Vegetarianism and Weight Control
Overall, studies have shown that most vegetarians are leaner and have lower total cholesterol levels than their meat-eating counterparts. While it certainly would be nice if a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables were a guaranteed ticket to perfect fitness, the truth is that it is possible for vegetarians, vegans included, to be overweight.
If your family lives a vegetarian lifestyle and your child has a weight problem, take a good look at the kinds of foods your child is consuming and the types of activities she is participating in on a daily basis. Is she getting her share of daily exercise? Are fats and sweets used sparingly? Keeping a food and fitness journal is the best way to pinpoint any problems.
Nutrition and the Vegetarian Diet
Cutting meat and animal products out of the diet does not eliminate sugar or the many processed foods that are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor, which may be where your child is taking in extra calories. The American Dietetic Association has created a vegetarian food pyramid for lacto-ovo vegetarians, or those vegetarians who consume animal products such as milk and eggs, to help guide nutritional choices. It prescribes a daily diet of the following:
Spare use of fats, oils, and sweets
0–3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt (with other calcium-rich substitutions for vegan children)
2–3 servings of dry beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat substitutes such as tofu
3–5 servings of vegetables
2–4 servings of fruit
6–11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta
Vitamins and minerals from natural food sources are more readily absorbed by the body than those contained in over-the-counter dietary supplements. If your child's vegetarian diet is balanced, vitamin supplements are usually not needed. However, you should consult with your child's pediatrician about her particular needs.
Pay particular attention to the top and the bottom of the pyramid. Sweets and fats should be minimal. (Having no animal fat in your diet to begin with will certainly help on that count.) And choosing whole-grain products for the base of the pyramid, such as whole-wheat breads and pastas and oatmeal and bran cereals, will increase dietary fiber intake.
Red meat is a major source of dietary iron, and vegetarian children can be at risk for iron-deficient anemia if they don't get enough supplementary iron in their diet. Make sure your growing child is getting enough by adding one or more of these iron-rich foods to his diet: bran flakes, sea vegetables, garbanzo beans, soybeans, spinach, tofu, pumpkin seeds, blackstrap molasses, cream of wheat, or instant oatmeal.
For Vegan Families
Children who do not consume eggs, milk, dairy, or other animal-derived products need alternative sources of vitamin B
Some good sources of calcium include soy foods, many bean varieties (such as navy and great northern), dried figs, greens (collard, turnip, mustard), almonds, and broccoli. Be sure to check the labels of packaged products, particularly fortified cereals, for nutritional information.
