Should you raise your child as a vegetarian or a non-veg? A new study weighs in
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In a study of over 9,000 children, it was discovered that children who ate a vegetarian diet had equal growth and nutrition to children who ate meat.
The study, headed by experts from St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, also discovered that children who ate a vegetarian diet had a higher risk of being underweight, underlining the need for extra caution when designing vegetarian children’s meals.
The research comes as Canada’s shift to a plant-based diet accelerates. Updates to Canada’s Food Guide in 2019 encouraged Canadians to eat more plant-based proteins like beans and tofu instead of meat.
“Over the last 20 years,” as explained by Dr. Jonathon Maguire, lead author of the study, “we have seen growing popularity of plant-based diets and a changing food environment with more access to plant-based alternatives, however we have not seen research into the nutritional outcomes of children following vegetarian diets in Canada.
“This study demonstrates that Canadian children following vegetarian diets had similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets.
“A vegetarian diet was associated with higher odds of underweight weight status, underscoring the need for careful dietary planning for children with underweight when considering vegetarian diets.”
Researchers looked at 8,907 kids ranging in age from six months to eight years old. The kids were all part of the TARGet Kids! cohort study, which gathered data between 2008 and 2019. Participants were divided into two groups: vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Vegetarianism is defined as a dietary pattern that excludes meat.
When comparing children who ate a vegetarian diet to those who ate meat, researchers discovered that they had identical BMI, height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels. The data revealed that kids who ate a vegetarian diet had a nearly two-fold increased risk of being underweight, which is defined as having a BMI below the third percentile. There was no indication of a link between obesity or overweight.
Underweight is a symptom of malnutrition and could indicate that the child’s food isn’t reaching his or her nutritional requirements to sustain appropriate growth. The researchers stressed the importance of the availability of healthcare experts who can give growth monitoring, education, and assistance to children who consume a vegetarian diet to support their growth and nutrition.
International recommendations for a vegetarian diet in infancy and childhood varies, and previous studies examining the association between a vegetarian diet and childhood growth and nutritional status have shown mixed results.
“Plant-based dietary patterns are recognized as a healthy eating pattern due to increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and reduced saturated fat; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on childhood growth and nutritional status. Vegetarian diets appear to be appropriate for most children,” adds Dr. Maguire.
The study’s limitation is that the researchers did not evaluate the vegetarian diets. The researchers point out that vegetarian diets exist in a variety of ways, and that the quality of one’s own diet may have a significant impact on growth and nutritional results. Further research is needed, according to the authors, to look into the quality of vegetarian diets in children, as well as the growth and nutrition outcomes of children who follow a vegan diet, which eliminates meat and animal-derived items including dairy, egg, and honey.
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