Vegetarian Kids

Vegetarianism seems to be growing in acceptance in the U.S.; the American Dietetic Association's recent study found that vegetarian diets are safe for all sorts of people including pregnant and nursing moms, babies, and teenagers, as long as the diet is "carefully" planned. The ADA says that young people have greater nutritional needs which must be considered with any diet.

Accurate estimates of the size of the U.S. vegetarian population are difficult to ascertain, as some consider themselves vegetarian even if they eat fish or chicken, and the data can also vary depending on how the surveys are implemented. For example the Centers for Disease Control estimated that about 1.5% of adults were vegetarian in both 2007 and 2002, but these numbers may be low as the question may only have identified those consumers who are vegetarian for health reasons rather than ethics.

In 1994, the Vegetarian Resource Group estimated that about 1% of adults were true vegetarians, and according to their 2009 poll of 2,000 people the number grew to about 3%. For children, the CDC estimates that about 1 in 200 are vegetarian. Research firm Mintel estimates sales of processed vegetarian foods to be about $1.4 billion in 2008, which is an increase of 15% from 2003. About one third of adults have eaten a soy-based meat substitute in the last year.