Vegetarian Diet for Toddler / Kids

I am raising my children vegetarian. If done wisely, it can be an excellent choice. Both of my boys are at the top of the growth charts with no visits to doctors for illnesses (not attributing the diet to that, just pointing out that it is conducive to a healthy lifestyle).

Number one is to make sure your children are getting a balanced diet. Protein, calcium, iron, etc....a good multivitamin in conjunction with healthy foods can help if you are concerned.

Protein seems to be a concern for a lot of new or non-vegetarians, but it can be found in lots of places. It is recommended that your toddler (don't know how old your child is) get about 16 grams of protein. People associate meat with protein, but it is in tofu, nuts, legumes, all dairy products (yogurt, milks, cheeses), eggs, etc.

Here is a good link for foods high in protein, iron, and calcium:
http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlercalcium.htm

Although we are vegetarian, I do give (and take because I am nursing) a good fish oil supplement because its such a good way to get omega and dha oils....there are other vegetarian options though.

Expect some pushback from others. "Meat eaters" get a little defensive around vegetarians I've found! :)

Good luck!

I think most importantly, feed whole foods that are varied. Good for you

My neighbors were vegetarian before having their son, but they actually believed it wasn't healthy for a growing child. You should probably talk to your pediatrician - instead of trusting other peoples opinions, or biased articles on the internet.

What my neighbors do is a *mostly* vegetarian diet. They eat a lot of tofu, beans, lentils, but also 2-3 meals a week they include fish or chicken. They eat much healthier because of this, just not fully vegetarian.

This might be something to look into for you. Basically just dropping red meat and eating healthier, more varied greens and veggies.

Good luck :)

I would suggest that you speak to your child's pediatrician and a dietician. There are some health benefits by being a vegetarian, but you have to do it the proper way, especially with your children. They will need supplements to get the proper amount of iron in their diets, along with other nutrients that are lacking in fruits and vegetables. My cousin is vegan, and imposes a vegetarian lifestyle on her children, which they do well with, but they do need to take extra vitamins and supplements since they are children and are not able to get all the nutrition they need from their diet. My cousin spoke with a qualified dietician to find out what her children would need, and regularly takes her children in to make sure their iron and potassium levels are good. There are positives and negatives to every lifestyle change, so just make sure to research thoroughly with QUALIFIED professionals before making the change.

Good luck to you!

Quinao (which is the seed of a plant but often referred to as a grain) is a great source of protein. I has all 9 amino acids and so is considered a complete protein as well as containing several other essential nutrients such as iron and magnesium. It's gluten free, low on the glycemic index and a great source of dietary fiber. It cooks up just like rice and can be used any way that you would use rice but also can be eaten as a warm cereal for breakfast or cold in salads. it also can be sprouted. It has a mild nutty flavor. I started adding it to my kids oatmeal and they don't even know it's there. I buy it at our local food coop which is cheaper then what they offer in the healh food secion of our grocery store. There are also many other ways to get your kids protein needs met with out meat. Feeding your kids a vegetarian diet is a great idea!

Also, watch the movie Food Inc. recently shown on PBS. You'll never see grocery store beef the same way again.

Good luck!

Hi A.! I was a vegetarian for 9 years. My advice is to NEVER feed your child fake "meats". Veggie burgers are very high in MSG, over processed and basically not food at all.

Be very in tune to you and your family's needs. The vegetarian diet is not for everyone, and there are many people (like my parents) who suffer lasting effects from a vegan diet.

I was a hard and fast vegetarian, but now I believe that cutting out an entire food group is not good for every body type. Balance is the key, and cutting out processed food is MUCH healthier than just going vegetarian.

I buy organic and it has made all the difference in my family's lives. I only buy local, organic chicken and beef. It's not as expensive as people would think.

Do alot of research and good luck in your decision!

Well if you are vegitarian then you would be a good example for them to follow.

if your budget allows, morning star and boca make VERY good vegan/vegetarian "burgers" "chicken" and other misc foods, and they are VERY yummy!

basically fruits and veggies should be the main of your meal, however you have to add proteins by having things like peanut butter, beans, other stuff like that. im sure there are a ton of websites that will help you out.

you are doing a great thing; vegan diet is the best there is! :) vegetarian is a close second. congratulations for making the jump!

My daughter has pretty much chosen to be mostly vegetarian (she is 3 1/2 now but this started around 1 1/2 years old). It seems to be more of a taste and texture thing for her as to why she does not eat a lot of meat. She dose not know she is leaning towards being vegetarian but it just seems to be what she prefers.

Biggest issue is my daughter does not eat a lot of veggies, she does eat corn and peas but that is it. She eats tons of fruit, yogurt, whole grain foods, nuts, mashed steamed cauliflower (just like mashed potatoes but healthier), and other little snack items. Once a day she eats either fish or chicken, on rare occasion ham (does not touch any other kind of meat) but never eats much of it.

As the other moms said the biggest thing is get the protein that is needed for growth, there are other options besides meat to get it but it can be something that is easily forgotten about when starting a vegetarian (no meat) or vegan (no meat & no dairy) diet. Also talk it over with your pediatrician, if you have a good one they will help you go about it the best way possible.

It's definitely a conversation for you to have with your pediatrician and a dietician as Jen M suggested to make sure you not only understand how it can affect their overall health, but also how to approach it sensibly so you're providing the best opportunities for your children to grow and develop.

From a scientific stand point, I can't see any reason why you couldn't provide all the needed nutrients through a vegetarian diet. But, learning which foods are most appropriate to incorporate the needed quantities of protein, fat, carbs, iron, etc. is really critical (even for non-vegetarian diets).

Here is what the American Academy of Pediatrics has posted on their parenting website, HealthyChildren.org
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/grades...

Hi,
Are you a vegetarian yourself? My whole familly is and we love it! My husband has been a vegetarian all his life, I have been for 8 years, and my one year old is. My son eats yogurt, grilled cheese sandwiches, toast and peanut butter, waffles, boca burgers, refried beans, and of course, fruits and veggies. There is a really good book called "how it all vegan" (it's vegan recipes but can easily be made vegetarian) that has some great kids recipes. Please let me know if you need any guidance or advice. Good luck!
~S.

My first thought is to make sure they still get plenty of PROTEIN! Beans, lentils, etc. Protein is very important in anyone's diet, but especially a growing kid's diet. My mom made a lentil salad that was delicious!

I personally am NOT a vegetarian, so my second suggestion now that I thought of it was to make sure the kids know that they're not 'bad' if they eat meat. I think most kids might be afraid that you'll get mad at them if they eat meat at school or if at a birthday party, they eat the pepperoni off the pizza. Just make sure you have a good conversation with them about it.