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My 17 year old grandson is a vegetarian, my 16 year old grandson doesn't eat meat but does eat fish. With the 17 year old it is a struggle to keep his protein intake up. he is very slim and if my daughter and son in law (who does most of the cooking0 don't watch his diet very carefully, he quickly loses weight he can ill afford to lose. Ann glos

well done Paul. I DO have a life, so enjoy yours Budgie! Oh and by the way what were you going to report me for? Having an opinion? lol

Yeah Budgie, that is a bit of daft thing to say, yes I know plants are alive, they dont have nerves like animals do, they dont have fear like aniamls do, they dont think like animals do! yes I know cheese will have living organisims on them, single celled ones, with no nerves, no fear, no brain!

Budgie - I feel sorry for you - you definitely have a problem

Hi all! I'm back and staggered at the response to this! On the question of 'brain development' and vegetarianism - - my two children have never eaten meat before or after they were born - both went to University and my son graduated with a First in Computer Science. He was always the at the top in School. My daughter also gained a degree a few years ago. This summer she had a baby - she was fitter than any other mum in her ante-natal group and her baby was a healthy 8lb 9oz when born. Little Daisy is steadily gaining weight purely on breast milk from her veggie Mum! Both have always had 'rude' health and when my daughter was training as a dancer, her teacher always said she had more energy than all the other students! Even some 30 years ago, our elderly doctor told me that 'you don't need meat to be healthy' which was surprising in those days! And when it comes to looking young - as you can tell from this I am no spring chicken, but the other day my French teacher ( younger than me!) told me that she thought I still looked as though I was in my thirties!! I can tell you, it made my day if not year! Like anything else in life, you have to be sensible about things. Cheers to you all Allie x

Parents who bring their children up as vegans could be doing them permanent damage, scientists say. Prof. Lindsay Allen from the University of California said that depriving young children of essential micronutrients available in concentrated form in meat and dairy products was unethical. Professor Allen announced the results of a study of Kenyan children who were given just two extra spoonsful of meat a day for two years. They recorded a marked improvement in muscle development and mental skills. She said that a meat-based diet was better than a vegetarian one but focussed her criticism on vegans. There are 250,000 vegans in Britain. Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement for Science,October 2005, Prof. Allen said 'Animal source foods have some nutrients which are not found anywhere else. There's absolutely no question that its unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegans. The study was of 544 children aged about 7 whose diet was mainly vegetarian with corn and staples. One group was given a daily supplemnent equivalent to 2 ounces of minced meat, two other groups given either milk supplements or oil containing the same amount amount of energy. The diet of the fourth, 'control' group remained unchanged. In terms of cognitive functioning, the group that received the meat supplement showed the biggest improvementin fluid intelligence over the two years of the study and those who had either milk or energy supplements were better than the controls. The group that received the meat supplements were more active in the playground, more talkative and playful and showed more leadership skills. Prof. Allen accepted that adults could avoid animal-based foods if they took the right supplements but said the risks were too great for developing children. len

i became veggie when I kept pigs. I took them into the abatar (Is that spelt right?) and felt f-ing awful. so cramped, skins lying in the yard. And then they told me how they slaughtered them, i cried! I then got a freezer full of pork, and told my parents to do whatever they wanted with it!

i have been veggie for 20yrs now and have never felt fitter. although almost 51yrs most people think that i am in my mid/late thirties as i have so much energy. i am hardly ever ill and enjoy almost all vegetables/quorn dishes. i became a veggie because my dad was a game keeper and him bringing home rabbitts etc that he had shot really used to turn my stomach. he just could not understand me, but in his latter days he ate less and less meat aswell. mum is is veggie as well, my daughter prefers veggie food for health reasons and my son will not eat any vegetables except potatoes! my partner was veggie when we met but now says he needs all his energy to keep up with me (19yrs younger than me!!!!!!!!!!!) he eats fish (he has a fish restaurant) and chicken and an odd time steak. i do not enjoy cooking these for him though. tina x

I'm not particularly vegetarian, but if I was, it would be by default not design. I don't like beef and I have never eaten any sheep meat either. My mother didn't like lamb so never cooked it, and I've never been curious enough to rush out and buy some. In my student days I was almost entirely veggie because I couldn't afford meat. Mostly it was pasta and veg, with a tin of tuna thrown in if I was feeling rich. Have to say, I didn't miss meat at all.

According to the report I saw on human nutrition, as you say whole nations may be vegetarian. It was thought at one time that some races of people genetically had low IQs but when the diet of the children was improved they showed a much higher intelligence than the parents. This certainly applied in India and Africa. Unfortunately in Britain too. Most foodstuffs contain quite high proportions of protein but this nutrient is amazingly complex, consisting of chains of amino acids of which there are approaching 20. Complete protein is found in only a few foodstuffs. len

I know people who are strict Vegans and they've brought their children up the same. No problems. However I dont think its right to judge someone of their parenting skills of the morals and values when it comes to their childrens diets. Like was said, big parts of india are Vegetarian, and they usually dont have problems.

Adding to Len's point earlier, some people that my sister knows of, are strict vegans (no animal products AT ALL, including cheese, eggs, honey etc.) and gave this diet to their 2 young children. Both developed rickets (vitamin D deficieny I think) - the mother was mortified - I can't believe that anyone could do this to children! As Len says, even a veggie diet can be short on some essentials for growing youngsters.

When I was in hospital, a couple of years ago, the chap in the next bed said 'I've got to stop eating potatoes. Chips will be ok, though'. len

Thats a good point! Hindu's are mostly vegetarian, they get on well, and usually have less selection of foods than us.

I have been a vegetarian for about 20 years. The only animal product I eat is cheese. No leather shoes or handbag. Why? Because I have too much imagination. The piece of pork in the supermarket becomes the whole pig in my mind. The process it goes through to become that piece is one that I cannot bear to think about. In the UK it is very easy to be veggie. There are always a few choices in pubs. 20 yrs ago it was veg. lasagna or nothing. I do not eat eggs because of the way the chickens end up. There is a chicken factory near hear and I have heard from several people about the dreadful conditions. Free range hens end up the same way. I love tofu, beans and do eat quorn though its a bit 'processed'. I did smile when my hairdresser told me his son was a veggie, eating chicken and pork. If its the start of thinking about what he eats good for him. Re. carrots, I'm sure they scream when you peel them so do it very quickly. Re. children and brain damage, whole states in India are veggie and seem to get on well. I think its all about choice of food. They have many different varieties of pulses. For anyone who has thought about it, give it a go. For those who hate the idea, no probs.

Paul One can eat a varied diet and still miss out on a complete protein. Undernourished babies or those deficient in certain nutrients, particularly complete protein (most often found in meat or soya), will suffer from poor brain performance/low I.Q.). This too is irreversible after a certain age, thought to be about 8 or 9.. (Human Nutrition Research Dept., London University) If everyone became veggie, it would mean extinction for all farm animals. Would that matter? Len

If it had a pulse it is then it is on the same level as the lamb chop, just a bit more wet.

I kind of understand, but I still see it as a living creature.

Len, thats only if they do not eat a varied diet. Its the same with none veggies, nothing to do with just vegetarians.