How to Raise Vegetarian Children

Children do not need meat - or even cow's milk - to grow up healthy and strong. Vegetarian children tend to be slimmer, and as a group, vegetarians have a lower incidence of heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fruits
• Meat Substitute
• Soy Milk
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Vegetables

1. Give your children a varied diet. We establish eating habits early in life, so accustom your children to healthy, fresh foods.

2. Serve favorite foods often - children will generally be partial to a particular fruit or vegetable. Introduce new foods by pairing them with a favorite.

3. Serve legumes liberally - they're packed with protein and fiber. Introduce mild-tasting ones to start, such as chickpeas and navy beans.

4. Prepare tasty recipes such as lentil soup or a minestrone soup.

5. Serve soy milk instead of cow's milk. It is high in protein and less likely to cause allergies than cow's milk.

6. Add silken tofu to shakes and smoothies for an extra protein boost. You can also add it to puddings, soup, and sauces.

7. Use whole-grain breads - they're filled with fiber, vitamins and other nutrients.

8. Serve green leafy veggies. Make tangy dips and let your kids dip broccoli, carrots and other vitamin- and mineral-packed veggies. Green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach are an excellent source of calcium.

9. Sprinkle sesame seeds on salads for an extra calcium boost. Dairy products are not the only source of calcium, despite what advertising tells you.

10. Use meat substitutes. Veggie burgers, hot dogs, deli slices, etc, are delicious and great sources of protein and vitamin - plus they're easy to prepare.

11. Try soy cheese if you are keeping your children off dairy.

12. Experiment with different grains. Try amaranth, quinoa, kamut and barley for a change from rice.

13. Find a pediatrician who supports you in your decision to raise vegetarian children.

Tips & Warnings

• As you would with any child, you may want to give your children a multivitamin to ensure that they are getting optimal nutrients.
• Get in touch with other veggie parents, via the Internet or other sources, and share tips on what works best with their children.
• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other healthcare professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

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[queenjane]

on 9/4/2008 Anyone who reads this should also check out the (nonprofit) Weston A. Price Foundation (http://www.westonaprice.org/). The real dope on what to feed your kids (and more importantly why) is there. Our ancestors from every culture ate the way they did and thrived, had no obesity or chronic disease. And you need to be wary of soy products, espeically genetically modified soy that is sold to farmers "Roundup Ready" meaning it can be liberally sprayed with the herbicide RoundUp and not be affected. Mice fed this soy are smaller than older mice and do not thrive. People, do some reasearch before you condemn your child to an unhealthy life.

[shana6495]

on 4/10/2008 I have been a vegetarian for more than 3 years. I made my choice based on the pain and suffering of animals and their rights to not satifsy my taste buds. I never think about eating meat, I never miss it at all. In fact more than anything I can't believe I spent the first 24 years of my life eating meat when I felt bad everytime I did. I think children need to know what they are eating, that nugget was a living, feeling being, not just something mommy took from the freezer. Being a vegetarian is absolutely a personal choice, I just wish more people thought about the decision they make everytime they support the meat industry. I know I can't change everyone, sometimes it feels like I can't change anyone ( I live in Montana), but I believe in supply and demand. I over my life time, I will effect the demand by eating food that didn't suffer, cry, or feel afraid.

[imtrix]

on 10/25/2007 i had been a vegetarian for year, and i was totally OK, but i just want to say that i'm a kid, and i DID stop growing, no matter how hard i tried to eat everything that my "healthy vegetarian" cookbook said. so, its just a heads up.

[MLL4]

on 3/11/2007 Raising Vegetarian Daughter - my 10 year old daughter chose to go vegetarian this year and we support her. She has never liked meat so this was a long time coming! She helps prepare meals and 3x a week we all eat vegetarian. Other days the rest of us add chicken or fish to the vegetarian meals. Be aware that there is a growing trend among girls of this age to use "vegetarianism" as a way to be "thinner" so if you have children talk to them about being healthy vs. being thin. My daughter is very concerned about getting proteins, fats, carbs in the correct amount for her body and active lifestyle. She doesn't want to lose weight but looks for ways to be healthy and involving her in the recipe planning and cooking stage has been great to that end. We have used most of the steps presented above since our kids were litte and it does work to get them to try new things and be healthy. Not just for vegetarians! As a final note - she doesn't get teased at school or elsewhere and maybe it is the way she presents herself or the fact that vegetarianism is going mainstream.

on 7/21/2006 I am 23 years old and I was raised vegetarian by my parents. Not one time in my life have I ever gotten teased for being a vegetarian. I think it has a lot to do with how you view being a vegetarian yourself, since you teach people how to treat you. If you have shame about it, it will reflect to others. If anything, I get a lot of attention for being healthier than all my friends. I thank my parents for raising me with nutritional values. I actually don't like the taste of meat, it grosses me out. But that's just how I was raised. I have never really wanted to even try meat till I was 21. Everyone is different.