Vegetarianism is a popular choice for many individuals and families. However, parents may wonder if their children can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all the necessary nutrients needed for normal growth and development. Most dietary and medical experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way of eating.
But special care must be taken in serving children and teens a vegetarian diet, especially if it doesn’t include dairy and eggs products. And with any diet, the nutritional needs of children and teens change as they grow and therefore one must monitor whether their nutritional needs are being met at each developmental stage.
At all stages, natural or organic dietary vitamin supplements can aid growing children in maintaining a healthy balance of nutrients as they eat healthier.
TYPES OF VEGETARIAN DIETS
It is important to note that all vegetarian diets are not alike. There are several categories of vegetarian diets which include:
- ovo-vegetaria: eats eggs; no meat.
- lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats dairy and egg products; no meat.
- lacto-vegetarian: eats dairy products; no eggs or meat.
- vegan: eats only food from plant sources.
Many other people are semi-vegetarians who have eliminated red meat, but may eat poultry or fish.
NUTRITION FOR CHILDREN
Your doctor or a registered dietitian can help plan and monitor a healthy vegetarian diet. Parents should give their children a variety of foods which provide enough calories and nutrients for them to grow normally.
A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet children’s nutritional needs and has some health benefits. For example, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight.
However, children and teens on a vegetarian diet need to be careful that they get an adequate amount of certain vitamins and minerals. This can be facilitated by the intake of natural dietary or organic vitamin supplements.
Below is a list of nutrients that pediatricians suggest vegetarians be sure to get and some of their best food sources:
Vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks and nutritional yeast.
Vitamin D: milk, vitamin D-fortified orange juice, and other vitamin D-fortified products.
Calcium: dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, legumes, lentils, and calcium-fortified products like orange juice, soy and rice drinks, and cereals.
Protein: dairy products, eggs, tofu and other soy products, dried beans, and nuts.
Iron: eggs, dried beans, dried fruits, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals and bread.
Zinc: wheat germ, nuts, fortified cereal, dried beans, and pumpkin seeds.
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, children and teens may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the diet is not monitored by the parents. The least restrictive the diet is, the more likely it will be that your child will get enough of the necessary nutrients to grow at a normal rate. In some cases, fortified foods or natural dietary and organic vitamin supplements can help to meet the nutritional needs.
Vegetarian Infants
The main sources of protein and nutrients for infants are breast milk and formula (soy formula for vegan infants), especially in the first 6 months of life. Pediatricians suggest that breastfed infant vegans should receive a source of vitamin B12, if the mother’s diet does not include natural dietary or organic vitamin supplements. Pediatricians’ and dietitians’ guidelines for the introduction of solid foods are the same for vegetarians and non-vegetarian infants. They agree that breastfed infants 6 months and older should receive iron from complementary foods, such as iron-fortified infant cereal.
Pediatricians also suggest that once an infant is introduced to solids, protein-rich vegetarian foods can include pureed tofu, yogurt or soy yogurt, and pureed legumes like beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.
Vegetarian Toddlers
Toddlers are already a challenge when it comes to eating. As they come off breast milk and formula, they become at risk for nutritional deficiencies. After age 1, pediatricians agree that strict vegetarian diets may not offer growing toddlers enough essential nutrients, like vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc. Therefore, it is very important to serve fortified cereals and nutrient-rich foods. Vitamin supplementation is also recommended for young children whose diets may not provide adequate nutrients.
Toddlers are typically picky eaters and, as a result, some may not get enough calories from a vegetarian diet to thrive. During the picky toddler stage, it’s important for vegetarian parents to make sure their young child eats enough calories. Enough fat and calories can be achieved from a vegetarian diet, but the parents have to plan carefully.
Older Vegetarian Children and Teens
Preteens and teens often voice their independence through the food choices that they make. This can especially be true among teens who decide to become vegetarian in support of animal rights or health reasons because their friends are doing it.
Pediatricians and dietitians agree that a meat-free diet can be a good choice for adolescents, especially since vegetarians often eat more foods that teens most often do not eat enough of like fruits and vegetables. With the growing rate of adolescent obesity and diets with fast food as its staple, the benefits of a vegetarian diet, including a diet high in fiber and low in saturated fat strengthening cardiovascular health and weight management, must continually be factored into supporting this diet choice. Pediatricians and dieticians both suggest that a vegetarian diet that includes dairy products and eggs is the best choice for growing teens. More strict vegetarian diets may fail to meet a teen’s need for certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins D and B12.
If concerned whether your child is receiving enough essential nutrients, consult your doctor, who may recommend a natural dietary or organic vitamin and mineral supplement.
By Gail T. Jacobs and Claire Morin, M.D.
Note: All information on RealOrganicLiving is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
Copyright 2009 Real Organic Living: Natural Dietary Supplements. All rights reserved.
