Chicken vs. Veggies – Vegetarianism & Kids

Did you know that Chelsea Clinton served meat at her wedding? I recently found out she was a vegetarian. In a random conversation with friends, we discussed the new questions that may arise from her being newly married such as “When do you want kids?” or maybe even “Will they be vegetarians like you?”

Vegetables and kids … the two words are usually used in a context where the child isn’t such a big fan of veggies. But raising a child as a vegetarian is not as unnatural as it may sound. Most parents who are vegetarian receive questions such as: Why are you a vegetarian? Will you raise your kids that way? Or do you think parents should choose their preferred diets for their kids, or let the children choose what they want?

Vegetarianism is a popular choice for many adults and families nowadays. But many parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all necessary nutrients. Most dietary and medical experts agree that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat.

However, special care must be taken when serving kids and teens a vegetarian diet, especially if it doesn’t include certain proteins, dairy and egg products. It is important to understand the nutritional needs of kids for their health and growth.

There are Different Types of Vegetarian Diets
Before your child or family switches to a veggie diet, it’s important to note the various kinds of vegetarian diets because they are all very different. Major vegetarian categories include:

• ovo-vegetarian: 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

And many other people are semi-vegetarians who have eliminated red meat, but may eat poultry or fish (commonly referred to as pescatarian).

The Choice of Vegetarianism
Kids or families may follow a vegetarian diet for many reasons – ethics, philosophy, economics and religion, to name a few — but in recent years, there are many nutritional studies linking large amounts of meat with certain chronic diseases, which has caused many people to change their meat-eating ways.

Nutrition for All Ages
It is good to ask your doctor or a registered dietitian to help you plan your child or family’s vegetarian diet. A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet kids’ nutritional needs and has some health benefits. For example, a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the parents don’t monitor the diet. Here are nutrients that vegetarians should 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, dried beans, and calcium-fortified products, including 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

The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for your child to get enough of the necessary nutrients. In some cases, fortified foods or supplements can help meet nutritional needs.

Vegetarian Toddlers
As many parent know, toddlers are already a challenge when it comes to eating and are at risk for nutritional deficiencies. After the age of 1, strict vegan diets may not offer growing toddlers enough critical vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc. So, if you are planning a veggie diet for your toddler, it’s important to serve fortified cereals and nutrient-dense foods.

Sometimes a vegetarian diet is so big and bulky that a child can’t eat enough to get the calories he needs. The unsafe time is during the weaning stage, when a baby is switching from high-fat, high-calorie mother’s milk to a less calorically dense diet. If some animal products are allowed in baby’s diet, such as eggs and dairy products (known as a lacto-ovo vegetarian), then energy intake is not as much of a concern. If you wish to raise your child as a vegan (one who eats no animal products), it may be best to wait until your child is older.

Which Vegetarian Diet Makes Sense for Your Kids? 

Vegan Vegetarian
The children most at risk for deficiencies are weaning babies and young toddlers on a vegan diet, because they cannot tolerate the bulk required to get all the nutrients they need. If you are raising your toddler as a vegan vegetarian, be sure to serve high-calorie foods like nut butters, avocados, dates and supplemented foods such as soy milks and fortified cereals.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian
Raising a child on a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet poses few concerns, except perhaps for the possibility of iron deficiencies. Iron-fortified infant cereal for the first 24 months of life makes the transfer to dependence on vegetable products safer.