Raise a Healthy Vegetarian Kid
By Melanie Wilson
In their position paper on vegetarian
diets, the American Dietetic Association states, "Well-planned
vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages
of the life cycle, including during pregnancy and lactation. Appropriately
planned vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets satisfy nutrient needs
of infants, children and adolescents and promote normal growth."
I can already hear my opponents saying,
"Yes, but they say appropriately planned, and that just isn't
easy!" I disagree, and so would thousands of vegetarian and
vegan parents around the world.
Misinformation abounds
In fact, one of the most difficult things about raising vegetarian
children is not providing nutritious meals but dealing with the
lack of support and the questions, comments and criticism from ill-informed
friends, families, caregivers and doctors.
Providing a well-balanced diet for
children is something most parents try to do already. With meatless
(and in the case of vegans, egg- and dairy-less) diets, it's the
same game; only the playing pieces have changed. Fifteen minutes
on the internet will turn up not only all the nutrition information
a veg parent could ever need but also complete meal plans for growing
children as well.
Worried about protein?
Protein always seems to be the first concern to crop up. In today's
burgeoning health food market, parents can find delicious and healthy
meat substitutes for everything from chicken nuggets to hamburgers.
These are convenient, especially for families considering a switch
to a vegetarian diet with older children who are used to eating
meat.
Though many veg families rely on
these convenience foods, others find themselves eating more basic
whole foods like tofu, lentils and chickpeas for protein and iron.
Think that kids won't eat these foods? Think again! Kids like what
they learn to like. In other words, families whose children eat
these foods from the beginning have kids who consider them a normal
part of the diet.
In fact, some items that were considered
"health foods" not too long ago have now moved into the
mainstream in a big way. Take soymilk, for example. You can find
several brands on grocery store shelves across the nation right
next to cartons of cow's milk. Non-vegetarians are drinking it,
too. It offers a tasty, calcium- and Vitamin D-rich alternative
for those who avoid dairy products, and it's a great way to get
soy in your diet.
There are also fortified rice and
almond milks widely available now. And don't forget that kids can
get plenty of calcium from almonds, broccoli, green leafy vegetables
and fortified orange juice -- just to name a few.
Nutrients, nutrients everywhere
Fortified foods provide nutrients for nearly all children. Enriched
breakfast cereal is an all-American favorite that pleases kids and
parents alike. Vegan families may consider including one fortified
with Vitamin B-12, a nutrient that is only found in animal foods.
(Ovo-lacto-vegetarian kids get their B-12 from eggs and dairy products.)
Aha! Is this the nutrient that proves that humans are meant to eat
an animal-based diet? Hardly. B-12 is produced by a bacteria, which
is why it's so plentiful in animal products. Supplements and fortified
foods such as cereals and some meat substitutes are comparable,
reliable sources of B-12 for vegan families.
Many cereals also contain iron, another
nutrient of concern among some nutritionists. In truth, vegetarian
children are no more likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia
than non-vegetarian kids.
What about kids’ preferences?
So maybe you're convinced that it can be healthy to raise veg kids,
but you still don't think it could possibly be easy. What parent
could expect a child to attend a birthday party, for example, and
pass on the cake and ice cream? What do you do when they have pizza
day at school?
I'll admit that these scenarios have
caused some worry for veg parents everywhere. What we've learned
is that you start teaching children about vegetarianism when they
are very young. You tell them the truth about healthy foods and
where animal foods come from. You learn to make delicious, healthful
foods at home, and you set an example every time you pass on non-veg
party food yourself.
It's a long, slow process of passing
on your belief systems to your children, and it's no different than
instilling, for example, the spiritual values that are important
to your family. Most veg parents will admit that there comes a time
when you have to let go and let your children decide. Some do that
at an earlier age than others. Each family has different rules about
how to handle different situations, and we all do what works for
us.
The veg advantage
Whatever our children ultimately decide to eat -- whether they become
full-fledged, lifelong vegetarians, or end up following the tide
of common culture -- we raise them vegetarian secure in the knowledge
that we are providing them with the very best possible start in
life. We ignore the outdated nutrition information sold to us by
the meat and dairy lobbies that tells us kids have to eat meat and
drink milk to be healthy. We know better.
Across the nation Americans are focusing
more on fruits and vegetables, eating less meat, adding soy to their
diets and cutting back on fat. Shouldn't we do the same for our
children?
© Melanie Wilson; reprinted
with permission from Vegetarian
Baby & Child
Melanie Wilson is the senior editor
of VegNews,
the editor of vegetarianbaby.com
and co-editor of www.vegetarianteen.com.
This article first appeared in Los
Angeles Family Magazine.
