Making the switch to a vegetarian diet can be difficult for young children, especially when they have no say in the decision and they are faced with eating new foods! Many families find that making the transition gradually, starting with only one or two vegetarian meals per week is the easiest way to proceed. Depending on the ages of your children, you may offer to let them each make their own choices about whether or not to become vegetarian.

You may choose not to serve meat at home but allow them to have it outside the home. Whatever path you decide to follow, make the decision together, as a family, and be sure to share with them all the reasons that you are choosing a vegetarian diet yourself. Finally, don't forget to offer tasty, tempting treats to ease the transition!

Here are a few ideas that might ease this transition for all of you: Visit several health food and grocery stores until you find one that carries a good selection of vegetarian "meats," such as Chicken-Free Nuggets and Veggie Burgers. Starting with these familiar looking (and tasting!) foods will show your kids that eating vegetarian isn't so bad.

Invest in a good vegetarian cookbook, especially one with kid-friendly recipes. Try to find one that also has good nutrition information. I recommend Kids Can Cook Vegetarian Recipes by D.R. Bates, Munchie Madness by D.R. Bates, or OK, So Now You're a Gvegetarian by L. Butts.

Stock up on healthy treats that most kids love: fresh fruit, nuts, banana chips, popcorn...the list goes on! Good luck!

With the exception of vegan children who should take a supplement of B-12 or eat B-12 fortified foods, vegetarian children in general are no more likely to need vitamins than meat-eating kids. Well-balanced vegetarian diets that include whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes and dairy products provide all the nutrients that growing children need. If your child is an especially picky eater, doesn't eat adequate calories on a regular basis, or regularly snacks on junk food, then a multi-vitamin is recommended. Keep in mind that many of the packaged foods that kids tend to eat, like cereals and veggie burgers, are fortified with added vitamins.