So yesterday I went to a babyshower and there was literally nothing for me and my son to eat except fruit skewers and white bread. (which is fine because i brought food for us). I also made a vegan dessert to bring and share so my son could have a sweet treat.
All the tables were adorned with little bottles filled with jelly beans and eventually they had a dessert bar full of beautiful little cupcakes and cookies they were all non-vegan. for most of the time I avoided my son wanting the jelly beans because i told him they were decorations and didn’t lead on about them being full of candy. But towards the end of the shower when all the kids were running around stuffing their faces with cupcakes, cookies, and jelly beans, he wanted to get in on the action.
He didn’t eat any cupcakes, but he did manage to swipe a few cookies off the table and take bites of them before I could stop him.
After we left the baby shower I explained to him that a lot of people don’t know that the chemicals in their food (like the jelly beans) isn’t good for their bodies. And how they don’t realize they are hurting animals when they eat food made from them (like the jelly beans, cupcakes, etc…) And I told him hopefully more and more people will realize they are hurting themselves and animals by eating certain foods and hopefully they will change.
(I don’t know if that’s the best way to explain why most people eat things made out of animals and chemicals and are ok with it?)

Anyways, my question or my reaching out to you is that I usually bring food with me basically everywhere we go, but what do I do about situations like that where all the kids are eating those foods and to not have him feel left out (Because I heard constant telling them no and restriction may lead to backlash in the future?) I can’t always bring the vegan version of everything to every even we go to. Social events are exhausting and even though my son is so young I have basically given up on birthday parties unless its a really close friend or family member.
I don’t want to be the mom that keeps her so away from things because of my fear of him eating refined sugar, chemicals, and animal products. But I don’t want him to eat any of that stuff either. I hate how the majority of people are ok with it. :(
So what do you do? What’s your experience with things like this? Waits seems like such a smart kid who loves the way he eats and is proud of not eating animals and chemicals, so I don’t know if you’ve ever had to deal with this problem? I just feel l kinda heartbroken and tired from having to constantly “fight” for what I believe is right for us.

Sorry for the long story, this all happened yesterday and I don’t really have any vegan mom friends who have slightly older kids who could share their vegan mama wisdom with me. Thanks!!! :)

Is P starting school this year? Or one more year? He’s still got one more year right? Man it’s all going so fast!