Vegetarianism for Pre-school Child (I)

Vegetarianism is a well-known choice for many individuals and families. But parents might question if their kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all necessary nutrients. This is because childhood nutrition has a very obvious influence on their health and growth. As children grow, they need more nutrients than adults. Therefore, a good and healthy diet can provide good nutrition to protect the child against everyday illness and make sure their development of strong healthy bones and teeth, muscles and tissues. Most dietary and medical experts agree and there are also researches showed that a well-planned vegetarian diet can actually be a very healthy way to eat and provide all the nutrients needed for a child’s growth.

Pre-school child ranges from age 1 to 5, their nearly totally dependent on others for their food whether they are vegetarian or not. Most of the children will follow the eating habits of their parents or their guardians and some pre-school children are naturally sensitive to foods made from animals or they refuse meats even if their parents are not vegetarian. It is important for children to have a balanced diet especially during pre-school years which is their time of rapid growth and development.

Parents should offered their children a variety of foods which they can enjoy eating and parents should not force them to eat anything they resist. Eating and food should not be permitted to become a matter as children can be very picky at this age. Foods children like and dislike can be influence by what is offered in these early years, hence, parents should train their children to have a good eating habit from young. The importance should be on healthy and sensible family eating habits and foods with high sugar and salt level should be avoided.

In addition, high fiber, low fat diets which are recommended for adults are not suitable for children at this age. This is due to children are growing very rapidly and they need a lot of energy in relation to their small size in this age. Whereas, a diet with too high in fiber or too low in fats cannot provide enough energy or nutrients needs for the child. Meals containing food with high nutrient and energy are essential. Besides, nutritious snacks between meals may help to ensure that they have enough food and nutrition. Parents should offer sandwiches, fruits, scones, bread or home-made biscuits instead of those high sugar snacks such as sweets, cakes, soft drinks and crisps.

If a child is prone to be overweight, parents can try to add in vegetable oil to foods such as beans. Parents also can include nut and seed purees such as smooth peanut butter, cheese, yoghurt, soy products, such as tofu and veggie-burgers. Children can be particular to find some foods which are too strong in taste so, when mothers are preparing their kids’ meal, they should try to include a wide variety of foods. Furthermore, consumption of fresh, frozen or juiced fruit and green leafy vegetables should be encouraged too.