Vegetarian diet in children

Key words: Vegetarian diet, Vegan diet, Western diet

Vegetarians are constantly increasing and are approaching 10% of the Italian population. There are several reasons behind this choice (eg. healthy, ethical and environmental) and these make the vegetarian choice usually final and irrevocable. Literature recognizes that vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful, confer benefits in terms of health and are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, however they need to be “wellplanned”. Given the importance of nutrition in the prevention, the paediatrician plays a strategic role in supporting families in the vegetarian choice and promoting proper nutritional intake of foods of only plant origin.