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.
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.