Diane Levy joins us to provide expert answers to your parenting queries. Send your questions to: [email protected]Diane can’t answer individual queries, but we will endeavour to publish a representative sample on this page. Diane’s parenting books are available in bookshops.
Dear Diane
our teenage daughter has been a vegetarian for years and although I’ve read lots about it and make a huge effort to ensure she gets as many nutrients as possible, she’s become anaemic. The iron pills she takes don’t seem to be making a difference and our doctor advised that she eat meat again, but she refuses. When I cook meat for other family members she sits outside until all the dishes are done. What can I do to help her see sense?
Worried oum, Wellington
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Dear Worried oum
Congratulations for giving your daughter so much support. Unless she’s trying to get out of doing dishes, it would seem that your child finds both the smell and the idea of meat really repulsive and it will be more than your relationship is worth to force her to get her iron through eating meat. I’m wondering if your doctor may be taking quite a limited view of how to get sufficient iron into her diet rather than looking at how she can get the iron absorbed into her body.
I’m told foods that are rich in both iron and vitamin C have a greater chance of absorption. It’s essential for you to form a team against the problem. Start by doing research with her into what are the best food combinations to get iron absorbed in a vegetarian diet. Go together to some health food stores and talk to the staff. Go online and read up there together. By doing the research with her, your daughter will feel respected. And if your joint efforts don’t improve her health, she may be able to come to her own conclusion.
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