During the summer holiday of 2010, I read Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals. I remember it well: we were visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, a region that is also known for its local meat produce. Of course we took advantage of that and stocked up on sausages in the cottage we rented. As I made progress in the book, I became more and more disgusted with the way meat is produced and lands on our plate. By the time I finished the book, we were back home. The next supermarket visit, I refrained from buying meat or fish. Since 2010 up until last year, I’ve been a vegetarian—for fifteen years. Not just because of Foer’s book: that was simply the trigger. I never liked eating meat, and I’ve always had an interest in animal welfare. It was a very simple thing to do, and I haven’t missed it since that day. Since I’m the cook and my wife agrees with our philosophy, she followed suit, although not as “hardcore” as me. When we go out for dinner, she does order a steak once in a while. Last year, with the birth of our son, our lives radically changed—again. The second kid had a big impact on the physical health of my wife. Meanwhile, getting the first kid to eat anything at all during dinner always ends up in a long battle that leaves both parents with nothing but frustration. In a desperate attempt to get her to eat, I started buying meat again. On top of that, the medical condition of my wife also demands a change of diet. Hence, for the first time in fifteen years, I’m frying a piece of chicken. Guess what: the strategy for our youngest didn’t work: the chicken was too “dry” (it wasn’t but she claims it is and keeps on chewing on it like forever). On to the minced meat, I guess. I whip up meatballs with an added egg and some chickpea flour and finally get her to eat something. Why is parenting so hard? A practical question poses itself. As the cook, I have to determine whether the meat is well done. That means tasting it. Remember, my abstain from all things meat and fish is not because of my inability to digest it but because of ethical (and obvious environmental) concerns; and I really don’t want to serve my kids undercooked meat. So I taste. Another practical question poses itself. If you cook meatballs for everyone else, which proteins do you prepare for yourself? Do you just eat along and try to reduce the amount of times a week meat and fish is served on the table—like a reversed Thursday Veggieday—or do you throw some diced tofu in the pan as well? Or another pan since that one is “contaminated” with animal fat? I’m not a purist and that last option is just not a very practical one. I’m having enough trouble just keeping the kids and myself alive here lately so yes, I sometimes just eat the same stuff I serve them. At other times, when it’s a bit less hectic (which is not often), I prepare something vegetarian just for me. There goes my streak of fifteen years without eating animals. Damn kids. Yet another thing they have successfully destroyed. The youngest is served meat at the daycare and because of the small scale, there’s no other option. But we’re fine with that: I don’t want to raise the kids on a very strict diet, causing a sudden dilemma when they’re invited to a birthday party where hot dogs are served. I want them to make their own choice when they’re older. In the meantime, we’re going to keep our animal consumption to the minimal. At this moment, that no longer means zero. I know a couple of ex-colleagues who are vegans (we do eat our own chicken’s eggs; thank you Zoë and Coco!) and raise their kids as vegans. So yes, I know it can be done. Currently, for our family, that is simply not an option. It’s difficult enough to account for everyone’s dietary subscriptions and make something tasteful enough for the kids to start eating. I’ve tried the mashed-potato-with-everything route. I’ve tried the soup-all-day route. I’ve tried the broccoli-all-day-since-you-seem-to-like-it route. There’s always a new problem and I’ve run out of ideas. I am not proud of this. I will keep on not eating animals whenever I can. I still don’t have a big appetite for its taste, I still have a big heart for their welfare, and I still have many concerns about its environmental and ethical impact. I am tired. Related topics: / parenting / By Wouter Groeneveld on 25 September 2026.  Reply via email.