Vegetarians 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 to make some kinds of cheese), and animal fats.
Vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products 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 poultry or fish, but not beef or pork.
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 trouble getting enough calories for proper growth. A healthy vegetarian diet has to be carefully planned to make sure your child gets all the proper nutrients.
If the meals are well-planned, a vegetarian diet is safe. If the diet is too restricted, or too high in sweets, sodas, and snack foods, it may be unhealthy. Some nutrients may be missing. You need to make sure your child gets enough calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, and healthy fats.
Younger children often have smaller appetites. High fiber plant foods typically have fewer calories and are more filling. Your child may get full before getting enough calories. Serve frequent meals and snacks and use some higher calorie refined foods (such as fortified cereals, breads, and noodles). Choosing foods with higher fat content (healthy unsaturated fats) can help your child with energy and nutrient needs.
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 height and weight will not follow the usual growth patterns for children. Your healthcare 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:
Check with your provider if you are worried about vitamin or mineral deficiency.
Vegetarian moms can take care of their own needs as well as produce nutritious breast milk. Make sure that you get enough calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D.
Many doctors advise staying on prenatal vitamins while breast-feeding. This can be very helpful for vegetarians. The main focus for healthy vegetarian breast milk is on vitamin B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats. Ask your doctor if you need a B12 supplement. Your baby may need to take B12 as well.
Breast-fed babies should also take a vitamin D supplement. You can buy liquid multivitamin drops with vitamin D without a prescription. Ask your healthcare provider about this.
If you get enough nutrients from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and oils, you and your baby can have a healthy diet.
Infants and toddlers need 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, you can give your baby other foods high in protein, such as pureed legumes (peas, beans, lentils), cottage cheese, soft tofu, and yogurt.
Also, make sure your toddler eats high-calorie foods such as nut butters and nuts (chopped in small pieces to prevent choking), veggie dips made with olive or canola oil, olives (chopped), dried fruits, and avocados so he will get enough calories. Most healthcare providers warn not to feed your child peanuts and tree nuts until age 2. If you have family history of allergies, some advise waiting until 3 years of age. Make sure your child eats a wide variety of foods.
Some helpful Web sites include:
http://www.VRG.org
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/index.html (available in Spanish)
http://www.eatright.org (search "vegetarian")
Browse over 100 articles to help you manage your child's symptoms.
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