the vegetarian starter kit

the diet for children - Right from the Start

Eating habits are set in early childhood. Vegetarian diets give your child the chance to learn to enjoy a variety of wonderful, nutritious foods. They provide excellent nutrition for all stages of childhood, from birth through adolescence.

Infants

The best food for newborns is breast milk, and the longer your baby is breastfed, the better. If your baby is not being breast-fed, soy formulas are a good alternative and are widely available. Do not use commercial soymilk. Babies have special needs and require a soy formula that is developed especially for those needs.

Infants do not need any nourishment other than breast milk or soy formula for the first several months of life. Breast-fed infants need about two hours a week of sun exposure to make vitamin D. Some infants, especially those who live in cloudy climates, may not make adequate amounts of vitamin D. In that case, vitamin D supplements may be necessary.

Vegetarian women who are breastfeeding should also be certain to include good sources of vitamin B12 in their diets, as intake can affect levels in breast milk. Foods fortified with cyanocobalamin, the active form of vitamin B12, can provide adequate amounts of this nutrient. A multivitamin may also be taken as directed by your doctor."

Breast milk or infant formula should be used for at least the first year of your babyÕs life.

At about four to five months of age, or when your babyÕs weight has doubled, other foods can be added to the diet.

Add one new food at a time, at one- to two- week intervals. The following guidelines provide a flexible plan for adding foods to your babyÕs diet.

Four to Five Months

Introduce iron-fortified infant cereal. Try rice cereal first since it is the least likely to cause allergies. Mix it with a little breast milk or soy formula. Then offer oat or barley cereals to your baby.

Six to Eight Months

Introduce vegetables. They should be thoroughly cooked and mashed. Potatoes, green beans, carrots, and peas are all good first choices. Introduce fruits next. Try mashed bananas, avocados, strained peaches, or applesauce. By eight months of age, most babies can eat crackers, bread, and dry cereal. Also, by about eight months, infants can begin to eat higher protein foods like tofu or beans that have been cooked well and mashed.

Children

Children have a high calorie and nutrient need, but their stomachs are small. Offer your child frequent snacks, and include some less ÒbulkyÓ foods like refined grains and fruit juices. Limit juices, however, since children may fill up on them, preferring their sweetness to other foods.

Some foods, such as veggie hotdogs, carrot sticks, peanuts, and grapes, may present a choking hazard. Be sure to cut foods into small pieces and encourage children to chew their food well before swallowing.

Calorie needs vary from child to child. The following guidelines are general ones.

Food Groups for Children

1. Breads, Cereals, Grains 

Includes all breads, rolls, flatbreads, hot and cold cereals, pasta, cooked grains such as rice and barley, and crackers.

2. Legumes, Nuts, Seeds 

Includes any cooked bean such as pinto, kidney, lentil, split pea, black-eyed pea, navy bean, and chickpea; tofu, tempeh, meat analogues, textured vegetable protein (TVP); all nuts and nut butters, seeds, and tahini (sesame butter).

3. Fortified Soymilk 

Includes all fortified soymilks and infant formula or breastmilk for toddlers.

4. Vegetables 

Includes all raw or cooked vegetables which may be purchased fresh, canned, or frozen. Also includes vegetable juices.

5. Fruits

Includes all fruits and 100 percent fruit juices. Fruit may be purchased fresh or canned, preferably in a light or natural syrup, or water.

Recommended Servings

Ages 1 to 3 (Preschoolers)

Breads, Cereals, Grains: 6 or more servings; a serving is 1/2 to 1 slice of bread; 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 1/2 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 

Legumes, Nuts, Seeds: 2 or more servings; a serving is 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh, TVP; 1-1/2 to 3 ounces meat analogue; 1 to 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter

 Fortified Soymilk, etc.: 3 servings; a serving equals 1 cup fortified soymilk, infant formula, or breast milk 

Vegetables: 2 or more servings; a serving is 1/4 to 1/2 cup cooked or 1/2 to 1 cup raw vegetables 

Fruits: 3 or more servings; a serving equals 1/4 to 1/2 cup canned fruit; 1/2 cup juice; 1 medium fruit Fats: 3 servings; a serving equals 1 teaspoon margarine or oil

Ages 4 to 6

Breads, Cereals, Grains: 6 or more servings; a serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 3/4 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 

Legumes, Nuts and Seeds: 1-1/2 to 3 servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh or TVP; 3 ounces meat analogue; 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter 

Fortified Soymilk: 3 servings; a serving is 1 cup of fortified soymilk 

Vegetables: 1 to 1-1/2 servings; a serving is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables 

Fruits: 2 to 4 servings; a serving is 1/2 cup canned fruit; 3/4 cup juice; 1 medium fruit 

Fats: 4 servings; a serving equals 1 teaspoon margarine or oil

Ages 7 to 12

Breads, Cereals, Grains: 7 or more servings; a serving equals 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, grain, or pasta; 3/4 to 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal 

Legumes, Nuts, Seeds: 3 or more servings; a serving equals 1/2 cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh or TVP; 3 ounces meat analogue; 2 tablespoons nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter 

Vegetables: 4 or more servings; a serving is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetables 

Fruits: 4 or more servings; a serving is 1/2 cup canned fruit; 3/4 cup juice; 1 medium fruit 

Fats: 5 servings; a serving equals 1 teaspoon margarine or oil

Note: Serving sizes may vary depending on the childÕs age.

To add more calories to the diet, include more servings of nut butters, dried fruits, soy products, and other high calorie foods. Be sure to include a reliable source of vitamin B12 on a regular basis. Good sources include Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, vitamin B12-fortified foods, such as soymilk, breakfast cereals, meat analogues, and vitamin B12 supplements. If children do not get regular sun exposure (exposing hands and face to 20 to 30 minutes of summer sun two to three times per week), which promotes vitamin D synthesis, fortified foods and supplements are available. 

Adapted from Simply Vegan, 3rd ed, 1999, p. 194-195. The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; 410-366-8343.

SAMPLE MENUS 

. . . . . . . . . . Ages 1 to 4 years . . . . . . . . . . 

Breakfast 

Cheerios with soymilk Orange juice 

Lunch 

Hummus (chickpea and sesame seed butter spread) on crackers Banana Soymilk Squash 

Dinner

 Lentil-tomato loaf Mashed potatoes Creamed kale Soymilk 

Snack

 Prunes Soymilk 

. . . . . . . . . . Ages 4 to 6 years . . . . . . . . . . 

Breakfast

Apple-cinnamon oatmeal Soymilk Orange wedges 

Lunch 

Tofu-egg salad on bread Apple juice Carrot sticks Oatmeal cookie 

Dinner 

Baked beans with blackstrap molasses Baked potato Spinach Pineapple chunks Soymilk 

Snack 

Trail mix Graham crackers Soymilk 

. . . . . . . . . . Ages 7 to 12 years . . . . . . . . . . 

Breakfast 

Raisin Bran with soymilk and sliced banana Toast with almond butter Orange juice 

Lunch 

Macaroni and blended tofu with nutritional yeast Fruit salad Bread Green beans with almonds 

Dinner 

Lentil soup Salad with greens and broccoli Roll Steamed carrots 

Snack 

Popcorn Trail mix Figs