Children Also Can Be Vegetarian

Not only parents, poorer children can also become a vegetarian. Vegetarian diets are well planned to meet the nutritional needs of children and has several health benefits.

In most cases, do not worry if the children choose to become vegetarian. Discuss what it means and how to apply it, make sure children make healthy and nutritious food choices. Parents should give their children a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow normally.

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables would be a diet high in fiber and low in fat, which can serve to improve heart health by reducing blood cholesterol, as well as maintaining a healthy weight. However, children and adolescents who are on a vegetarian diet may need to be careful. Because they have to get the amount of vitamins and minerals are sufficient.

Here are nutrients that must be obtained by vegetarians from some of the best food sources, among others:

1. Vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-enriched products, such as cereals, bread, and drink soy and rice.
2. Vitamin D: Milk, vitamin D fortified, orange juice, and other products fortified vitamin D.
3. Calcium: dairy products, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, dried beans, and calcium-fortified products, including orange juice, soybeans and cereals.
4. Protein: dairy products, eggs, tofu and other soy products.
5. Iron: eggs, dried beans, dried fruits, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals.
6. Zinc: whole grains, beans, fortified cereals, dried beans, and pumpkin seeds.

The less restrict a vegetarian diet, the easier it is for children to get enough necessary nutrients. In some cases, fortified foods or supplements can help meet nutritional needs.

The following vegetarian guidelines for children under the age :

1. Vegetarian Baby

The main source of protein and nutrition for babies is breast milk and infant formula, especially in the first 6 months of life. Milk for infants vegatarian should receive a source of vitamin B12, if the mother's diet is not equipped and infants drank less than 32 ounces (1 liter), then it should receive supplements of vitamin D.

Guidelines for the introduction of solid food is the same for vegetarian and non vegetarian infant. Infants 6 months and over should receive iron from complementary foods, like cereals iron-fortified infant.

After the baby is introduced to solid foods, protein-rich vegetarian foods can include porridge know, cottage cheese, yogurt or soy yogurt, bean porridge, beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils.

2. Toddlers vegetarian

When the stops were given breast milk or formula, children at risk of malnutrition. After a 1-year-old son, a strict vegetarian diet may not provide enough essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and zinc.

So it is important to provide cereal and solid foods full of nutrients. Vitamin supplements are also recommended for toddlers who may not be given adequate nutritional diet. Toddlers are usually picky eaters who will eat. So some toddlers may not get enough calories from a vegetarian diet to thrive.

For toddlers vegetarian, the amount of vegetables needed for proper nutrition and calories may be too big for their stomachs. During the toddler stage, it is important for vegetarian parents to make sure their children eat enough calories. Toddlers can be quite fat and getting enough calories in a vegetarian diet, but should be well planned.

3. Children and teens vegetarian

Preteens and teens often usually have more freedom to choose to eat. It is common among teenagers, for those who decide to become vegetarians. If done correctly, the meat-free diet can be a good choice for adolescents.

Vegetarian diet is often consume more foods that most teens do not get enough, ie fruits and vegetables. Vegetarian diets that include dairy products and eggs are the best choice for teens.

More strict vegetarian diet may fail to meet the needs of adolescents for certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins D and B12. If you are concerned that children are not getting enough essential nutrients, consult a physician, who may recommend vitamin and mineral supplements.