Swedish national guidelines

 

Vegetarian diet for children

 

A diet with plenty of vegetables, root vegetables, legumes and wholegrains is good for your health and the environment. It is therefore a good thing if children learn to like that kind of food at a young age. The chances that they will continue later in life are thus increased.

Just as with adults, a totally vegetarian diet for children requires good knowledge of foods and nutrients as well as careful planning. If the vegetarian diet contains fortified products, provides enough energy and is well balanced, children can eat a strict vegetarian/vegan diet.

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On this page

Types of vegetarian food
Replacing meat and fish
Protein and energy
Omega-3 fatty acids
Iron
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D
Calcium
Iodine
Riboflavin
Selenium

Different types of vegetarian food

There are many different types of vegetarian diet. Some choose to avoid red meat, others avoid chicken and/or fish. Vegan diets exclude all products from the animal kingdom, i.e. meat, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products. Making sure that a specific diet meets the nutrient and energy requirements of a child becomes more difficult as more foods are avoided.

Replacing meat and fish

For children who eat only or almost only vegetarian foods, it is very important to replace the avoided animal foods with other nutritious foods from the plant kingdom. Children also need fortified foods and specific supplements.

Children’s diets should include, every day:

• Legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, tofu and other soy products
• Wholegrains
• Vegetables and root crops
• Fruit
• Fortified infant formula or porridge, at least until the age of two
• Skimmed milk, especially semi-skimmed milk (with 1.5% fat and extra vitamin A and D) or fortified vegetable drinks
• Rapeseed oil and rapeseed-oil-based margarines.

Protein and energy

It usually isn’t difficult to ensure sufficient protein intake for children. Both legumes and wholegrains contain protein, as does Quorn. However it can be difficult for children who are almost exclusively vegetarian to get enough energy, because plant foods contain little energy and a lot of fibre. Children may eat portions that are insufficient to meet energy requirements because fibre is very filling. If your child doesn’t get enough calories, protein will be used as energy and not where needed, i.e. for growth.
• Spreading meals and snacks throughout the day enables children to eat more, making it easier for babies to get enough energy.
• Make sure that your baby grows normally.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Most children (including those on conventional mixed diets) get too little polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids. A special type of omega-3 fatty acid called DHA is needed for brain and visual development. DHA is found only in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring. It is therefore lacking in vegetarian foods.
• Fish contains DHA and several other nutrients that are both rare in plant-based foods and important for children. If possible it is good to let the child eat fish now and then, even if the adults in the family choose not to eat any.
• If you do not want to give fish to your child you can give rapeseed oil and rapeseed-oil-based margarines instead. They contain a different type of omega-3 fatty acid, which can be partly converted to DHA within the body. Walnuts and flaxseed oil also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Iron
Young children grow quickly and therefore have high iron requirements. It is important that they get iron-rich plant foods. It is harder for the body to absorb iron from plant foods than from meat. Wholegrains, legumes and nuts contain phytic acid, which inhibits iron absorption. Phytic acid is broken down by prolonged bread fermentation, sourdough and the process of sprouting legumes and seeds. Vitamin C, which increases the absorption of iron, is found in vegetables, fruits and root vegetables. Including those foods in main meals is good.

Lacto-vegetarian foods usually contain less iron than vegan diets because milk and milk products contain hardly any iron.

• It is good if the child has some of these foods for lunch and dinner: wholegrains, beans, peas, lentils, tofu and other soy products.
• Serve fruits and vegetables at every meal because they contain vitamin C, which increases iron absorption.
• Children under two years of age should be served iron-fortified porridge.
• Cheese contains hardly any iron. Spreads such as hummus and 'messmör' (a spread made from whey) are better.
• Cheese or cottage cheese as a basis for main meals is too low in iron.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products but not in plant foods. B12 is necessary for the formation of blood cells and is essential for the function of the nervous system.

• Vegan children, who exclude all animal foods, must be supplemented with vitamin B12 (through either B12 -fortified foods or supplements).

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is found in fortified milks (skimmed and special semi-skimmed milk with 1.5% fat and extra vitamin A and D), margarines and fish. Vitamin-D deficiency can cause rickets, which can clearly be identified since children develop soft and deformed bones. Children under the age of two will not get enough vitamin D from foods. They need extra vitamin D in the form of D-drops.
Children who do not eat fish and those who do not eat foods fortified with vitamin D such as milk, semi-skimmed milk (with 1.5% fat and extra vitamin A and D) and margarines need to continue taking vitamin-D supplements even after the age of two.

Calcium
Calcium is needed for the child's skeleton and is found primarily in milk and milk products. Vegetable sources include legumes and green vegetables.

• Vegan children need to eat both legumes and green leafy vegetables as well as drink fortified beverages in order to get enough calcium.

Iodine
Iodine plays a central role in the body's metabolism. Iodized salt, seafood, eggs, milk and dairy products are the main sources of iodine. Iodine is also found in some algae, algae iodine extract and algae tablets/capsules proven to be good sources of iodine. The iodine content varies and can sometimes be harmful to children at high levels.

• All children, regardless of diet, need to use iodized salt.
• One should not give children algae preparations nor other supplements containing iodine doses that exceed recommended daily intakes of iodine. Since information on iodine content is often omitted from product labels, you must contact manufacturers.

Riboflavin
Riboflavin, which is primarily found in milk and dairy products, is needed for energy and as part of antioxidant protection processes. For plant-based diets the best sources of riboflavin are fortified vegetable beverages, legumes, green leafy vegetables and wholegrains.

Selenium
Selenium is found in meat, fish, eggs and milk. Selenium is part of the body's antioxidant defences and is needed for metabolism. Swedish soils are poor in selenium so it is good to consume varied imported plant foods such as cereal products, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Updated 26 October 2012
Source: http://www.slv.se/sv/grupp1/Mat-och-naring/kostrad/Barn/Vegetarisk-mat-till-barn/