You don't have to coax Laura Fister's kids to eat their vegetables.

Their chicken is a pet, not a meal.

Twelve-year-old Greg and 10-year-old Paul Fister decided to become vegetarians when they learned meat came from the same animals they kept as pets.

"Chickens are really fun to take care of. They are pets and we've named them, so we can't eat them after we name them. That's a rule," Greg said.

When Laura learned Greg and Paul wanted to become vegetarians, she decided to educate herself about their nutritional needs to ensure they would be healthy. Here's what you should know if you are the parent of a young vegetarian.
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Dietician Marilyn Tanner-Blasiar says a vegetarian diet is healthy for children as long as it is planned carefully and correctly. Parents of vegetarians should consult a registered dietician to learn more about
nutritional requirements for growing children and ensure the vegetable-based meals they prepare for their kids are healthful. Tanner-Blasiar also recommends alerting your child's pediatrician of his or her change in diet.
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Although additional considerations need to be made for young vegetarians, vegetarianism is perfectly healthy for little ones. In fact, the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada claim, "appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."

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