• Vegetarian: Diets excluding all or some animal products. There are many variations of the diet.
• Vegan: Diet consists of only foods of plant origin.
• Lacto-vegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods plus some or all dairy products.
• Lacto-ovovegetarian: Diet consists of plant foods, milk, dairy products and eggs.
• Semi or Partial Vegetarian: Doesn't eat red meat, but may eat chicken or fish with plant foods, dairy products, and eggs. There are many variations.

The diet may be adopted for a variety of reasons, including religious or political beliefs, economics, or the desire to consume a more healthful diet.

The American Dietetic Association states that a well-planned vegetarian diet can be consistent with good nutritional intake. Dietary recommendations vary with the type of vegetarian diet. For children and adolescents these diets require special planning, because it may be difficult to obtain all the nutrients required for growth and development. Nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian's diet are Protein, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Riboflavin, Calcium, Zinc, and Iron.

Eating protein, which is made up of smaller chemicals called amino acids, is necessary for good health. There are two types of proteins, complete and incomplete. Complete proteins contain adequate amounts of the essential amino acids needed for health; they are found in animal products (e.g., meats, milk, fish, eggs). Incomplete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids, but not in adequate amounts. These proteins generally have one amino acid in insufficient quantity (the limiting amino acid). Grains and beans are sources of incomplete proteins.

You don't have to eat animal products to get complete proteins in the diet. You can mix two incomplete proteins or an incomplete protein with a complete protein to get all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Some combinations are milk and cereal, peanut butter and bread, beans and rice, beans and corn tortillas, and macaroni and cheese.

Integrating the vegetarian style of eating into a non-vegetarian diet is recommended for individuals wishing to choose a healthier diet. For example, a person may choose to eat meat once a day or as little as twice a week.

Vegetarian diets that include some animal products (lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovovegetarian) are nutritionally sound. Vegan diets require careful planning in order to obtain adequate amounts of required nutrients. The following are recommendations for feeding vegetarian children.

• Breast milk or formula should be the basis of the diet until one year of age. (See Diet for Age)
• Milk or a fortified soy formula should be used.
• Fat should not be limited for a child less than two years of age.
• For children not drinking milk or a fortified substitute, the following nutrients may be limited: calcium, protein, Vitamin D, riboflavin. These children may need a vitamin and mineral supplement.
• Vitamin B12 must be supplemented if no animal products are consumed.
• Adequate iron intake is difficult to achieve if meat is not consumed. Good sources of iron include prunes and prune juice, fortified cereals and grain products, and raisins and spinach.

Sample Vegan menu for a toddler.

Breakfast:
3/4 cup fortified (with calcium and vitamins) soy formula
1/2 cup cooked cereal
1/2 peach

Snack:
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter and crackers

Lunch:
Bean Burrito (1/2 flour tortilla with 1/4 cup beans)
1/4 cup steamed broccoli
peanut butter cookie (eggless)
3/4 cup fortified soy formula

Snack:
1/2 banana

Dinner:
1/2 cup spaghetti with 1/4 cup lentil spaghetti sauce
spinach salad with french dressing
1 slice of french bread with margarine

Bedtime snack:
3/4 cup of fortified soy milk
1/2 cup rice and 2 tsp. of molasses (good iron source)