My 13-year-old daughter has decided she wants to be a vegetarian. I'm worried about where she will get protein from as she's living on cheese and pasta.
What's the solution? It's common to struggle when first cooking for a veg
etarian. It can be cheese, cheese and more cheese – although it does contain protein, suddenly their dairy and saturated fat levels rocket. Growing children have a variety of reactions to this increase in dairy products in their diets, ranging from itchy, eczema-type rashes to bumps under the skin, bowel changes and energy slumps after food.
We need to understand the importance of having the correct amount of whole protein from mixed sources in our diet. Not having enough will inhibit development, affect hormones and reduce hair, nail and skin health. In the teenage years, some hormones are just starting to kick into place and getting plenty of protein is essential.
Sources of whole proteins (not including meat) include grains (such as rice, oats, wheat) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), all of which contain the amino acids essential for growth.
For other types of cheese, try sheep's (such as feta) or goats' cheeses as they are easier on the digestion than harder yellow cheeses.
Many traditional diets easily provide whole protein without meat: Mexican corn and beans, Japanese rice and soybeans, Cajun red beans and rice or dhal and rice.
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The full article contains 271 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
