Myth

[Guest guest]

Nonsense.

 

On Sunday, November 24, 2002, at 06:21 AM,

wrote:

 

> Another concern would be young children: I believe it can

> be difficult for them to get enough calories to thrive on a

> vegan diet - especially on a low-fat diet.

>

" No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony

be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the

fact which it endeavours to establish. "

--David Hume

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 24 Nov 2002 12:22:38 -0600, you wrote:

 

>Nonsense.

 

My statement was correct, I stand by it. This is a concern

for young children. It can be addressed successfully in a

vegan diet, but parents of young children would do well to

be aware of it, and to address it.

 

Here's a quotation from the Vegetarian Resource Group, a

very respected group which advocates a vegan diet.

 

----------------------

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.htm

 

The best way to assure that your children achieve their

ideal rate of growth is to make sure that they have adequate

calories. Some vegan children have difficulty getting enough

calories because of the sheer bulk of their diets. Children

have small stomachs and can become full before they have

eaten enough food to sustain growth. The judicious use of

fats in forms like avocados, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and

seed butters will provide a concentrated source of calories

needed by many vegan children. Dried fruits are also a

concentrated calorie source and are an attractive food for

many children. Teeth should be brushed after eating dried

fruits to prevent tooth decay.

 

Are very low fat diets appropriate for children? Some

parents wish to reduce their children's risk of developing

heart disease later in life and markedly restrict the fat in

the children's diets (10 to 15 percent of calories from

fat). In some cases, a very low fat diet can compromise a

child's growth because the child is not getting enough

calories. There is no evidence that a very low fat diet is

any healthier for a vegan child than a diet which has

somewhat more fat (20 to 30 percent of calories from fat).

Before 2 years, children should generally not have any

restriction of fat because of the rapid growth and high need

for calories during this time (12). For children, age 2 and

older, a diet which contains between 20 and 30 percent of

calories from fat is recommended (12). If you are using a

lower fat diet than this check that the child's growth is

normal and that the child is eating enough food to meet

nutrient needs.

 

Diets of young children should not be overly high in fiber

since this may limit the amount of food they can eat. The

fiber content of a vegan child's diet can be reduced by

giving the child some refined grain products, fruit juices,

and peeled vegetables.

 

-----------------------------

 

Please note that the site below also advocates a vegan diet

for children.

----------------------

http://www.andrews.edu/NUFS/Vegan%20Children.html

 

Caloric intake

 

Adequate caloric intake is essential to the growth of all

children. The diet must have sufficient caloric density so

that the child does not feel full before calories needs are

met. To reduce bulk some refined grains can replace servings

of whole grains; dried and cooked fruits can be substituted

for some fresh fruits and vegetables. High fat foods should

not be overly restricted. Foods such as seeds, nuts, and nut

butters provide a concentrated source of calories as well as

necessary minerals and protein. High fat foods such as

ground flax seed and various vegetable oils aid in adequate

caloric intake as well.

 

Protein

 

If caloric intake is adequate and the child is not eating an

excessive amount of empty calorie foods, protein intake most

likely will be adequate. The frequency of meals in a young

child’s diet greatly assists in providing a variety of amino

acids to be available for protein synthesis throughout the

day. Legumes, grains, soy products, meat analogues, nut

butters, dairy products, and eggs are all concentrated

protein sources. Vegetarian children may get a significant

amount of their protein requirement from grains and

vegetables simply because of the large number of servings

eaten per day.

 

Fat

 

Concern about total dietary fat and saturated fat has led

many families to use non-fat or low-fat " milks " and

substitute fat free spreads for margarine. Low-fat soy milk

and rice milk contain low levels of fat and protein. If

these products are used parents must be sure children are

getting adequate fat and protein from other dietary sources.

Infants get adequate fat and protein from breastmilk or

infant formula. Full-fat soy milk is generally recommended

for young children. Breastfeeding a child during the second

year of life helps assure adequate fat and protein intake as

well.

 

------------------------

 

Here's another quotation from another source that advocates

a vegan diet. Please note, especially, the part that says:

 

" If your baby is not growing well or is underweight, total

fat may be too low (Poor growth and development or failure

to thrive are the most common consequences of inadequate fat

in the diets of infants and children). "

 

-------------------------

http://www.vegfamily.com/brenda-davis/tip8.htm

 

Question:

I keep reading that parents should not restrict fat intake

in 2 year olds but I naturally cook low fat. Should I be

concerned that my 2yr old son is not getting enough fat in

his diet? Do you have a sample menu plan for a 2 year old so

I can get an idea of proper portions?

Answer:

It is difficult to say whether or not you need to be

concerned about your 2 year olds fat intake based on the

fact that you cook low fat. Much depends on your definition

of " low fat " . If you use absolutely no fat in cooking and

you limit high fat whole foods such as nut and seed butters

and creams, soyfoods, avocados and olives, your child may

not be getting enough fat. On the other hand, if you use

moderate amounts of concentrated fats and oils and provide

your child with plenty of fat-rich whole foods your child is

very likely getting sufficient fat. The most important

physical indicator is your child's growth and development.

If your baby is not growing well or is underweight, total

fat may be too low (Poor growth and development or failure

to thrive are the most common consequences of inadequate fat

in the diets of infants and children).

 

-----------------------

 

Pat

--

Pat Meadows

Books, books! Low prices.

Music CDs too!

http://www.wellsborocomputing.com/sales.html

[Guest guest]

That sounds good, and not like they were saying it was not doable, but more

like they were informing parents of certain things they needed to consider

when choosing to raise their child vegan. I guess as long as you make sure

they eat more calorie concentrated foods and don't go all non-fat on their

plates it can be done quite easily.

 

Thanks for posting that. I bookmarked those sites.

 

~ P_T ~

 

What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty

decent

sort of fellow.

~ A.A. Milne

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

 

, Pat Meadows <pat@m...> wrote:

> On Sun, 24 Nov 2002 12:22:38 -0600, you wrote:

>

> >Nonsense.

>

> My statement was correct, I stand by it. This is a concern

> for young children. It can be addressed successfully in a

> vegan diet, but parents of young children would do well to

> be aware of it, and to address it.

>

> Here's a quotation from the Vegetarian Resource Group, a

> very respected group which advocates a vegan diet.

>

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 25 Nov 2002 03:28:11 -0000, you wrote:

 

>That sounds good, and not like they were saying it was not doable, but more

>like they were informing parents of certain things they needed to consider

>when choosing to raise their child vegan. I guess as long as you make sure

>they eat more calorie concentrated foods and don't go all non-fat on their

>plates it can be done quite easily.

>

>Thanks for posting that. I bookmarked those sites.

 

You're welcome. That's why I said initially that they were

'a concern' - that's what 'a concern' means - at least to

me.

 

The Vegetarian Resource Group, in particular, is a valuable

resource. They put out a magazine and many of the back

articles are on their website, btw. There's also a lot of

info on vegan and vegetarian diets on the site (and in the

magazines), much of it oriented towards families with

children.

 

Pat

--

Pat Meadows

Books, books! Low prices.

Music CDs too!

http://www.wellsborocomputing.com/sales.html