Kids can take part in sports while on vegetarian and vegan diets, but parents and caregivers must help them select foods that will fuel them and meet their nutrition needs.
Vegan athletes can become deficient in vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3 fats, riboflavin and calcium, so it’s important to find good substitutes, said Roberta Anding, a registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
A vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products, including dairy and eggs, while a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry and seafood.
Good carbohydrates include breakfast choices such as whole grain toast, oatmeal or roasted sweet potatoes. Anding also suggests offering vegetarian kids rice, quinoa and pasta….