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Home › Articles › Vegetarian Lifestyle › Veggie Baby

Veggie Baby

Tips and Facts from a Vegetarian Lifestyle Expert

By Melanie Wilson

Pages:  1  2  3  

  • 2 cups of milk or non-dairy calcium-rich drinks/foods
  • 2 ounces of eggs, beans, nuts, tofu or soy protein products
  • 3 teaspoonfuls of oil

    • The American Dietetic Association has long stated that appropriately planned vegetarian diets can satisfy the nutrient needs of people of all ages, including pregnant women, infants and children. Now these simple guidelines are available to ease your doubts and help families with the planning. By following the guidelines and providing a wide variety of foods from each group, you will ensure your child's diet meets his needs for protein, iron, calcium and zinc.

    Special Considerations
    Vegans – those who consume no meat, eggs or dairy products – should take extra care to include vitamin B12 in the diet, either from fortified foods or a regular supplement. Vitamin D is another nutrient that may need special attention. It is essential to the body's absorption of calcium and is available in vitamin D-fortified milk, soymilk or breakfast cereals. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but if you or your child have dark skin or live in a cold climate where skin is not exposed to the sun year round, it's important to pay attention to this nutrient.

    Nursing mothers are sometimes advised to give their babies iron supplements. According to La Leche League, the world's foremost authority on breastfeeding, a healthy, full-term baby usually does not need additional iron until about the middle of the first year when she starts solids. In fact, the iron in breastmilk is better absorbed by your baby than is the iron in cow's milk or iron-fortified formula. Breastmilk of vegetarian mothers has also been found to be lower in environmental contaminants. Breastfeeding is recommended for at least one year.


    Pages:  1  2  3  

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