Just Veggin' Kids

HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI TELLS US IF A VEGETARIAN DIET IS ENOUGH
FOR A GROWING CHILD

Lately my son has been on a vegetarian diet. Not that you
should call it vegetarian, since it is primarily a fruit and
yogurt diet, based on his youthful impulse to eat the same foods at
every meal for weeks on end. His choices,however, have
caused me to ponder the benefits of a vegetarian diet for him
and wonder if he could get all of hisnutritional requirements fulfilled with such a diet.

When I think of vegetarians, I think of people that eat no meat.
There are actually four types of vegetarian diets. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but no meat,poultry, or fish. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but no other animal products. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but no
other animal products and vegans eat food only from plant sources.

Research has shown that the benefits to following a vegetarian diet are many: decreased incidence of type II diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, decreased cholesterol levels, decreased cancer incidence and decreased exposure to pesticides and antibiotics, especially if the diet is organic. Additionally, some families have found that following the more restrictive vegan diet has decreased their child’s incidence of ear infections, digestive issues, and respiratory issues such as chest congestion and asthma. But are these restrictive diets appropriate for a rapidly growing infant or toddler?

Most dietary experts agree that a balanced, whole-foods based, well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet is a great choice for people of all ages, including infants and toddlers. Though certain vitamins and minerals are only found in meat and dairy products naturally, supplementation can be used to provide those nutrients just as well as animal products.

For children, well balanced means it has to include foods or supplementation that contain the following nutrients, which are essential:



Calcium
Sea vegetables, such as hijiki, kelp, wakame, nori, and kombu
Green leafy vegetables, such as kale, turnip and mustard greens and Watercress
Nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pistachios
Beans, including chick peas and pinto beans
Grains, including amaranth and quinoa
Tofu processed with calcium sulfate and tempeh.
Cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs
Dried figs
Blackstrap molasses
Calcium fortified beverages, including soy milk, orange juice, etc.

Please note that the following things decrease the calcium stores in your body:
Soft drinks
Refined sugar
Excess salt

Nightshade vegetables including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, all contain the calcium inhibitor solanine.


Essential Fatty Acids
The key members of the omega 3 family of EFAs are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are only found naturally in oily fish, while ALA, which can be converted to DHA in the body, can be found in:

Seeds, such as mustard, flax, and pumpkin and oils from those seeds
Soybeans/soybean oil (always choose brands labeled non-GMO)
Walnut oil
Green leafy vegetables
Whole grains
Spirulina and other vegetarian marine algae
Canola (rapeseed) oil
Fortified eggs and grains


Iron
Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, watercress, and swiss chard, beans (soybeans, lentils, lima, kidney, navy)seeds, eggs, dried fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), iron-fortified cereals and bread, blackstrap molasses and edible seaweeds

Using iron cookware when cooking acidic foods can also contribute to dietary intake of iron.

As well, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so offering citrus fruits with iron-rich foods can also contribute to amount of iron in the body.


Protein
Legumes, tofu, tempeh, grains (wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, pasta, bread), nuts (brazils, hazels, almonds, cashews) and seeds (quinoa, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), dairy products, soy yogurt


Vitamin B12
Dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks. In supplements, look for the words “cyanocobalamin” or “cobalamin” in the ingredient list, as these are the most absorbable forms of vitamin B-12.

Please note, breast-fed infants of vegetarian/vegan mothers need B-12 supplementation, as B-12 deficiency can result in permanent neurological damage in infants.


Vitamin D
Sunlight (exposure without sunblock) and in fortified products such as soy milk, margarine, eggs and breakfast cereals.


Zinc
Nuts and nut butters, wheat germ, brown rice, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products, spinach, tofu, tempeh, miso, and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils).

In addition to nutrient requirements, there is also the issue of caloric intake. While most vegetarian children eating a balanced diet do not have an issue meeting their calorie requirements, it is a concern for vegan children. Fruits and vegetables tend to be very fibrous, and can fill up your little one’s tiny stomach quickly, thus leaving little room for higher calorie foods. As such, if your child follows a vegan diet, it may be necessary to give him peeled fruits and vegetables, which are less fibrous. To increase caloric intake, you can add some refined grain products, pure fruit juices, or healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and seed butters into your child’s diet.

It is also important to ensure that the produce you buy is organic. Not only is organically grown produce more sustainable and environmentally friendly, it is safer for your children. When you choose non-organic produce, your child may be exposed to pesticides and genetic modification without your knowledge. Non-organic produce that is genetically modified is not required to be blatantly labeled to indicate such. The only way you know that a product has been genetically modified is if it has a five-digit number that starts with an 8 on its label (conventional produce is four numbers starting with a 4 and organic is 5 numbers beginning with a 9). Pesticides from non-organic produce are visually non-detectable and can be absorbed right into the root systems of the plant, where the pesticides cannot be washed off. Because children are more susceptible to pesticides and toxins in their bodies due to their decreased fat stores, it is essential to choose organic for their health.

Please make sure to discuss your child’s diet with your pediatrician if making a switch to vegetarianism or veganism. Your doctor can provide you with information on supplementation and things to look for in the case of malnutrition, as well as information regarding foods listed in the table above that have allergen potential or could cause choking.

A well-balanced, well-planned, vegetarian or vegan diet can meet the needs of your children as they grow and are healthy options in this day of super-sized, fatty, sugary fast food, factory farmed, antibiotic-ridden meat and dairy products, and mercury and PCB polluted farmed fish.


Some menu ideas for the vegetarian child:
Pizza crust topped with tomato sauce, vegetables, and rice cheese
Veggie stir fry with brown rice
Quinoa salad with greens and garlic
Pasta with marinara sauce
Veggie meatloaf
Banana and strawberry smoothies with organic soy yogurt
Celery with peanut butter
Cashew butter sandwiches
Fresh or dried fruit
Noodles with peanut butter sauce
Raw vegetables with hummus
Mashed potatoes with garlic and olive oil
Flaxseed muffins with carrots and raisins
Veggie burgers with salsa on whole grain bread
Tofu hotdogs
Guacamole on pita bread

For more veggy good ideas and information, go to:
www.vegetarianbaby.com/nutrition.shtml (Articles galore for vegetarian children and parents)
www.healthybelly.com/articles/pickyvegetariankids.htm (Vegetarian school lunch recipes)
www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_diets_for_children.html (Vegetarian diets for children with recipes, sample diets and more)
www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/vegetarian_kids.html (Rationale for going vegetarian, with recipes and sample lunches)
www.vegansociety.com (Great general information site)
www.vegfamily.com (Great general information site)
www.vegsoc.org/youth/youngveggies.html (Great general information site for kids)
www.vegforlife.org/kid_parents.htm (Great general information site)
www.kidshealth.org (Great general information site)

Or check out these books:

Simply Vegan by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels Ph.D., R.D
Leprechaun Cake and Other Tales: A Vegetarian Story-Cookbook by Vonnie Winslow Crist and Debra Wasserman
Raising Vegetarian Children : A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony by Joanne Stepaniak,Vesanto Melina