COLUMBUS, Ohio (10TV) -- When it comes to diets, there are plenty of them out there, ones that may exclude meat, dairy or gluten. But how do those diets affect kids?
Restaurant owner Portia Yiamouyiannis is proud to serve vegan food at Portia's Cafe on Indianola Avenue. She also raised her two kids without meat, eggs or dairy, but gave them the freedom to choose.
"Outside my house you can make your own choices but I'm not going to have my money go towards anything I don't believe in," she explains.
Registered dietitian at Nationwide Children's Hospital Erica Domrose says taking out meat is ok. But kids do need a balanced diet.
"It's very important. They're growing, their brains are developing, their body is growing muscles, all those things," Domrose explains.
Whether it's vegetarian, vegan or pescetarian, it's important parents pay special attention to what's necessary for kids.
"The biggest thing is calcium is one of those big things for bone growth and you need it adolescent years and protein and iron," Domrose explains adding that without important nutrients kids can feel the side effects. "The big thing with iron is fatigue, with a lack of protein, hair loss and nails are brittle, nails are brittle.
Lentils, beans, nuts, spinach and leafy greens also are good sources of nutrients. Domrose says parents should also know that any fad or extreme diets are not ideal for kids, unless a pediatrician is involved.
For Portia and her family, getting enough of those nutrients on a vegan diet has never been an issue. As for the taste, even with sweets, she says people may be pleasantly surprised.
In Portia's case, both of her kids ended up choosing to be vegan by the time they were teens.