What are the pros and cons of having your children on a vegetarian diet?

im a vegetarian and have been thinking about moving my 6 kids over to the diet too, but before i do i want to make sure its not a bad thing for their health, i hear its generally good, but with them all being 5 and under, i need to be sure. what are the pros and cons of children on vegetarian diets?



thank you!What are the pros and cons of having your children on a vegetarian diet?
This is a question for the pediatrician. Everyone's going to have an opinion but when it comes to the health of your children only a medical professional's (or two) opinion should count.
Cons:

1. People are going to give you attitude. Some may act like you're abusing your kids by not stuffing them with junk.

2. Since they weren't vegetarian to start with, it may take some transitioning to get them used to eating a lot of vegetables.



Pros (assuming you do your research and are aware of their nutritional needs):

1. They will be healthier overall than other kids and get a lot more fiber and nutrients.

2. Their tastes will begin to orient toward less sugary foods and their palate will open up to more and different kinds of vegetables. (It takes two weeks to grow new taste buds. Be patient.)

3. When they are older, they will already have good eating habits.

4. They will be less sluggish when trying to digest meats = more exercise.What are the pros and cons of having your children on a vegetarian diet?
As long as you are appropriately planning their diet, there are really no cons. One major cons could be the possibility of a parent relying too much on carbs and dairy, however, that is generally the average parent these days. If you have planned a proper diet(the way you do no matter what your children eat), there should be no issue.



The American dietetic Association, has stated that a properly planed vegetarian/vegan diet is healthy for all stages of life(1). This organization is the worlds largest org of food and nutrition professionals.



I would suggest picking up some books about vegetarian nutrition. There are many great resources available.



Books



Raising Vegetarian Children : A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony

by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina



Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right

by Dr. Joel Fuhrman



Better Than Peanut Butter %26amp; Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! Revised Edition by Marty Mattare and Wendy Muldawer







Websites

http://www.vrg.org/

http://www.vegsoc.org/
Me and my family are vegan I have 3 kids (10, 7 and 6) and they have all been vegan for nearly 3 years.

My 3 boys are active, very sporty, the correct weight and height for their age etc. They haven't had a tummy upset for 2 years and get maybe 2 colds a year.



They play netball, football, swim, horse ride and my eldest just wrecked a pair of trainers in 3 weeks by running so much.



They drink fortified rice milk with vitamin chocolate milk mix with their breakfast and they eat a good mix of vegetable proteins, seeds, nuts, veg, fruit, grains etc.



I've yet to find a con.What are the pros and cons of having your children on a vegetarian diet?
Let them pick what kind of food they want , lady.

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I agree with what Jennycakes said but one of the cons would be you will most likely give them a lot of dairy and stuff like that or processed foods so they CAN be as UNHEALTHY as any other kid. Just saying.....
why dont you be a responsable parent and ask a registered dietitian ( not "nutritionist") how to raise a vegetarian family instead of ask on the internet from random wackjobs.

i mean this in a nice way not snarky
as long as you give them all the nutritive values they need there's no prob. been a vegetarian for almost 9 years now. I don't have children yet, but as soon as I do, I'll raise him/her vegetarian. if when they can decide for themselves chose not to stay so, that's fine by me, but I won't cook any meat.