girl with tomatoes
When my 13-year-old daughter said she wanted to go vegetarian, I told her that I thought a little meat would help keep her strong and healthy. Her main reason for going vegetarian was compassion for how animals are raised, so I told her we would raise our own meat birds, with love and care, and purchase meats from all-natural, grass fed local farmers. Getting to know the animals we were raising for food was a total backfire, as you might have guessed. She now wants a strictly vegetarian diet, and I must admit, with her evolving knowledge, I see veganism on the horizon.
VEGAN OR VEG?
The difference between a vegan and vegetarian is that vegetarians often eat eggs, dairy products, and sometimes fish. Vegans consume only plant-based foods.
I want to be supportive of my child’s healthy and thoughtful food choices, after all, some parents should be so lucky, right? So I attended a Vegan and Vegetarian workshop with local vegans Carol and Ted Barnett, MD, parents of three, now grown, vegan children, and coordinators of the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society since 1995. “Ted and I became vegan more than 22 years ago,” says Carol whose youngest child was a vegan pregnancy and is still vegan today. The difference between a vegan and vegetarian is that vegetarians may eat eggs and dairy products while vegans consume only plant-based foods. Both dietary choices are based on compassion, and often environmental views, but vegans choose not to use any animal products or ingredients of any kind.
I learned that reasoning for a vegan diet goes beyond compassion but has health benefits as well. Carol informed me that “a vegetarian diet − by which I mean an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, including eggs and dairy − is not safe in the way that a vegan diet is because eggs and dairy products can bring with them pronounced risks. For example, cow's milk contains no iron and actually can cause loss of iron from the small intestine. It is also a suspected trigger for type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.” Like any parent, I am concerned about my child getting all the proper nutrients for growth and development, as well as having the financial resources to purchase different foods. I also want to make hardy meals and offer school lunches that will have appeal. Here's how I am approaching meal-time with a new vegetarian in the house:
Getting all the Nutrients
A vegetarian diet has some great pluses in the vitamin department – dark leafy greens, colorful vegetables, and fresh fruits of all kinds supply most of what a healthy body needs. If your child decides to go veg or vegan, be careful she doesn’t just skip the meat and substitute junk foods like fries and milkshakes or empty calories from white flour and white rice. A nutrient rich diet should come from a variety of whole grains, legumes (soybean, nuts, and others), fruits, and plenty of root and leaf vegetables on a daily basis. One comment I kept hearing at Carol and Ted's workshop was to stop worrying about the protein! Ted reminded us that calcium, magnesium, Vitamin K, iron, and the necessary nutrients we need are all available in plants we consume.
The two supplements most recommended for vegan and vegetarian diets are Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D − both are easy to find in fresh foods or taken as part of a regular multi-vitamin. "Some experts argue that we should also supplement with DHA, an end-chain omega-3 fatty acid," says Carol. "You must decide whether to supplement with DHA or just to serve foods rich in omega-3's like soy, walnuts, and greens.” Ted adds, since Vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, “eat whole foods and go outside and run around!”
Fun Foods for the School Lunchbox
• Rev up the old peanut butter and jelly standby with other nut butters like almond, sesame (Tahini), sunflower, or Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut). Substitute honey or thinly sliced apples for jelly.• Include hummus spread in a container with a separate dipping package of sliced carrots, cucumbers, zucchini sticks, black bean chips or pita chips.• Young kids enjoy traditional foods gone vegan such as not dogs, veggie burgers and veggie chicken nuggets.• Add a container of mixed nuts, trail mix, or seasoned pumpkin seeds (look for low salt).• For a warm up on cold days, include a thermal container of steamed, whole edamame, vegetable soups and stews, brown rice, or pasta.• Include real yogurt -- not the candy kind in a tube or other high sugar variety. Note: yogurt is not vegan.• Pack fruit of any kind – sliced melons, berries, grapes, apples, chunks of pear and peach. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron!
Cafeteria Talk
My daughter is fortunate in that she is able to set an example -- other kids in the lunchroom comment on how healthy her lunches look! Sometimes they ask about what she is eating because they’ve never heard of edamame or tempeh. She also tells me that she feels energized after lunch and not groggy, which is important because she’s in accelerated classes and plays on the soccer team every day after school.
Your child might experience a variety of responses from other children in the lunchroom. Most kids will be mildly curious about what your child is eating and others may curl up their noses. Encourage your child to answer questions about her lunch matter-of-factly, without judgment regarding what foods other students are eating. If your child is asked about why she is are eating this way she may choose to answer that she wants to eat healthy, that she doesn't eat animals, or simply that this is how her family eats. It’s important that vegetarian and vegan children demonstrate peace toward other living things by example; peers who truly want to know more will ask for details about going vegetarian or vegan. And keep in mind that most kids these days are familiar with dietary differences due to religion, allergies, and lifestyle choices. Who knows, maybe compassionate or health-minded kids will set such a good example that other students, parents, and teachers will begin to expect the school cafeteria to do the same.
There are hundreds of books and websites on vegetarian cooking! Carol Bennet, co-coordinator of the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society suggests Jack Norris, a Registered Dietitian with Vegan Outreach for more information on children’s nutritional needs at www.veganhealth.org and his book, Vegan For Life. For more information on the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society visit their website at www.rochesterveg.org
Angela Cannon-Crothers is a contributing writer to Rochester Area & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. She is an an educator at Herb Haven in Crystal Beach as well as a writer and author. You can visit her website at angelacannoncrothers.webs.com
CAROL’S ROASTED MARINATED TOFU
• 1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu (not silken)• 1 or 2 T soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos• 1 or 2 T rice vinegar or cider vinegar• ½ t garlic powder• ½ t ground ginger (optional)• 1 t toasted sesame oilDice the tofu or cut it into strips. Lay the tofu on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients, and pour them over the tofu. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the tofu 10-12 min. on each side, turning once.Cooked strip-style, you can serve Roasted Tofu with rice or potatoes and a green vegetable to make a “balanced” meal. It can be a versatile addition to all sorts of meals, including pasta or grain salads.