Winter, 2000
Don't go bananas over meat-free diet
Experimenting with a vegetarian diet is almost a rite of passage
for many teens, although it can create a bit of meal-time tension
in meat-loving families.
"Parents need to respect their teen's right to consider this dietary
alternative. If they don't, it can quickly escalate into a
control issue," said Becky Gorham, a registered dietitian with the
USDA's Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston. "A teen's interest in vegetarianism can
be triggered by a need for independence and identity, health or
environmental concerns and even peer pressure," she said.
Not every teen who tries a meat-free diet will remain a vegetarian.
But, to make sure this dietary journey is a healthy one, Gorham
offers the following tips:
- Ask your teen what vegetarianism means to him or her and how the
new diet will be implemented. Some teens might only wish to
eliminate red meat, while others might have more limiting plans
in mind.
- "Assure your teen that vegetarian diets can be healthy, but they
take planning," Gorham said. The best vegetarian diets are
not overly low in fat, include a variety of foods, provide all necessary
nutrients and enough calories for growth. Those that are poorly
conceived can jeopardize growth and health.
- Avoid becoming a short-order cook. "Although supporting your
teen's decision is important, it's fair to expect them to help plan
their meals, shop, and prepare special foods," she said.
- Follow the general guidelines of the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid
to help teens plan a nutritionally complete diet. This includes
a minimum of six servings of grain-based foods, four of milk or
other high-calcium food, two of fruit, three of vegetables, and
two or more servings of protein-rich foods each day.
- Healthy protein-rich alternatives for meat-free teens include fish,
eggs, dairy foods, soy-based meat substitutes, legumes, peanut butter
and nuts. If dairy products are also excluded, insist that
teens consume calcium-fortified juices, cereals and soy milks, and
high-calcium vegetables, such as kale and broccoli.
Vegetarian girls can also have difficulty getting enough iron on
a meat-free diet, and any teen who completely eliminates dairy and
animal products can also run low on protein, calcium, zinc, and
vitamins B-12 and D. Soy-based foods, a daily vitamin and
mineral supplement and calcium-fortified foods can generally safeguard
against these problems.
"Growing bodies need a variety of foods for proper nutrition.
So, reserve your right to monitor your teen's diet and veto unhealthy
eating behaviors," Gorham said.
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