What vegetarian diet for babies?

Being vegetarian isn't always easy to accept, and explaining it to friends who never fail to make you tartiflette for dinner every night isn't always straightforward. So when it comes to extending your diet to your baby… it's even more complicated. Good Goût shares its tips for finding a way to please everyone, no pun intended.

"In my day, we ate meat and fish, and everything was just fine" - Mother-in-law, a stickler for keeping things running smoothly.

"But in terms of deficiencies, isn't that a bit dangerous?" your best friend, stressed or stressful, you no longer know.

"To deprive your child of the most beautiful thing in the world, the taste of a good cutlet, is heresy, my daughter." Your carnivorous father.

Except that in the meantime, you've become a vegetarian (thanks to those anxiety-inducing documentaries on Arte and the abundance of amazing vegetarian products on the shelves) and you've realized that your salvation doesn't lie in steak. And while your partner gently teases you, asking if you plan to get 6-month-old Paul to join Greenpeace, you've nonetheless agreed that your baby will eat vegetarian baby food for the time being. You'll let him choose later, because you're far from proselytizing; any dietary philosophy is viable if it's nutritionally sound.

What does it mean to be a vegetarian?

The ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet (bless you!) excludes meat , and sometimes fish . Vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and oils then take their place.

And to all those who would still criticize you, know that the American Dietetic Association recognized in 1997 that well-planned vegetarian diets (this point is strongly emphasized) are healthy and offer health benefits , such as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a reduced incidence of obesity. You can therefore absolutely follow this diet for your baby from the age of 6 months : you simply need to supplement with 1 liter of milk per day (versus the recommended 500 ml) and dairy products containing protein, infant cereals, as well as fruits and vegetables. From 12 months onward , milk and dairy products remain the basis of the diet but are complemented by legumes (beans, broad beans, whole peas), grains such as infant cereals , potatoes, pasta, rice, or semolina, as well as raw and cooked fruits and vegetables, vegetable oil, and sweetened products. The combination of cereals and legumes , for example, makes it possible to cover almost all of the amino acid requirements !

What about the lacto-vegetarian and vegan diet?

The lacto-vegetarian diet, which also eliminates eggs, and the vegan diet, which consists only of fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and legumes, are strongly discouraged due to the risk of deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium . The vegan diet is also far too low in protein.

What exactly am I giving my child?

At Good Goût, we've thought of everything!

From 4 months old , you can start your baby's vegetarian diet with our fruit and vegetable pouches on their own.

From 6 months and 8 months , discover our vegetarian recipes for baby : ratatouille with quinoa from 6 months, and penne with eggplant, courgette risotto with goat cheese, pumpkin and bulgur tajine, from 8 months and over.

And for those who are die-hard fans of the baby cooker, we have selected two bibles of vegetarian baby food:

• For more details: Nourishing Baby Well from 0 to 3 Years, by Doctors Jacqueline Rossant-Lumbroso and Lyonel Rossant, Odile Jacob edition, 29.99 euros.

As a bonus: delicious recipes.

• For cooking: The Big Book of Vegetarian Baby Food, by Carol Timperley, the queen of vegetarian diets, with its 150 easy and delicious recipes. Guy Saint Jean edition, 19 euros.