Parenting

It Is Important To Be Strong Rather Than Look Strong

My son has a lean body frame. Anybody who looks at him tells me, “You should give him nutritious food.” Well, I do. Everything that goes into his tummy is nutritious and part of a balanced diet. And the moment I say that the next statement is, “Give him eggs and meat. The more the better. They are just superfoods and will help your kid gain some weight and strength.” But the moment I disclose that we are pure vegetarians; they all go gaga over it and say, “Vegetarian? No doubt your kids look so lean and weak. You anyways don’t have much to eat except ghasphus. And proteins? Do you get enough of them from legumes and milk?” with a concerned look they continue, “let your kid have non-veg. Meat is super rich in proteins and will add to his strength.”

All vegetarians have heard this at least once in their lifetime. As a mommy even I did. So I did a little research to bust a few myths around non-veg and the fuss about animal-based protein.

  1. Animals are the only sources of rich proteins: No. There are many plant-based proteins. Soya chunks from defatted soya flour, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains… They all are good sources of proteins for even vegetarians.
  2. Animal sourced proteins make you fat: Protein is the building block of our bones, muscles, skin, and blood. It is also essential for the recovery and repair of tissues in our body. But protein does not make one fat. The high-fat content in animal meat adds to the body weight, and not the proteins. On the other hand, plant-based protein is high on fiber. For example Fortune soya chunks made from defatted soy flour are 99% fat-free.
  3. Plant-based protein is incomplete and doesn’t contain all essential amino acids: Vegetables like broccoli have all the essential amino acids required for a body to function properly but you might have to feed only broccoli to your kid all day long to accomplish the required goal of proteins. Or, feed your kid a cup of legumes, 3 servings of grains and a handful of nuts in a day to fulfill his daily protein intake. Alternatively, include soya chunks in your kid’s diet as soya pulao, soya cutlet, soya veggies, etc to fulfill all the protein requirements of the day in a single serving only. Fortune soya chunks have the perfect balance of all 9 essential amino acids and have 15 times more protein than milk. They are a complete source of protein and relished by children across age groups. Plant-based proteins usually contain fewer calories, less fat, more fiber, and more nutrients (like magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamins A and C).

Proteins are known to maintain body mass, develop immunity and add strength to bones. Giving a protein-rich diet definitely makes your kid stronger within but he needn’t add unnecessary weight to look strong. My son looks lean but he weighs perfect according to his pediatrician. He is taller than most of his friends of similar age group and can beat almost half his class if he runs a race with all of them. By no means can a weak child do that!

Having non-veg or not is a personal choice and nobody can judge who is on the right side, definitely not on the basis of my son’s body frame. But as a vegetarian mom, who plans to raise her son as a vegetarian, I want to assure all the moms that we have many healthy options of nutrients including proteins and in some cases even healthier than animal products.  So give your children the right nutrients and remember, it is always important to be strong, rather than look strong..

This blog is written in association with Momspresso and sponsored by Fortune.

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

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52 Comments

  1. Anuja S Aggarwal says:

    Very informative. Very nice. Broke quite some myth.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much.. Glad u loved it.. 🙂

  2. Vegetarian food is best and it’s wholesome too. It is a myth that meat, fish and eggs are necessary for protein.

    I’m not vegetarian, though, merely because of certain practical problems like nonavailability of good vegetables in this area. Our vegetables come from Tamil Nadu and they are heavily poisoned.

    #MyFriendAlexa

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes. vegetarian food is wholesome. It’s a sorry state that vegetables are not available in some parts of India…

  3. I can so relate with you. Even though we eat non veg but people constantly tell me to feed my son more .. I mean .. I am his mother.. I wont starve my son ! this is lovely post ..thanks for sharing it . #simritreads #MyfriendAlexa

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much. Glad u loved it. 🙂

  4. I completely agree to your post,
    I Myself being pure veg support the power of green.
    My kiddo is a black belt even with a lean and thin frame and is physically fit.
    so it’s all about being strong from inside and eating healthy, nutritious homemade food is most important.
    #PraGunReads #MyFriendAlexa

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes. boils down to healthy eating. Thanks for stoping by. 🙂

  5. Sahi! You go girl! This is such an eye-opener for many plus such stereotypes should always be addressed! 🙂 I’m glad to see that you didn’t let the comments bog you down.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much for your kind words. 🙂

  6. The beginning words of your post are every parents worst nightmare come true. What we plan to feed our child is our choice & why to judge others!

    1. Supriti says:

      Very true. Thank u for stopping by. 🙂

  7. Ruchi Verma says:

    There are so many varieties and food available in veg which keep you and your body healthy..

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes.. plants give us almost all the nutrients.. Thank u for sharing your views. 🙂

  8. Yes we can look strong but it is necessary to be strong from inside so that we can live life without stress or worrying a lot.

    1. Supriti says:

      Absolutely. Strength matters. 🙂

  9. Indeed.. Being strong is what matters.. good read it was

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much. Glad u loved it. 🙂

  10. Well said it is important to be strong rather than look strong. There are a lot of options for vegetarians as well which are healthy as well as nutritive. #MyFriendAlexa #ShubhraReads

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much for stopping by and sharing your views. 🙂

  11. Absolutely as you said, it is more about strength rather than looking chubby. Trust me, my son is non-vegetarian and yet has a lean frame. I focus on balanced meals and the choice is individual parents’ on whether they go veg or non-veg way. A very relevant post!

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much. glad u loved it. 🙂

  12. It is really right to say that a lean body should have a strong mind. I am a vegetarian by choice and I understand how people talk. Eating meat doesn’t mean you will be strong. Thanks for sharing. #wordsmithkaurreads #MyFriendAlexa #BlogChatter

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes. absolutely.. thank u.. glad u loved it. 🙂

  13. Thank you so much Supriya for unfolding the myth regarding non veg, I am not a pure vegetarian I eat eggs but don’t like meat, many friends of mine consider me as vegetarian only, and insist me to shift on non vegetarian to get better protein for myself and start cooking it at home too for better protein intakes for my family, I am tired of spreading the msz that there are plenty of sources of good protein in plants too to keep you fit and fine.

    1. Supriti says:

      Absolutely. Vegan food is as healthy as anything else on the earth. and let’s accept it. Thank u for stopping by. 🙂

  14. I’m vegetarian I so agree with the points which you have mentioned, we can give up meat any point. #millennialscribbler #myfriendalexa

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u. glad u loved it. 🙂

  15. Many a myth busted and vegan food is a complete diet wigh right amount of nuts n all added! Well balanced meals & good health should be the major concern

    1. Absolutely. Thank u for stopping by. 🙂

  16. Thanks for debunking those myths. This is a must read for people who are obsessed with meat and think that vegetarian diet is inferior. Thanks a lot for sharing.

    1. Thank u. Glad u loved it. 🙂

  17. Definitely this blog was a myth breaker in many health aspects.
    Very insightful and interesting read.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much. Glad u loved it. 🙂

  18. You have busted quite a few myths. Being a vegetarian, it is important to have enough intake of protein and a balanced diet can help a lot is what I believe.

    1. Supriti says:

      thank u so much. glad u loved it. 🙂

  19. What a title!! It is really true. A strong person solves the problem while a beautiful person may not.

    1. Supriti says:

      Thank u so much.. glad u loved it. 🙂

  20. Soya chunks are very healthy. My family doesn’t eat it much I need to try some yummy recipes now.

    1. Supriti says:

      definitely… give it a try. 🙂

  21. That is true. There is always an alternative to every nutrient. However, though it’s your personal choice to raise your son as a vegetarian, I would introduce my kid to all food choices – veg/non-veg/vegan and then let him/her decide.

    But you have very strongly taken a stand that yes, you need not have a particular diet to have all the nutrients.

    1. Supriti says:

      thank u so much for your kind words. Glad u loved it. 🙂

  22. My family is pure non vegetarian wheras my in laws are vegetarian.
    I am an eggetarian but my daughter doesn’t lile eggs too.
    I am fat enough.. more than enough. My in laws are vegetatians and they are fat enough. My mom dad and brothers are quite lean. So it is a pure myth that non veg makes you fat.

    1. Supriti says:

      yes. a lot of myths around food… we should stay away from them! Thanks for sharing your experience.

  23. this is an excellent post, I always believe that we shouldn’t go by looks but by what a body feels inside

    1. Supriti says:

      Yes.. inner strength matters the most!

  24. A healthy nutritious diet is what everyone should aim for, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, keto or any other diet is fine as long as you are getting all the required nutrients. I esp. do not like when someone judges you purely based on the diet you follow. Great post here, helped give out some crucial information.

    1. Supriti says:

      yes.. healthy diet is the key. Thank u for stopping by..glad u loved it. 🙂

  25. Thank you for this post – Keep writing such informative posts. #MyFriendAlexa #DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter
    Just one suggestion, there are a lot of controversies surrounding the use of Soya for boys – it would be nice to read another post from you regarding this topic – inputs from health professionals would help too.

    1. Supriti says:

      i read quite some articles regarding the same.. and infact for female fertility too.. but didn’t find a reliable proof of the same. will dig deeper. thank u for sharing your thoughts. 🙂

  26. Truly said It Is Important To Be Strong Rather Than Look Strong. It matters what you are inside rather than your outer appearance.

    1. thank u so much. glad u loved it. 🙂

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