toddler's diet

[Guest guest]

Hi! My name is Dixie. I am not completely vegetarian yet (still

working on it), but should be soon. I am breastfeeding a 5 month old

daughter currently.

My daughter who is nearly 2 had diarrhea for 4 straight months. After

tons of testing and specialists, they determined that she wasn't getting

enough fat in her diet. I increased the fat, and it seems to have helped.

She won't eat meat (not a problem with me) or most dairy. She will only

drink milk if it is chocolate milk (hates soy, by the way), and she will eat

Yo Baby yogurt. That's about it! So, she is getting quite a bit of sugar

in order to get her to have enough fat right now. I am not really

comfortable giving her that much sugar. Do any of you have any suggestions

other than drizzling her food with oil, in order for her to get the fat in?

TRACY:

Here is some info for lactating moms:

 

The Vegan Diet During Pregnancy and Lactation

by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., RD.

 

Here are two different diet plans for pregnant vegans [11]:

PLAN I

 

Nuts, Seeds or Legumes 2 servings (a serving is 2 TB nuts

or seeds or 1/2 cup cooked legumes)

Milk or Meat Analogues 3 servings (a serving of soymilk

is one cup)

Vegetables 4 servings (a serving is 1 cup

raw or 1/2 cup cooked). We suggest

emphasizing high calcium vegetables

such as greens and broccoli.

Fruits 5 servings (a serving is 1 fruit or

1/2 cup canned fruit)

Grains, Cereals or 6 servings (a serving is 1 slice of

Breads bread or 1/2 cup cereal or grain)

 

 

PLAN II

 

Legumes 4 servings

Milk or Meat Analogues 4 servings

Vegetables and Fruits 8 servings We suggest emphasizing high

calcium vegetables such as greens and

broccoli.

Grains, Cereals or 6 servings

Breads

 

Lactation and the Vegan Diet

The best diet for breastfeeding is very similar to the diet recommended for

pregnancy. Calories, protein, and vitamin B12 recommendations are higher

while the recommendation for iron is lower than during pregnancy.

If you eat too little while breastfeeding, you may not produce as much milk.

Although the recommended caloric intake is 500 calories above your usual

intake [1], you may still lose weight because of a loss of calories in

breast milk. It is safe to lose about 1/2 to 1 pound a week while

breastfeeding but more rigorous dieting is not recommended. As in pregnancy,

small frequent meals are the best way to be sure that you are getting enough

calories. Since you do need extra fluid while breastfeeding, use nutritious

beverages like juices, soy milk, soups and smoothies to provide calories.

 

The recommendation for protein is only 5 grams higher than it is in

pregnancy [1] and can be obtained easily from the extra food you are eating.

you should still eat good quality food because you are providing all

nutrients to your infant. you will need to be careful to get enough vitamin

B12 and vitamin D in order to be sure that these nutrients are present in

your milk in adequate amounts. See the Pregnancy section for more

information on sources of vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Requirements for most

other nutrients are similar to those in pregnancy and should be obtained

from a varied, healthy vegan diet.

 

Reference

1. National Research Council: Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th ed.

Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1989.

( This article originally appeared in the Vegetarian Journal.)

 

Hope it helps!