On the Coast – Families Issue 102 I October/November 2019 | Page 12

Teenagers and vegetarian diets
healthy or
concerning?
BY DIANA ARUNDELL – UNIVERSITY QUALIFIED NATUROPATH
T
here are many reasons why a
teenager may choose a vegetarian
diet including religious reasons,
ethical reasons, a desire to improve
well-being, and for some weight loss may
be the motivation. For some teenagers
the feelings associated with making
dietary changes of their own choice
brings a sense of personal power and
control over their lives. For some this can
be the start of healthier eating choices,
taking responsibility for their own health
and contributing to family meals,
whereas for others it can be the start of a
slippery slope of restricted eating
patterns. If left unnoticed the latter can
potentially spiral down the destructive
path of disordered eating.
There is a big difference between a
healthy vegetarian diet and restricted
eating patterns. It’s important to
understand why the teenager has chosen
to change dietary habits and to really
listen so they feel heard about their
choices. Keeping communication channels
open with teens is essential for healthy
ongoing discussions and this initial
conversation is an important one for the
sharing of feelings both ways. For many
busy parents, the initial reaction may be
one of stress due to the thought of having
to cook separate meals in an already busy
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O N T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
household, as well as concerns
for adequate nutrition for
their teen.
Nutrition is our biggest
foundation of health and
is especially important in
teenagers due to mental,
emotional and physical
demands on their bodies. A
well-balanced vegetarian diet can be
very healthy, however it does require
education, planning and some effort.
Many people embarking on a vegetarian
diet simply eliminate meat and in some
circumstances all animal products, and
don’t consider replacing the animal
protein with appropriate vegetarian
sources of protein. This includes people
who become vegetarians and just eat
vegetables or salad for
lunch and dinner
thinking that this is
actually healthy. This
‘meat elimination diet’
may eventually result
in fatigue, mineral
deficiency and lowered
immunity amongst other
signs of sub-optimal nutrition.
Following an unbalanced vegetarian
diet for a few weeks is generally not going
to cause any long-term health issues. It is
more of a concern if an unbalanced
vegetarian diet is maintained for beyond
6-12 months. Clinically these people often
present with fatigue, repetitive infections
and in women and teens periods may
become heavier as iron stores reduce. Not
These are some variations of a vegetarian diet:
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian Dairy food (milk, yoghurt, cheese) and eggs are
consumed but no animal meat.
Ovo-vegetarian Eggs are consumed but no dairy (milk, yoghurt,
cheese) or animal meat.
Pescatarian Seafood/fish is consumed but no other
meat + Lacto or lacto-ovo
Vegan No dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese), eggs, or animal
products are consumed at all.