What problems may occur with a vegetarian diet?
Areas of concern for vegetarian children include: Energy for growth, Providing an adequate iron intake, Identifying sources of vitamin B12, Obtaining enough vitamin D and calcium, Ensuring a plentiful supply of suitable fats, Having food in an appropriate form and combination to make sure nutrients can be digested and absorbed by the child. What foods should I include? For young children with high-energy needs, and smaller stomach capacity, it is important to find the balance between a diet high in fibre and foods that are higher in nutrient and energy density. This may mean including both unrefined and refined cereals particularly infant cereals such as infant rice cereal as well as high-energy additions to food such as full fat dairy products, nut butters and avocado. There are different types of vegetarians, largely determined by the foods that the vegetarian does not eat, rather than the foods they do. The type of diet most commonly associated with significant nutritional problems
