Raising Vegetarian Kids
A vegetarian diet for children may raise parental concerns about nutrition and health. But an expert says children who eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet can get all the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy.
When parents hear their child say, "Mom, Dad, I've decided to become a vegetarian," they may fear this isn't a healthy choice. What about protein? Calcium? Iron? Elisabetta Politi, nutrition manager at the Duke Diet and FitnessCenter, says not to worry. A child who decides to go vegetarian can eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. It just takes a little planning. "It's good to look at concentrated sources of calories and protein, for example, dairy products and eggs if you're a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Nuts are calorie-dense and appropriate for both lacto-ovo and vegan diets. Soy products are good sources of protein. Good sources of iron could be iron-fortified cereals, grains, dried fruits and nuts." Politi also says parents should keep in mind the health benefits of vegetarian diets. "Studies show that vegetarians tend to have lower rates of heart disease, obesity, colon cancer and diabetes. So we know that eating vegetarian can have a lot of advantages." I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute."