If you are faced with your teenage child deciding to become a vegetarian, as a parent you may have concerns and questions regarding the popular diet choice known as vegetarianism. The first thing to do is to visit your family doctor with your child to discuss whether or not the chosen diet will be harmful for your teenager. Having had some personal experience with a child vegetarian, I will briefly give a synopsis of the health risks, advantages, and disadvantages of your child becoming a vegetarian.
The health risks commonly associated with vegetarianism is nutrient deficiency. As discussed below, vegetarians who eat solely fruits and vegetables can miss out on vital nutrients necessary for efficient body function. There may be more health risks depending on the health of the individual person. As with all diets, before changing your diet or lifestyle, it is highly recommended you consult your family doctor first.
Advantages
People who decide to become vegetarian incorporate a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber that are vital for the body to function properly. Studies show that vegetarians eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. The average number of meals per day for a vegetarian is four to six. This is shown to increase metabolism and helps a person maintain a normal weight.
Disadvantages
While there are many different levels of vegetarianism, the most common type of vegetarianism strictly cuts out all meat products including milk, cheese, and eggs. The concerns with cutting out all meat products is that a person will not get the daily recommended amounts of calcium, protein, Vitamin D, and iron in their diets.
Although there are disadvantages to the vegetarian lifestyle, there is more than one way to address each issue. There are many alternatives to receive the calcium, protein, vitamins, and iron that are usually obtained through eating meat and meat products. For example, calcium can be found in vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, and tofu is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians. There are many other alternatives to meat and meat products to ensure that the vegetarian in your family receives all the nutrients their body needs in order to maintain good health. As with any diet, it is recommended that a person takes an age appropriate multi-vitamin daily to ensure all needed vitamins are consumed. And as mentioned previously, the first step in addressing your teenager’s choice to become a vegetarian is to have a consultation with your family doctor with you and your child present. This will ensure all of your questions and concerns regarding the new diet are addressed, and it will also give your teenager a chance to understand all the health aspects to this decision, and help them make healthy choices in their new diet.
Useful resources:
- http://www.goveg.com/ – Website with all the information about vegetarianism you want to know.