Vegetarian families with young kids

[Anonymous]

If you are all or mostly vegetarian, what does your typical day of eating look like? How do you make sure your child is getting enough iron, calcium, Vitamin D, etc.?

I’ve been giving mine a glass of milk and a 1/2 dose of toddler vitamin, but the milk isn’t fortified As it’s from a farm. And he’s losing interest in drinking it these days.

[Anonymous]

Talk to your pediatrician. You'll get better advice than from randos here.

[Anonymous]

Get fortified milk to start with.

Chick pea pasta is filled with iron. Beans of all kinds with rice or quinoa are also great protein sources. We don’t do a lot of meat substitutes but Beyond Meat is not soy based and delicious. Greek yogurt, whole grain bread, peanut and almond butter, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

Honestly it’s never been easier to be a vegetarian and raise your kids vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Milk has B and D. We do a few glasses of milk a day, veggies, tofu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get fortified milk to start with.

Chick pea pasta is filled with iron. Beans of all kinds with rice or quinoa are also great protein sources. We don’t do a lot of meat substitutes but Beyond Meat is not soy based and delicious. Greek yogurt, whole grain bread, peanut and almond butter, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

Honestly it’s never been easier to be a vegetarian and raise your kids vegetarian.

+1. You must give your kids vitamin d drops if they aren’t drinking fortified milk. It’s especially important now with covid.

[Anonymous]

I grew up vegetarian and was raised by a vegetarian mom and rating my kid the same way. The way it works for me is to not worry about every meal but to think the big picture - the whole day, the whole week. We make lot of smoothies with PB powder, so chia, hemp seeds, lots of greens, frozen fruits, and banana for sweetness. We eat lot of lentils, beans, veggies etc. I never worried about the milk being fortified. We use chickpea flour in a lot of things. Rice is always mixed with some cauliflower or broccoli rice.

[Anonymous]

Husband is vegan, kids are not.

Lots of bean burgers, peanut noodles, lentils, mac & cheese etc.

Snacks are smoothies, trail mix, yogurt etc. Always getting protein with the snacks.

We try to steer clear of fake meat products of any kind. Tofu is rare.

[Anonymous]

Definitely consult your pediatrician. This is very common in lots of cultures, but you want to ensure your child is gaining enough weight and is not vitamin deficient.

I'm vegetarian, but I am not raising my kids that way. I grew up with a family of pediatricians, and they really do not promote restricting healthy food groups for really young kids, but that's just their opinion.

[Anonymous]

I'm a lifelong vegetarian, and raising my kids vegetarian. I think about every meal (probably the same way people who eat meat do) as fruit + carb + protein. We do tofu, fake meat, lots of beans, cheese, yogurt, nut butters, eggs, etc for protein.

I don't worry about nutrients. DD eats a wide variety of foods. People who eat meat aren't keeping track of how much calcium etc their kids are getting. If you have concerns because of weight you can talk to your pediatrician, but but feeding a variety of foods is sufficient.

[Anonymous]

Mine is dairy intolerant. I make homemade oat milk and almond milk. Sometimes buy soy milk. He likes when we switch it up and I think it is good to do so for nutrition reasons.

Takes Vitamin D and B12, per Dr rec.

Rarely fake meat, but am not 'above' getting things like Field Roast mini corndogs for a 'fun' kid dinner.

Lots of 'whole bowls' - farro, beans, various toppings.
Tofu is good, in various forms.
Sometimes smoothies.
Loads of greens.
Various homemade bean-based burgers. Make big batches and freeze.

Don't stress. Just incorporate lots of greens and other veg / fruit ... your basic "eating the rainbow" type of diet and all will be good. Mix it up and use this time to introduce worldwide cuisines and flavors. Reintroduce foods in different ways (spices, cooking methods, etc.).

[Anonymous]

yes to what is shared already, I would add in lots of Greek yogurt, edamame, eggs, quinoa for protein. Aim for a variety of color at every meal. We don't over think it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely consult your pediatrician. This is very common in lots of cultures, but you want to ensure your child is gaining enough weight and is not vitamin deficient.

I'm vegetarian, but I am not raising my kids that way. I grew up with a family of pediatricians, and they really do not promote restricting healthy food groups for really young kids, but that's just their opinion.

I think this is also because the idea of being a vegetarian or vegan is still new and alien to lot of people, doctors included. In countries, like India( where I grew up) the doctors know all about it and probably know enough life long vegetarians that they don't freak out about protein and vitamins, etc.

[Anonymous]

Broccoli, lentils, yogurt, butter, beans, carrots, lots of other vegetables, especially green ones. Whole grains. I'm Indian, I feed my children what I grew up eating, which is what my parents and their parents, etc...grew up eating.

[Anonymous]

I have been a vegetarian since college. (Husband became mostly veg when we started seriously dating. He eats meat when he is not with me/not at home.) My 3 kids have been vegetarian since birth. We eat anything that is not meat. Very simple. Agree with protein at every opportunity -- including snacks. But it is so normal and ingrained that we don't even think abut it.

My aunt is a pediatrician and became a vegetarian in her 40s. She always says she wished she had had the foresight to raise her kids as vegetarians.

[Anonymous]

My veg teen often has a plate of small servings of many things:

Broccoli or cauliflower with cheese
Spoonful of cottage cheese
Chickpeas
Eadmame
Cheese slices (good cheese)
Eggs and cheese
Smoothies (Greek yogurt and milk)
Yogurt with fresh fruit and high protein granola on top