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Vegetarian Diet

What is a vegetarian?

Vegetarians are people who choose not to eat meat. This includes all animal meat, poultry, and fish. Many vegetarians also avoid other animal products such as gelatin, rennet (used in making cheese), and animal fats.

Vegetarians that include eggs and dairy products in their diets are known as ovo-lacto vegetarians. People who do not eat any animal product (including honey) are called vegans.

Semi- or partial-vegetarians sometimes eat meat (usually poultry or fish).

What are the pros and cons?

A well-planned vegetarian diet is very healthy. By not eating meat, your child eats less cholesterol and saturated fat. This may reduce the risk of heart disease, gallstones, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Teens do not need to worry about growth problems. They will reach a normal adult weight and height without meat.

Younger children sometimes "fill up" too quickly on the higher fiber vegetarian foods and have difficulty getting enough calories for proper growth. Planning a healthy vegetarian diet may take more time to prepare. It has to be carefully planned to make sure your child gets all the proper nutrients.

Will my child get all the proper nutrients?

If the meals are well-planned, a vegetarian diet is safe for everyone. If the diet is too restricted, it may be unhealthy. Some nutrients may be missing. For example, if a child will only drink soda and eat potato chips, nutrients such as iron and calcium will be lacking. These nutrients could still be lacking even if they were eating some grains, fruits, and vegetables.

It is becoming much easier to be a vegetarian with the nutrient fortified convenience foods such as soymilk, meat substitutes (such as veggie burgers and dogs), and frozen entrees. However, you still need to make a special effort to make sure your child gets enough calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12 and healthy fats.

For younger children with smaller appetites, serve frequent meals and snacks and use some higher calorie refined foods (such as fortified cereals, breads, and noodles). Also choosing foods with higher fat content (healthy unsaturated fats) can help your child with energy and nutrient needs.

  • Calcium: Milk and dairy products are a great source of calcium. If your child is on a vegan diet and does not eat animal products, however, it is harder to get calcium. Good non-dairy sources of calcium include: calcium fortified breakfast cereals, orange juice and soy beverages; tofu prepared with calcium (nigan); pink salmon with bones, bok choy, collard greens; blackstrap molasses; and legumes (peas, beans, lentils). Keep in mind that the calcium found in plant foods and even some fortified foods is not easily absorbed.
  • Iron: Typical vegetarian diets usually provide enough iron. The problem with iron is that it is difficult for the body to absorb. Iron in meat, poultry, and fish is absorbed much better than iron from plants. Eating foods containing Vitamin C along with foods that contain iron helps the body to absorb the iron better. Good non-meat iron sources include: fortified cereals; soybeans, legumes (peas, beans, lentils); potato baked with skin; spinach; blackstrap molasses; prune juice; prunes, raisins and apricots. Breast-fed babies who are not yet getting solid food should have supplements of iron after the age of 4 to 6 months.
  • Zinc: Vegetarians sometimes don't eat enough zinc, and may need as much as 50% more than non-vegetarians because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods. Plant foods that do contain zinc include: fortified whole grains and cereals, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, peanuts), nuts and seeds, and soy foods (beans, milk, tofu, tempeh, and fortified veggie meats.
  • Riboflavin B-2: Vegans often have a lower intake of riboflavin. Good non-animal sources of this vitamin include: fortified cereals and soymilk, almonds, asparagus, bananas, legumes, sweet potatoes, tofu, wheat germ and enriched breads.
  • Vitamin B-12: Vegans need extra vitamin B-12 because it is available naturally only in animal products. Vitamin B-12 is added to some fortified cereals, fortified soymilk, and some meat substitutes. B-12 is found naturally in dairy products and eggs.
  • Vitamin D: Vegans often have diets that have low amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D is made in the skin when there is exposure to direct sunshine. Some vegetarians may need more outdoor activity or vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is added to some fortified cereals and fortified soymilk. If your baby is only getting breastmilk, you need to give your baby a vitamin D supplement every day. You can give your baby multivitamin drops that contain vitamin D.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids: It is recommended that vegetarians include good sources of linolenic acid (omega-3) in their diet. Foods high in linolenic acid include flaxseed and flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans and soybean oil. Omega-3 are naturally found in fish and eggs.

See also:

Sources of Some Essential Nutrients in a Vegetarian Diet

How do I know if my child is eating healthfully?

One of the best ways to check if your child is eating well is to measure your child's weight and height. If your child is not getting enough calories, his or her weight will not follow the usual growth patterns for children. Your health care provider can check your child's growth on a growth chart.

If your child is not getting enough vitamins or minerals, he or she may have symptoms such as:

  • skin rashes
  • a painful, swollen tongue
  • fatigue
  • irritability
  • pale skin
  • mental slowness.

Check with your provider if you are worried about vitamin or mineral deficiency.

How can I help my child eat healthfully?

Infants and toddlers require many calories to grow at the normal rate. At about 7 to 8 months of age, babies are ready to start eating protein-rich foods. Instead of pureed meats, vegetarian babies should be given protein alternatives such as pureed legumes (peas, beans, lentils), cottage cheese, pureed tofu, and yogurt. Also, make sure your toddler eats high-calorie vegetarian foods such as nuts (chopped in small pieces), olives (chopped), dates and avocados so he will get enough calories. Most importantly, make sure your child eats a wide variety of foods.

Where can I get more information?

Additional information on vegetarian diets can be found at your local library. Several web sites have information about vegetarian diets and recipes. Some helpful sites include:

http://www.VRG.org

http://www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/index.html (available in Spanish)

http://www.eatright.org (search "vegetarian")

When should I call my child's health care provider?

Call during office hours if:

  • You are not sure if your child's diet is adequate.
  • You would like more specific information about nutrition and being vegetarian.
  • You have other questions or concerns.
Written by Robert Brayden, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2005-11-03
Last reviewed: 2005-10-01
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.
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