Lots of kids are exploring, and becoming a vegetarian is about exploration; their friends are trying it, so they do, too - it doesn't hurt a thing and helps children establish healthy eating habits that will stay for a lifetime!

MICHIGAN – For Whitney Belaski, the decision to become a vegetarian was an ethical one. After attending a lecture/program on chickens kept in horrible conditions and then slaughtered for consumption, it was all too much. "I didn't like it," said Whitney, 15, who plays flute in the Northview High School marching band. "And I decided not to support those kinds of practices." Whitney's entire family was convinced to move to a vegetarian diet, incorporating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta, rice, beans and free-range eggs from a local farmer. "It's made a difference," said Whitney's father, John Belaski, Community Wellness director of Byron Township. "I'm down one notch on my belt, I can take the steps easier, and I have more energy to cut wood for our house. "Whitney's taken the lead, and she's becoming an excellent cook," he said. "My wife, Sue, and I have the same birthday, and Whitney made us a wonderful dinner with mangos, asparagus, cashews and rice pilaf."

A SIMPLE COMMITMENT

Jake Smith was born to a family of vegetarians, including his parents, Mark and Elena Smith, and two older sisters. They eat a fabulous mix of ethnic food, fresh fruits, vegetables and tofu products. "It's not hard at all," said Jake, 15, who plays the melaphone, which is a marching French horn, in the Northview High School marching band. "You don't have to cook special for me (if) I'm coming over." When Jake was younger, his mother told him it was OK to decide whether he wanted to remain a vegetarian, but to re-evaluate his vegetarianism as a teenager. "The whole vegetarian thing fits me, and I'm OK with that," said Jake, who also fences at West Michigan Fencing Academy. "I love animals. It's not necessary for me to live by making something else suffer."

When Ana Rendon's friends on the cheerleading squad made a vegetarian commitment, she was right there with them. "It wasn't really a big deal," said Ana, 15, who also plays softball. "It wasn't hard to give up red meat and chicken and those other things. There are so many other things to eat, you know."

Becoming a vegetarian can help your child establish healthy eating habits that will stay with them for a lifetime, said Chanel Kerschbaum, registered dietitian at Saint Mary's Health Care Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology.
"At this stage, a lot of kids are exploring, and becoming a vegetarian is about exploration," said Kerschbaum, who is a vegetarian and at one point was a vegan. "Their friends are trying it, so they do, too. And it doesn't hurt a thing. A vegetarian diet is actually healthier -- kids are getting more fiber, lowering their risk of heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure, and those are just the bonus points."

Of course, the risk is there for kids to fill up on cheese pizza, macaroni and cheese, french fries, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and junk food.

It's the parents' job to help vegetarian kids navigate the landscape. "The biggest thing parents can do is help," Kerschbaum said. "Be supportive. It's not going to harm them to be a vegetarian. Our society is so meat focused that a lot of people are, like, 'This can't be good for you, because you need protein.' You can get protein from many sources like tofu, tempeh and many soy products. I tell parents to let them try it out and monitor it to make sure they are getting the nutrients that they need. If things get too restrictive, that could be a red flag."

TIP SHEET

Here are some suggestions for parents to make sure their vegetarian kids body-building nutrients:

>>> Offer 3 or 4 (8-ounce) cups of low-fat or fat-free milk to get the 1,300 milligrams of calcium necessary to build strong bones for life. If your kid's not crazy about milk, try other calcium-rich foods including fortified orange juice, fortified cereal, low-fat yogurt, cheese and dark green, leafy vegetables
.
>>> Provide healthy snacks ready to eat -- washed and cut-up vegetables and fruits in the front refrigerator shelves so kids see them right away.

>>> Offer milk and water often, instead of soda pop (empty calories.)

>>> Keep on hand plenty of canned beans, lots of dried pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, fresh and/or dried fruits, fresh and/or frozen vegetables and a variety of cheese.

>>> Find the time to help your kid pack lunch. It's easy if you find a cache of great-tasting vegetarian recipes the whole family can enjoy. Some tasty vegetarian offerings are trail mix sandwich, refried black bean wraps, four-cheese pita pocket, white bean and tomato salad, Greek salad and pasta with squash and feta.

>>> If you're looking for instant fresh food, try fresh whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, peaches, plums) dried fruits (raisins, cherries, apricots, figs), nuts, seeds (cashews, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), peanut butter, graham cracker, carrot or celery sticks, popcorn, pretzels, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen juice bars, humus and pita bread, raw sliced vegetables, chunks of mild cheese -- Gouda, Jarlsberg, Emmenthal or mild Cheddar, store-bought granola.

The Story
By Jaye Beeler

Photo from Kids Health

ALSO SEE:

Munchie Madness by Dorothy Bates, Bobbie Hinman, Robert Oser, Suzanne Havala

Raising Vegetarian Children-A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony by Joanne Stepaniak, Vesanto Melina

Vegetarian Resource Group: Vegetarian Kids & Teens