More and more households have at least one vegetarian member – and if that's you, you may want to bring your baby up as a vegetarian as well.
Your baby can get all the nourishment he needs to grow and to stay healthy without eating meat or fish. The right amount of protein and other nutrients can be included in his diet through pulses, beans, eggs, milk and dairy products, soya products, grains and cereals.
The Department of Health recommends that vegetarian babies who are well-established on solids - probably around nine months of age - should have two servings a day of pulses, grains or beans a day. The size of a 'serving' will depend on your baby's appetite.
You might also want to include vitamin supplements into your baby's diet. Seek advice from your health visitor or GP before you start.
Know your nutrients
Make sure your baby is getting all the nutrients he needs by offering him a wide and varied diet. Protein, iron and vitamin B12 are especially important:
Protein
- Sources: eggs, milk and dairy products, nuts and pulses, including baked beans, soya and soya products, bread, cereals, rice and pasta.
- Essential for: building muscle and other tissue, healing wounds, fighting infection, and transporting nutrients and oxygen in the blood.
- Include a variety of different proteins in your baby's diet each week so that he gets the right balance of amino acids.
Iron
- Sources: wholegrain cereals, fortified breakfast cereals, dark green vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, green beans and peas, dried fruit, such as pureed apricots, nuts, eggs, and pulses, including lentils and baked beans, soya and soya products.
- Essential for: brain development and maintaining a healthy immune system. Iron also carries oxygen and helps to create energy for growth.
- From six months your baby's natural iron stores will begin to deplete so start offering him extra iron rich foods.
Vitamin B12
- Sources: fortified breakfast cereals, low-salt yeast extract, milk and dairy products.
- Essential for: maintaining healthy nerve cells and making red blood cells.
- Breastmilk and formula milk are also good sources of vitamin B12 and your baby should continue to have some breastmilk or formula (or both) until at least her first birthday.
Where to begin
Whether or not you choose a vegetarian diet for your baby, the Department of Health advises that you aim to exclusively breastfeed (or give formula if you chose not to breastfeed or are unable to do so) until he's six months old. From then you can begin weaning, while still continuing to breastfeed. If you're thinking about introducing solids before six months, talk to your health visitor first.
Start by offering your baby a teaspoon a day of any of the following: baby rice, puréed fruit (such as apple, pear, banana) and puréed vegetables (such as potato, carrot, parsnip). Gradually increase this to three times per day, adding more variety of fruit and veg – like apricot, mango, avocados and leafy green vegetables - plus mashed lentils.
Next you can begin to introduce wheat, oats, beans and pulses, tofu, eggs and dairy products, such as full-fat milk (in cooking), yogurt, and fromage frais. When you feel your baby's ready, offer him finger foods, like raw or par-cooked carrots, breadsticks, peeled cucumber and cubes of cheese. He can also begin to have a bit of what you're feeding your family, but make sure it doesn't contain added salt or anything unsuitable for his age, like peanuts.
Vegan diet
The vegan diet - which also excludes animal products like eggs and milk - can be healthy, but there is a risk that the diet may not include enough of certain vitamins.
Vegan babies need good sources of calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D and protein. In addition to the information above, here’s what you need to know about calcium and vitamin D:
Calcium
- Sources: tofu, calcium-enriched soya milks, cheeses and yogurts, dark green vegetables, seeds, nuts and fortified foods.
- Essential for: building strong, healthy bones and helping heart, muscles and nerves to function properly.
- Up to the age of one, much of your baby's calcium requirements (as well as other nutrients) will be met by breastmilk and/or vegan formula.
Vitamin D
- Sources: vegetable margarines, some soya milks and soya products, and fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals.
- Essential for: helping to regulate the amount of calcium in the body.
- Sunlight is also a good source of vitamin D, but remember to take care of your baby’s sensitive skin in the sun.
Speak to your health visitor or GP to make sure your baby is getting the best possible nutrition, and for advice on whether your baby needs supplements.
