Nutritional support for teenage vegetarians

Is your teenager vegetarian or vegan?

Teenagers who eat a vegetarian diet are often low in iron, zinc and some of the B vitamins, especially B6 and B12. Vegans will need to supplement with B12 as it can only be found in animal products such as liver, beef, white fish, eggs and milk.

In addition to testing iron levels and supplementing where necessary, I often recommend that vegetarians take a zinc supplement and a multivitamin containing B vitamins as it can be difficult to get enough of these nutrients through a vegetarian diet alone.

Lack of protein can also be an issue for vegetarians. It is common for teenagers eating a vegetarian diet to eat a lot of carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice) and not enough protein. Protein is essential for growth, muscle development, cell repair and maintenance, brain function, mood, hormone production and digestion.

Good vegetarian sources of protein include chia seeds, legumes (e.g. chickpeas, red kidney beans, lentils), dairy products, eggs, nuts and seeds.