Creating a Balanced Vegetarian Diet for Your Teen
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
The long-term benefits of a vegetarian diet are well-known: Going meatless can lower a person’s risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. But if your teen follows a vegetarian diet, you may have concerns about whether they are getting the calories and nutrients they need to be healthy.
Naline Lai, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Primary Care, Central Bucks in Doylestown, PA, offers guidance on creating a nutritious, balanced vegetarian diet for your teen — and shares the warning signs that can indicate your child has developed unhealthy eating habits.
A vegetarian diet is based mainly on plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains. Instead of meat-based proteins, the emphasis is on plant-based proteins.
There are several different types of vegetarian diets:
Dr. Lai offers the following suggestions to help you create a balanced vegetarian diet for your child:
The bottom line? If you follow your pediatrician’s guidance, vegetarian diets are safe for teens. Since nutritional needs change over time, your pediatrician will give nutritional guidance for your vegetarian child at all checkups and may refer your child to a registered dietitian.
Talking to your teen about healthy diet options and the importance of a balanced, nutritional meal will help them make healthy decisions now and in the future.
Contributed by: Naline Lai, MD, FAAP
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