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If you are a vegetarian and a parent, you have probably thought about putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would it save time by making meal planning easier, but for ethical reasons, you feel it is a better choice for your kids. On the other hand, you might not be a vegetarian yourself, but your child is currently in a vegetarian "phase," where she won't eat meat, but doesn't get the healthy foods to make up for the lack of nutrition. No matter what your reason, you may have pondered whether or not a vegetarian diet is a healthy and maintainable choice for your family. You might have read that placing a child on a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt their growth. These concerns may have prevented you from choosing a vegetarian diet for your child up to this point. All of these concerns have merit. Obviously, if a vegetarian diet is not well planned, it can create serious short and long term health problems, especially for children, who are still developing--and who don't yet have sufficient stores of vitamins. If you aren't well prepared to put your children on a vegetarian diet, you definitely shouldn't. But, if you have done your due diligence and you are familiar with the nutrients vegetarians commonly lack, then you know that these problems can simply be overcome with some meal planning. You're also aware that putting your child on a healthy vegetarian diet can dramatically improve her health in both the short and long term. It could also reduce her contact with animal products that have preservatives and additional hormones, both of which have been linked to developmental problems. Even if you haven't finished researching vegetarian diets, but are ready to start your child on one now, you must begin by ensuring that you plan meals to increase amounts of the following nutrients (that most vegetarians lack): 1. Protein: Make sure that your child is eating sufficient protein by adding additional sources, like nuts, wheat, soybeans and isolated soy protein. 2. Calcium: Make sure your child is consuming enough calcium by adding calcium-fortified processed foods and leafy green vegetables to his diet. 3. Iron: Make more iron part of your family's diet by increasing servings of tofu and cereals, pinto and soy beans. 4. Zinc: Improve your family's zinc intake by increasing the portions of almonds, peanut butter, and mushrooms you serve. If you plan to compensate for these frequent nutritional deficits, you can absolutely place your family on a vegetarian diet without the negative health consequences. Ignore the mythology surrounding vegetarian diets and instead focus on meal planning and research.
Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com
Before choosing, check Kalynn Amadio's website on living healthy through the martial arts at Taekwondo-Network , where you'll get more interesting information on Vegetarian Diets.
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