Seattle Vegan Examiner, Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, gives some helpful tips on what to prepare and what supplements to consider if your teen becomes a vegan.
Children growing up in a vegan family have a nutritional edge. They are likely to be exposed to a variety of whole grains, protein-rich plant foods and a diet that is generous in fruits and vegetables, setting the stage for good lifelong eating habits.
But what happens when a teen decides to go vegan on his or her own—and the rest of the family eats meat, cheese and eggs? Just what do you feed a rapidly growing almost-adult who suddenly turns her nose up at all the traditional family favorites?
If parents want to make sure their child is eating healthfully, a little participation is mandatory. That means providing some guidance and making sure the pantry is stocked with foods that vegan teens eat. Here are a few ideas for keeping the peace at home and making sure that vegan teens are eating healthfully.
- Since adolescents eat lots of meals as snacks and while they are on the go, it’s important to focus on foods that don’t require a whole lot of preparation. Teenagers can build a pretty healthy diet around veggie burgers and other faux meats, peanut butter, hummus, calcium-fortified soymilk, instant soups, trail mix, protein bars, instant oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereals, fruits, salads and vegetables.
- Make a pact with your child: You’ll be supportive, but they need to agree to some basic nutrition rules. That means taking a regular vitamin B12 supplement and using calcium- and vitamin D-fortified foods or taking supplements for these nutrients. (It’s possible to get plenty of calcium from foods alone, but a supplement is great insurance during the growing years.)
- Insist on breakfast even if it’s just a bagel and almond butter on the way out the door.
- Explore meals that the whole family can enjoy with a few tweaks to create options for vegans and meat-eaters in the group. Some easy ideas: bean burritos with vegan sour cream and soy cheese for vegan family members; tacos, with a meatless ground beef substitute; pasta with marinara sauce; homemade vegan pizza piled high with vegetables and faux sausage. For summer menus, barbecues are a great option for the “mixed” family, since vegans can toss a veggie burger on the grill and make their own potato salad with a vegan mayonnaise.
On the plus side, as you make some compromises and explore more plant-based meals, the whole family is likely to start eating more healthfully. And when your child shuns fast food burgers and chicken, he or she is reducing risk for obesity and the chronic diseases that are becoming common among American adolescents.
Your teen’s diet may create a few hassles in the family, but it is a good choice with lasting benefits. Here is a flexible sample menu for a vegan teen. Adjust the serving sizes to suit your child’s appetite and calorie needs.
Breakfast:
Toast with peanut butter
Instant oatmeal with blueberries
Calcium-fortified orange juice
Snack:
Luna bar
Apple
Lunch:
Instant cup of soup
Pita with hummus
Banana
Raw carrots
SNACK:
Oatmeal cookies
Calcium-fortified soymilk
Dinner:
Vegetarian chili with meatless ground beef
Brown rice
Steamed broccoli
Salad with dressing
Snack:
English muffin with almond butter
original article by Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, Green Business Examiner, August, 2009