The Veggie Kid in Philadephia Inquirer

[Guest guest]

The Thursday, June 28, Philadelphia Inquirer includes a superb

article by Rita Giordano, headed, " The veggie kid; A young family

member who says no to meat can be served without making meals a tall

order. " It is on the cover of the Food section -- page F1

 

Giordano discusses her fearful reaction to her eleven-year-old

daughter's sudden pronouncement that she was a vegetarian. She

writes, " Were we now talking multiple entrees? What did I look like?

A caterer? "

 

Then she writes, " Nearly a year has passed. Aislinn is indeed a

vegetarian, and I have not been reduced to kitchen slave. Having a

vegetarian kid in an otherwise meat-eating household has proved to be

quite doable. In fact, we've discovered great dishes we probably

wouldn't have if not for this veggie thing.

 

" My kid is not unique. According to a 2005 poll conducted for the

Vegetarian Resource Group, an estimated 3 percent, or 1.4 million,

American 8- to 18- year-olds are vegetarian.

 

" While VRG doesn't have the data to prove there has been an increase

in kid vegetarians, consumer research manager John Cunningham said he

believes the number has grown, in part because of more acceptance by

society.

 

" 'Ten, 15 years ago, a parent would have just forced the kid to eat

meat,' he said.

 

" Some kids don't like meat. But vegetarianism is also hot with lots

of preteens and teenagers for moral, ethical and health reasons. When

your child goes to the trouble of researching the nasty things done

to animals en route to our tables and then commits to changing

behavior so he or she is not supporting inhuman treatment, it's hard

not to support that.

 

" In addition, vegetarian diets can be associated with good things

like lower body mass and decreased risk of heart disease and

diabetes.

 

" At the same time, you don't want your children to suffer some weird

nutritional deficiency. As a parent, it's important to teach your

children how to eat properly so that doesn't happen. "

 

Giordano notes the importance of getting plenty of plant proteins,

calcium, iron and Vitamin B12, and writes,

 

" You won't have any trouble finding sources of more information.

There are Web sites like www.vegetarianteen.com and www.vrg.org., and

plenty of books.

 

The one Aislinn gave me when she made her pitch was Vegetables Rock!:

A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians by Stephanie Pierson

(Bantam, 1999). Written by the mother of a vegetarian, it is

readable, useful, and even has some pretty good recipes. "

 

You'll find Giordano's full Philadelphia Inquirer article on line at

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/food/8216582.html

 

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My thanks to Erica Meier at Compassion Over Killing (www.cok.net) for

making sure we saw this delightful article.

 

Yours and the animals',

Karen Dawn

 

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal

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