Eating Vegetarian

Manna Vegetarian Restaurant


Eating Vegetarian

Manna Vegetarian Restaurant

Is A Vegetarian Diet Safe For My Child?

If you are vegetarian parent, you have probably considered putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would it save time and make meal-planning easier, but for dietary and ethical reasons, you believe it is a better choice for your child.

Conversely, you might not be a vegetarian yourself, but have a child who is going through a vegetarian "phase," where she rejects meat, but doesn’t consume enough healthy foods to compensate for the nutritional gap.

Whatever the case is, you may have wondered whether or not a vegetarian diet is sustainable, healthy choice for your child. You may have heard that putting your child on a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt her growth.

These concerns probably prevented you from putting your child on a vegetarian diet up to this point.

And all of these concerns are legitimate. In fact, if a vegetarian diet is poorly planned, it can cause serious short and long term health problems, especially for children, who are growing and developing--and who do not yet have sufficient stores of vitamins.

If you aren’t well-prepared to put your child on a vegetarian diet, you definitely shouldn’t. However, if you have done your nutritional research and you are familiar with the nutrients vegetarians commonly lack, then you know that these problems can easily be overcome with some meal planning.

You also know that putting your child on a healthful vegetarian diet can greatly improve her health in both the short and long term. It can also reduce her exposure to animal products that contain hormones and preservatives, which have been linked to developmental problems and cancer.

If you haven't researched vegetarian diets thoroughly, but you are anxious to start your child on one now, you should start by ensuring that you plan meals to boost amounts of the following nutrients (that most vegetarians lack):

1. Protein. Make sure your child is consuming enough protein by adding additional sources, such as wheat, soybeans, isolated soy protein, and nuts.

2. Calcium. Ensure your child is consuming enough calcium by adding calcium-fortified processed foods and leafy green vegetables to his diet.

3. Iron. Add more iron to your child’s diet by increasing servings of soybeans, pinto beans, tofu, and cereals.

4. Zinc. Enhance your child’s zinc intake by increasing his servings of almonds, peanut butter, and mushrooms.

If you concentrate on compensating for all of these common nutritional deficiencies, you absolutely can put your child on a vegetarian diet without any negative health consequences.

Just ignore the mythology surrounding vegetarian diets and instead focus on research and meal-planning.


Manna Vegetarian Restaurant products


Manna Vegetarian Restaurant - The latest News

London: Where to eat - CNN


London: Where to eat
CNN - Sep 4, 2008
Any vegetarians put off by all the meat on offer at St John will love Manna (4 Erskine Rd, Primrose Hill). Mains include a mushroom, spinach and cumin torte ...

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Where sushi is the star - Boston Globe


Boston Globe

Where sushi is the star
Boston Globe, United States - Aug 23, 2008
But in the past year, three new sushi restaurants have opened: Manna Sushi, Mifune, and Kayuga II. The most promising newcomer may be Kayuga II, ...

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10 unsung pizza joints - Tampabay.com


10 unsung pizza joints
Tampabay.com, FL - Aug 14, 2008
The pie: Thin, pliable crust but with the right chewy tooth-resistance, it's the kind of by-the-slice manna that deposits a glistening orange grease rivulet ...

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