Raising Vegetarians
by Ryann McQuarrie-Salik
I was barely five years old when I connected those neat cellophane packages in the grocery store to the lumbering, wide-eyed animals my mother so excitedly pointed out to me on long drives to Nana and Papa’s.
And I was not pleased.
Desperate to avoid conflict, Dad started calling meat the “protein source,” cutting my portions into uniform squares and meeting my protests with plaintive assertions that our meals always came from animals who died of natural causes. I didn’t buy it and, as soon as I was allowed, I gave up meat entirely.
Many children have an aversion to eating meat, whether it be for physiological, social, religious or moral reasons. Meat is difficult to chew for little mouths, its texture and compositional inconsistencies off-putting to delicate palates. Some children simply cannot stomach eating the flesh of other living creatures. While it can be distressing to watch your children shun an entire food group, it is unlikely they will suffer from dietary deficiencies. In fact, since vegetarian diets require more forethought than typical meat-laden fare, vegetarian kids can be just as healthy, if not healthier than their carnivorous counterparts.
According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), “…well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.” Vegetarian children often consume less saturated fats than those who consume animal products, and because vegetarian diets emphasise whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes, veggie kids are at a lower risk for developing ailments such as Type II Diabetes and heart disease later in life. Many parents of vegetarian kids also report lower incidences of common childhood illnesses, such as colds and ear infections, most likely due to a higher consumption of vitamin-rich fruits and veggies.
It was one thing when I made the choice to rid my diet of animal products, but quite another when I decided to inflict my aberrant lifestyle on my children. Meat and dairy are such staples in our Western diets that when my oldest son began daycare, he was treated as if he had an allergy, his dietary oddities warranting him a segregated section of the fridge. And then there’s the well- intentioned warnings catapulted my way by concerned family members: Boys need meat and potatoes! They’ll be the weird kids at school! They’ll just eat it at friends’ houses if you don’t give it to them at home!
Truth be told, there is nothing subversive about feeding your kids an animal-free diet. A veggie-based diet in childhood lays the groundwork for healthy eating for life. Vegetarian kids tend to be well educated as to why animal products are not a part of their diets and they also tend to pay close attention to what is on their plates.
Vegetarian diets are environmentally sustainable, a real boon considering the global impact of the modern meat industry.
Whether you were a part of your child’s decision to avoid animal products or you are just a helpless passenger along for the ride, your main priority—like all parents—is to ensure your children receive everything they need to grow up healthy and strong. As the parent of a veggie-fed kid, it is your responsibility to become educated on what foods best fuel the veggie machine. Involving your child in the shopping and cooking process is a terrific way to foster a healthy attitude towards food.
What Kind of Veggie Kid is Your Kid?
To determine where your children will need help meeting their nutritional needs, you must consider how veggie your veggie kids are determined to be. “Semi” or “Partial” Vegetarians avoid red meat only. Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians avoid meat, seafood and poultry, but eat dairy products and eggs. Vegans or Strict Vegetarians avoid anything that contains animal products, including meat, seafood and poultry, dairy, eggs and honey. Many vegetarians also refrain from using or wearing any product derived from animals, such as glycerin-based soaps, leather and wool.
Calcium, protein, iron, and zinc are the nutrients usually attributed to the meat and dairy section of the food pyramid. These nutrients are actually more readily absorbed by the body when obtained from plant-based foods. Whole grains, leafy greens, beans, nuts, legumes, soy products, dried fruits and fresh vegetables are all excellent sources of the above nutrients. Vitamins D and B12 are a bit trickier to get if your child does not consume eggs or dairy, but can be found in fortified breakfast cereals and non-dairy milk alternatives. A high-quality multivitamin is always a good idea for any kid on the go.
Adhering to a vegetarian diet requires careful label reading. Animal products lurk in unlikely places. Most commercial yogurts and marshmallows contain gelatin, a substance derived from the skin, connective tissue, and bones of animals. Casein, a common ingredient in “non-dairy” cheese products, is actually a milk protein. Rennet, found in cheese and other dairy products, is an enzyme taken from calves’ stomachs. Taking the time to research other sneaky ingredients is an excellent opportunity for parents of vegetarian children to create dialogue and to better educate their kids about this lifestyle choice.
Teach your children to pay attention to what they eat and you can come up with ways to fill in the gaps together.
Feeding your Veggie Kid
It is (nearly) impossible to subsist on fast-food or trans fat-soaked convenience foods while following a vegetarian diet. This makes a huge impact on the overall health of your child, since kids raised on junk often become fast-foodies for life.
Keeping staples on hand makes vegetarian cooking easy. Stock your pantry with canned beans, dried legumes, nut butters, whole grain rice, pastas and crackers. Make sure your fridge is always brimming with a rainbow of fresh produce. There is a wealth of quick, simple and healthy vegetarian recipes available online. Along with more traditional cooking, vegetarian convenience foods have never been more plentiful. Vegetarian “meat” such as veggie dogs, deli slices, burgers and chicken breasts are readily available at all major supermarkets. Yves even makes a vegetarian corn dog (sans unidentified gristly bits, of course.)
Eating out may seem daunting at first, but almost every restaurant can accommodate a vegetarian diet and the results are invariably more healthy than the standard kids’ restaurant fare of deep-fried meat and french fries. Providing the wait-staff with suggestions to “veganize” an item already on the menu is usually the best way to go: lose the meat patty, substitute tomato sauce for meat sauce, steamed or raw veggies for fries, add more beans in place of cheese or olive oil in place of cheese sauce. Most restaurants offer several vegetarian options on the regular menu and there is no reason these items cannot be ordered in child-sized portions.
Education and Support
As with everything that concerns your child’s health, it pays to be well informed. Your public health nurse can provide information on the nutritional needs of your child at any given age and the internet is an invaluable resource for vegetarian tips, recipes, support groups and more. Even if you’re not ready to plunge your family into full-on vegetarianism, your willingness to explore a more healthful, sustainable diet sets an admirable example for your child.
Books For You and Your Veggie Kids at Your Local Library
Chew on This and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Help! My Child Stopped Eating Meat! by Carol J. Adams and Virginia Messina
Raising Vegetarian Children by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melinas
Salad people and more real recipes by Mollie Katzen
The Vegan Lunchbox by Jennifer McCann
Ryann McQuarrie-Salik is long-time veggie kid and mother of three veggie kidlets. She is getting ready to launch MyWholeDeal.com, a vegan/localvore resource for anyone interested in delicious, healthy and sustainable eating.
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