Are there any good resources for vegetarian children?

Question

Our 9 year old daughter recently told us that she wants to be a vegetarian. Our family does eat meat, but we fully supportive of her decision. I'm trying to find resources that help children or teens in this kind of decision. I want her to understand the difference between being vegan and being vegetarian. I want websites that she can look at and read to help her understand that she's going to have to eat other things in place of meat. Basically, I just want her to fully aware of what it means to be vegetarian. :)

Thanks for any info! :)

Answer 1

Well, my friend is a vegan, and thank goodness she loves her veggies.

She claims you can have eggs if your a vegan, and dairy products. But I would recommend things such as egg substitutes, tofu, tofu-meat patties. I'm not so sure on dairy products, my friend says you can because dairy products aren't actually ANIMALS... so... Yup. And there are plently of vegan/vegetarian resterants and stores/delis with great tips and answers if you know where to look. Sorry this isn't very detialed... But  i hope my answer helps!

Answer 2

Tell her if she wants to be a vegetarian she can't eat meat on weekends. It really sounds like she's playing games with you so she can eat what she wants when she wants.

Answer 3

First of all, I think it's fantastic that you've decided to take your daughter seriously, and even better that you're looking into this option realistically. I'm not sure what you already understand about vegetarianism and the special care that is needed in adopting a vegetarian diet.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, of course. At the end of a matter, it's just a case of substituting what she's missing with things that will fill the gaps.

WhyVeg.org has a pretty good basic chart of non-animal sources of nutrients ( http://whyveg.com/nutrition.php ) and links to a guide to vegetarian nutrition for children ( http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veget... ). Another good resource on WhyVeg.org, titled 'Making the Transition', might add your daughter in making a gradual transition (this could also help you from having to suddenly do a big grocery shop for vegetarian foods!), and also includes meat alternatives towards the bottom of the page to help you cook meals ( http://whyveg.com/making_the_transition.... ).

Other good sources on nutrition include:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetarian_and...

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2...

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_d...

I also recommend http://www.vnv.org.au/ which is usually my starting point for information.

As for explaining the differences  between vegetarians and vegans, it's really up to you to choose how much information you give your daughter. Depending on the site you go to, you might be confronted with up to 10 types of vegetarians! It basically boils down to:

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, poultry or animal byproducts. The do eat dairy (vegetarian--look out for rennet!) and eggs.

Vegans do not eat meat, fish, poultry, animal byproducts or foods produced by an animal (including dairy, eggs and honey).

If you'd like to see a full list of the types of vegetarians, you might need to Google 'Types of Vegetarians' and complete your own list. Ultimately, these labels mean very little.

It might also be a good idea to pop into a doctor or nutritionist and have a conversation about what it takes to be a vegetarian. Also, explain to her that being vegetarian means lots of fruit, vegetables (especially the green ones!) and pulses. Try not to rely to much on cheese as her protein source. And don't be too disappointed if you go to all of this effort only to have her decide to eat a big hunk of beef a few months down the track!

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

What a smart kid! :) It's great she has a supportive fam. Many kids that are vegan/ vegetarian don't have one .Even  a lot of adults don't.

This has excellent info.  http://www.vrg.org/

Hope this helps.:)

Answer 5

Wow, I'm so glad that your family is so supportive!

Here's a page with several cookbooks aimed towards veggie kids (scroll down to the Vegetarian section):

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Cookbook...

Main difference between vegetarianism & veganism is that vegetarians (depending on their different disciplins) may choose to eat fish, eggs, dairy, etc. & vegans consume NO animal byproducts, including (but not limited to) meat, fish, eggs, all dairy, refined foods (because there could be hidden animal ingredients lurking in them)

Hidden animal ingredients:

http://www.cyberparent.com/eat/hiddenani...

Some more sites about educating your daighter about vegetarianism/veganism

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/f...

This one's funny   :)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12/...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.ht...

Also, be sure that she is taking a good multivitamin (everyone should anyways), and especially if she does decide to go vegan, a B12 supplement

Answer 6

Here are some links that will provide all of the information you'll need to meet her needs:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index...

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/preg...

You don't need to worry that being vegetarian is expensive.

Bread, pasta, cereal, rice, beans, peas, lentil, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies are all very basic but can easily provide every nutrient that is needed. There is no need to buy any expensive fake meats or other specialty products.

If you have any doubts or concerns because you aren't confident that there is absolutely no sacrifice in terms of health or fitness, please take a peek at these two links.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

Answer 7

Take her to your local food co-operative.  We have one here in Milwaukee called Outpost Natural Foods.  Just being in that store will result in you learning a LOT about vegetarianism and veganism.  You can get all the food choices and they usually will have classes and one-on-one education too.