Vegetarian Diets for children

Although many parents, and even some Pediatricians, think that it is unhealthy for children to be on vegetarian diets, if well planned, a vegetarian diet can provide all of the nutrients that your child needs to be healthy.

In addition, since vegetarian diets are generally high in fiber, low in cholesterol and low in saturated fats (all characteristics of a healthy diet), they may actually be more healthy than most American diets and may lead to a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and Type II diabetes.

Parents, especially if they are vegetarians, can feel reassured that they can safely raise their kids to be vegetarians too.
Types of vegetarians:

There are actually many different types of vegetarians, ranging from those that just avoid red meat (semi-vegetarian) to vegans, who do not eat any foods that contain animal products.

     semi or partial vegetarian: avoids red meat only
     ovo-lacto-vegetarian: avoids meat, seafood and poultry, but does consume milk products and eggs
     lacto-vegetarian: avoids meat, seafood and poultry and eggs, but does consume milk products
     ovo-vegetarian: avoids meat, seafood and poultry and milk products, but does consume eggs
     vegan: avoids all foods that contain animal products, including meat, seafood and poultry, milk products and eggs

Vegetarian diets can lead to health problems in children and deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals if the diet is not well planned. And the more restrictive the diet, the higher the risk of problems. It may be helpful to see a nutritionist that specializes in vegetarian diets for children, especially if your child's diet is very restrictive, such as a macrobiotic diet.
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