Feeding vegetarian teens is easy if you know how to meet their nutritional requirements for optimal health.
So your teen has announced he is going vegetarian. What's your response going to be? Do you rant about how that old beef protein is needed by a growing boy? Do you ignore his statement?
There's really nothing to worry about. The years between thirteen and twenty are going to be full of new ideas and experiments. Turning vegetarian is the least of a parent's worries. I'll tell you why.
Listen to your teen. He may be trying something different from mom and dad, or he may be taking a stand against cruelty to animals or expressing concerns about the earth's ecology. Avoid overreacting and putting your child's feelings on the defensive. And let's be honest, a parent should be aware of her teen's nutritional needs no matter their diet.
Remember when that nearly six foot tall teen went through those three months when he was five eating mainly peanut butter and hot dogs? You survived and so did he. Flexibility and education are key.
Lack of protein should not be a concern. Anyone eating enough plant foods to provide needed calories for expending energy is getting enough protein. A lacto/ovo vegetarian is one who eats dairy and eggs and will easily get enough protein.
Vitamin B-12, essential for healthy nerve and blood cells, can be more difficult for some vegetarians to get. Three-quarters of daily B-12 needs can be met in two cups of skim milk per day. Vegans, those who eat only plants for food, should check the label on fortified soy milk and fortified cereal to make sure B-12 has been added. Fermented soy products miso and tempeh provide some; sea vegetables such as nori, used to wrap rice balls and sushi, or kombu and dulse used in soups and with vegetables, provide more than adequate B-12 amounts. Sea vegetables, while still foreign to the American palate, can be purchased at natural food stores or Asian groceries.
Calcium is a concern for growing bones. Vitamin D is essential for processing calcium. These two nutrients are found in dark leafy greens, broccoli, calcium fortified tofu, calcium and vitamin D-fortified soy milk.
Eating legumes, dried fruits and dark green veggies will help teens meet iron needs; eat them with a food high in vitamin C - citrus, tomatoes, potatoes - for optimum iron absorption.
Zinc can be found in yogurt, tofu, whole grains, peas, nuts and legumes.
As with all teens, personal responsibility in nutritional health for vegetarians is very important. Supporting and aiding your teen's decision to become vegetarian is wonderful, but find ways to keep their well-being in their own hands. Take vegetarian cooking classes together, buy "The New Laurel's Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition," by Laurel Robertson et al as a birthday present. Encourage a subscription to "Vegetarian Times" or "Veggie Life" magazines.
Above all work together to keep peace at the family table. Pasta dishes are easy to prepare two ways: one with a meat sauce and one with roasted vegetables. Pizza is a perennial favorite and can be made with soy cheese for vegans. Beans are delicious and so easy (and cheap) to cook in a crock pot. In the beginning, invite your teen's vegetarian friends over to cook a meal for the family.
When dining out, call ahead about choices available to your teen. Or try vegetarian restaurants. Ethnic cuisine - Indian, Thai, Chinese - can get your creative, as well as your salivary juices flowing.
An additional resource for the family is Christine Beard's "Become a Vegetarian in Five Easy Steps!" Also check out Judy Krizmanic's "The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook" and Stephanie Pierson's "Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians."
Still not convinced you can do this vegetarian thing without worrying. Just follow these basic guidelines and your teen with thrive.
- four whole-grain foods a day;
- three vegetables, two fruits every day;
- snack on fruits, vegetables and nuts;
- keep healthy and tasty crackers/chips available for snacking once a day;
- eat sweets at the end of a meal, not in between;
- exercise regularly.
Who knows, the rest of the family might realize they enjoy eating healthier. This could be just the beginning.
