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Entry bubble Child Vegetarians

By: Colleen | January 14, 2009 | Category: Health

vegetarian

The government released a study with its first estimate of the amount of child vegetarians in the U.S. About 1 in 200 minors actively avoid eating meat.

When asked why they choose not to eat meat, the overwhelming response was out of respect for the welfare of animals.

This seems like a very noble reason for choosing one's dietary lifestyle, but some worry that a vegetarian diet could actually be detrimental to a child's developing body. Often, people associate being a vegetarian with a low-calorie, healthy, lifestyle. With children, a lot of times they are swapping out meat for other foods that are unhealthy like potato chips or candy. Another concern is that without meat, kids don't properly substitute foods to get the proper amount of protein that the body needs. Some vegetarians get protein by continuing to eat fish (I've never understood this realm of thinking, could someone please explain to me why fish don't count as "real" animals?).

I have lots of adult vegetarian friends. They're all committed to their cause against cruelty to animals but are still aware of the body's need for the benefits that meat provides. They stock up on beans and lentils as a means of getting plenty of protein in their diet. Dietary supplements are used with doctor's approval to be sure the body is getting vital vitamins and minerals.

Is your child a vegetarian? How do you make sure they're educated about getting a well-balanced diet?

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Comments (4):

blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on January 14, 2009 at 08:08 AM EST

I'm not a vegetarian, but my daughter is. She's 8 and it's not so much a moral issue for her, but she's a pretty picky eater. Still - if you're educated about good nutrition, eating a balanced diet without meat easy. Beans, soy, eggs and dairy products coupled with lots of fruits, veggies and healthy grains keep her healthy, fit, and strong. I know many vegetarian families that are raising their children as vegetarians, and I know that they make sure that good nutrition is on the menu. There are many ways to eat a balanced diet - they key is to think about what you're eating and stay away from the junk "food".

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blue comment bubble Posted by Mary Ann on January 14, 2009 at 02:16 PM EST

To learn more about vegetarianism and children, be sure to check out the resources on Vegetarian Nutrition (http://tinyurl.com/vegnutrition) at the National Agricultural Library's Food and Nutrition Information Center. The resources there have been reviewed and approved by trained nutrition professionals, most of whom are registered dietitians.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Geneva on January 14, 2009 at 04:37 PM EST

I was a vegetarian for 17 years starting at the age of 6. I am just now a recovering vegetarian and write about it on a blog. www.spokanefoodblog.com click on the right panel to see recovering vegetarian posts and my thoughts about it.

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blue comment bubble Posted by DC Veggie on January 14, 2009 at 04:59 PM EST

Here's at least one answer to your fish question. Some vegetarians don't eat meat because of the hormones, antibiotics, and other nasty chemicals used in the mass production of meat and the environmental impact of raising animals in this way. Seafood usually doesn't have this problem.

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