Many parents might consider that a vegetarian diet isn’t healthy enough for a toddler. But the truth is that it can be even healthier than a normal diet as long as your child is getting all the nutrients she needs. The main concern with raising a vegetarian toddler is to ensure that your child gets enough calories and the right nutrients. This is important to make sure she has lots of energy to get through her busy day and for her body and brain to develop properly. This is important not only during the toddler phase but right through the more difficult teenage years.
It can be challenging to come up with a well balanced vegetarian toddler diet that will give your child adequate amounts of protein and iron. Many toddlers are fussy eaters and they all have small stomachs, so it can be difficult to get them to eat enough of the foods that will provide them with the vitamins and minerals that they need. So make sure you serve up meals and snacks that are loaded with as much nutrition as possible.
For grownups and kids aged four and up, tofu and soybeans are great sources of protein. But they aren’t sufficient as the main source of protein for a toddler. These foods need to be served along with soymilk that is supplemented with minerals and vitamins. This will not only give your little one some extra protein, but it will provide calcium and Vitamins A and D, which can be in short supply in a vegan diet.
Iron is found in many foods that are appropriate for a vegetarian toddler. Good sources of iron include various kinds of beans as well as spinach. The only problem is, iron derived from vegetables can be more difficult for the body to process than that found in animal protein. You can make up for this by serving a food rich in Vitamin C along with that spinach and beans. Good sources of Vitamin C that your child should enjoy include cantaloupe, oranges, tomatoes and tomato products, broccoli and red peppers.
You’ll have to put in some serious effort in order to bring up a healthy vegan child. You might need to give your child nutritional supplements to ensure she gets all the nutrition her body requires. Getting the necessary amounts of Vitamin B-12 may be particularly challenging for vegans. Even though vegetables have some B-12, the body can’t access it very easily. Your pediatrician can recommend a B-12 supplement that’s suitable for a toddler.
A diet that doesn’t supply enough calcium can also be dangerous to a vegetarian toddler’s health. Calcium is essential to build strong bones and helps to ensure normal growth and development. Soymilk fortified with calcium is a good beverage to give you child, but make sure that it also has added vitamins and minerals that she needs for a healthy diet.
The toddler years play an important role in every aspect of a child’s development. As he or she approaches childhood, your toddler will learn some basic rules of social behavior, and start to make huge developmental strides, both physically and mentally. Find out the best ways to parent your child during these years at The Toddler Website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ashley_King
Author: Ashley King
To find out how to make a simple and easy transition to a healthier lifestyle, with mouthwatering, delicious vegetarian meals – all compiled into one easyto-use cookbook resource guide filled with the very best information available on vegetarian cooking – Anywhere!! Please CLICK HERE.
Mail this post
Recent Comments