Is A Vegetarian Diet Safe For My Infant?

 If, for dietary or ethical reasons, you have decided that you want to put your infant on a vegetarian diet, you should be very careful in choosing formulas and solid food for your child.

If you plan to breastfeed the infant and you  are also a vegetarian, you may need to supplement  breastmilk with additional sources of nutrition, depending  on your dietary restrictions. If you are a vegan, or an  ovo-vegetarian, you should add sources of vitamin B-12 to  your child’s diet.

Other than the B-12 supplements, your infant should be  able to receive all micro and macronutrients through  breastfeeding, even if you are on a strictly vegan  diet.

If you plan to use formula rather than breastmilk, you  should stick to commercial formulas, which contain the proper amounts and ratios of nutrients. If you opt for  a homemade formula or soymilk over a commercial product,  your child could experience developmental problems from  a lack of proper nutrition.

If you want to keep your infant on a vegan diet, you can  select a soy commercial formula, as long as it is  nutritionally-adequate.

After about a year, you can begin to supplement formula  or breastmilk with other sources of nutrition, such as homemade formulas, soymilk, yogurt, and cow’s milk (if you  are not a vegan).

Nutritionists suggest that you keep your infant on a  full-fat, high protein diet after age one, which includes vegetarian-friendly foods, such as mashed and pureed  avocados, soy milk, nutrient-fortified tofu, and yogurt.

When you are ready to switch your infant to solid  vegetarian foods, you can introduce solid tofu, pieces of vegetarian burgers, eggs, and cheese.

If you supplement what a nonvegetarian diet lacks, maintain  a full-fat diet, and increase your infant’s sources of  protein, you should have no problem maintaining a healthful  vegetarian diet during your child’s crucial developmental  stages.