The tryers

Not long ago, your child loved nothing more than a well-topped sausage sandwich - now he or she grimaces in disgust at the mere sight of it? As quickly as teenagers' moods can change, sometimes that's what happens to their behaviors and opinions. But what does it mean when your child suddenly announces that he or she wants to eat a vegetarian or even vegan diet? And do you now have to be worried and change all cooking habits?

A vegetarian or vegan diet is becoming very popular among more and more young people. If your son or daughter suddenly no longer wants to eat meat, you as a parent may initially be at a loss. There are many reasons for the change of heart. Perhaps "vegetarian" is all the rage among friends, or animal welfare has prompted your child to boycott meat. The desire to distance themselves from their parents can also be one of the reasons. Composure also helps in this phase through everyday family life: Perhaps your child will first try the vegetarian option and then the vegan one. Perhaps it is only a short phase and your child returns to the old eating behavior after a certain time.

Vegetarians usually do without sausage and meat, sometimes also fish. Eggs, milk and dairy products, however, may be on the menu. Vegans, on the other hand, reject all animal products. They eat thus also no milk, no eggs, no yogurt, curd or cheese. Strictly vegan living people also do without clothing, shoes, bags and cosmetics and cleaning products with animal ingredients.

Puberty is a phase of reorientation. Instead of looking to their parents for guidance, teenagers increasingly look to friends and role models in the media. It is normal for adolescents during this time to increasingly question the values lived out in the family. 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 take it as criticism, but as a sign of growing maturity if your offspring brings up one or two uncomfortable questions.

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

Even in the growth phase, the body has a high demand 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 get more information about healthy eating on the homepage of the Federal Center for Nutrition.

Apart from health issues, you are probably concerned about another topic: How do you manage to cook and eat together despite different eating habits? A closer look shows that it is not that difficult to combine vegetarian or vegan and mixed food. It is often enough to put vegetables at the center of the menu and to replace animal fat with vegetable fat in the preparation. Both, by the way, benefit the health of all family members.