Vegetarian diets in children
Infant feeding
Particular attention is needed for vegetarian mothers that breast feed when
infants may be at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency. For most well
and healthy children a vegetarian diet can provide a healthy and nutritious
alternative to a diet including meat. Breast feeding mothers need an adequate
diet with particular attention paid to Vitamin D, (margarine and butter,
eggs, cheese), calcium (cow milk and fortified soy products) and iron (fortified
cereals, grains, legumes, green leafy vegetables) intakes. Vitamin B12 may
need to be supplemented in vegan mothers
What problems may occur with
a vegetarian diet?
Areas of concern for vegetarian
children include:
● Energy
for growth,
● Providing an adequate iron intake,
● Identifying sources of vitamin B12,
● Obtaining enough vitamin D and calcium,
● Ensuring a plentiful supply of suitable fats,
● Having food in an appropriate form and combination
to make sure nutrients can be digested and absorbed by the child.
What foods should I include?
For young children with high-energy needs, and smaller stomach capacity,
it is important to find the balance between a diet high in fibre and foods
that are higher in nutrient and energy density. This may mean including
both unrefined and refined cereals particularly infant cereals such as infant
rice cereal as well as high-energy additions to food such as full fat dairy
products, nut butters and avocado.
There are different types of vegetarians, largely determined by the foods
that the vegetarian does not eat, rather than the foods they do. The type
of diet most commonly associated with significant nutritional problems in
children is the vegan diet.
Suitable beans and legumes may include:
● Baked
beans
● Lentils
● Chick peas (hummus)
● Red kidney beans
● Lima beans
● Navy beans
● 3 bean mix
● Haricot beans
DEFINITION OF VEGETARIAN GROUP
VEGETARIAN TYPE |
FOODS EXCLUDED |
PROTEIN SOURCE |
PARTIAL |
Red meat, offal |
poultry, fish,
eggs
|
LACTO-OVO |
Red meat
|
milk, cheese, yoghurt |
LACTO- |
Red meat |
milk, cheese, yoghurt |
VEGAN |
Red meat Offal Poultry, fish,eggs Milk, cheese, |
beans, legumes, pulses nuts; soy products eg tofu |
Practical hints for managing a vegetarian diet in children
● For any family considering a change to a vegetarian
diet, or wanting to bring up a child following a vegetarian eating pattern,
it is important to
● Understand what foods need to be substituted in
the diet,
● Don’t delay introduction of solids,
● Include infant rice cereal, fruits and vegetables
( consider continuing with fortified rice cereal for longer) as first solids,
● After 6 months include soft, cooked beans, lentils
and pulses, tofu, yoghurt, cheese, egg, avocado, smooth peanut and other
nut pastes or sesame seed paste.
● Continue breast-feeding or fortified infant formula
until at least 12 months.
● Encourage a variety of foods,
● Alternate wholegrain and refined cereal products,
● Combine lower energy vegetarian foods such as
vegetables with higher fat foods,
● Increase energy of food by the use of nut butters,
avocado, full fat dairy products and fat spreads and oil,
● Encourage regular meals and snacks,
● Include vitamin C containing food with non-meat
iron sources eg an orange with baked beans on toast,
● See a health professional for advice about managing
a nutritious diet or about supplements if concerned.
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