Parents are guilty of it. Restaurant owners are guilty of it. Even school dinner ladies are guilty of it. The crime? Ignoring children who are vegetarian.
| Vegetarians have to sneak out at lunch-time to get proper veggie food. |
From lack of choice at school and in restaurants to problems at domestic meal times, young vegetarians fight a constant battle to avoid eating meat.
In a round-table discussion involving children aged nine to 16, a Children's Express panel discussed the many problems facing the would-be vegetarian child.
Typical complaints included having to pay more for vegetarian food, and the fact that many restaurants don't have vegetarian options on the children's menu.
I don't usually eat out a lot, said 13-year-old Selina If I do, then I have to be prepared to spend quite a lot of money, wherever I go. This does cause problems, because my best friend feels really strongly about eating meat, but she has to eat it She simply can't afford to be vegetarian because it's so expensive. There's nothing she can do about it. They're just trying to sell the product for the most money they can get for it.
School dinners, traditionally the butt of children's jokes, came in for particular criticism from young vegetarians. 17-year-old Delwar said, You can get all kinds of fast food at school but there isn't really a lot of good catering for veggies. Basically you get what you're given.
13-year-old Vicky revealed that in her school, Vegetarians have to sneak out at lunch-time to get proper veggie food. I was on the youth council and tried to change the menu, but all the teachers eat meat so they don't do anything about it.
Accommodating child vegetarians into the family meal-time often leads to further problems. 11-year-old Douglas, a vegetarian for four years, described the typical evening meal in his house: Because my sister is vegetarian as well, my mum makes a meal for us, and then another one for herself and my dad who both eat meat. My mum's used to it by now, and doesn't put meat in anything I'm going to eat.
Others aren't so lucky. Selina 12, remembers one 'accident well: My mum put meat in the gravy once, and I can't describe the taste. Its just so disgusting when you've been off it that long. I had to run to the toilet to be sick.
Despite what parents may initially think, choosing to be vegetarian usually has more to do with ethics than 'fashion'. Children are prepared to endure the pitfalls of the lifestyle because they believe that they're doing the right thing.
Being a vegetarian means a lot to me, explained Delwar. I watched a video, saw the way that animals were treated, and then I read a let about it I became a veggie purely because of the way that animals me treated.
Selina also shunned meat after watching a video, and said, I wouldnt be a vegetarian because someone told me to do it. I'm doing it because I want to. I have seen people become vegetarian to try and look good, but they never keep it up for very long.
Parents don't always make things easier. Mothers and fathers are already concerned with the vitamin intake of their offspring but those with vegetarian children can become obsessed. However, those children mature enough to choose to be vegetarian also appear to know the importance of a balanced diet.
My mums a bit worried about how much energy I'm getting because Im young and l play a lot of sport, said Selina. When I first became vegetarian, I got tired more quickly, but now it's just natural. I think you can get enough out of vegetables if not more. I never go without the right amount of iron and things like that. And if you don't feel that you're having enough you can always get vitamin pills.
Despite the extra expense, the problems at meal times and the inconvenience of the lifestyle, young vegetarians are most concerned about being pre-judged because of their dietary views. Sniggers, sneers and soapbox sermons were all common reactions to the phrase, Im a vegetarian.
Said Selina: If you want to eat meat then I respect your decision because that's how you want to live. I just want you to respect me too because being a vegetarian is how I want to live.
I don't want to stop anybody eating meat, concluded Douglas. It would be better if everyone did stop eating meat, but l don't think its going to happen for a while.
About the team
Report by editors Daniel Blackwood; l5, Jack Stevens, 16, Donna Carr, 16, Delwar Hussain, 17, Senab Adekunle, l4, and Selina Gibson, 14, and reporter Douglas McKay,11. It was published in Cyren magazine.
