Veggie kids?!
Answers: My fiance and i are vegetarians,were raising our kids who are 5,6 and 15 months to be too,they have never eaten meat before.My two oldest are each about 15 pounds underweight for their age but they are short for their age too,their dads side of the family are all short,is it because they are vegetarians or just runs in the family?should i be concerned?What do nutritionist do if i went to one?
Height is probably just from genetics. As for being underweight, you need to realize (if you are raising them very healthy), that those charts are based on the average American. The average American eats meat at least two meals a day (that meat contains hormones to plump up the animal and then those kids eat it, so they plump up as well), the average toddler 's #1 vegetable is the french fry, the average American is technically dehydrated, the average American does not eat 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, and the average American grows up to be overweight. So by standards, they might be considered underweight and it could possibly be because of their vegetarian diet, but as long as you are feeding them good fats (avocados, nuts and seeds, coconuts-these lack cholesterol so not really a problem when in moderation compared to eating red meat's saturated fats- olives and olive oils), giving them at least their daily servings of veggies and fruits, and using whole grains, then over all they are receiving their necessities. If you were to visit a dietitian, I would make sure to question their views on vegetarianism when finding one/ prior to your visit. Because if they are against it, you will not hear anything that could possibly help you! And finally to really feel better about your dietary choice, I would take them to have blood work done to see if they are deficient in anything. If they are not then you can go about your day, if they are in one or two items (this is actually common for younger children whether they eat meat or not, because they are pickier), then you can correct it!
OH I am a vegetarian and one day will raise my kids that way, but not force it on them. I think they just need some vitamins and they should be fine. As long as their diet has a variety of stuff in it and doesn't concentrate on one particular kind of food. As long as they are healthy that is all that matters. not their size and weight.
Be sure they are getting enough proteins because that's very important for brain function. They also need to be taking a wide range of vitamins and minerals (calcium is particularly important). Please consult a nutritionist in order to ensure that your children are healthy.
Just watch out for too much soy in the growing youngsters I have herd it can boost estrogen levels in young children and elderly women experiencing menopause. Resulting in homosexuality in children and breast cancer in adults. Otherwise your children are lucky in my opinion to be blessed with a vegetarian household to grow up in.
vegetarianism has nothingto do woth being short, i myself am 6ft2in (which isnt short) and my freind who has been veggie all his life is 6ft7in, so no, genes effect this more than anything else
I'm sure it's just genetics. I stopped growing at the age of 12 and I wasn't veg*n till 16. I'm 5'4"--meat obviously did nothing for my height--and I've not become underweight from the change in diet. Neither have my friends. One did lose her excess weight, but nothing more.