Toddlers who refuse to eat furry animals; teenagers who suddenly hate
everything their parents cook; children of vegetarian parents. Whether
it's your choice or theirs, raising a vegetarian kid can be a
challenge.

Along with the power struggles -- refusals by kids to eat what's
served, refusals by Mom or Dad to prepare something else -- are
parental fears, fanned by old studies, that kids aren't getting the
nutrition they need to support their rapidly growing bodies.

As vegetarianism becomes more accepted and maybe even more common --
and that includes the nation's younger set -- here's the good news:
Based on an exhaustive study review, the American Dietetic Assn.
concluded in July in a new position statement that as long as
vegetarian diets are planned well, they're safe for people at every
stage of life: pregnant and nursing moms, babies, teenagers and just
about everyone else.

The report was the first to emphasize the benefits of a meatless meal
plan as opposed to simply stating that a vegetarian diet was OK. A
meat-free meal plan, it stressed, may lower rates of obesity, Type 2
diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

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