Q: My daughter desires to be a vegetarian. Is that OK for her well being?
A: Vegetarian diets are wholesome for youths, so long as they get key vitamins wanted to develop wholesome and robust. This may take some additional planning at mealtime, although.
Vegetarian diets have gotten extra frequent. Causes vary from a need to be more healthy to considerations about animal welfare and the atmosphere.
It’s necessary your youngster understands {that a} “vegetarian” eating regimen means a vegetable-based eating regimen. Some youngsters who cease consuming meat could begin consuming extra bread or pasta. This will likely fill them up, nevertheless it gained’t give them the balanced vitamin they want.
General, vegetarian diets are typically low in saturated fats and animal protein and excessive in fiber, folate, nutritional vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and a few phytochemicals. Youngsters and adolescents who comply with a vegetarian consuming plan are inclined to devour extra vegetables and fruit and fewer sweets, salty snacks and saturated fats than their nonvegetarian friends. In addition they are typically at a decrease threat for obese and weight problems.
Prior to now, consultants apprehensive that following a vegetarian eating regimen would result in dietary deficiencies in kids. At the moment, we all know that’s usually not the case with cautious vegetarian consuming plans that embrace sufficient of the next vitamins:
Protein: Youngsters who comply with a vegetarian plan are inclined to get sufficient protein selection and amount. Recurrently consuming legumes (corresponding to beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and soy) helps guarantee they’ll get sufficient. Youngsters and adolescents who’re vegan could have to eat extra of those meals than non-vegan kids, as a result of crops don’t all the time have the identical degree of protein present in dairy and eggs.
Iron: Iron from vegetarian sources (non-heme iron) shouldn’t be as prime quality as that from nonvegetarian sources. General, vegetarians want about 1.8 instances larger iron consumption in comparison with non-vegetarians. Wonderful vegetarian sources of iron embrace soy, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, beans and seeds like sesame and hemp. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption. Wonderful sources of vitamin C embrace citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, inexperienced and purple peppers, and leafy inexperienced greens.
Zinc: Zinc ranges could also be decrease in kids following a vegetarian eating regimen, although deficiency is uncommon. Some nice vegetarian sources of zinc embrace soy, legumes, grains, cheese, seeds and nuts. Additionally, soaking and sprouting beans, grains, nuts and seeds and leavening bread might help the physique higher make the most of zinc. So can leavening bread and fermenting meals.
Vitamin B12: In nature this vitamin is primarily present in animal merchandise. There are very small quantities in some fermented meals, nori, spirulina, chlorella algae and unfortified dietary yeast. Whereas most vegetarian plans include enough vitamin B12, kids who comply with a vegan consuming plan ought to take a vitamin B12 complement or eat fortified meals, corresponding to fortified dietary yeast.
Calcium: The physique’s skill to make use of calcium from plant meals will be hampered by another naturally occurring compounds corresponding to oxalates and phytates. Whereas spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard include excessive a variety of calcium, for instance, in addition they have excessive oxalates. This makes them a poor calcium supply. Alternatively, low-oxalate greens corresponding to kale, turnips, Chinese language cabbage and bok choy are good sources of calcium. So are fortified plant milks and soy, white beans, almonds, tahini, figs and oranges.
Vitamin D: Few meals naturally include vitamin D. Eggs yolks include some. Mushrooms include vitamin D in the event that they’ve been uncovered to daylight or synthetic ultraviolet gentle. Cow’s milk, some nondairy milks, tofu, orange juice, breakfast cereals and margarines usually are fortified with vitamin D.
EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids: These wholesome fat, primarily present in cold-water fish, are usually low in vegetarian (and absent in vegan) consuming plans. A small proportion of ALA (omega-3 from crops) is transformed to EPA and DHA. The most effective sources of ALA embrace seeds (flax, chia, camelina, canola and hemp), walnuts and their oils.
Make sure you speak together with your pediatrician about your youngster’s eating regimen throughout well-child visits. If there are considerations about your youngster’s nutrient standing, notably with regard to iron or vitamin B12, they might advocate doing a blood check to verify ranges.
In case your youngster is concerned with a vegetarian eating regimen, it helps to start out sluggish. Contemplate “meatless Mondays,” for instance. Sampling vegetarian consuming sooner or later every week lets them try it out and see whether it is one thing they wish to proceed. Make sure you use recipes from a vegetarian consuming plan, moderately than simply leaving out the meat.
Vegetarian diets are wholesome for youths, so long as they get key vitamins wanted to develop wholesome and robust.
Dr. Natalie D. Muth is a pediatrician and registered dietitian who practices normal pediatrics and is the director of the W.E.L.L. wholesome residing clinic at Youngsters’s Main Care Medical Group in Carlsbad, California. For extra info, go to HealthyChildren.org, the web site for fogeys from the AAP.
