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It's quite safe for a child to be vegetarian from the age of weaning, but think about the following points:

Their diet should, if possible, contain dairy products, eggs and fish and be planned carefully to contain all essential ingredients.

Remember, children weaned on to a vegan diet tend to be smaller and lighter than average. While their height does eventually catch up, vegan children usually remain lighter and leaner.

The slow growth is because a typical veggie diet contains fewer of the high-energy foods needed for growth.

Children require high-energy foods for healthy growth and play so nut products, cheese and avocado are useful. Veggie children should be given full-fat milk to provide crucial calories. Too many bulky foods, such as fruit and vegetables and high-fibre cereals, reduce the body's absorption of iron and zinc and will fill a child up before they have eaten essential food stuffs.

Variety is key. All four food groups should be included in these daily ratios: Cereals and grains, 4-5 helpings; fruit, 1-3 helpings; vegetables, 2 helpings; pulses, nuts and seeds, 1-2 helpings; animal protein (milk, cheese and eggs), 3 helpings; plus some vegetable oil/butter/yeast extract.

Good sources of veggie protein come in the form of nuts, pulses, tofu and soya but they are not "complete". Milk, dairy products, eggs and fish are examples of "complete" proteins.

To keep up the intake of calcium, iron and vitamin C, children should eat plenty of fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and wholemeal bread, as well as diced fruit, dark green vegetables and dairy products.

Vitamin C promotes iron absorption so foods containing these should be eaten together. For example, try eating tomatoes and green leaves with cheese and fish.