Some children are vegetarians because that's how their family eats. Other youngsters, almost all usually in their teens and predominantly female, have made their own decision to ban meat from their diet.
   Children of any age – even infants – can follow a vegetarian diet safely, says Katie Green, a clinical dietitian at Children’s Medical Center. But careful planning and daily attention to the diet are necessary to ensure that children receive the proper nutrients, especially if their diet does not include eggs or dairy products.

Know your vegetarians
Vegetarian diets come in several flavors:

• Ovo vegetarians eat eggs, but no meat or fish.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs but no meat or fish.
• Lacto vegetarians eat dairy products, but no eggs, meat or fish.
• Vegans eat food that comes from plant sources only.
• Pesco vegetarians include fish in their diets.
• Pollo vegetarians include poultry.

   “Those who eliminate all animal products from their diet, including eggs and dairy, risk vitamin B-12 deficiency and may need a B-12 supplement,” Green said. “B-12 is crucial for development and is found only in animal products.”
   Female vegans, the majority of all vegans, typically are iron deficient and may require iron supplements to maintain adequate iron levels. Green advises parents to check with their child’s doctor to see if a supplement is necessary.

Here are some specific ages and concerns:

• Infants breastfed by vegan mothers may develop vitamin B-12 deficiency if the mother is deficient and both will need supplemental B-12.
• Toddlers may not grow as rapidly as their non-vegetarian counterparts.
• Children and preadolescents who do not drink milk may have difficulty meeting recommended calcium intake.
• Children and adolescents with excess dietary fiber intake may develop mild trace mineral deficiencies, since fiber interferes with the uptake of some trace minerals, especially calcium.
• Children on a vegan diet often are iron deficient.
• Adolescent females who are vegan may be deficient in vitamin B-12.
• Adolescent females who are vegetarian (who eat no meat) frequently are iron deficient.
• Adolescent males and females frequently fail to meet daily calcium requirements.
• Maintaining adequate caloric intake at any age may require a higher percentage of calories as fat since, with the exception of starchy vegetables, there are few calories in fruits and vegetables compared to meat, milk and eggs. Fat calorie intake may exceed the recommended 30 percent of total caloric intake.

Resources
Click here to learn more about vegetarian children on the Children’s Web site.
Click here for information about vegetarianism on the National Institutes of Health Web site.
Click here to visit the Vegetarian Resource Group.