When Your Teen Goes Vegetarian
By Jacqueline Bodnar
With vegetarianism on the rise,
many parents are hearing their teenagers claim they are going
to become
vegetarians. The parents’ first
reaction may be to panic and insist that they continue to eat
meat. Most parents are filled with questions about the safety
of such a diet, what their teens will eat and how it will affect
the family. Gaining an understanding of vegetarian nutrition
will help to ease many of these concerns.
If you haven’t raised your child as a vegetarian, you
may be wondering why he is making the switch. There’s a
wide variety of reason teens chose vegetarianism. Some reasons
include animal rights, environmental, health — or it’s
what their friends are doing. For some, it’s a phase, and
they may be back to eating your meatloaf faster than you realize.
For others, it may be a lasting decision and way of life. Either
way, your involvement can assist them in making sure that their
vegetarian diet is healthy and balanced.
By the numbers
According to the American Dietetic Association, a vegetarian
diet is one that does not include meat, fish or fowl. The ADA
reports that approximately 2% of U.S. children and adolescents
ages 6 to 17 are vegetarians, with about .5% of those being
vegan. Those numbers are rapidly increasing, especially among
younger people.
The more restrictive types (e.g., vegan) will have to take extra
precaution in making sure they get calcium and Vitamin B-12.
The most popular type of vegetarian in this country are the lacto-ovo-vegetarians,
those who include eggs and dairy products in their diets.
“A growing teenager can definitely get adequate nutrition
from a vegetarian diet, and it is safe,” says Kathleen
Putnam, a nutritionist and registered dietician from the Seattle-based
NutritionWorks Nutrition Consulting. “It is important that
the diet be planned and balanced. This is true for a non-vegetarian
diet as well.”
The healthy veg teen
Putnam recommends that a safe, adequate diet would include daily
servings of beans, soy, meat substitutes, whole grains, nuts,
fruits and vegetables. She also recommends that all teens,
not just vegetarians, take a daily multivitamin and mineral
supplement.
Other nutritional areas of concern include getting vitamin B-12,
protein, calcium and iron. Meeting these nutritional needs will
be easy if you know what foods they are found in. Vitamin B-12
can be acquired from dairy products, eggs, fortified soy milk,
nutritional yeast and cereals.
“Vegetarian protein is as healthy as animal protein and
in some ways may be better,” says Putnam. “Beans,
for instance, contain fiber and very little saturated fat, whereas
hamburger contains no fiber and has a significant amount of saturated
fat.”
Soy protein is considered to be
a complete protein by itself, since it contains all the amino
acids that the body
needs. Today
there’s an abundance of protein filled soy products on
the market including meat substitutes, milks and cheeses. Other
good sources of protein include eggs, dairy products, beans,
peanut butter, nuts, grains, seeds and some cereals.
“It was once believed that you had to combine protein
in a meal to ensure you were getting all of the essential amino
acids the body needed,” says Putnam. “We now know
that the body is able to combine amino acids for the body’s
protein needs throughout the day, so it is no longer necessary
to be concerned about combining vegetarian protein sources.”
Calcium is important for growing bones and can be found in enriched
tofu products, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, orange
juice and soy milk. Iron can be found in whole grains, broccoli,
beans, firm tofu, nuts, dried fruits and spinach. Vitamin C can
assist the body in better absorbing iron. Using iron cookware
is another way you can get iron into the diet. Teas, coffee,
and cocoa are believed to inhibit the absorption of iron and
should be avoided with meals. Not getting an adequate supply
of iron can lead to anemia. If the iron status of your teen is
in doubt, then you should have it checked by a doctor.
A family affair
“
If the other family members are not vegetarian, it is important
to think of vegetarian substitutes for all of the animal foods
the family is consuming,” says Putnam. “Having soy
patties or meat substitutes on sandwiches when the rest of the
family is having hamburgers or deli meat sandwiches works well.”
When preparing family meals, you
can easily accommodate your vegetarian eater by preparing their
portion of the food
without
meat or substituting the meat for a meatless alternative. There’s
a wide variety of veggie burgers, veggie dogs and other meat
alternatives that can be purchased at supermarkets and natural
food stores. They are easy to prepare and will provide a nutritious
alternative. Soy, almond or rice cheese and milk substitutes
are good alternatives to dairy products. There are also some
vegetarian meals that the whole family may enjoy, such as bean
burritos, stuffed peppers, stir-fry with tofu, tacos and chili.
With few schools offering vegetarian fare, it is wise for your
teen to pack her own well balanced lunch each day. When dining
out with the family, your teen should have no problem being able
to find something to eat. Most restaurants are willing to accommodate
vegetarians and many offer a variety of vegetarian burgers, pastas
and salads.
In a nutshell
There are health benefits for the balanced vegetarian diet, such
as reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
To get help with planning your teens’ diet, consult your
physician or a registered dietician. With a healthy vegetarian
diet, you should see your teen eating more veggies than ever
before — giving every parent something to smile about.
Learn more
North American Vegetarian Society
(518) 568-7970
www.navs-online.org
American Dietetic Association
www.eatright.org
(800) 877-1600
Vegetarian Diets - www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/17084.cfm
© Jacqueline Bodnar
Jacqueline
Bodnar, a freelance writer from Las Vegas, and her husband
have been vegetarian
since 1995 and
are raising their
daughter to also be a vegetarian. She is the author of Vegetarian
Resource Book: A To Z Reference Guide To Vegetarianism.
Visit her at www.jacquelinebodnar.com.
