Shopping for a Vegetarian Teen

Is your teen a vegetarian?  Actually, for many teens, this is becoming increasingly common.  Perhaps your teen wants to live healthier, or maybe he or she disapproves of killing animals for food.  Regardless of the reason behind the choice, you are now faced with the prospect of food shopping for a vegetarian teen.  What types of food should you buy, though?  How do you ensure that your vegetarian teen is getting the right nutrition?

First, you need to make sure that your teen gets lots of dairy products, such as milk and cheese.  Eggs, bread and soy are also good items to give vegetarian teens.  Milk contains plenty of vitamin D, while all dairy products contain lots of calcium.  For protein, make sure that your vegetarian teen eats lots of eggs, as well as tofu and regular soy products.  To spice things up, you can find soy burgers that taste like regular beef burgers, but are made completely from soy.

Fortified cereals and dried beans are good sources of zinc, while your vegetarian teen can also get plenty of iron from beans, leafy greens like spinach and whole grains, as well.  The important thing is to ensure that your vegetarian teen eats a diverse diet, along with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Many vegetarians fall into the trap of subsisting on junk food, and this does nothing to improve their health.  Keep a watchful eye on your vegetarian teen, and encourage them to live a life of balance for optimum health.