Vegetarian Children: Benefits And Concerns

The vegetarian diet, a new trend

Eating habits among the population are changing constantly due to several factors, including food availability and environmental conditions. But religious and moral believes also play an important role in people's decision to change to or to follow a certain diet. This is the case with vegetarianism.

Regardless of the reason, vegetarians choose to base their diet in plants, fruits, legumes and nuts, and sometimes eggs, milk and dairy products, while they avoid meat, poultry and fish.

Some people decide to become vegetarians in their teenage years or already as adults; but there is another important population of vegetarians and vegans in children.

Children going veggie

Eating habits in children come from the parents. Vegetarian children follow this eating lifestyle since they are born. For example, there is evidence that says that children from vegetarian parents are usually breastfed during their first two years of life, while children from non-vegetarian parents are only breastfed for around 6 to 8 months. Without getting into much detail about the effects of this practice, you can get an idea of how different a diet from a vegetarian children can be, compared to a non-vegetarian.

One of the main concerns of a vegetarian diet in children is the fact that, if it is not well planned, it might deprive the child from the essential nutrients he or she needs to grow and develop properly.

This doesn’t mean that children should not practice vegetarianism. In fact, scientists as well as health and nutrition related associations, have determined that children can follow a vegetarian diet as long as it is sufficient when talking about caloric intake and as long as it is varied, in order for it to provide infants with the essential nutrients they need during their developing years.

A child’s metabolism is quite fast and efficient. Why? Well, because babies and children require a high amount of energy to fulfil every day’s needs and, at the same time, continue growing.

Both, non-vegetarian and vegetarian diets can fulfill these needs; but also, both diets can be harmful to them and cause malnutrition problems in both extremes: obesity or undernourishment.

See Also: Raising Vegetarian Kids

The benefits of greens

The benefits that a child could get from a vegetarian or vegan diet are many. According to several studies, not eating red meat or poultry helps in keeping cholesterol and triglycerides in the normal ranges, reducing the risks of heart disease. Also, vegetarians have less risk of developing certain types of cancer and chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, due to their consumption of foods rich in antioxidants.

What Could Go Wrong With A Veggie Diet

The other side of the coin is when vegetarian children don’t have a properly designed diet, according to their nutritional needs. The first concern is obviously the protein intake.

Animal proteins are very different to proteins derived from plants and legumes, both in structure and quantity. The trick here is to consume a wide variety of plants in order to obtain proteins from several non-animal sources.

Bulky doesn't mean nutritious

Energy intake is also an important point to focus on, when designing a vegetarian diet for a child.

Vegetarian meals tend to be bulky, so it is not difficult for a children to be satisfied with a vegetarian dinner, prepared by mom. But beware, a full stomach doesn’t mean that the child is getting enough energy.

This is proven by references showing that vegetarian children tend to be smaller and lighter than non-vegetarians of the same age. This simply shows that energy requirements aren’t being fulfilled, affecting directly children’s growth.

Animal products also provide children with essential vitamins for their development, including vitamin D and B12. These are not present in plant foods in enough quantity for children to get them from a vegetarian diet, so it is very important to use vitamin supplements that ensure the intake of these vitamins and avoid long-term negative effects, specially on brain development and cognition.

Just as vitamins, essential minerals, such as iron and calcium can only be found in the right forms and quantities in meat, milk and dairy products. Supplements, as well as the consumption of soy products and iron rich vegetables, such as spinach, tomatoes and potatoes, can replace animal-derived minerals.

Should I be concerned about my vegetarian child?

Not at all. As long as parents are aware that they need to get professional assistance from pediatricians and nutritionists in order to make sure their children are properly nourished.

The most important thing when it comes to vegetarianism is to consume as many vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts, as you can.

Don’t stick to potatoes and tomatoes, bananas and apples. Having variety in your children’s diet will ensure the fulfillment of protein, vitamins and mineral needs, and will help you prevent diseases related to undernourishment, such as scurvy, anemia, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, among others.

It is easier nowadays, with so many vegetarian food offered in the supermarket to prefer processed over natural products. However, using natural fresh food is always the best option and will help you in offering your children a well-balanced natural diet that will keep them healthy and happy.

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