What to Do When Your Child Becomes a Vegetarian

So, your little girl dissected her first frog in science class and has declared herself a vegetarian. The rest of your family eats meat, so what now? We asked Rebecca Meyerson, a certified nutrition counselor in Westchester County, how parents should adjust to their child's vegetarian lifestyle (however short-lived it may be) and make sure she gets the nutrition she needs without eating meat.

Vegetarianism is a perfectly acceptable lifestyle as long as your child isn't strictly consuming processed foods. Many vegetarians eliminate meat and fish and compensate with foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. It is important your child is getting a balanced diet, including:

1. Whole grains such as brown rice, rolled oats, couscous, and millet

2. Protein such as black beans, chick peas, lentils, kidney beans, tofu, or tempeh (fermented soybean with a nutty flavor that is high in protein)

3. Sufficient vegetables - both raw and cooked

4. Fruit - choosing a variety based on the season

5. Healthy fats - olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds which will provide adequate amounts of omega-3s.

One of the main concerns of a vegetarian diet is a lack of iron. Most people are unaware that plant foods including spinach, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, and dried apricots are rich in iron. In addition, food that is high in Vitamin C, like pineapple, papaya, lemon, and red peppers, increase the absorption of iron, so serving them together with iron-rich foods packs more of a punch.