USA, January 26, 2006: Cathie and Harold Winters like a good steak. "We're a meat eating family," Cathie said. But their 12-year-old son Dean is not interested. When mom and dad eat steak, he has a protein substitute. Dean has been a vegetarian since he was in first grade. "I love animals a whole lot, and I really don't care for meat that much," said the then 6-year-old Dean. The Winters, like many parents of vegetarian kids, worried at first that their son wouldn't get enough nutrients without that piece of meat on his plate. "At first, I kind of fought it and tried to get him to eat meat. But he was pretty solid about his convictions," said Dean's father Harold. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarian kids can be just as healthy as other children. "There is no need for concern. People can be very healthy eating a vegetarian lifestyle," said registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, Having a vegetarian kid can be an adjustment, but Cathie says with all the protein substitutes out there, it's not that hard. As for Dean, "I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything," admitted Dean. The ADA says the number of kids who are choosing vegetarianism is growing and many children may experiment with a partial vegetarian diet.
2007-01-27
23:19:10
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11 answers
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asked by
kayamat_ka_din
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Vegetarian & Vegan