Vegetarian children

I am vegetarian, but have only been for about the past 6 years. I probably would have been for most of my life if I wasn't made to eat meat as a child. I hated it so much that my Mum would have to cut all the fat off it

before I would even think about eating it and would never eat meat off the bone. I think all children should be given the choice of wheter they want to eat meat or not, regardless of how thier parents feel on the matter. I think our children are lucky as they have one vegetarian and one meat eating parent so we will be happy whichever way they want to go, and thier diet is probably a lot more varied than some children's as well.

I have heard some strange white lies from parents so that their children will eat meat - for example a friend I used to live with had a daughter and when she was about 6 she was watching a kids show on tv and they said something about ham being from a pig. So she asked her mother if it was true and her mother said "No, it comes from trees." which the daughter was happy with and went on her way. I asked the mum why she had told her that and not the truth and she told me that ham was one of the only lunch meats her daughter would eat and if she knew it was from a pig she wouldn't eat it. This shocked me in a way, do people really think that because they are children they can't make any decisions for themselves? So what if they don't want to eat animals, is it really the end of the world? A vegetarain diet can be just as healthy and nutritious as any other diet.

I have had two children and haven't had any troubles with iron levels while pregnant. Both times I have had to take a small dose of iron at the end of the pregnancy, but that has only been as a top-up to be on the safe side. And I didn't have much success with breastfeeding but if I did I know I would have to make sure I got enough nutrients from my food for the bub, especially vitamin D, calcium and iron.

There are four different main groups that vegetarins fall into. These are:

• Partial vegetarian - this group doesn't eat red meat or offal so can get their protein intake from poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, beans, legumes, pulses and nuts.
• Ovo-lacto vegetarian - this group doesn't eat red or white meat, fish or offal. They get their protein from eggs, milk, cheese, yoghurt, beans, legumes, pulses and nuts.
• Lacto-vegetarian - this group doessn't eat red or white meat, fish, offal or eggs. They get thier protein from milk, cheese, yoghurt, beans, legumes, pulses and nuts.
• Vegan - this group doesn't eat any animal products at all, so they eat no meat, eggs or dairy products. They can only get protien from beans, legumes, pulses nuts and soy products such as tofu.

I fall into the ovo-lacto group and am always careful when I eat cheese and an enzyme in most cheeses called Rennet is the lining of calves stomaches! Don't think I want to be eating that! I also eat soy products including tofu in my diet. It is just a matter of eating what you like and substituting what you need to with the relevant foods to get the nutrients you need for a healthy diet.

Things to be aware of if you are going to raise a vegetarian child or have one that doesn't like meat are things like understanding what foods need to be substituted in their diets. For babies just starting to eat solids you can start them on things like fruits, vegetables and rice cereals. After 6 months of age you can start including things like baby yoghurt, lentils and pulses, soft cooked beans, tofu and cheese.

You can also increase the energy children get out of thier food by using avocado, full fat dairy products (which all children should have until at least two years old anyway), and full fat spreads and oils. It is also a good idea to combine low fat foods such as vegetables with high fat foods to even each other out. VItamin C helps the body absorb iron as well, so it's a good idea to eat oranges and other sources of vitamin c regularly to help your child absorb as much iron as possible from their food.

If you are ever worred or concerned that your childs nutritional requirements might not be being met, then see your GP for advice.