WASHINGTON, 20 April — Many parents dread the day their children may run in the door with an announcement that will change dinner plans forever: “Hey Mom! Hey Dad! Guess What? I’m a vegetarian!”
But one need not feel overwhelmed if their child makes such a life-altering decision. One does, however, need help — to know what to do.
Fifteen percent of America’s young people consider themselves to be vegetarians, and the number is said to be growing. As a result, parents are scrambling to deal with their children’s’ new eating habits, and coping with new menus.
Children report turning away from meat eating for both health and humanitarian reasons. And, with a number of their famous peers leading the way — from Chelsea Clinton (“I don’t eat anything with eyes — except potatoes) to actress Alicia Silverstone. Some children view being as vegetarian as “cool.”
One meat-eating friend told me his daughter became a vegetarian after seeing a dead cow on the side of the road. “We couldn’t change her mind. I guess she saw the carcass on the road, and then thought about what she had been putting in her mouth. That was it. No more meat!”
Children are also reported to be anxious about what they see and hear in the news about ‘Mad Cow Disease.’ Youngsters are also aware that there are a number of well-publicized illnesses, from arthritis to obesity, which many mainstream doctors now believe are the result of meat eating and dairy products.
The information can be impressive. Just this week, I ran across the following article in “PETA’s Animal Times:”
“Drinking milk is linked to ear infections, asthma, autism, intestinal bleeding and juvenile diabetes, a disease that can cause blindness. In the seventh edition of his world-famous Baby and Child Care, America’s most respected pediatrician, the late Dr. Benjamin Spock, recommends that parents raise their children on a vegan diet. Children can get all the calcium they need from plant foods like broccoli, collards, sunflower seeds, almonds, kale, chickpeas, black beans, dried figs, cornbread, tofu and soy milk and orange juice — without the risk of developing serious health problems that could plague them for a life time.”
Scary. So, you’re the parent, and you want to be supportive of your child’s desire to keep healthy, help the planet and animals. But how are you going to feed your child?
First fear to overcome: Protein. This is the most frequently asked question of any vegetarian: “How do you get your protein?”
Most people are surprised to learn that most people in developed nations eat too much protein, and that over-nourishment can be just as bad for you as under-nourishment.
The second surprise is that one can get all the protein one needs from salad and vegetables.
The following are recommendations for parents dealing with their children’s dietary changes:
• Books:
— “A Teen’s Guide to Going Vegetarian,” by Judy Krizmanic (Puffin Books, 1994). Concise and easy to follow, with news on nutrition basics as well as social situations.
—”The Vegetarian Way: Healthy Eating for You and Your Family,” by Virginia and Mark Messina (Crown, 1996): Includes a good chapter on issues for teen vegetarians.
—”Vegetables Rock! A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians,” by Stephanie Pierson (Bantam, 1999). Somewhat thick and jumbled format, with recipes from chefs and cookbook writers.
• Recommended web sites
— www.eatright.org/adap1197.html: The position statement on vegetarian diets from the American Dietetic Association, which includes the ADA’s Food Guide Pyramid for Vegetarian Meal Planning, a useful chart on the number of servings recommended daily from each food group for a healthful vegetarian diet.
— www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutrition.html: A paper entitled “Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers,” by Reed Mangels, nutrition adviser for the Vegetarian Resource Group. The group’s home web address, www.vrg.org, also has other information for vegetarian kids.
— www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4482 The site for the Vegetarian Youth Network, a Web-based organization for the under-21 crowd. Includes recipes, links, pen pals and offline resources.
— www.ivu.org/youth: The International Vegetarian Union includes articles by and about teenagers, recipes from around the world and an e-mail discussion list.
— Vegkids.com: PETA’s webpage for youngsters.
— www.vegetarian.about.com: look in left column for: “Babies/Kids/Teens”
Complete guide for children, and parents, plus comprehensive coverage on news, ideas, recipes, medical research pertaining to the benefits of vegetarian eating.
— Vegetarian Diets for Children: www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/veg_diets_for_children.html
— Healthy Fast Foods for Pre-Schoolers : www.vrg.org/recipes/schoolers.htm
— Feeding Vegan Children: www.vrg.org/nutshellkids.htm
— Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers: www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutrition.htm
— Youth Pages: www.vegsoc.org/youth/
— Vegetarian Athletes: www.vrg.org/nutshell/athletes.htm
— Famous Vegetarians: www.chickpages.com/veggiefarm/famousveg/index.html