Tuesday, 29 July 2008
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Growing Vegetarians
by Nurse Jenna
In response to recent blog about going vegetarian, I wanted to throw in few additional comments on raising vegetarian kids. First of all, I am a vegetarian and have been for over 20 years, so I am in full support of the cause for anyone who feels it is something they would like to choose to do. I think it is overall a healthier lifestyle (if pursued correctly), it leaves a smaller carbon-footprint, and is more humanitarian. Plus, I had the unpleasant job of herding cattle one summer as a teenager and was more convinced than ever that I did not want to be eating meat. However, as a Nurse Practitioner (while not in my vegetarian shoes…those would be the non-leather variety), I want to caution everyone about a few things. It can be more of challenge to make sure you and your children are getting adequate vitamins and minerals if you are going the vegetarian route. This highly depends on whether you are taking the vegan path (no animal products whatsoever), or are a lacto-ovo vegetarian—meaning you still eat eggs and cheese and other animal based products, just not the animals themselves.
If you are a vegetarian (though especially a vegan), you need to make sure you get adequate amounts of:
Iron
Fortified cereals
Chickpeas
Spinach
Dried apricots, Raisins
B12 (Must used fortified products if vegan)
Found in adequate quantities in any animal based product (i.e. milk, cheese, eggs)
Protien
Nuts
Peanut Butter
Beans
Tofu
Lentils
Eggs
Cheese
Calcium
Dairy Products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
Molasses
Collard Greens
Broccoli
Almonds
Approximate amounts of the below needed for your children:
Ages
Calcium
Iron
Protein
1-3 yrs old
500 mg
7 mg
18-21 g
4-8 yrs old
800 mg
10 mg
26-32 g
9-18 yrs old
1300 mg
11-15 mg
34-73 g *
*Depending on age and gender
Regardless of whether you choose to be a vegetarian or not, as my previous blog on childhood obesity brought to light, we need to make sure we are giving our kids more fruits and vegetables, less fried/fatty foods, and more water. And get them outside to play! Remember those summer evening games of kick-the-can, and hide-and-seek? Summer is the best time for both fruits and vegetables, and fun outdoor games!
My question is this: Do you think it is difficult for children who are raised vegetarian when they are interacting (and eating) with non-vegetarian children? Either trying to explain it, or because they don't understand it? Is it fair to them?
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Comments (10)
Two of my very close friends have been raised vegetarian and they've never had a problem. They are happy with who they are. They've been fortunate enough to have supportive non judgemental friends but I still think that it's fair to the children to raise them vegetarian. But I also think they should be able to choose to not be a vegetarian if they want to later on.
I've been a vegetarian for 3 years and physically I've never felt better.
Wow, that's so neat. I've been a veggie for two years, not vegan cause I gotta have my dairy.I can't stand the thought of eating animals. I have been thinking a lot about when I have kids should I raise them like me? I'm no where near motherhood, but it's still something to think about. I think when the child is old enough you should explain to them why you yourself don't like meat. Maybe they would agree or maybe not. Either way I think it's ok to raise them like that but once they get old enough they should choose. Good luck! =]
I was raised ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian, and EVERY DAY I'm so thankful for it. Now, there's no way I'd be able to eat red meat even if I wanted to, so a whole category of disgustingly fattening foods is completely unpalatable.
I never really had much of a problem being vegetarian specifically when I was growing up, though my other extreme dietary restrictions did make me an outcast (absolutely no refined sugar, white bread, etc. - even as an occasional treat at school! my mother instructed all my teachers that they were NEVER to allow me to have such items, and when I went to summer camp, I had to get specially-made meals at EVERY meal. It was awful.)
I can see how it would be difficult for vegetarian children to spend time at the homes of non-veggie children because a lot of families these days don't really pay too much attention to what they serve at dinner. It's a lot of the same, protein-starch-veggie combo and what we don't always realize is that not all vegetables are created the same. I think it's a great idea to follow your chart even if you're not a vegetarian, it's always important to make sure you are getting the right nutrients.
Because my kids are young and we are homeschooling, it's not like they are at school watching their friends eat meat during lunch or over at their houses for dinner. They don't know any difference right now. I see down the road how it would be difficult for them the same way it is for adults interacting with their friends with different views. If my kids choose to stay vegetarian, I want to give them some handy little "comebacks" in a way if I ever see it as a problem of them getting teased or whatever because of it. I also want to make sure they don't say something rude to omnivore kids like "OMG I can't believe you are eating that!" or worse "eggs are a chicken's period" (
) Tact is always best.
I think it is important to give the children the choice - especially when they are big enough to make that decision themselves. Giving them the option to have meat for school lunches or at a restaraunt can satisfy the parents who dont want to cook it and the children who want to eat it. I think it is also important to note that most schools dont have a vegetarian option for lunches. That could make it difficult for kids.
I think it is especially important for parents to be understanding when their child makes the decision to be vegetarian or not. It is different for everyone!
The mom of the little girls I used to nanny went vegetarian not too long after I moved on, but while I still occasionally babysat for them. She had them on a ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian diet too (though her husband was still a meat eater at the time). It was actually pretty cute to me to see little girls 3 and 5 telling me all about how they were vegetarian and what they could and could not eat!!
By the time the girlies were my flower girls, they'd been vegetarian for about three years and looked adorable and healthy...so it can be done. But I do agree that you have to be more careful that they DO get all the vitamins and nutrients they need...as it is a little harder to do on a meat-free diet.
We don't eat much meat in our house...though I can't vouch for how much meat my dh eats on his lunches at work!! I don't like cooking it, so unless my husband grills outside the only meat we do is ground hamburger meat for tacos and such...or chicken breasts grilled on the George Foreman, then chopped up to add to stuff. I'd happily go vegetarian with no problem and raise my future kiddoes that way too, but I think my dh will always be a meat eater. You should have seen him howl when I sorta tricked him into trying out a vegan restaurant!! I'd even go vegan pretty easily (as I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to honey) except for the fact that I do love me some eggs occasionally!!
Thanks for the info. I'm vegan, I wasn't raised it, but I definitely think that raising vegetarian/vegan kids is something you need to plan for, too many people forget that you still need to be healthy and get everything you need. You forgot to mention though, for vegans and ovo-vegetarians, soymilk is fortified with calcium and B12. I'm not sure about other non dairy milks though
Is the chart based on daily amounts? Good info.