Vegetarian Children

We are currently making a granddaughter and her mother insisted that we feed her vegetarian diet.

This began to wonder whether or not a vegetarian diet is good for a child. I did some research on the topic and found some interesting facts:

1. vegetarian children are less likely to develop less disease than their counterparts eating meat.

2. Vegetarians tend to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and diabetes.

An expert who was quoted in a brief Duke Medical News Health states that children who eat a well balanced vegetarian diet can get all the nutrients they need to grow and be healthy.

In fact, Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director at the Duke University diet and fitness center,
was recently quoted as saying, "Do not worry. A child who (is raised vegetarian or) decides to become vegetarian can eat a well balanced diet, adequate, nutritious and healthy."

The key is to have a good variety of food, "said Polliti." First, it is good to look at foods that are concentrated sources of calories and protein. If you're lacto-ovo, it will of your dairy products and eggs. Nuts are calorie and appropriate for the lacto-ovo diet and vegan diets. soy products and vegetables are good sources of non-animal protein. peanut butter, yogurt, cheese fruits and nuts are popular choices for children who do not eat meat, seafood or poultry. "

This is important because a problem with a vegetarian diet is that the child can not obtain the required amount of vitamin B12 and vitamin D, as found mainly in meat. However, if you make sure you complete your child's diet with more fruits and green leafy vegetables and foods rich in proteins mentioned above, you can do to the lack of meat and give your child as vitamin B12 and D they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Another thing to keep in mind the daily calcium requirements. Most experts believe that all of us, not just vegetarians, get only about half of calcium recommended by health agencies. This means that a child who is a lacto-ovo should drink at least two to three classes of milk per day. If the child is vegetarian, he or she should be given soy milk or orange juice fortified with calcium. You should also look for good sources of vitamin D. Studies show that when children are not getting enough vitamin D from the sun, they may become deficient, which can easily happen in the winter. Kids can get vitamin D they need from milk or if the child is vegan, supplements of multivitamins.

Finally, parents who are raising vegetarian children should be concerned about calories. There are studies that show that when kids eat lots of foods from plants that are rich in fiber and bulky, they can not get enough calories.

The result is that the education of children to a vegetarian diet is not difficult and can have many benefits. It just requires some research and planning to ensure that young people have a diet that is adequate, and adequate nutrition