Questions You May Have

Don't studies show that vegetarian children are smaller than average?
What those studies actually show is that vegetarian children tend to grow a bit more slowly at first on average but then catch up later on. Interestingly, breastfed babies also follow a similar pattern. What the studies don't show is whether children in the 85th percentile are actually healthier than those in a lower percentile. What's most important is continued growth at a regular rate. And remember there are many vegetarian children whose growth rate blows this pattern right out of the water, measuring at a percentile of 90 or above.

Isn't the iron in meat better for you than the iron in plant foods?
The human body absorbs the heme iron found in meat more easily than the non-heme iron found in plant foods. However, you may be surprised to learn that iron-deficiency anemia is no more common in vegetarians than it is in meat-eaters. Experts speculate that this could be because of high vitamin C intake among vegetarians. When consuming iron-rich foods with foods or beverages that are high in vitamin C, iron absorption is improved.

Isn't vegetarianism a sign of an eating disorder? Will my child develop an unhealthy relationship with food?
On the contrary! Vegetarian children raised in health-conscious families often have a keener awareness of healthful eating habits than those raised on the standard American diet. While there has been some publicity about the connection between teenagers with eating disorders and vegetarianism, the association is misleading. Some teens may use vegetarianism as an excuse to cover up an existing eating disorder, but there is no evidence to suggest that being raised vegetarian has anything to do with developing an eating disorder later in life.

I've heard that soy foods are dangerous, especially for boys. Then I hear soy is good for us. What should I believe?
Who could blame you for being confused with all the conflicting information out there about soy? Concerns about phytoestrogens causing birth defects and disrupting normal thyroid function are serious claims and not to be taken lightly. The evidence, however, shows that including soy products as part of a widely varied diet is safe and beneficial. "The results of the most recent research suggest that it is all right to include soy as a part of a healthy diet, and that, in fact, there are some health advantages to using some soy products," says Reed Mangels, nutrition advisor for the Vegetarian Resource Group and author of the United States Department of Agriculture Nutri-Topics bibliography on vegetarianism. "A reasonable amount of soy for most people seems to be about two to three servings of soy daily."