vegetarian pregnancy, vegetarian babies · 2009. 4. 7. · µg) of folic acid every day, and for...

VVeeggeettaarriiaann pregnancy, vegetarian bbaabbiieess

‘all the iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn you need’

VegSoc Infant Diet 21/2/07 2:53 pm

Vegan Kat has an active toddlerand another baby on the way

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INTRODUCTION

For many of us, thinking about parenthood, being pregnantor having a new baby can lead to a lifestyle reassessment:we all want to do our best for our children’s health and,with new responsibilities, we want to be certain of our ownhealth and fitness too. The best reassurance about thesuitability of a vegetarian or vegan diet for pregnantwomen and babies comes from the people who reallyknow: the women who have had trouble-free vegetarianand vegan pregnancies, and the proud parents of healthyvegetarian and vegan children. All the stories andphotographs in this booklet are ‘real’: we think you’llagree that it makes an inspiring read!

PRE-CONCEPTION

The health of both mother and baby is influenced not onlyby diet during pregnancy but also by diet beforeconception. Eating a healthy diet before conception willgive your body a good store of nutrients for the baby todraw on during pregnancy. The foetus is most susceptibleto nutritional imbalance during the first few months ofpregnancy because this is the time of most rapiddevelopment.

If you take the contraceptive pill, it is a good idea to comeoff and use an alternative method of contraception a fewmonths before conceiving. This is because the pill can alterlevels of some nutrients, particularly vitamin B6, folate andzinc. Ensure that you have a well-balanced diet with plentyof fresh fruit, vegetables (especially green vegetables) andwholegrain cereals, and try to avoid fatty foods, sweets,biscuits and cakes. Now is also the time to make otherhealthy lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking andcutting way back on alcohol.

If you find you are pregnant before you have had time tothink about pre-conception, then don't worry, there is stillplenty of time to make healthy changes to your diet.

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I had two very straightforwardpregnancies apart from someheartburn in the last couple ofmonths. Dylan weighed 10lb 1ozand Elias 9lb, so they were offto a good start. Both were bornby emergency caesarean and Imade a very rapid recoveryfrom both and surprised eventhe midwife!

Rachel


PREGNANCY

Pregnancy is a time when good nutrition is vital,for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. It is atime of readjustment as well as growth. The ninemonths are divided up into three divisions ofthree months each called trimesters. Manywomen experience changes in mood, activityand appetite with the different stages ofpregnancy.There is no truth in the old sayingthat pregnancy means eating for two. The extraenergy needed averages less than 200 kilo-calories a day for nine months. This isequivalent to two slices of bread with margarineor a small jacket potato with baked beans or

cheese. Some women do feel a lot more hungrythan this and if they are gaining weight at theright rate, they should eat according to theirappetite.

The ‘Balance of Good Health’ advice given to thegeneral population equally applies tovegetarians. A healthy diet includes plenty offruit and vegetables and starchy foods,moderate amounts of alternatives to meat andfish, and moderate amounts of dairy produce oralternatives, and small amounts of foodscontaining fat and sugar.

The following advice need not be strictlyadhered to every day, but as long as the generaldiet essentially follows the guidelines outlined abalanced and healthy diet should be achieved.

✔ Fruit andvegetables

5 portions daily

Fresh, frozen, juiced,canned or dried fruitand vegetables.Supply in particularvitamins, mineralsand fibre.

✔ Bread, othercereals andpotatoes

5 portions daily

Make these starchyfoods the basis of mostmeals. Try to includewholemeal orwholegrain versionswhen possible. Avoidadding too much fat.Supply carbohydrates,fibre, protein and somevitamins and minerals.✔ Alternatives to

meat and fish

2-3 portions daily

Include a variety ofpulses, nuts, seeds,eggs and other soya,QuornTM and wheatproteins in the diet toensure adequate intakesof protein, minerals andvitamins.

✔ Milk and dairyproducts

2-3 portions daily

Good sources of calcium,protein and some vitamins.If avoiding dairy foods,choose fortified soya, riceor oat drinks or ensureother foods high in calciumare included.

✔ Foods containing fat, foodscontaining sugar

0-3 portions daily

Although some fat is needed in the diet,eat these foods sparingly, and look outfor low fat alternatives.

T H E B A L A N C E O F G O O D H E A L T H


■ Fluid

You may find that you aremore thirsty duringpregnancy. This is natural asfluid intake should increase.Never allow yourself tobecome over thirsty andinclude plenty of fresh water,dilute fruit juices, milk (soyaor cow's) and herb teas.Drinks containing caffeine(tea, coffee and cola) shouldbe limited and alcohol shouldbe avoided altogether ifpossible.

■ Protein

Increased protein needs inpregnancy are usually metsimply by the extra caloriesfrom more foods. Protein canbe found in dairy products,cereals, pulses, nuts, seeds,eggs and other soya,mycoprotein and wheatproteins. Intake of dairyproducts and eggs should notincrease dramatically since itis possible that excessiveamounts may sensitise thebaby in the womb to allergiestowards these foods.

■ Iron

The need for iron is increasedduring pregnancy, especiallyduring the later stages.Anaemia, due to irondeficiency, is common inpregnancy whether you arevegetarian or not. Goodvegetarian sources of iron are

wholegrain cereals, pulses,leafy green vegetables anddried fruits. Iron absorption isincreased dramatically iftaken with a good source ofvitamin C, which can be foundin fresh fruit and vegetables,so having a glass of fruit juicewith a main iron rich meal isideal.

Iron levels normally decreaseduring pregnancy as the bloodbecomes more dilute. If ablood test demonstrates youriron stores are low, yourdoctor may prescribe irontablets, so if you are not sureyou are eating enough ironrich foods, you may wish toconsider taking an ironsupplement, but, as with allsupplements, be careful tofollow instructions.

■ Calcium and Vitamin D

The body needs extra calciumduring pregnancy, especiallyin the later stages, to enablethe baby's bones to develop.Calcium absorption from thegut is more efficient duringpregnancy and this shouldprovide enough to meetrequirements, however,vegans and vegetarian womenwho consume few dairyproducts need to beparticularly careful to ensureadequate calcium in the diet.Some vegan women,especially if they intend tobreast-feed, may decide that a

NUTRIENTS

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T R I M E S T E R G U I D E

■ 0~3 Months

Women usually feel differentand may experience tirednessor sickness particularly in themorning. Calorie needs areonly about 100 kilo-caloriesmore in the early stages ofpregnancy and some womendo not experience muchincrease in appetite until theend of this period.

■ 3~6 Months

Appetite usually increasesafter the first three monthsthough since considerablereductions usually occur inphysical activity and metabolicrate this helps to compensatefor the increased needs. Extracalorie needs should be metby cereals, pulses, nuts andseeds, dairy products (unlessvegan) and starchy vegetablessuch as potatoes.

■ 6~9 Months

The baby is maturing now andthis is a time for easing up onactivity and preparing for thebirth, though this is theperiod when an extra 200kilo-calories a day areneeded. The baby takes up alot of space and may press onthe stomach, reducing thecapacity for food, so manywomen feel they need to eatsmall meals more frequentlyat this stage. Normal weightgain during pregnancy is oneand a half to two stones (10 to12.5kg). Weight gain oftenslows down during the lastfew months of pregnancy.


calcium supplement is a wiseprecaution, although with agood vegetable intake ofcalcium it may not benecessary. Good sources ofcalcium include greenvegetables, almonds, sesameseeds or tahini, cow's milk,tofu, cheese, yoghurt,wholegrain cereals and pulses.

Vitamin D is essential forcalcium absorption and canbe obtained from sunlight,margarine and dairy products.If you have dark skin, covermuch of your skin or spendlittle time outside you shouldconsider taking a vitamin Dsupplement, especially in thewinter months.

■ Folate / Folic Acid

Folate is one of the B vitaminsneeded in increased amountsduring pregnancy, a lack ofwhich has been shown tocontribute to the possibility ofbirth defects. Vegetarians

usually have a high intakesince the best sources of thisvitamin are green leafyvegetables, fruit, peanuts,yeast extract and wholegraincereals. Research has shownthat long term vegetarianshave a particularly good folatestatus, however all womennot using contraception areadvised to take a 400microgram supplement (400µg) of folic acid every day, andfor the first twelve weeks ofyour pregnancy.

■ Vitamin B12

This vitamin is essential to thegrowth and development ofyour baby. If adequateamounts of dairy products,eggs and fortified productssuch as yeast extract areincluded in your diet, then youshould have enough vitaminB12. It is especially importantfor vegans to include areliable source of vitamin B12in the diet during pregnancy.

Some vegan foods, such ascertain brands of soya milk,margarines, yeast extractsand veggieburger mixes arefortified with this vitamin,however, if you feel that yourintake of vitamin B12 fromyour diet is unreliable, then asupplement is highlyrecommended.

■ Omega 3 fats

It is now recognised that longchain omega 3 fatty acidsperform an important part inthe development of the baby’sbrain and eyesight while inthe womb, so you should tryto optimise your intake ofomega 3 fats yourself. Thesimplest way to do this is byincluding two teaspoons offlax seed oil in your diet eachday, taken either on its own ormixed into dressings etc. Flaxoil is also available invegetable capsules, as is algaloil, which is a direct source ofDHA.

Being vegan and bringing upmy son vegan is no problem.It’s such a healthy diet andLucas is always bouncing withenergy. I haven’t needed ironsupplements with either of mypregnancies – unlike manymeat-eating mums I know.Also, all the ‘danger’ foods aremeat or dairy, so as a vegan Iam automatically protectingmy unborn child and myselffrom a number of health risks!

Kat

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Morning sickness

Studies show that about three quarters of all womenexperience nausea andvomiting during pregnancy,especially in the first fewmonths, although it can lastthroughout pregnancy.Morning sickness can berelieved by having a drybiscuit or toast before gettingup. Avoiding long intervalsbetween meals helps, asnausea often occurs at thesame time as hunger. Starchyfoods, such as bread andpotatoes, should be eatenregularly as they helpmaintain blood sugar leveland fill the stomach, helpingto relieve sickness.

Food safety

Vegetarians routinely avoidmany of the foods that shouldbe avoided in pregnancy, butremember to avoid softcheeses such as Brie andmould ripened cheese such asStilton, because of the risk oflisteria. Cottage cheese orhard cheeses, such asCheddar, should be usedinstead. Both free-range andbattery eggs have been foundto contain salmonella, so rawor lightly cooked eggs shouldbe avoided. Vitamin Asupplements should also beavoided (even if part of amulti-vitamin).

If the pregnant woman or thebaby's father, or any previouschildren have a history of hayfever, asthma, eczema orother allergies, it isrecommended that peanutsand foods containing them(including groundnut oil) beavoided in the diet whilepregnant and breastfeeding.

Digestive problems

Heartburn is very common inthe later stages of pregnancy.It can be alleviated byavoiding large meals andinstead choosing smallfrequent meals or snacks. Itcan help to sit up very straightwhen eating and avoid activityjust after a meal. Spicy andfatty foods, fizzy drinks andcitrus fruits can make theproblem worse. Duringpregnancy, the digestivesystem absorbs nutrientsmore efficiently and this cancontribute to constipation.Iron tablets often make theproblem worse. Constipationcan be relieved by increasingfluid intake and includingplenty of wholegrain cereals,pulses, fruits and vegetablesin the diet.

CONCLUSION

A healthy vegetarian diet canprovide you with all thenutrients you need during

your pregnancy and give yourbaby the best possible start inlife. A vitamin and mineralsupplement should not beneeded if a good balancedvegetarian diet is followed,but will not cause any harm iftaken as a precaution, butchoose one without vitamin A.

Vegetarianism has been away of life for me for thelast 20 years, so I had noworries at all aboutproviding a healthynutritious diet for bothmyself and the littleperson growing inside me.My daughter Leilani wasborn on her due dateweighing a healthy 8lb 1oz,so I must have been doingsomething right!

Charlotte

GENERAL ADVICE

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Welcome to the world, Rose!


Once your baby is born, if youdecide to breastfeed you muststill take care with your owndiet.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding gives your babythe best possible start in life.During lactation, thebreastfeeding mother willneed to increase their energyintake by only around 500kilo-calories a day since mostwomen's bodies are veryefficient at making breastmilk. Make sure that you eat

plenty of protein and vitaminrich foods. Recommendedintakes for calcium and zincare also increased so extrafood sources of these may bean appropriate choice. It isimportant to drink enoughfluids and keep your intake ofalcohol as low as possible.The same advice on eatingpeanuts in pregnancy stillstands. While breastfeedingall mothers are recommendedto take appropriate vitamin Dsupplements, and keep uptheir intake of omega 3 fats.

Formula Milk

A wide range of cow's milk orsoya based infant formula

milks are available that aresuitable for vegetarians. Youmay wish to look for cow'smilk based brands whichcontain DHA (an omega 3 fattyacid) derived from algae.

Bringing our two boys up vegetarian offers them the best of both worlds – eating a healthy diet andbeing kind to all animals – not just our three cats! Proud dad Paul with baby Aidan

BABY

Well-planned vegan andother types of vegetariandiets are appropriate forall stages of the life-cycleincluding duringpregnancy, lactation,infancy, childhood, andadolescence.

American DieteticAssociation and Dietitiansof Canada 2003

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Taking the first steps inbringing your child up as avegetarian isn't difficult.Remember that the nutritionalrequirements of a small babyare high, they needproportionally more protein,calcium and most othernutrients than at any othertime of their life.

Bringing up your child as avegetarian, you will want toget them used to a widevariety of foods, includingcereals, pulses (beans), nutsand seeds, dairy and soyaproduce, fruit and vegetables.Your baby may initially rejectstronger tasting foods, suchas broccoli, cauliflower andcabbage, at six months butmay like them several monthslater, so never give up.

It is quite safe to bring upyour baby as a vegan, with noanimal foods at all, as long asyou make sure that plenty ofnutrient rich foods areincluded. Vegan babies, as allbabies, need good sources ofcalcium, vitamin B12, vitaminD and protein.

Weaning is a gradual processthat begins when you start toreplace milk with solid foods.Infants should not be givensolid foods before the age offour months except on theadvice of a healthprofessional. A mixed diet

should be offered by the ageof six months, at which stagebabies need a source of ironin their diet as breast orformula milk can no longerprovide enough.

STAGES OF WEANING

■ 4-6 months

Before the age of four monthsbabies can't properly digestany foods other than breast orformula milk, which remainsthe most important source ofnutrition at least up to the ageof six months. Babies should,however, be introduced tosolids before the age of sixmonths. Start by introducingone teaspoon of pureed fruitor baby rice mixed with breastor formula milk after a milkfeed or in the middle if thisworks best for your baby.Always take care that the foodis adequately cooled. Thenutrition of the food is not soimportant at this stage as milkstill supplies all the baby'sneeds. Just one solid feed aday initially should be enoughfor most babies.

Other foods to start with are:

• Puréed vegetables, such aspotatoes, carrot , courgette

• Puréed fruit, such asbanana, cooked apple, pear

• Baby rice, corn meal, sagoor millet can all be given asa thin porridge.

As the weeks go on milkremains the most important

food in your baby's diet, butyou can gradually increasethe number of times solidfood is given from once totwice and then three times aday, depending on yourbaby's appetite. As time goeson try mashed lentils withsome added vegetable oil anda wider variety of fruit andvegetables such as avocadoand green vegetables.

Do not give wheat, oats, milk,nuts, eggs or citrus fruitbefore the age of six months.

■ 6-8 months

Most babies will by now beeating solids although milk isstill a large part in their diets.Solid foods now provide animportant source of iron, andmost babies will be havingsolids three times a day. Fromsix months you can start tointroduce wheat and oatbased cereals such as breadand porridge. You can pureeor sieve family foods to givevariety, as long as they do notcontain added salt.

Try introducing tofu andmashed lentils, if your baby isnot already eating them, forprotein. Silken tofu isparticularly useful since it canbe mixed in with fruit andvegetable purees. Dairy foods(yoghurt and cheese) can beintroduced after six months,as can eggs as long as theyare very well cooked, thoughyou will find some expertsrecommend avoiding all dairyproducts and eggs until 12months old.

WEANING


■ 8-12 months

Now your baby will graduallybe able to cope with lumpierfoods. Foods from the familytable can be included in thebaby's diet as long as they donot contain salt. Well cookedand mashed peas and beanscan be introduced fromaround 8 months - they are alittle difficult to digest and socan cause problems ifintroduced earlier. Avoidsweet biscuits and rusks ifpossible, but you don't haveto be too puritanical. Tryintroducing pieces of peeledapple, raw carrot or crusts ofbread. When your baby is ableto chew, pieces of fruit,sandwiches and toast canbecome normal everydayfoods. By the age of 12months your baby should beenjoying three substantialmeals a day.

Many companies producebaby foods suitable forvegetarians but it's quick andeasy to prepare your own foodfor your baby. If you buy readyprepared food, always checkthe ingredients label and lookout for The VegetarianSociety's Seedling symbol tobe absolutely sure that it istotally vegetarian.

The vegetarian diet isadequate for the nutritionalneeds of infants.

British Medical Association1986

At 5 months,Kaashvi enjoysher firstmouthful ofbaby rice

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■ Iron

This is an important nutrientduring weaning, as milk is avery poor source of iron.Babies are born with theirown store of iron but this willbe depleted by six months.

Although iron is less easilyabsorbed from non animalsources, there are plenty ofgood vegetable sources. Ironrich foods suitable for babiesafter six months includepuréed apricots, molasses,lentils, cereals, well mashedthin skinned beans and greenvegetables. Avoid cereals thatare very high in fibre as thesemay inhibit iron absorption.Vitamin C, found in fresh,frozen or juiced fruit andvegetables, aids absorption ofiron from plant foods and so ithelps to give sources of these

nutrients together. A dilutedfruit juice offered with a mealis a good option.

■ Calcium

Breast or formula milkcontains all the calcium yourbaby needs initially. Goodsources of calcium for thelater weaning stages includecow's and formula soya milk,cheese, green vegetables,wholemeal bread, beans,lentils, ground almonds,sesame paste and tofu.

■ Protein

Because babies are growingrapidly they require moreprotein than adults comparedto their body weight. Breast orformula milk will provide themajor source of protein for thefirst eight months. After thatchoose from beans, lentils,

cereals, dairy products, eggs,soya products, nuts, seedsand products such as QuornTM

to add into the diet. A varietyof foods should be given eachday so the baby obtains theright balance of amino acids.For example, if a baby hastoast, lentils and yoghurtduring a day, that would givea good balance.

■ Energy

It is very important toremember that low fat healthyeating advice commonlytargeted at the adultpopulation is completelyinappropriate for babies.

Babies between the age of 6and 12 months require 700 to1000 kilocalories a day, sothey need concentratedsources of energy. Babies and

We’ve agreed to bring Luther up as a veganuntil he is old enough to decide for himself.We’re in Libya at the moment, and we can’tget much ready-made food, but there is plentyof exotic fruit and veg, nuts and pulses to cookwith. I believe we should give our children theopportunity to think with free minds as theygrow up, so that they can make consciousdecisions about how to live their lives. Nick

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS FOR A GROWING BABY


young children do not havethe capacity to eat largequantities of food and so theyneed small and frequentmeals. Their diet should notcontain too many foods thatare bulky, watery or high infibre. Make sure your babyhas some concentratedenergy foods like lentils withvegetable oil, avocado,cheese or smooth nut butter.Adding a quality vegetable oilto other less energy densefoods is a simple way toincrease its calorific value.Sugar however is not a goodsource of energy for babies.

■ Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is only naturallyfound in foods of animalorigin. Very young babies willget all the vitamin B12 theyneed from formula or breastmilk. Later vegetarian babiesshould obtain enough of thisvitamin from dairy productsand eggs, however it isparticularly important toensure that vegan babies getvitamin B12 from fortifiedfoods such as soya formula,low salt yeast extract orveggie burgers.

■ Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in dairyproducts, eggs and fortifiedfoods like margarine andsome breakfast cereals, andcan be made by the action ofsunlight on the skin. It is onlynaturally found in animalfoods, but both vegetarian andvegan babies would benefitfrom a vitamin D supplement.Breast or formula milk shouldprovide all the vitamin Dneeded initially.

■ Vitamin drops

From six months it is sensibleto give your baby vitamindrops containing vitamins A, Cand D unless they are drinkingat least a pint of formula milka day. Many brands arevegetarian.

■ Fibre

A diet too high in fibre will fillup a child before theirnutritional needs have beenmet and can interfere withabsorption of minerals, suchas zinc, iron and calcium. Branshould never be added to ayoung child's diet – if youthink your baby is constipatedgive extra fluid such as cooledboiled water or diluted fruitjuices.

■ Milk

When your baby reaches theage of one year, full fat cow'smilk can be introduced as adrink (cow's and other animalmilks are too low in iron andother nutrients to introduceearlier, though they can be

Kaashvi is a very bonny, cheerful and happy girl who is veryinquisitive and is a source of great joy to her family. She isgrowing quite quickly on her current diet of milk and the oddmashed vegetable. Subahu

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used in cooking). Babies undertwo should not be given semi-skimmed milk and childrenunder five should not be givenskimmed milk becauseskimmed milk lacks the fatsoluble vitamins A and D, andyoung children need theenergy from fat. Soya milksmust be specially formulatedfor babies if they are usedinstead of breast milk, and ifavoiding animal milk products,soya formula must be used asa drink up to the age of 2years, though fortified soyadrinks can be used in cooking.

■ Salt, sugar and honey

These should be avoided inthe diet of babies and youngchildren. A baby's kidneys arenot mature enough to copewith too much salt so it isimportant to ensure your babyconsumes less than 1g of salta day. Don't forget that manyprocessed foods notspecifically made for babiesare high in salt, so alwaysread the label. Sugary foodsand drinks are a prime causeof tooth decay, and sugargives calories without anyassociated vitamins orminerals. It is important toavoid introducing honey intoyour baby's diet before 12months, because it maycontain a bacterium thataffects immature intestines.

■ Nuts

Whole or chopped nuts andseeds are not suitable forchildren under five because ofthe danger of choking, but

they can be used finelyground, or as smooth nutspreads. You will find someexperts suggest avoiding nutproducts altogether in a smallchild's diet due to the risk ofallergies developing. Certainlyif the mother, father or anyprevious children have ahistory of hay fever, asthma,eczema or other allergies, it isimportant that peanuts andfoods containing them(including groundnut oil) areexcluded from the diet until atleast the age of three years.

■ QuornTM and processed

soya/gluten based products

Quorn products are a usefuladdition to the diet of youngchildren, but should not berelied on as the sole or major

source of protein since theyare relatively low in caloriesand high in fibre so maysatisfy the child's appetitebefore they have taken inenough energy. Texturedvegetable protein and similarproducts may be difficult foryoung babies to digest, andsome brands are relativelyhigh in salt, but smallamounts can be introducedfrom eight months.

Raising Aidan as a vegan is such a natural, instinctive choice.We know we are giving him a positive and pure start to his life,not only is he a picture of health, he’s also turning into a verycompassionate, considerate and caring child. Corin & Lesley

Children who consumewell-planned vegetariandiets should be able toachieve all their nutritionalrequirements for growth.

British Dietetic Association1995

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■ Further nutritional information

The Vegetarian Society can provide more detailedinformation on the sources of all the specific nutrientsmentioned in this booklet free of charge – just call us on0161 925 2000.

■ Recipes

The following books are all endorsed by The VegetarianSociety, and contain a large variety of recipes for babiesand young children, together with basic nutritionaladvice.

Great Healthy Food for Vegetarian Kids, Nicola Graimes

Veggie Food for Kids, Sara Lewis

Rose Elliot's Mother, Baby & Toddler Book

■ Opposition from family and friends

You may come across some reluctance fromrelatives to accept that a vegetarian diet is best foryour baby, but it is now widely recognised bybodies such as the British Medical Association andthe Department of Health that a vegetarian diet canprovide all the nutrients needed for growinginfants. The Vegetarian Society is more than happyto provide fully referenced scientific evidence thatsuch a diet is perfectly safe and, indeed, healthful.

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T H E V E G E T A R I A N S O C I E T Y

Established in 1847, The VegetarianSociety is a national charity thatpromotes awareness and respectfor vegetarian lifestyles througheducation and support.

The Society works across thecommunity - with individuals,schools, colleges, government,media and industry. We provideexpert advice on diet and nutrition,and information for food producers,enabling them to meet the needs ofvegetarians with integrity. We alsokeep vegetarianism in the news(www.vegsoc.org/press/index.htm)and feed the real facts to the press.

The work of The Vegetarian Societyhelps keep the standard ofvegetarian food high – we helpcaterers offer vegetarians realchoice. We give vegetarians alouder, stronger voice.

The Society relies on its membersto fund our valuable work, andthanks to them we’ve been able tomake a huge difference to the livesof millions of vegetarians. There’sstill plenty of work to be done butwe can’t do it without you – byjoining The Vegetarian Society youcan help us create a bettervegetarian future for your children.

Members receive a glossy quarterlymagazine (www.vegsoc.org/vegmag/index.html) , enjoydiscounts in hundreds of veggie-friendly shops and cafés and gainexclusive access to our telephoneinformation service.

To join simply dial 0161 925 2000.


TThhee VVeeggeettaarriiaann SSoocciieettyy is a registered charity (no.

259358) dedicated to promoting the benefits of a

vegetarian diet. We campaign and raise awareness of

vegetarian issues, provide information and educational

materials, work closely with the food industry and

strive to improve catering standards through our

Cordon Vert Cookery School.

Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG

Tel: 0161 925 2000 Fax: 0161 926 9182 email:[email protected] www.vegsoc.org

Patrons: Rose Elliot MBE, Jerome Flynn, Sir Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney

© The Vegetarian Society 2004

ddeessiiggnn temple design

ffoooodd pphhoottooss from Veggie Food For Kids © octopus publishing group/DAVID JORDAN


vegetarian pregnancy, vegetarian babies · 2009. 4. 7. · µg) of folic acid every day, and for...

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