Vegetarian Diet-Is it Safe for Children?

Vegetarian parents naturally have a tendency to make their children follow a vegan diet. They believe it is not only easier, but also time-saving. They think it is the best choice for their children in terms of health and ethical reasons.

Even if you are not a vegetarian parent, sometimes your child may go into a vegetarian phase-she rejects meat and does not eat fruits and vegetables making it harder to compensate for the nutritional gap.

But is the vegetarian diet really the best choice for your child? The belief that a vegetarian diet will stunt your child's growth has stopped a few parents from making their children follow a vegan diet. This belief is actually true and legitimate. Poorly planned vegan diets will cause serious health problems to your children. Remember that children are continuously growing and developing, and they need all the nutrients from a wide variety of food groups to support their growth.

It is best if you do not put your child on a vegan diet especially if you think that you are not prepared and you lack the knowledge on meal planning. But if you have sufficient knowledge on how to compensate for the nutrients they may lack in a vegan diet, then you may as well overcome these with the proper meal planning.

A healthy vegetarian diet can do wonders for your child. It can improve her health and lessen the hormones and preservatives commonly found in animal products. It also helps prevent certain diseases like cancer and some developmental problems.

If you still want to put your child on a vegetarian diet, you should include the following nutrients in his or her diet. These are the nutrients that most vegetarians lack.

1. Protein

You can add wheat, soybeans, isolated soy protein, and nuts to ensure that your child's diet is not lacking in protein.

2. Calcium

Calcium-fortified processed foods and green, leafy vegetables are the best sources of calcium.

3. Iron

Adding the right amount of soybeans, pinto beans, cereals, and tofu will compensate for the lack of iron in your child's diet.

4. Zinc

Increase his or her servings of almonds, peanut butter, and mushrooms to enhance intake on zinc.

If you are able to find a way to compensate for all the above-mentioned nutritional deficiencies, then you can start putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Make sure that you do not listen to myths and rumors about the issues of vegan diets on children and concentrate on research and meal-planning instead.