Eating Wisely
Raising a Vegetarian Child
Melanie Wilson
New Guinea
From: NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 17 No. 4 July-August 2000, pp. 131-133,
151
The word "vegetarian"
may mean different things to different people. There are many distinct
categories of vegetarianism, each one embodying a set of dietary guidelines.
Some also include ethical and/or religious belief systems. The term
generally refers to someone who does not consume meat of any kind, including
seafood. The vast majority of vegetarians fall into the ovo-lacto (egg
and dairy products) category, meaning that they do consume eggs and
dairy products, such as cheese, milk, and yogurt. Ovo-vegetarians eat
eggs but not dairy products. Lacto-vegetarians are just the opposite,
consuming dairy products but not eggs. Vegans consume no animal products
whatsoever. In common usage, the word "vegetarian" encompasses
all these categories, though vegans sometimes choose to differentiate
themselves from the group.
It may not make sense to
the average omnivore to get so technical. Food is food, right? We define
the foods we eat as artificial or natural, processed or unprocessed,
harmful or healthful. Vegetarians take it one step further by making
the commitment to choose certain foods as part of their way of life.
Even though health is the
number one reason for choosing vegetarianism, not all vegetarians eat
a healthful, balanced diet. It is entirely possible to give up meat
and still eat candy bars, potato chips, and drink soda regularly. Some
of the well-documented health benefits of consuming a well-balanced
vegetarian diet include higher fiber consumption, lower intake of saturated
fat and cholesterol, lower intake of pesticides, food additives, preservatives,
and less chance of contracting meat-borne illnesses such as BSE (Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease) and e. coli from
contaminated meat products. A diet high in vegetable products and low
in animal products has also been linked to cancer prevention and lower
risk of heart disease (Marcus 1998).
Populations the world over
have been raising healthy vegetarian children for hundreds of years.
Yet in Western cultures, the idea of vegetarianism for children is often
received negatively or at least with some doubt. Even longtime vegetarians
and vegans who know quite a bit about maintaining a good nutritional
balance for themselves, begin to doubt their ability to raise healthy
vegetarian or vegan children. Why is this?
Lack of support, knowledge,
and experience are the major factors. If you have never been around
vegetarian children, you may wonder if it is even possible to raise
healthy children this way. In general, health professionals are not
well informed about vegetarian diets, fueling the fire of doubt. In
the face of such adversity one would do well to remember that even the
American Dietetic Association approves a vegetarian diet for all ages.
In their paper Feeding Your Baby the Vegetarian Way, the Association
states that "when their diet is a appropriately planned, babies
can get all the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy within a
vegetarian eating style."
Pediatrics, a well-respected
medical journal, reported on a landmark study in 1989. Researchers studied
404 children at the Farm, a cooperative community in Tennessee that
encourages a vegan diet for all, and found no significant differences
in growth between the vegetarian children who lived there and non-vegetarian
children. The vegetarian children were slightly smaller than the average
American child from ages one to three, but by age ten had caught up.
This is not to say, however, that all vegetarian or vegan children are
thin or small. They come in all shapes and sizes.
The best time to start teaching
good eating habits is in early childhood. Research shows that diets
high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which increase the risk of heart
disease, begin in childhood (Marcus 1998). Though it is difficult to
explain the more complicated aspects of vegetarianism to a toddler,
a child that age doesn't really require much explanation. They can eat
only what they are given, and it is at that time that eating patterns
and tastes are beginning to take hold. Around the age of three, children
will choose food based on familiarity with it (Yntema 22). Children
develop strong opinions about what they like and do not like to eat
at this age, though, so it is important to focus on healthful foods
right from the beginning—whether you are a vegetarian or not! It may
be difficult for a child to switch from white bread to whole grains
or from hamburgers to soy burgers, but a child who has never eaten the
former learns to love the taste of whole foods and healthy alternatives.
Explanations do become necessary around preschool age when children
begin to notice that others are eating different foods than they are
and have more opportunities to eat outside the home. At this age, they
are also beginning to understand more and share in the family's philosophy.
Explaining why the family eats one food but not another is easier in
the context of a shared family philosophy.
Still, there is no denying
that there are different requirements for the diet of children compared
to that of adults. The same holds true for vegetarians. One cannot simply
eliminate an entire food group without replacing it with good quality
and variety of vegetarian alternatives. Some basic knowledge of vegetarian
nutrition is required to ensure that children receive the proper balance
of nutrients. Virginia Messina, MPH, RD and Mark Messina, PhD write
in their book, The Vegetarian Way, "Children's nutrient
needs are highest for vitamin D, iron, calcium and zinc ... other nutrients
of special interest in the diets of vegetarian children are protein,
vitamin B 12 and riboflavin." That said, it is not
as difficult to meet those nutrient needs as some would believe.
Breast milk is the very best
option for babies. First solids for babies are generally fruits, vegetables,
and cereals so most babies are vegetarian until they start heavier solids,
usually protein sources, somewhere between six and twelve months. Contrary
to common belief, protein is not difficult to obtain on a vegetarian
diet. Protein is very important in the diet, even more so for children
than adults, but parents should not be overly concerned about this.
According to Messina and Messina, "When children consume adequate
calories, eat frequently throughout the day, and consume a variety of
foods, protein deficiency is virtually nonexistent."
Another common concern is
getting enough calcium. The most common source of calcium in the Western
world is dairy products, and this is where lacto-ovo vegetarians obtain
the bulk of this mineral. It is also a good source of riboflavin and
vitamin D (though the body will manufacture vitamin D with adequate
exposure to sunlight several times a week). Luckily for those who cannot
or choose not to consume dairy, there are plenty of other sources of
calcium. These include tofu, dark green leafy vegetables, bok choy,
broccoli, beans, figs, sunflower seeds, tahini (sesame seed paste),
almond butter, calcium and vitamin fortified soy, nut and rice milks,
fortified juices and even fortified breakfast cereals. Many fortified
foods are readily available and affordable, which helps ensure that
vegetarian children do not suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Parents
of children who are dark-skinned or who live in climates where adequate
sun exposure is not possible should make sure to include a dietary source
of vitamin D.
Eating a wide variety of
healthful foods will generally take care of zinc requirements. Foods
that are high in protein are usually high in zinc as well. Vegetarian
sources include specially fortified cereals, wheat germ, sea vegetables,
legumes, nuts, seeds, cheese, milk, and yogurt, among others (Johnston
1999). There is very little information available on zinc for vegetarian
children, but restricting fiber intake somewhat may increase zinc absorption.
This is interesting to note, because fiber plays such an essential role
in health. "Small children are much more sensitive to the effects
of excess fiber than adults ... adding too much fiber too soon can not
only speed things up too much, but the filling effect of fiber can replace
more calorie-dense foods ... protein (and other nutrients) don't get
absorbed adequately" (Eisman 20). Including some refined grains
(such as white bread or rice) and peeled fruit in the toddler diet can
keep the level of fiber manageable.
Another easily resolved issue
is that of obtaining enough vitamin B12. Ovo-lacto vegetarians
generally do not have worry, as B12 is available from
eggs and dairy products. Vegans will want to verify that they have a
reliable source of the vitamin in their diet, from supplements or fortified
foods. (Some iron-rich foods are also good sources of vitamin C.)
No discussion of vegetarian
diets for children would be complete without mentioning iron. Iron deficiency
anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in America. It can
affect children regardless of whether they are vegetarian or not (Messina
and Messina 183-86). Still, the stereotype of vegetarian children as
thin, weak, and pale (all symptoms of anemia) persists. In fact, though
meat is the best source of absorbable iron, iron can be found in abundance
in plant foods like enriched grains, dried fruits, soy products, broccoli,
beans, and nuts. If foods high in iron are served with vitamin C-rich
foods or drinks (e.g., orange juice, cantaloupe, strawberries, bell
peppers, or watermelon) absorption is greatly improved.
With all this talk about
whole grains, fruits and vegetables, one may assume that all vegetarian
children, if not anemic, are at least very thin. It is an interesting
paradox to note that America's obsession with thinness does not carry
over to babies. Fat babies are cute and cuddly, thin ones scrawny, by
popular opinion. Just as some breastfed babies are smaller than average
and others are extremely chubby, some vegetarian babies and toddlers
are small and some very large. Regardless of the size of the baby, however,
parents would do well to remember that children under two need more
fat in their diets—about 25 to 35% of total calories—to support
the rapid growth of this early period of life (Melina, Davis, and Harrison
84-87, 113). Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats, especially
for those who do not consume dairy products.
It seems that nearly all
parents, vegetarian and omnivore, worry about what their babies and
toddlers are (or are not) eating. Often parents' level of confidence
about what they are feeding their children, how much their children
consume, and whether children's nutritional needs are being met, is
directly related to their own experience with food. For American parents,
these experiences are overwhelmingly dominated by a meat-eating, fast
food society. At issue here are two things: basic familiarity with the
wide variety of vegetarian options to meat (and dairy products for vegans)
and knowledge of vegetarian cooking. Once families familiarize themselves
with all the products available and learn to cook delicious vegetarian
food, thinking changes from "what we cannot eat" to "what
we can eat" and, eventually, to "what we choose to eat."
Raising healthy vegetarian
children is possible and is not difficult once a parent has done some
simple research. Each person who chooses to become a vegetarian should
do his or her own research. Take your standard food chart and simply
substitute vegetarian or vegan alternatives making sure your child gets
the recommended number of servings. When looked at in this way, it becomes
clear that the task at hand is really no more difficult than feeding
your average picky toddler. Resources exist in many forms available
to anyone willing to peruse the magazine or nutrition/cookbook section
of the local bookstore, spend an evening surfing the Internet, or contact
a local national vegetarian organization. A vegetarian diet for children
can not only be adequate but also abundantly healthful.
Recipes
Coconut-Apple Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/2 C. sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 T. dried coconut
- water as needed
Instructions: Place the chopped
sweet potato pieces in a steamer over boiling water. After 5 minutes,
add the chopped apples and steam until tender. Place potato and apple
pieces into a food processor with coconut. Process until baby food consistency,
adding water as necessary.
Note: You can use a potato
masher, fork, or baby food grinder to prepare this recipe, though the
mixture won't be as smooth. This is also a great side dish for a toddler
meal. Try using coconut milk instead of water for a creamier, more coconutty
flavor.
Nutty Avocado Dip
Ingredients:
- 1/2 of an avocado
- 2 T. sour cream (or non-dairy sour cream)
- 1/2 t. lemon juice
- 1 T finely chopped walnuts
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions: Cut the avocado
in half by inserting a sharp knife in the middle until it hits the pit
inside. Run the knife around the entire circumference of the avocado
dividing it in half. Twist the two halves until they come apart. Save
the half with the pit, covered with plastic in the fridge. Scoop the
pulp out of the other half into a food processor. Add the other ingredients
and blend quickly, only for a few seconds, until evenly mixed. Serve
immediately with crackers, oven fried potatoes, pita bread triangles,
corn or flour tortillas, toast fingers or corn chips (for the older
child who chews well).
Note: A bowl and fork will
work just fine if you don't have a food processor. This recipe is enough
for one adult and one child or several children. For one child, cut
the recipe in half.
Tip: The lemon juice helps
to keep this dip green longer, but don't make it too far ahead of time,
because the avocado will turn brown. Wondering if your avocado is ready
to eat? Press lightly on the stem end. If the flesh is soft and indents
easily (not mushy!) then it's ready.
Potato Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Ingredients:
- 2-3 mushroom caps per child, depending on appetite
- mashed potatoes
- margarine
- grated cheese/soy cheese
Instructions: Remove stems
from mushrooms and wipe caps with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. Brush
with margarine and place bottom side up on an oven tray. Fill each mushroom
with mashed potatoes and top with cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes (or
until the cheese is browned) at 425°F /220°C.
Note: This recipe sounds gourmet, but it's really very easy and a
great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.
Tip: Add protein to the meal by placing some small chunks of veggie
burger under the potatoes. Garnish with a sprig of parsley for fun.
Orange-Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 T. oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 large carrots, sliced
- 2 T. curry powder
- 1 T. grated lemon rind (optional)
- 1 C. orange juice
- 1 1/2 C. coconut milk
- 2 C. vegetable stock (or bouillon and water)
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions: Heat oil in
a large saucepan. Add onions and sauté until clear. Add carrots, curry
powder, lemon rind, and orange juice to pan, and cook until the carrots
are soft. Stir in coconut milk and stock and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove pan from heat and set aside to
cool slightly. Place soup, in batches, in a food processor or blender
and process until smooth. Freeze small portions of soup (an ice cube
tray covered in plastic wrap works well for this). Reheat one serving
at a time.
Note: Once your baby is old
enough for citrus, usually over 1 year, this makes a great baby food.
Tip: Try this soup garnished
with yogurt, sour cream and/or chopped cashew nuts.
Last updated Friday, November 3, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:30:43 UTC 2007.
