Protein sources and family resistance

Hi everyone! I have twin girls, 2.5 yrs. They have always favored fruit but my family INSISTED that I make them eat meat for the protein. So now I'm trying to reverse whatever damage I may have already caused by feeding them hormone pumped meats! :(  I decided Its time to stop listing Dr. Oz and those who religiously follow his advice! Who the heck really need all those vitamins he's telling you to take just to cover up the underlying problems? I want better for my children. I don't want them to suffer from obesity or depression like I did when I was a kid, because I was eating to much hormone feed greasy animal products! Not to mention all the unnatural processed foods! It's no wonder I was overweight, under active, depressed and pimply as a kid knowing what I know about food now I cringe to think of all the gunk I was eating!  So if you have advice on how to get my family to see that this is the right thing for myself and my children, please let me know! So glad I found a better way! :)

Hey Courtney, I put this up here since it seemed more a discussion piece than a comment. If you don't mind. = )

I have some advice that you can consider and see if it's useful.

If you knew me in person, you'd figure out that I value diplomacy and tact to a fault, because I am so sensitive about people taking offense that I am sometimes meek and unable to say things that need to be said. 

It's true what they say about picking your battles, though. And when push comes to shove, you probably know when it's time to pick up the sword (or banana, as it were!)

When it comes to food choices for your kids, that's when you don your armor. Be a polite-at-first-then-growling mama tiger.

Your sword--a banana's not enough I'm afraid--is your education. You are the skilled and superior warrior simply because you know no one needs protein from meat. Now go out there and slay that enemy!

Armed with information and statistics, emerge the victor in this battle.

I'm playing around here but also am not; we all need to be a warrior when we know we have to.

My girls are being raised vegan. No exceptions. They will decide for themselves one day, but mama feeds her little ones vegan all the way. I've had people (in-laws, mainly) try to "insist" I offer them "just a small portion of meat and a large portion of vegetables." As I gaze into their cabinets that have white bread, marshmallows, M&Ms and jars of Marischino cherries and chicken gravy...I see through their delusion-illusion and give it no power.

You have to see past the level of thinking they are stuck at and refuse to leave because eating meat is a justification mainly for taste buds.

Tell them that "meat for protein" was yesterday's news. And it was never news anyway; it was propaganda. The next time they start giving sass, challenge your challengers with a challenge: ask them to deliberately avoid protein consumption for a whole day. Tell them to write everything down and bring it back to you. Because unless they did a water fast, it is unlikely they were even close to succeeding.

Then you ask them where THEIR protein sources got protein from??

Then you remind them them a handful of nuts OR a tablespoon of seeds OR a pound of leafy greens OR a nice quantity of fruit per day has plenty of quality, bio-available protein that the body does not struggle to break down minus the disadvantage of cholesterol, uric acid and carcinogens, and then you shut them down. Like a swift roundhouse kick!

Protein is everywhere. We all need it, so nature took care of that for herbivores and carnivores alike.

When people ask you where to you/your children get your protein/calcium/iron/B-12, answer those questions in an educated manner, skillfully informing them that they have a thing or 2 to learn from it, not the other way around.

Wishing you many blessings on your path, mama!

= )

Tania