Essential in the vegetarian diet, plant proteins are an excellent alternative to animal proteins found in meat, fish or eggs, which are much less digestible.
Indeed, animal proteins must be limited because they overload children's kidneys and their bodies, which will have to store them when there are no cells for this...
WHERE CAN I FIND THEM?
Vegetable proteins are mainly found in legumes or pulses and cereals:
- Pulses: tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans, split peas, white beans, lentils...
- Cereals : wild rice, durum wheat, brown rice, corn, white rice, etc.
- Oilseeds : peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, etc.
WHAT ARE THEIR BENEFITS?
Plant proteins contain many beneficial compounds:
- Fibre that helps you feel full
- Antioxidants to fight against cell ageing
- Micronutrients such as magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, zinc...
- A very low glycemic index (GI), perfect for diabetics
- Vitamin B
They are therefore an excellent source of energy that should not be neglected!
HOW MUCH SHOULD BE GIVEN?
It is often difficult for parents to know exactly how much protein to give their children.
For this, there is a mnemonic developed by researchers and following numerous studies for animal proteins: 10 grams per age group (to be given in addition to milk and other dairy products).
For example: 10 grams until 1 year, 20 grams until 2 years, 30 grams until 3 years etc.
Beware!
If you want to substitute animal proteins completely, 10 grams of animal proteins do not correspond to 10 grams of vegetable proteins. This is because they are all made up of nitrogen and amino acids that are essential for the body. These are all present in animal proteins, but not in vegetable proteins. Therefore, you simply have to combine legumes with cereals in order to have all the amino acids that are essential for the body. For vegetarian children, this represents an increase of 10 to 15% of the necessary intake compared to non-vegetarian children.
It's not easy if you don't know all the basics about nutrition... Remember to consult a specialist for any change in diet.
For more information: Vegetarian diets for children
Sources: Expert Committee on Human Nutrition. « Protein intake: consumption, quality, needs and recommendations ». Collective expertise report ANSES, 2007 National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES). CIQUAL table, nutritional composition of foods 2013.
2 Comments. Write a new one
Hi, I was reading comments on instagram that got me interested in this article. Originally, the question that was asked was: can we replace "animal proteins" with "plant proteins"?
But, for me, this question leads to many others! After all, a food does not provide only one type of nutrient. Meat, fish or eggs are not only sources of protein, but also of iron and vitamin B12 (among others), which are essential for the functioning of the body and in particular for babies and children who are in full development. Legumes do contain iron, but it is less absorbable than meat. As for vitamin B12, it is absent from vegetable products...
So my question is: can we really substitute animal proteins with plant proteins, taking into account all the micro-nutrients provided in parallel? And if so, how?
Dear Ms,
You are absolutely right and that is why the best diet is the one that is varied and includes all the food families. None of them is perfect, but they all complement each other.
In short, you need a little bit of everything to make sure you don't miss anything.
If many people shared this point of view, we would have far fewer deficiencies in the French population (about 1 in 3 people lack at least one nutritional element). These deficiencies are detrimental to an adult's health (fatigue and specific disorders), and they are even more so when it comes to a child's growth and development. In conclusion, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, vegetables, fruit, legumes, cereals and starchy foods all have their place in daily life. Have a healthy and tasty day.
Dr Laurence Plumey