Vegetarian Diets for Children

Some children are born vegetarians, shunning meat from a very early age. They may grow to tolerate it later on in life, or they may never chose to eat it. Others are raised vegetarian intentionally by veggie parents. As is true for adults, vegetarian diets for children can supply kids with all the nutrition they need. A little knowledge and some planning are all that are needed to make sure your child's vegetarian diet is both tasty and balanced.

Babies and Infants

• For the first few months of life, babies need no other food than breast milk or a high-quality formula. These foods are designed, either by nature or by science, to provide all of a baby's caloric and nutritional needs. Many mothers choose to breastfeed up through the first few years of life, beginning to supplement other foods and snacks starting around four or five months. No special considerations or adjustments are needed for the diet at this point.

4-6 Months

• At this age, meat consumption is still not an issue. This is around the time when mothers begin transitioning their babies to solid foods. In addition to breast milk or formula, babies at this stage are often fed simple rice, oat or barley cereals prepared with breast milk or formula. Again, the breast or bottle are still meeting all the child's needs.

6-8 Months

• This is the key stage for establishing healthy eating habits for your vegetarian child. During this time, begin exposing your child to as many vegetables as you can by cooking them all the way and serving them mashed or in small, soft bites. Many parents begin with mashed potatoes, peas or carrots, but really, the more vegetables you expose your baby to, the more vegetables she is likely to enjoy as a child and an adult. Once you've had success with mashed and soft vegetables, try the same with fruits like applesauce or mashed bananas. At around eight months, you can also begin feeding your baby small bits of proteins, like mashed tofu and well cooked and mashed beans. They are also often, at this age, able to eat crackers, breads, cheese and cereals. Start slowly, introducing a few new foods at a time, supplementing with breast milk or formula until you decide to wean your baby.

Through childhood

• Throughout the rest of childhood and into adulthood, the diet remains similar. Vegetarian kids need to make sure they get enough protein, which is a task easily completed by incorporating beans, dairy, nuts, seeds and tofu into their diets. Kids can enjoy many traditional kid foods, like chicken nuggets and hot dogs due to high-protein vegetarian versions of these foods. Since your child is not eating meat, you will need to supplement with vitamin B12. You can do this through fortified foods like cereals and soy milk, or by offering a children's vitamin containing the recommended daily dose. As long as the diet contains a good mix of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and other proteins, your child should get adequate amounts of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

What to watch out for

• If your child is lethargic, or is not gaining weight as is appropriate for his developmental stage, write down his average menu and take this with you to your next doctor's appointment. It is more likely that your child is experiencing a surfacing food allergy or underlying health condition rather than malnutrition or deficiency.