Keeping Vegetarian Kids Healthy

Whether it’s due to nutritional, ethical or environmental concerns, vegetarianism is a growing trend. While many might associate the vegetarian lifestyle with adults, the practice, which focuses on a diet based on foods of plant origin, is not exclusive to people over the age of 18. But is vegetarianism a healthy lifestyle for children? Such a debate is one that features valid viewpoints on both sides of the fence.

Perhaps the greatest concern with respect to vegetarianism and children is malnutrition. While adults are no longer growing and therefore won’t have negative developmental side effects when choosing a vegetarian lifestyle, children who subsist on a vegetarian diet could be doing themselves a great disservice. However, this does not have to be the case. According to kidshealth.org, numerous pediatric experts say a variation of the vegetarian diet is a healthy choice for children. This diet is that of the lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or one who eats dairy and egg products but no meat. (Note: Allergists suggest children avoid eggs until after they’ve turned one year of age.) Such a diet can instill healthy eating habits in children and, since foods eaten are typically high in fiber and low in fat, can also reduce cholesterol.

But these diets can also lead to problems as well, meaning parents must be more watchful of their children and pay strict attention to foods they consume. A 2000 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that teenagers who ate no meat during infancy and early childhood exhibited signs of impaired thinking while also showing vitamin B-12 deficiencies, which can lead to anemia. Such symptoms are why a strictly vegan diet, which is made up of only food from plant sources and no dairy products whatsoever, is not recommended for children.

Fortunately, since B-12 deficiency is a common and widely known side effect of vegetarianism, nearly everyone who adopts the lifestyle is aware they must seek to actively include B-12 in their diets. This makes it all the more important that parents explain to their children the need for such an inclusion. Foods such as eggs, cereals, breads, and even soy and rice drinks all offer significant and healthy amounts of B-12.

The healthiness of vegetarianism for children also depends on the age of a child, whether he is an infant, toddler, grade school-aged child or teenager. Infants, for instance, get their protein and nutrients largely from breast milk or formula. But the American Dietetic Association says that once solids are introduced to an infant’s diet, viable sources of protein can be found in foods such as pureed tofu, cottage cheese, chickpeas and lentils, all of which can allow your child to stay healthy while maintaining a vegetarian diet.

For toddlers, proper development is a genuine concern for those who want to continue their children on a vegetarian diet. Since most toddlers are picky about what they eat, this can be a difficult and trying stage. Getting toddlers to consume enough calories can be done, but it takes close attention. Since the amount of calories in vegetables is not very high, this can often mean children must eat a lot of vegetables to meet their recommended caloric intake. But this can be uncomfortable for toddlers whose stomachs are not very large. Supplementing your toddler’s diet with vitamins is a good road to travel.

For older children and teenagers, the vegetarian diet could be the best way to go, as fruits and vegetables provide children in this age group with vitamins and nutrients they may not otherwise get. Again, though, supplementing a preteen or teenager’s diet with vitamins is probably the healthiest way to go, as deficiencies in iron, calcium and zinc, among other things, are common effects of strict vegetarian diets. If your child is adopting vegetarianism at this stage in life, it’s important to take heed of why this is so. Eating disorders are prevalent among teenagers, so before your child decides to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, discussing why and the pros and cons could be essential to your child’s physical as well as mental health.

While the debate of vegetarianism and children likely won’t end anytime soon, it is important to keep in mind that the key to any successful diet is ensuring your child takes in the right amount of vitamins and nutrients and monitoring such things on a daily basis.