The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't have a policy against vegetarianism, it does caution about veganism, which is different and more restricted, but both are totally great as long as you are conscious about what your child is eating.
Look, vegetariansim is VERY healthy, even for children. I have my older kid on a mostly vegetarian diet because he doesn't like meat. That's fine with me. Technically, my baby is vegan since he consumes only breastmilk and soon, fruits and veggies. Meat is just unnecessary when they can get their protein and fat requirements from other sources.
For protein and fats, I nurse my babies until at least 2.5 years. If you nurse your child for longer you don't have to worry about them getting extra fat, protein, and nutrition from animal sources because...well, you're the animal (LOL.) Nothing is more digestible and provides the complete nutrition like breast milk, if you're considering vegetarianism or even veganism, I highly recommend taking a look at extended nursing.
I really loved the book Super Baby Food. It has great ideas for homemade recipes for baby food. The author is a vegetarian and is raising her kids that way. She has a lot of lists and protein requirements that you can get from plant based sources instead of meat.
Feeding your child a vegetarian diet is easy, especially if you include lacto-ovo (dairy and eggs.) Some of the vegetarian moms I know also include healthy fishes for the good oils, like salmon (my 3 year old loves teriyaki salmon!) It just takes a bit of planning and some self-education to make sure you are providing your children with what they need to grow.
As long as you tell your doctor so that they can make sure you'd given the support you need, there's nothing wrong with vegetarian diets for children and can set them up for a lifetime of healthy behavior. I say go for it!
Children need fats in their diets for their brains to grow... Speak to your pediatrician before changing your baby's diet!Does anybody have their infant or toddler on a vegetarian diet?
Against it. Vegetarianism is a choice. I don't think parents have a right to force their beliefs upon their children. Also, protein and fat are essential to proper growth - I don't think a parent can adequately substitute those nutrients into an infant or toddler diet right now.
You need to make sure you see her pediatrician and develop a diet with him/her. I have not done it personally, but know of a mother who did that and was held for neglect because of her child's health (I believe she was raising her daughter vegan- a bit more extreme than vegetarian)Does anybody have their infant or toddler on a vegetarian diet?
There are a few children in my preschool that are vegetarians, and they are happy healthy kids. I suggest if you are going to go completely vegetarian that you talk to your doctor and ask for him to either recommended a diet, or to put you in touch with a nutritionist who will. Kids need different things then adults so you will need to follow a more specific diet.
I would recommended the book vegan lunchbox for some great recipes... you can find it on the web at veganlunchbox.com.
the american academy of pediatrics has a policy against rasing your kid on a vegetarian diet because it is too difficult to balance their needs to their growing body. before you decide to do that please talk to your pedicatrician or a nutritionist
your kids need the protein from meat! milk isn't as healthy... try to get organic chicken cause that way the chicken wasn't treated badly. But you should give it a bit of both! Trust me my mom used to put me on vegetarian and when i tried a little meat at a friends house i felt way better. Then i screamed at my mom and asked her not to make me a vegetarian anymore! Ha ha :)! Well i don't recommend the vegetarian diet but i don't know other people might have better ideas! You could give it a go if you want!
Even though I rarely eat meat (not because of 'animal rights' or such crap, just because I don't particularly like most meats) I still make certain my toddler gets a proper balanced diet consisting of lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean meats. Toddlers in particular need a well balanced diet to support their growing bodies. I'd wait until they get a bit older before phasing out meats in favor of other protein sources.
Well my parents raised me on a Vegan diet starting when I was ten and a Vegetarian diet since I was 5 and gave me fats from odos oil and Avocado and I ate soy protein and such. So I don't think that it's bad, but you really should make sure you talk to your pediatrician and make sure your daughters get their nutrients.
Good luck! :)
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