Guest guest Posted November 24, 2002 Report Share Posted November 24, 2002 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2002 Report Share Posted November 24, 2002 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 24, 2002 Report Share Posted November 24, 2002 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. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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