A study of nearly 9,000 children found those who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. The findings come as a shift to consuming a plant-based diet grows and urged people to embrace plant-based proteins, such as beans and tofu, instead of meat Researchers evaluated 8,907 children aged six months to eight years. Participants were categorized by vegetarian status, defined as a dietary pattern that excludes meat or non-vegetarian status. Researchers found children who had a vegetarian diet had similar mean body mass index, height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels compared to those who consumed meat. The findings showed evidence that children with a vegetarian diet had almost two-fold higher odds of having underweight, which is defined as below the third percentile for BMI. There was no evidence of an association with overweight or obesity. Underweight is an indicator of undernutrition and may be a sign that the quality of the child's diet is not meeting the child's nutritional needs to support normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, the researchers emphasized access to healthcare providers who can provide growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their growth and nutrition. A limitation of the study is that researchers did not assess the quality of the vegetarian diets. The researchers note that vegetarian diets come in many forms and the quality of the individual diet may be quite important to the growth and nutritional outcomes. Further research is needed to examine the quality of vegetarian diets in childhood, as well as growth and nutrition outcomes among children following a vegan diet, which excludes any animal derived product.