If you are vegetarian parent, you have probably considered

putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would

it save time and make meal-planning easier, but for dietary

and ethical reasons, you believe it is a better choice

for your child.



Conversely, you might not be a vegetarian yourself, but

have a child who is going through a vegetarian "phase,"

where she rejects meat, but doesn’t consume enough healthy

foods to compensate for the nutritional gap.



Whatever the case is, you may have wondered whether or

not a vegetarian diet is sustainable, healthy choice

for your child. You may have heard that putting your child

on a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt her growth.



These concerns probably prevented you from putting your

child on a vegetarian diet up to this point.



And all of these concerns are legitimate. In fact, if

a vegetarian diet is poorly planned, it can cause serious

short and long term health problems, especially

for children, who are growing and developing--and who

do not yet have sufficient stores of vitamins.



If you aren’t well-prepared to put your child on a

vegetarian diet, you definitely shouldn’t. However,

if you have done your nutritional research and you are

familiar with the nutrients vegetarians commonly lack,

then you know that these problems can easily

be overcome with some meal planning.



You also know that putting your child on a healthful

vegetarian diet can greatly improve her health

in both the short and long term. It can also

reduce her exposure to animal products that contain

hormones and preservatives, which have been linked

to developmental problems and cancer.



If you haven't researched vegetarian diets thoroughly,

but you are anxious to start your child on one now,

you should start by ensuring that you plan meals to

boost amounts of the following nutrients (that most

vegetarians lack):



1. Protein. Make sure your child is consuming enough

protein by adding additional sources, such as wheat,

soybeans, isolated soy protein, and nuts.



2. Calcium. Ensure your child is consuming enough calcium

by adding calcium-fortified processed foods and leafy

green vegetables to his diet.



3. Iron. Add more iron to your child’s diet by increasing

servings of soybeans, pinto beans, tofu, and cereals.



4. Zinc. Enhance your child’s zinc intake by increasing

his servings of almonds, peanut butter, and mushrooms.



If you concentrate on compensating for all of these common

nutritional deficiencies, you absolutely can put your child

on a vegetarian diet without any negative health

consequences.



Just ignore the mythology surrounding vegetarian diets and

instead focus on research and meal-planning.



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