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For most of the first year of life, baby’s get most of their nutritional needs through breast milk or baby formula. But as they continue to get older, their rapid growth demands more and more nutrients. They need excellent sources of energy, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. For those of you who are vegetarian, and would like your children to follow suit, special care and attention should be exercised in order to ensure nothing is missing from your baby’s diet.
Keeping track of growth charts of height and weight, drawn up by your pediatrician, is possibly the best way to assess whether or not your child is receiving the needed nutrients. If everything is normal and your child is developing at an appropriate rate for his age, chances are you are doing just fine.
However, if your baby is not being fed meats, poultry or fish, you need to find some adequate substitutes for such nutrients as protein, zinc, vitamin B12 and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
DHA is a fatty acid is available in breast milk and also added to baby formula and some baby food. Outside of it’s natural occurence in breast milk, DHA is only found in marine foods. Although it can be made by the body, provided that alpha-linolenic acid (found in flaxseed products and well as canola and soybean oil) is available, experts are not exactly sure how efficiently the body can produce DHA.
Your choices for DHA consumption, as a vegetarian:
- Take an algae-based supplement
- If you eat eggs, eat them from hens who have been fed marine foods
Vitamin B12 is found in foods such as dairy and eggs. For those of you who do not consume these, you can offer your baby B12-fortified foods (infant formula or some fortified cereals).
Tips on Providing a Meat-less Diet for Your Baby
- Breastfeed or offer baby formula for at least a year or more
- Actively substitute meats for other protein sources (egg yolk, beans, lentils)
- Make sure to include a good source of calcium and DHA daily
- Incorporate foods with adequate amounts of zinc and iron in your baby’s diet
- Serve your child enough food to maintain healthy growth (keep track of this with your doctor)
- Consult your pediatrician for possible supplements of vitamin B12, vitamin D and riboflavin
Question: I’m a vegetarian who drinks milk, eats cheese and eggs but no meats or fish. Is my breast milk providing enough nutrients for my baby or should I be taking supplements?
Answer: One of the biggest concerns of vegetarian, breastfeeding mother’s is whether or not they are getting adequate amounts of proteins in their diet. If you’re consuming such things as dairy and eggs, you should be fine. Those of you who do not should consider vitamin B12 supplements as well as more calcium-rich foods (such as leafy green vegetables and almonds).
Regardless of what you eat, a wide variety of foods is best, as well as the avoidance of processed foods. Try to include as many fruits and veggies as possible, along with grains and legumes. Making your own baby food is quite easy. Feel free to email vrg@vrg.org for any further questions or information.
