According to research, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes … and other chronic diseases are rare among vegetarians. Therefore, it is concluded that eating vegetarian food may reduce the incidence of chronic diseases. This is because natural vegetarianism usually tends to be low in oil, high in fiber and rich in antioxidants (such as vitamins A, C, E, carotene, etc. ) and rich in phytochemicals. Relatively speaking, vegetarians will supplement more good nutrition.
Moreover, some studies have found that vegetarians are healthier and live longer, because besides eating vegetarian food, lifestyle is also related. Most vegetarians don't smoke, drink, exercise … and other healthier lifestyles. Children are vegetarian because their parents are more vegetarian than their mothers. In order to prepare ingredients conveniently, they are vegetarian with their parents.
Vegetarianism ≠ Healthy vegetarianism may have many benefits for adults, but do these benefits also apply to children? Dr. Xu Qingjun pointed out that, just like the most popular saying of pediatricians, "Children are not miniature versions of adults", vegetarian babies may not be healthier!
Because of the rapid growth stage, children's nutritional needs are high. If you use vegetarian food, it is difficult to achieve the goal of a balanced diet, and children are easy to be picky eaters, and they are not selective when they first come into contact with non-staple food. If parents ask their children to be vegetarian at this time, it may aggravate the lack of nutritional intake.
Nutritionist Lan said that vegetarianism depends on the right diet! According to a previous survey, one in every three boys and four girls in Taiwan Province Province is overweight or obese. The proportion of childhood obesity and chronic diseases is getting higher and higher, and blood sugar and blood lipid are also increasing year by year. If we can adopt the principle of healthy vegetarian diet, it will help to improve this phenomenon.
Maybe dad will think that a vegetarian baby who eats a lot of vegetables and fruits should be healthier than a baby who eats meat. Nutritionist Lan Yufen pointed out that babies who eat meat will be healthy if they eat enough fruits and vegetables. Not all babies with any eating habits will be healthier, and vegetarianism is not the same as health. Only by eating correctly can we eat healthily!
The principle of healthy vegetarianism in three stages: preserved egg VS vegan can be roughly divided into preserved egg, preserved egg and vegan. Can babies who eat suckling eggs meet the needs of balanced nutrition better than vegans? In theory, Dr. Xu Qingjun said, whey protein should be easier to provide balanced nutrition. Because at least whey protein is a little more nutritious than vegan.
As far as nutrition is concerned, milk is rich in calcium, vitamin B2 and B 12. Nutritionist Lan said that babies are in a period of rapid growth before the age of 5. If it can eat milk, it will be of great help to the intake of calcium.
Cholesterol is also important for children. As the source of hormone synthesis, although about two-thirds of cholesterol can be synthesized by the body itself, many parents are still worried about the cholesterol problem of eggs. In fact, the cholesterol of an egg yolk is only 250 mg, and there are few other sources of cholesterol in vegetarian food, so even an egg a day will not be excessive.
It's not that children can't be vegetarian, but in order to achieve the goal of balanced nutrition, dad spends more time preparing various nutrients than mommy; If you can choose, it is suggested that whey protein is easier to achieve all kinds of nutrients that children need during their growth.
Dr. Xu Qingjun said that according to the current research report, children under 2 years old are not suitable for vegetarian diet, which is for parents' reference!
Three-stage principle of healthy vegetarian diet At each stage, children's physical condition is different from the nutrition they need. How can they eat to eat a healthy vegetarian baby? Next, it will be divided into three stages: infancy, infancy and preschool, and analyze the principles of healthy vegetarianism for vegetarian babies.
Stage 1, 0 ~ 6 months in infancy, is breast-feeding vegetarian? Dr. Xu Qingjun said that if you are a baby who eats milk and eggs, because breast milk is milk, of course it is vegetarian; If the baby is a vegetarian, it depends on the mommy's diet, and the vegetarian mommy's breast milk should also be vegetarian. Nutritionist Lan Yufen believes that from a biological point of view, the milk of each organism is unique, which is the main source of nutrition for feeding the next generation and the source that can best meet the nutritional needs of species; Moreover, from a religious point of view, there is no doubt about killing, and breast milk is the most environmentally friendly and pollution-free nutrient.
Many people will doubt whether the breast milk of vegetarian mommy is nutritious enough for the baby. Vegetarian mothers themselves need to pay attention to the intake of vitamin B 12, iron and calcium. Nutritionist Lan Yufen pointed out that some studies have analyzed the breast milk of malnourished mothers and good mothers and found that there is not much difference in their nutritional composition. However, it is true that Japanese studies have found that mothers who often eat fish have higher levels of omega -3 in their breast milk, so it is suggested that vegetarian mothers should pay attention to supplementing omega -3 oil to provide better nutrition for their babies' brains.
The second stage: 65-year-old 438+0 ~ 3-year-old vegetarian diet is mainly low in calories, which may be more beneficial to dad than mommy, but it may be bad for children. Because eating vegetarian food is more likely to produce satiety, but children need higher calories to provide growth and development, which may lead to insufficient calorie intake, especially for children with small stomach capacity.
Babies with whey protein can supplement more dairy products to provide good calories, and can also provide sources of protein and mineral elements such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. In addition, babies under 2 years old should not limit the intake of oil because of calorie demand. Therefore, it is not recommended to use low-fat milk as a milk source; It is recommended to increase the intake of healthy unsaturated fatty acids over 2 years old.
Colorful colors arouse appetite. Children in early childhood need vision to stimulate their appetite. Using lovely tableware with colorful fruits and vegetables can attract children's attention. Nutritionist Lan reminded that 1 ~ 3-year-old children's teeth are still in the development stage, so parents should pay attention to the food must be suitable for children's chewing and swallowing ability.
In addition, a happy dining atmosphere will make children like and expect to eat every meal. It is also important to set an example. Parents' eating habits will also affect children's eating preferences, especially adults' picky eaters, and avoid appearing at the dinner table.
Three Stages of Healthy Vegetarianism Principle Stage 3, 4-6-year-old preschool children, in addition to their growth needs, can engage in more activities and increase their activity due to the gradual maturity of their limbs, but the stomach capacity is still very small, and vegetarian babies are easy to eat full. Nutritionist Lan suggested adding a small amount of snacks to dinner to increase calorie supplement.
Dr Xu Qingjun pointed out that eating more meals is a good suggestion. In addition to three meals, you can also eat snacks three times to maintain enough calories, especially high-calorie foods, such as beans, soybeans, whole wheat bread, nutritious cornflakes, peanut butter on toast, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, avocados and so on.
Come on for dinner. Dad may give a lot of baked goods, such as bread and cakes, than Mommy. Because I am worried that my child is not hot enough. These foods are high in calories, but low in nutrients and contain a lot of trans fatty acids, which may lead to asthma in some children. Parents should also carefully choose the quality of oil. Saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids can also increase blood lipids and cause cardiovascular problems. However, good oil (such as Omega-3) is an essential source of nutrition for brain development.
Nutritionist Lan said that in addition to eating dinner on time, snacks, such as milk, fruits and nuts, are added between meals in view of the small stomach of young children. , should not be particularly nutritious. Not only the total calories should be considered, but also other nutrients should be met to meet the needs of the rapid growth of infants and young children.
Three-stage principle of healthy vegetarianism Nutrients easily lacking in vegetarianism The daily dietary principles recommended by the Department of Health include six categories. Vegetarian babies who lack animal food sources will consume less nutrients, and some nutrients are higher in animal food. What nutrients do vegetarian babies usually lack? How to supplement from vegetarian food?
1. The main difference between plant protein and animal protein in protein lies in the content of essential amino acids. The body must rely on these essential amino acids to provide the repair and growth of body tissues, but it cannot synthesize itself, so it is obtained from food. Protein, an animal, is called high-quality protein because it contains nine complete essential amino acids. Protein of plants is usually incomplete, and there may be 1 or two kinds of deletion. Therefore, for vegetarian babies, it is better to supplement milk and eggs, or use more high-protein foods such as bean products (including tofu, soybean milk and soybean milk).
Soybean is one of the sources of high-quality protein, but methionine is less, especially for vegetarian babies under 2 years old who are developing rapidly. I'm afraid its protein content is still insufficient. In order to solve this problem, we should increase the diversity of vegetarian materials and use protein complementation to solve the problem of insufficient essential amino acids.
Dr. Xu Qingjun explained with cereals that cereals lack lysine, but contain a lot of methionine, which can complement beans and improve the utilization rate and nutritional value of mixed protein. Usually, mixed complex protein does not have to be supplemented at the same time in the same meal, but can be dispersed in different meals for several times.
On the other hand, animal protein is easy to digest and absorb except for complete nutrients, and the utilization rate is above 90%. The utilization rate of bean protein is also about 80-90%. The utilization rate of other plant proteins, such as cereals, is relatively low, only about 70-90%.
Three-stage healthy vegetarian principle II. Fat vegetarian diet is rich in Omega-6 fatty acids, but less Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids, including α -linolenic acid (ALA), can be converted into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in vivo, which is helpful for children's eye and brain development and cardiovascular health. If the vegetarian baby's diet does not contain eggs and seaweed, it may be necessary to take a lot of flaxseed, walnuts, rapeseed oil and soybeans to supplement it.
However, nutritionist Lan reminded that children aged 0-5 should consider whether they are allergic and whether their chewing and swallowing ability is sufficient. If the child is still eating non-staple food, parents should adjust the size of the ingredients. You can grind sesame paste or nuts into powder, brew them directly or make soup, which are all adjustable methods.
vitamin
Vitamin D Vitamin D is also important for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus and bone formation. In addition to diet, proper sunlight exposure is also important for the production and activity of vitamin D. Taiwan Province Province is sunny. If you give your baby 20 to 30 minutes a day, your body can synthesize enough vitamin D. Vegetarian babies may suffer from rickets or rickets because of insufficient vitamin D intake.
Vitamin B 12 Vitamin B 12 Animal-derived foods (such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products) are rich in nutrients. If vitamin B 12 is deficient, it may cause spherical anemia. Therefore, nutritionist Lan said that vegan babies should take mushrooms, algae and yeast (such as natto and miso), while doctors suggested that vegan babies should eat 6 ~ 9 micrograms of vitamin B 12 nutritional supplements every day.
Three-stage healthy vegetarian principle 4. mineral
According to research statistics, the hemoglobin and serum ferritin of vegetarian children are lower than those of non-vegetarian children, and may even be more prone to iron deficiency anemia. The reason is that heme iron (heme), an animal iron source, plays a better role in human body than non-heme iron (15 ~ 35% compared with 2 ~ 20%).
Non-heme iron from plants is easily absorbed by other ingredients in food besides its high absorption rate. Common beans, nuts, whole grains, plant seeds and even soybean foods all contain phytic acid, which will combine with non-heme iron to form insoluble complexes, thus reducing iron absorption.
Dr. Xu Qingjun suggested that the baby should be vegetarian and add foods with high iron content in his diet, such as whole grains, corn flakes with iron added, beans, dark green vegetables, wheat flakes and malt extracts. Even vegetarian suckling babies usually don't have much iron intake, so pay attention to iron supplementation.
Eating half a serving of fruit (about 50g) after meals and supplementing vitamin C (such as citrus, strawberry and tomato) can promote iron absorption, antagonize phytic acid and reduce iron absorption rate. In addition, vegetarian children should avoid taking tea or coffee containing tannic acid, otherwise tannic acid will also affect iron intake.
Three-stage principle of healthy vegetarian diet Zinc dairy products are the main source of zinc for suckling eggs and babies. Vegetarian babies can eat plants with high zinc content, including whole grains, beans and nuts. Zinc in plants is also easily absorbed by phytic acid and fiber. Children are more prone to zinc deficiency because they don't have a large intestinal absorption area like adults, and rapid growth requires higher consumption. Lack of zinc trace elements may cause problems such as growth retardation, diarrhea and pneumonia. Dad pays more attention than mommy!
It is very important to keep enough calcium intake, especially in the growth stage, to accumulate enough "bones" to reduce the probability of fracture during sports injury and the crisis of osteoporosis in the elderly. Most babies can get the needed calcium from milk or dairy products. Vegetarian babies have to rely on some high-calcium foods, such as cabbage, mustard greens, kale and other vegetables with more calcium, bean products, nuts and so on.
If calcium is only supplemented from calcium-containing plants, it must be large enough to meet the nutritional needs of the human body, and it is usually difficult to reach the standard amount. It is suggested to supplement calcium in food, drink or calcium tablets, supplement insufficient calcium, and properly supplement vitamin D to increase calcium absorption. Dr. Xu Qingjun reminded that calcium supplementation should be separated from iron supplementation and zinc supplementation, otherwise it will affect each other's absorption and utilization.
You must eat three kinds of vegetables every day! Nutritionist Lan suggested that a vegetarian baby should eat one serving (about100g) of dark vegetables, laver (about 3g of dried laver) and mushrooms every day to supplement vitamin B12g, iron and calcium sources.
Xu Qingjun is currently an attending physician in pediatrics at Guotai General Hospital and a clinical assistant teacher at Fu Jen Catholic University. Education: Bachelor of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University. Experience: Intern in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, pediatric resident in the Affiliated Hospital of Taiwan Province Provincial University, and pediatric resident and chief physician in Guotai General Hospital.
Lan is currently a nutritionist at Heping Maternal and Child Hospital of Taipei United Hospital. Education background: Department of Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical College. Experience: Nutritionist of Keelung Branch of the General Hospital of the Third Armed Forces and Nutritionist of Shan Zhi Elderly Care Center.
Three-stage principle of healthy vegetarian diet: after learning how to eat vegetarian baby's non-staple food recipes, careful dad hopes to give his baby more varied dishes to try, and parenting life magazine has heard your voice. Below will be praised by millions of parents! The book Nutrition in Market provides four simple vegetarian recipes. Let's do it together!
Two-color mashed potatoes
Suitable age: 6 months to 2 years old
Ingredients: 30 grams of potatoes and 20 grams of carrots.
Exercise:
1. Boil potatoes, peel them and grind them into mud while they are hot.
2. Peel carrots, cut them into dices, cook them until they are soft and rotten, and grind them into mud.
3. Mix mashed potatoes and carrots.
Vegetable, egg and cabbage porridge
Suitable age: 6 months to 2 years old
Ingredients: egg yolk 1, Chinese cabbage 30g, carrot 5g, rice porridge 1/2 bowls.
Exercise:
1. Cut the cabbage and carrot into filaments and cook them in boiling water until they are soft.
2. Cook in rice porridge for about 1 min, then add the egg mixture until it boils.
Three-stage healthy vegetarian principle walnut pumpkin brown rice pulp
Suitable age: over 2 years old
Ingredients: pumpkin 1 50g, walnut1tablespoon, 50g of brown rice.
Exercise:
1. Wash the pumpkin, cut it into small pieces, steam it in a rice cooker and take it out.
2. Put all the materials into a blender, add 200% boiled water and mix well.
Fuyuan lotus seed porridge
Suitable age: over 2 years old
Ingredients: dried longan 10g, lotus seed 30g, white rice 10g, brown sugar or brown sugar.
Exercise:
1. Soak the lotus seeds for 2 ~ 3 hours, wash the white rice, and put it into the rice cooker.
2. Cook the dried meat of lotus seed longan into porridge, and then add brown sugar or brown sugar to taste.