Q: My daughter desires to be a vegetarian. Is that OK for her well being?
A: Vegetarian diets are wholesome for teenagers, so long as they get key vitamins wanted to develop wholesome and robust. This may take some further planning at mealtime, although.
Vegetarian diets have gotten extra widespread. Causes vary from a want to be more healthy to issues about animal welfare and the surroundings.
It’s necessary your youngster understands {that a} vegetarian food plan means a vegetable-based food plan. Some children who cease consuming meat may begin consuming extra bread or pasta. This will likely fill them up, but it surely received’t give them the balanced vitamin they want.
Total, vegetarian diets are usually 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 observe a vegetarian consuming plan are likely to eat extra vegatables and fruits and fewer sweets, salty snacks and saturated fats than their nonvegetarian friends. Additionally they are usually at a decrease danger for obese and weight problems.
Previously, consultants frightened that following a vegetarian food plan would result in dietary deficiencies in youngsters. As we speak, we all know that’s usually not the case with cautious vegetarian consuming plans that embrace sufficient of the next vitamins:
Protein: Youngsters who observe a vegetarian plan are likely to get sufficient protein selection and amount. Repeatedly consuming legumes (corresponding to beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and soy) helps guarantee they’ll get sufficient. Youngsters and adolescents who’re vegan might must eat extra of those meals than non-vegan youngsters, 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) will not be as top quality as that from nonvegetarian sources. Total, vegetarians want about 1.8 instances larger iron consumption in comparison with non-vegetarians. Glorious vegetarian sources of iron embrace soy, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, beans and seeds like sesame and hemp. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption. Glorious sources of vitamin C embrace citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, inexperienced and pink peppers and leafy inexperienced greens.
Zinc: Zinc ranges could also be decrease in youngsters following a vegetarian food plan, 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 can assist 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, youngsters who observe a vegan consuming plan ought to take a vitamin B12 complement or eat fortified meals, corresponding to fortified dietary yeast.
Calcium: The physique’s means to make use of calcium from plant meals could be hampered by another naturally occurring compounds corresponding to oxalates and phytates. Whereas spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard include excessive quite a lot of calcium, for instance, in addition they have excessive oxalates. This makes them a poor calcium supply. Then again, 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 mild. 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. One of the best 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 food plan throughout well-child visits. If there are issues about your youngster’s nutrient standing, significantly with regard to iron or vitamin B12, they might suggest doing a blood take a look at to examine ranges.
In case your youngster is fascinated by a vegetarian food plan, it helps to start out sluggish. Take into account “meatless Mondays,” for instance. Sampling vegetarian consuming someday every week lets them check it out and see whether it is one thing they wish to proceed. Make sure you use recipes from a vegetarian consuming plan, fairly than simply leaving out the meat.
Dr. Natalie D. Muth is a pediatrician and registered dietitian who practices common pediatrics and is the director of the W.E.L.L. wholesome residing clinic at Youngsters’s Major Care Medical Group in Carlsbad, Calif. For extra data, go to HealthyChildren.org, the web site for folks from the AAP.
