cheese
    Daiya
    Dandies
    Deviled Potatoes
    DIY
    Easter
    Easter Basket
    Easy Breakfast
    Eggplant
    Endometriosis
    Everything Bagel
    Falafel
    Fermentation
    Finding Vegan Restaurants
    Food Processor
    Fries
    Frozen Yogurt
    Garden
    Garden Gadget
    Garden Tower Project
    George Foreman Grill
    Gingeroo
    Gluten Free
    Gluten-free
    Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes
    Green Apple White Wine Sangria
    Green Beans
    Greens
    Griddle Pan
    Health
    Healthy School Lunch
    Herb Garden
    High Speed Blender
    Hummus
    Ice Cream Cake
    Ice Cream Maker
    Immersion Blender
    Inspiralizer
    Instant Pot
    Jackfruit
    Jackfruit Jerky
    Kale
    Kid-approved
    King Cake
    Kitchenaid Mixer
    La Croix
    La Croixcktail
    Lemon
    Lemon Balm
    Lemon Balmer
    Low-oil
    Lunch
    Lupus
    Mac And Cheese
    Magic Shell
    Maple Syrup
    Mardi Gras
    Mediterranean
    Monday Mixology
    Mother's Day
    Mushrooms
    Nicecream
    Nice Cream
    Oats
    Okra
    Organic Gardening
    Pain
    Pancakes
    Pasta
    Peanut-free Lunch
    Pecans
    Pesto
    Planetbox
    Plant-based
    Popsicle Mold
    Potato Carrot Cheese
    Pressure Cooker
    Quick Meals
    Rainbow
    Rainbow Sherbet
    Ratatouille
    Rice Cooker
    Risotto
    Roasted
    Salad
    Salad Spinner
    Sangria
    Seasonal
    Slow Cooker
    Smoothies
    Soup
    Spiralizer
    Squeeze Station
    Stawberries
    St. Patrick's Day
    Strawberries
    Sushi
    Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
    Sweet Potatoes
    Taco Tuesday
    Takeout Takeout
    TBT
    Tea
    Throwback Thursday
    Thyroid
    Tofu
    Tofu Scramble
    Tofutti Cream Cheese
    Tomatoes
    Tortilla Press
    Turmeric
    Use Your Food Scraps
    Valentines
    Vegan
    Vegan Bacon
    Vegan Brunch
    Vegan Candy
    Vegan Caramel
    Vegan Cheese
    Vegan Chocolates
    Vegan Corned Beef
    Vegan Cream Cheese
    Vegan Easter
    Vegan Ice Cream
    Vegan Indian Food
    Vegan Jerky
    Vegan Kids
    Vegan King Cake
    Vegan Lunch
    Vegan Lunchbox
    Vegan Mac And Cheese
    Vegan Mardi Gras
    Vegan Mayonnaise
    Vegan Mother's Day
    Vegan Omelette
    Vegan Pancakes
    Vegan Pesto
    Vegan Tuna Noodle Casserole
    Vegan Valentines
    Vegan Whipped Cream
    Vegan Yogurt
    Veggie Noodles
    Vitamix
    Whipped Coconut Cream
    White Chocolate
    Yogurt
    Yogurt Pancakes
    Zaatar
    Zucchini

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • Recipes by Gadget
  • My Pantry
  • Nutrition Research and Reading
  • About