Dad Says Ex-Wife Is 'Furious' After He Followed Doctor's Advice to Add Meat to Vegan Sons' Diet

A man on Reddit says his boys' doctor suggested they eat meat — and after he fed it to them, his ex-wife called him "cruel" and told the boys to "refuse to eat"

One father is questioning whether he should be deemed an “a—hole” after following a doctor’s recommendation and ending his son’s vegan diet, a choice he made without his ex-wife’s knowledge.

In a recent post on Reddit’s popular "AITA" forum, a social media user going by the username ThrowRA-Vegan876 explained that he followed a vegan diet during his longtime relationship with his ex-wife and she later implemented the same diet with their three sons.

Following their divorce, the Redditor said he started reintroducing meat into his diet and noticed positive changes in his health. After doing some research, he became concerned about the health of his children and how veganism may impact puberty for them. He visited their general practitioner, who recommended introducing meat and animal products into his sons’ diets.

“Following that advice, 6 weeks ago I decided to slowly introduce animal products into their diets whenever they had their time with me, but it has been slow,” he wrote. “I don’t want to introduce it too fast and I gave them the choice with all the information I had and with what the doctor said.”

Related: Dad Faces Backlash for Calling Son 'Servant' for Helping Sister During 'Really Bad Periods'

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The father said that his ex-wife was “furious” and accused him of ending their veganism “to be vindictive of her, when I’m not.” He said she claimed he had “no right in going to the GP without her” and threatened to fight him for full custody of their kids.

“She’s calling me cruel and she’s been telling our boys that they should refuse to eat any animal products and say I’m forcing them,” he said on the forum. “When this isn’t true and every time they’ve been over they’ve loved trying new foods like real milk, eggs, etc. Some they don’t like which is fair. AITA?”

The consensus of Reddit was that he was “not an a—hole,” with the top comment pointing out, “They’re your children too. You’re doing it in consultation with a medical professional and allowing your children to choose.”

“Just stick to what the GP says. As long as you are doing it for their health, any judge will prefer you over their mom if it ever comes to custody battles,” Redditor MichaelKerk wrote. “Maybe try monthly blood tests on the kids under the GP supervision to see whether their levels/nutrients change and whether it is going in the right direction."

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Several comments pointed out that although following a vegetarian or vegan diet at a young age can be difficult, it is possible and can still be healthy after consultation with a certified nutritionist.

Experts have long debated whether a vegan diet is appropriate for kids.

Registered dietitian Julia Zumpano told the Cleveland Clinic that parents should rely on a common-sense approach to their child’s diet. She recommended that a qualified dietitian assess children and said parents should track any noticeable health changes and discuss them with their healthcare provider.

“Kids’ nutritional needs are essential for proper growth and development,” she told the outlet. “You’ve got to ask the serious question, ‘Is your child meeting their nutrient needs on a vegan diet?’ Not getting enough protein, B12 and calcium (amongst many other nutrients) can lead to serious negative developmental outcomes.”

“Going vegan can be an incredibly healthy way to live, but we can’t say it’s the only way,” Zumpano said.