<p>I have the same approach that you do, Hugcheck. I have talked to S2 about going to the local farmers’ market, and he is very interested in doing so. He is very consistent about his concerns for animal welfare, based on the information he has. When he is inconsistent because of lack of information, I donot inform him, because I don’t want to take any more foods off our table - I hope to God he doesn’t hear about fish feeling pain.</p>
<p>His feelings for animals run deep. His face is full of pain when he hears distressing news - for example, NYC plans widespread extermination of geese. He is developing a moral code, and I have to support him in this, even though it makes life more difficult for me. It is hard for him not to eat meat, which he loves, and now he is avoiding baked goods with eggs. We’ve told him that he has to open up his diet if he is going to be a vegetarian, and he has done so.</p>
<p>I follow quite a few sites - I’m not a vegan or vegetarian but I do like to eat meatless sometimes. Through my browsing, I have discovered quinoa - a high protein grain - and other interesting foods. </p>
<p>Maybe you could ask him to find good vegetarian recipes and cook for the family once per week? We used to do that years ago to give my son exposure to cooking (when he was about 15).</p>
<p>Yes there is a slippery slope; it is what I brought up back in post 3, and I gave a couple of examples.
The Op’s S declines eggs and meat but not for taste; not for his health reasons as some do, but for ethical reasons.</p>
<p>My local farmer’s market offers eggs from chickens that run around living normal chicken lives. They even have pictures of the farm – the eggs are a sideline to their vegetable business. Those are the ones I buy.</p>
<p>There are also eggs in my supermarket that are cage-free, humanely raised eggs. You should look at the brand names, then look up the companies on the web and see what their practices and certifications are. The Humane Society offers a seal to farms that use best animal welfare practices. I am ethically more comfortable with meat from a humane farm than eggs/milk from some of the providers out there.</p>
<p>I love getting produce from my local CSA…I know the people and visit the farm every week. I also get my eggs there. I had a conversation with the owner about how they farm and I found out that they (and many other pesticide free farmers) use fertilizers made from…animal products. I’m not a vegan…but I imagine this presents some difficulties for those who are. </p>
<p>OP…no need to share this with your DS. But as one who researches everything in detail, I’m not sure what I would do if I went down the vegan path. I might starve to death… Hope your son stays off the internet!!</p>
<p>Thank you for the vegan websites, toneranger. I have discovered quinoa, and now have autoshipping of Bob’s Red Mill brand from Amazon. I’ve found quite a few delicious recipes that S2 loves. I’ve made quinoa with black beans twice in the last week, at his request. Unfortunately, S2 is very good at internet research - kids are taught this in school these days - and that is where he is getting some information that I’d rather he didn’t have.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link, Hanna. I’ve called their number and left a message; hope they have some suggestions for me. </p>
<p>I am planning to pursue local food sources around here, and to involve S2 in this. He is very interested in helping to find sources that are acceptable to him.</p>
<p>Those animal products used as fertilizer might not be vegan, but they are freegan…which is to say, they are someone else’s discards, and the alternative to using them is to put them in a landfill.</p>
<p>If you’re a vegan due to religious or health beliefs, then whether a product is freegan doesn’t matter. But if it’s about cruelty and/or environmental concerns, it doesn’t make sense to reject freegan products. I almost never buy meat, but I happily accept and eat any type of leftovers. If my parents have leftover salami after a party, they’ll give some to me instead of throwing it away, and I’ll use it to make soup, beans, etc. It does nothing to prevent cruelty for the meat to go in the garbage, and it’s better for the environment to eat it than to landfill it and buy something else.</p>