Guest guest Posted July 19, 2002 Report Share Posted July 19, 2002 www.PCRM.org The News Tribune (TribNet), Tacoma, Washington, USA Eat your vegetables! Debbie Cafazzo; The News Tribune Vegetables, whole grains, fruit and legumes - also known as beans, peas and lentils. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine calls them the New Four Food Groups. And, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group says, they're all the foods you and your children need. No milk. No meat. No fish. No cheese or eggs. It's a sort of super-vegetarian diet - called vegan - that many families find hard to imagine and health professionals may be reluctant to endorse. But it's also a style of eating that is attracting increasing interest in America. And one that advocates say kids will actually eat and enjoy. To test that theory, the News Tribune enlisted the help of nine children from the Early Childhood Center operated by Tacoma's Metropolitan Development Council. We cooked up four recipes from a new book published this year as part of a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine series, " Healthy Eating for Life for Children " (John Wiley & Sons, $14.95). Most of the kids loved the book's dairy-free strawberry smoothies, made with frozen bananas, frozen strawberries and apple juice. " It's yummy and tasty, " said Asia Rogers, 6. " I love it. " Many asked for second helpings of the chili macaroni dish made with a meat substitute. " I eat one vegetable at a time, " said 7-year-old Adam Chinchuk as he picked his way through the chili dish that contained corn, beans and green peppers, as well as a meat substitute made from plant protein. " I like it, " said Conor Coutts, 5, who liked pretty much everything. Most dug into the chocolate pudding made with soy milk, although several didn't finish it. Brycen Neal, 8, said it just didn't taste like the real thing. The peanut butter spaghetti elicited everything from " I like it " to " Pretty good " to " Yeck! " " I don't like peanut butter, " explained Brycen. Parents may wonder whether children would be willing to adopt a vegan diet full time - or whether they should. Amy Lanou, who holds a doctoral degree in human nutrition research from Cornell University in New York, is the nutrition director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and a vegan. She acknowledges that hers may be a hard-to-swallow message for some, particularly critics in the dairy and beef industries. But she says it's one parents need to hear, so they can decide if a vegan diet is right for their family. " Our concern is that there's something happening with the way we're eating, " she said, citing increasing childhood obesity and other health problems among school children. " We do have a pretty strong message in the book. " The book makes a vigorous argument for vegan diets for children. There are 10 pages of references citing scientific studies to support its contentions, although only the most diligent parents may seek them all out and comprehend them. " The (medical) literature shows that a diet that offers the best disease protection is a diet based on plant foods, " Lanou argues. She said studies in countries where diets are largely plant-based have found a lower incidence of heart disease and diabetes than in the United States. The book claims that building a diet based on the New Four Food Groups can help children stay slim, keep their arteries clear, maintain healthy blood pressure, lower the risk of diabetes and even avoid cancer in later life. The vegan diet is cholesterol-free, low in fat, high in fiber and certain vitamins and adequate in protein, iron and calcium, the book says. The book does recommend that vegans supplement their diets with vitamin B-12, a vitamin found in animal-based foods. It also recommends the use of soy or rice milk, fortified with calcium and vitamin D, to replace dairy products, along with meat substitutes made from soy and other plant proteins. The book offers dietary advice for the many stages of a child's life - beginning in utero. There's even nutritional advice for breast-feeding mothers who want to follow a vegan diet. There are sections on vegan nutrition for finicky toddlers, school-age children and teenagers. And the book offers 91 recipes aimed at kids. Although " Healthy Eating for Life for Children " promotes a vegan diet for children, it also offers other nutritional advice for them. Even if families don't go totally vegan, Lanou said, they can always benefit from incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet. She cites one study that said only 15 percent of American high school students manage to get their recommended five-a-day fruits and vegetables. She said the book also talks about avoiding highly processed foods, fried foods, fast foods and other edibles that offer less-than-ideal nutrition. " There are things parents can do whether or not they choose a plant-based diet, " Lanou said. Families who are interested in switching from an animal-based to a plant-based diet need not do so overnight. Lanou said they can start by enjoying one or two vegan dinners a week. Other tips she offers for getting kids interested in a new way of eating: • Be consistent, and keep offering - but not forcing - the new foods. • Get kids involved in preparing new dishes. • Serve foods family style, so kids control what they put on their plate. • Don't lose hope. Often kids' appetites will change as they grow older. Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635 debbie.cafazzo The panel Our panel of taste testers came from the Early Childhood Center run by Tacoma's Metropolitan Development Council. They are: • Conor Coutts, 5. • Brycen Neal, 8. • Tevin Thomas, 8. • Nicky Walsor, 7. • Adam Chinchuk, 7. • Natasha Blackledge, 9. • Asia Rogers, 6. • Kimberly Savage, 5. • Kristifer Williams, 5. On the Web • Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: www.pcrm.org. Vegetarian Web sites: • www.vegsource.com • www.vrg.org/nutshell/ kids.htm. Beef and dairy industry Web sites: • www.beefnutrition.org. • www.nationaldairycouncil. org. Dairy, beef groups defend their foods (Published 12:30AM, July 17th, 2002) AnimalConcerns Info <info wrote: Vegetables, whole grains, fruit and legumes - also known as beans, peas and lentils. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) calls them " the New Four Food Groups. " And, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group says, they're all the foods you and your children need. No milk. No meat. No fish. No cheese or eggs. full story: http://www.tribnet.com/news/health_science/story/1432039p-1550385c.html Autos - Get free new car price quotes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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