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Vegetarian diets have become more prevalent and
popular, and many parents may wonder if kids can safely follow
a vegetarian diet and still get all the nutrients necessary for
growing up healthy and strong. Most dietary and medical experts
agree that a properly structured vegetarian diet is healthy. To
ensure adequate nutrient intake, special care must be taken when
feeding children a vegetarian diet, especially if the diet does
not include dairy and egg products.
Before your child or your family switches to
a vegetarian diet, it's important to note that all vegetarian
diets are not alike. Some of the major vegetarian categories include:
- Ovo vegetarian - eats eggs; no meat
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian - eats dairy and
egg products; no meat
- Lacto vegetarian - eats dairy products;
no eggs or meat
- Vegan - eats only food from plant sources
Other categories include: Pesco vegetarians
- eats fish but no other meat; and Pollo vegetarians - eats poultry
but no other meat
The Choice of Vegetarianism
There are many reasons why children or families
may follow a vegetarian diet. Younger vegetarians are usually
part of a family that eats vegetarian meals for health or religious
reasons (for example, many Seventh Day Adventists follow a vegetarian
diet). In non-vegetarian families, older children may decide to
become vegetarians because of concern for animals, the environment,
or their own health. Heidi Kecskemethy, RD, CSP, a board-certified
pediatric nutritionist, tells parents not to be alarmed if their
children choose vegetarianism. Kecskemethy says that the best
way to handle a child's vegetarianism is to "discuss what
it means to the child and how they want to implement it."
She has met with parents who shudder when their children switch
to vegetarian meals. "Make sure the kids make good food choices.
If they are going to just eat Cheese Nips, Pop Tarts, and soda,
then you have a problem."
Nutritional experts also say that if parents
offer their children a vegetarian diet, they should follow the
same diet and make it a family affair. "I have met parents
who eat kielbasa, but insist that their children eat vegetarian
for health reasons," says Kecskemethy.
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