Vegetarian Diets for Children: Right from the Start

Eating habits are set in early childhood. Vegetarian diets give your child the chance to learn to enjoy a variety of wonderful, nutritious foods. They provide excellent nutrition for all stages of childhood, from birth through adolescence.

Infants

The best food for newborns is breast-milk, and the longer your baby is breast-fed, the better. If your baby is not being breast-fed, soy formulas are a good alternative and are widely available. Do not use commercial soy milk. Babies have special needs and require a soy formula that is developed especially for those needs.

Infants do not need any nourishment other than breast milk or soy formula for the first several months of life. Breast-fed infants need about two hours a week of sun exposure to make vitamin D. Some infants, especially those who live in cloudy climates, may not make adequate amounts of vitamin D. In that case, vitamin D supplements may be necessary.

Vegetarian women who are breast-feeding should also be certain to include good sources of vitamin B12 in their diets, as intake can affect levels in breast-milk. Foods fortified with cyanocobalamin, the active form of vitamin B12, can provide adequate amounts of this nutrient. A multivitamin may also be taken as directed by your doctor. Breast milk or infant formula should be used for at least the first year of your baby's life.

At about four to five months of age, or when your baby's weight has doubled, other foods can be added to the diet.

Add one new food at a time, at one- to two-week intervals. The following guidelines provide a flexible plan for adding foods to your baby's diet.

Four to Five Months

Children have a high calorie and nutrient need, but their stomachs are small. Offer your child frequent snacks, and include some less "bulky" foods like refined grains and fruit juices. Limit juices, however, since children may fill up on them, preferring their sweetness to other foods.

Some foods, such as veggie hot-dogs, carrot sticks, peanuts, and grapes, may present a choking hazard. Be sure to cut foods into small pieces and encourage children to chew their food well before swallowing.

Calorie needs vary from child to child. The following guidelines are general ones.

Breads, cereals, and grains include all breads, rolls, flatbreads, hot and cold cereals, pasta, cooked grains such as rice and barley, and crackers.

Legumes, nuts, and seeds include any cooked bean such as pinto, kidney, lentil, split pea, black-eyed pea, navy beans, and chickpea; tofu, tempeh, meat analogues, texturized vegetable protein (TVP); all nuts and nut butters, seeds, and tahini (sesame butter).

Fortified soy milk includes all fortified soy milks and infant formula or breast milk for toddlers.

Vegetables include all raw or cooked vegetables which may be purchased fresh, canned, or frozen. Also includes vegetable juices.

Fruits include all fruits and 100 percent fruit juices. Fruit may be purchased fresh or canned, preferably in a light or natural syrup or in water.

Breads, cereals, and grains: 6 or more servings; a serving equals 1/2 to 1 slice of bread; 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 1/2 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal

Legumes, nuts, and seeds: 2 or more servings; a serving equals 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh, or TVP; 1 1/2 to 3 ounces meat analogue; 1 to 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter

Fortified soy milk: 3 servings; a serving equals 1 cup fortified soy milk, infant formula, or breast milk

Vegetables: 2 or more servings; a serving equals 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked or 1/2 to 1 cup raw vegetables

Fruits: 3 or more servings: a serving equals 1/4 to 1/2 cup canned fruit; 1/2 cup juice; 1 medium fruit

Breads, cereals, and grains: 6 or more servings; a serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 3/4 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal

Legumes, nuts, and seeds: 1 1/2 to 3 servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh, or TVP; 3 ounces meat analogue; 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter

Vegetables: 1 to 1 1/2 servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables

Fruits: 2 to 4 servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup canned fruit; 3/4 cup juice; 1 medium fruit

Breads, cereals, and grains: 7 or more servings; a serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 3/4 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal

Legumes, nuts, and seeds: 3 or more servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup beans, tofu, tempeh, or TVP; 3 ounces meat analogue; 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter

Vegetables: 4 or more servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables

Fruits: 4 or more servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup canned fruit; 3/4 cup juice; 1 medium fruit

To add more calories to the diet, include more servings of nut butters, dried fruits, soy products, and other high-calorie foods.

Be sure to include a reliable source of vitamin B12 on a regular basis. Good sources include Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, vitamin B12-fortified foods, such as soy milk, breakfast cereals, meat analogues, and vitamin B12 supplements.

If children do not get regular sun exposure (exposing hands and face to 20 to 30 minutes of summer sun two to three times per week), which promotes vitamin D synthesis, fortified foods and supplements are available.

Adapted from Simply Vegan, 3rd ed., 1999, pgs. 194-195. The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; 410-366-8384.