Vegetarianism

Alternative names:

lacto-ovovegetarian; lactovegetarian; partial vegetarian; semivegetarian; vegan

Recommendations:

Vegetarian diets which include some animal products (lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo vegetarian) are nutritionally sound. Vegan diets require careful planning in order to obtain adequate amounts of required nutrients.

You don't have to eat animal products to get complete proteins in the diet. You can mix two incomplete proteins or an incomplete protein with a complete protein to get all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Some combinations are; milk and cereal, peanut butter and bread, beans and rice, beans and corn tortillas, and macaroni and cheese.

Integrating the vegetarian style of eating into a non-vegetarian diet is recommended for individuals wishing to improve their dietary intake. For example, a person may choose to eat meat once a day or as little as twice a week.

The following are recommendations for feeding vegetarian children.

• Breast milk or formula should be the basis of the diet until one year of age. (See Diet for Age)
• Milk or a fortified soy formula should be used.
• For children not drinking milk or a fortified substitute the following nutrients may be limited: calcium, protein, vitamin D, riboflavin. These children may need a vitamin and mineral supplement.
• Vitamin B12 must be supplemented if no animal products are consumed.
• Adequate iron intake is difficult to achieve if meat is not consumed. Good sources of iron include: prunes and prune juice, fortified cereals and grain products, raisins and spinach.

Sample Vegan (no animal products) menu for a toddler.

Breakfast:
3/4 cup soy formula
1/2 cup cooked cereal
1/2 peach

Snack:
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter and crackers

Lunch:
Bean Burrito (1/2 flour tortilla with 1/4 cup beans)
1/4 cup steamed broccoli
peanut butter cookie (eggless)
3/4 cup soy formula

Snack:
1/2 banana

Dinner:
1/2 cup spaghetti with 1/4 cup lentil spaghetti sauce
spinach salad with french dressing
1 slice of french bread with margarine

Bedtime snack:
3/4 cup of soy milk
1/2 cup rice and 2 tsp. of molasses (good iron source)