The testers

Not long ago, your child loved nothing more than a well-stuffed sausage sandwich - now they grimace in disgust at the mere sight of it? As quickly as teenagers' moods can change, so can their behavior and opinions. But what does it mean if your child suddenly announces that they want to eat vegetarian or even vegan food? And should you now be worried and change all your cooking habits?

A vegetarian or vegan diet is becoming increasingly popular among young people. If your son or daughter suddenly no longer wants to eat meat, you as parents may initially be at a loss. There are many reasons for this change of heart. Perhaps "vegetarian" is all the rage among friends at the moment, or animal welfare has prompted your child to boycott meat. The desire to distance themselves from their parents may also be one of the reasons. Calmness also helps in this phase of everyday family life: perhaps your child first tries the vegetarian option and then the vegan one. Or maybe it's just a short phase and your child will return to their old eating habits after a while.

Vegetarians generally do without sausage and meat, and sometimes also fish. However, eggs, milk and dairy products are allowed on the menu. Vegans, on the other hand, reject all animal products. This means that they do not eat milk, eggs, yogurt, quark or cheese. Strict vegans also avoid clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics and cleaning products with animal ingredients.

Puberty is a phase of reorientation. Instead of their parents, teenagers increasingly look to friends and role models from the media. It is normal for adolescents to increasingly question the values practiced in the family during this time. It's no wonder that heated discussions often break out, such as: Is it morally acceptable to eat or otherwise consume animal products? Don't see it as criticism, but as a sign of growing maturity if your offspring ask you one or two uncomfortable questions.

Even if your child's diet seems unfamiliar, in most cases there is no cause for concern: in its 2020 nutrition report, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) published a study on vegetarian and vegan diets in children and adolescents. The results show that almost all participants - whether vegetarians, vegans or "omnivores" - are adequately supplied with the main nutrients. Nevertheless, the DGE does not recommend an exclusively vegan diet - in contrast to a vegetarian diet - as a permanent diet for children and adolescents in the growth phase.

Especially during the growth phase, the body has a high requirement for iron, protein, zinc, iodine, calcium and vitamins D, B2 and B12. It is therefore important not to simply omit certain foods, but to replace them sensibly with regard to the nutrients they contain. Talk to your child about the importance of a balanced diet for the body. You can also find more information about healthy eating on the website of the Bundeszentrum für Ernährung.

Apart from health issues, there is probably another topic that concerns you: how do you manage to cook and eat together despite different eating habits? A closer look reveals that it is not that difficult to combine vegetarian or vegan and mixed diets. It is often enough to place vegetables at the center of the menu and replace animal fat with vegetable fat during preparation. Incidentally, both will benefit the health of all family members.