Reply #62: I could care less whether someone decides to be a vegan and forgo meat

[Emillereid]

or not, although I think it can be a risky proposition for infants and children unless one plans carefully. (One of the things I don't like for children is there tends to be a too great an emphasis of soy protein as the protein source -- as least how veganism is practiced in the US). I am not anti-veg. I have even given vegetarianism a go myself -- didn't do well on it -- I gained a great deal of weight and my tryglycerides went nuts -- too many carbs for my metabolism. But other people seem to do just fine. What one eats is personal -- unfortunately diet often takes on something akin to a religious mission. You don't eat meat and do fine -GREAT -- that leaves more for me. I don't eat rice and beans and isolated soy protein -- so that leaves more for you. It works out.

There are any number of ways that vegans can get vitamin B-12 -- even if they don't supplement B-12 directly many foods are fortified with the vitamin in this country.