Vegetarian Children: Healthy of Hazardous?

This article “Vegetarian children: Healthy or hazardous?” ran in my local paper, the SanTan Sun News this week. I felt compelled to write the reporter. This is the first time for as long as I can remember that I felt the need to comment on an article. While the nutritionist was “ok” with vegetarian kids she made it seem as though vegan kids would die from lack of protein. In my response, I challenged the reporter to consider interviewing two sources instead of just one for articles of this type because just as you can find a nutritionist that says veganism is “bad” for kids, you could find one that says it is “good” for kids. If you’d like to share your thoughts, the reporter, Miriam Van Scott, can be reached at miriam@santansun.com.

This is the article:

This is my response:

Hi Miriam,

First I want to thank you for writing the article “Vegetarian children: Healthy of hazardous?” in the San Tan Sun. As a long time vegetarian, I was at first happy to see that the article was placed in such a prominent location. I read it carefully and I do have some feedback for you. First of all, I am surprised that you interviewed and quoted only one source. As you know there are always two sides to every story. Perhaps you could have consulted Dr. Michael Greger, www.drgreger.org, a physician and nutritional expert on veganism. He would have a different perspective than that of Amy Hall.

While I agree with some of the things Hall had to say, I think she was incorrect about some as well. The article made it seem as though vegan diets are unhealthy for children. In fact, the health benefits outweigh those of a meat-based diet.

Did you know that eggs cause a food poising epidemic every year affecting 100,000 Americans annually. Additionally eating just one egg a day can shorten a person’s lifespan according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. When it comes to products made from cow’s milk, the number one source of artery-clogging saturated fat is dairy. It is also one of the top allergens in the United States. The calcium in dark green leafy veggies is absorbed twice as well as that of milk.

Shall we talk about meat? Did you know that chicken contains alarming levels of arsenic. A bucket of chicken from a typical fast food restaurant would be expected to have as much as almost 50 times the amount of arsenic allowed in a glass of water according to a report by the National Institute of Health and the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service. I need not mention the horrible cruelty endured by animals used for food production.

While Hall suggested that chicken has greater levels of protein that non-animal-derived products, clearly it also comes with greater levels of hazardous chemicals and cruelty. There are many vegan protein sources other than beans that do not have these unwanted “additions” including soy, nuts, tempeh, seitan, quinoa and brown rice.

I do agree with Hall that any diet – not just a vegetarian or vegan diet – should be monitored to ensure that children are receiving proper nutrition. Please keep in mind that American children are riddled with obesity, diabetes and also experience B-12 deficiency despite or as a result of eating meat. A vegan diet can be nutritionally sound provided that it is well balanced and that the child or adult eats a wide variety of non-animal derived foods.

Thank you,
—
Josephine Morris