my sis is 10 and a veg no meat, cheese, or milk is that healthy?

Answer 1

not really at that age she needs to be getting alot of protein and omega fats to grow, its not healthy at all
especially at that age

Answer 2

Ok, first let me address some things others have said.

"well she does need to eat some of the other things because if she does not then she will loose strength"

Ignoring for a moment that this person can't even spell the word lose, what nutrients would she be missing out on that provide "strength"? You'll notice that most of the naysayers will give you short answers with no information to back up their claims. I'll assume this person is talking about protein and tell you that she can get protein from seeds and nuts. Give her a peanut butter sandwich and she’ll be fine.


"No, who allowed her to be brainwashed??
Unless a responsible adult is making sure she is getting a balanced diet with non-meat sourced proteins, calcium, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, etc., she will become malnourished."

Couldn't that be said for any child’s diet? If an adult is not making sure she is eating healthy she won’t get all the nutrients she needs whether she's eating meat or not. And I’m not even going to comment on his statement about brainwash...


"no defanatly not! cheese and milk are calsium=bones."

Defiantly spelled without an “I” and calcium spelled with an "S"? Yeah, this guy seems to know a lot about this subject. Here's a site with a chart that shows some vegan foods she can get calcium from. http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

It is very cool that you’re looking out for your little sister. She can most certainly be a healthy vegan at 10 years old. If you want to learn more about how to have a healthy vegan diet do some research online. I’m sure you’ll be able to find everything you need to know to make sure your sister eats a healthy vegan diet.

-Randy

Answer 3

Wow, okay, I'm amazed at the number of people automatically saying "It's healthy!" or "It's unhealthy!" No one online can tell you whether she's eating healthy or unhealthy because we don't know exactly what she is eating. People can be healthy on a diet without meat and dairy, yes, but they can also be unhealthy. It depends on how they are going about it. She needs to talk to a nutritionist in real life, preferably one familiar with vegetarian diets, so she can make sure her diet is healthy, and adjust it if it is not.

(By adjustments, I mean that protein, calcium, etc. do not only come from meat and milk, but they do have to come from something in your food, so the nutritionist may tell her to eat more leafy greens, or more beans, etc. if she is set on not wanting to eat meat or dairy.)

Answer 4

It could be healthy if your sister supplies herself with the proper nutrients that she is loosing from her choice to be vegan, however it sounds as if she isn't, and that is very unhealthy. All of those products have large percentages of necessary nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, and fats. If your sister can have supplements for those, than that's great, otherwise your sister, because she is only 10 and GROWING, needs those for proper growth. Growth is the most important thing that can happen to a child. Not getting the proper nutrition can directly lead a growth stunt. Your sister could have the possibility of being shorter than her full potential, appearing undeveloped (quite important for a girl), and a period that may both "behave" different and come at a much later time( i.e. high school). Anyway, those were the extremes of not getting proper nutrition, and I hope your sister is taking supplements (multivitamins, calcium, soy protein). Give her advice learned from answers to this question and help her with her choice! Good luck!

Answer 5

As long as she gets a good variety of foods--fruits, veggies, grains, beans/pulses, and nuts/seeds--she should be fine.

Even vegans get more protein than they need--you only need between .33 and .50 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

As for calcium, there are plenty of plant sources, such as broccoli and chickpeas. Dairy actually causes you to lose calcium because of the excess of protein--animal protein is worse for your bones than plant protein.

She'll want to eat leafy greens for iron, but she should have vitamin C-rich foods when she does consume them.

Dreena Burton's "Everyday Vegan" has tips on being vegan from infancy to adulthood. There are also other books out there you could probably find regarding vegan children.

Please give your sister all the support she needs.

Answer 6

Yes, I do think it's healthy, as long as she is getting all of the essential vitamins and nutrients. If I didn't think a vegan lifestyle was healthy for children, I would not have maintained mine during my pregnancy. I'm now nine months pregnant and could technically have my baby at any time. I am not worried about her health.


http://www.vegansociety.com/html/people/lifestyle/families/parenting/vegan_children/
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.htm
http://www.vegsource.com/parent/growing_vegans.htm
http://www.vegfamily.com/vegan-children/ensuring-nutrition-vegan-children.htm

Answer 7

At 10 she lacks necessary information about nutrition. She can be a healthy vegetarian, but make sure she has a good foundation of knowledge. Some kids think being a vegetarian is loading up on carbs only. Help her understand how she should be eating and give her resources.

Answer 8

As long as she is getting those nutrients (iron mainly) from another source it's perfectly okay. Not drinking milk or cheese isnt a big deal because calcium is in so many other food products. Protein can also be found in many different foods. It is really important to have iron however. She does NOT want to become iron deficient.

Answer 9

Yes, I'm a vegitarian, and lactose intolerant, so I get enough protien not eating meat, milk and cheese.

Answer 10

At such an early age the brain needs the protiens to properly develop...Also a young developing woman needs to get as much calcium as possible. The affects of not getting enuff early in life can lead to ostio perosis. Which has been known to make bones very brittle and lead to breaks in major bones and to severe back problems. If she does choose to be a vegetarian then suppliments are suggested...consult your doctor for the right ones and have her checked for nutrient deficiencies in order to get her what she needs.

Answer 11

Depends what she is eating. Is she eating crap or is she including vitamin rich foods? Is she aware of amino acids and how they have to be combined to give her the protein requirements for a human?

I am guessing that, without proper nutritional training from someone in the home, her diet is not healthy not appropriate.