VEGETARIANS
Some
things to know about vegetarian diets
Should
I switch to a vegetarian diet?
What
is the best vegetarian balance diet menu for a baby aged
4-10 months old and 1-3 years old?
Other Questions and Answers
Im a vegeterian and eight months
pregnant. Over the last two or three months I have noticed
an increasing amount of white spots on my finger nails.
I am also suffering from dry skin. Is this an indicator
of zinc defficiency or could it be something else as well?
It is a common misconception that white
marks on fingernails are caused by a vitamin or mineral
deficiency. Actually, they are often caused by a slight
injury to the nail. Although they may have other causes,
a nutrient deficiency isn't one of them.
In your
opinion does a vegetarian need to take any supplements?
Supplementation may be an issue in some cases whether or
not somebody is following a vegetarian diet. However, supplements
do not turn a poor diet into a good one - they are only
a supplement to a poor diet.
What
are the benefits and drawbacks of a vegeterian diet for
children. What nutrients are easily supplied and what ones
are more difficult to obtain?
Vegetarian diets can be easily planned for children. Nutrient
to emphasize include protein, fat, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin
B-12, IRON, AND ZINC. Children can follow the same menu-planning
guidelines as adults. Their diets should focus on a wide
variety of grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and
seeds. Foods emphasized for children will be somewhat different
than for adults, however, and serving sizes are much smaller.
Vegetarian children will meet nutrient needs most easily
if either enriched (calcium, Vit D, B-12) plant based beverages
(enriched soy milk) or cow's milk are consumed. These milks
provide significant amounts of calcium and vitamin D for
the child's diet. Nuts and seeds may also play an important
role in the vegetarian child's diet - they are high in fat
and an easy way to boost calorie, zinc, and manganese intake.
The use of supplemental foods such as nutritional yeast
and blackstrap molasses can also add significantly to a
child's nutrient intake.
