“I’ve decided I don’t want to eat animals any more!”

Do you have a child who has come home one day and declared they no longer want to eat animal products? Maybe you’re expecting and want to feel entirely prepared?

Or perhaps you are just thinking about making the switch with your littles ones and you’re just dipping your toe in to see what it’s all about?

You might have some questions if you are thinking about or already raising plant-based children.

Either way, I’m here to give you all of the information you need to raise a healthy plant-based little one.

There is a difference between raising your child on a vegan diet, and raising them on a whole foods plant-based diet. Veganism is a lifestyle choice (that might be include processed or refined foods), while a whole foods plant-based diet is just about eating whole plant foods. Here you can read more info about the differences for Plant Based vs Veganism.

This article is going to be focusing on raising your children on whole foods plant-based diet.

A plant-based diet has a focus on eating whole foods derived from plants only, avoiding animal products, processed or refined foods. This type of diet emphasizes eating a diet predominately based on fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains and seeds.

It is the most healthful diet a human can consume.

“Do I have to consider any special nutritional recommendations?”

“How do I tackle this at social gatherings?”

“How should I explain it all to my little angels*?”

*Your children – incase you were wondering

Veganism is still bridging a new frontier into mainstream, and whether they say it you or not, EVERYONE will have their own opinion on you deciding to raise your children as plant-based or with a vegan diet. Not only do you need to feel prepared nutritionally, but you also need to feel prepared socially.

I’m here to help you handle all of your worries and to guide you along your journey of raising your children plant-based.

Is Raising Children On A Plant-Based Diet Healthy?

Absolutely!

When you have children they are born with a complete innocence. As parents, you see them as pure and you want to keep them as healthy as you can. Your number one job becomes to keep your baby alive and healthy.

Nutrition for your child is very important, we have so much more science and knowledge than we did 50 years ago.

Like anything, eating a plant-based diet needs to be done in a well-informed and conscious way.

According to the American Dietetics Association, a well planned vegan diet is healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in prevention of diseases. It is appropriate for all individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and for athletes.

There are many health benefits to a eating a plant-based diet. Eating a diet of predominantly plant-based foods significantly lowers your blood pressure, reduces your chances of cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. It’s also much better for your digestion and to have a ‘happier’ less inflamed gut. It can improve energy levels and quality of sleep.

Check out more on The Best 8 Health Perks Of A Vegan Plant-Based Diet.

As long as nutritional recommendations are followed (we’ll come back to these later), raising a child on a plant-based diet is entirely safe for their health.

Reasons To Raise Your Child Vegan

-Health benefits (as above)
-You’re not endorsing the animal agriculture industry
-Minimalises their global footprint
-Sets them up for the long term
-They get to experience a wide variety of plant-based foods
-Positively impact their future

It also teaches them:
-Reflection and appreciation for what’s ethical
-Acts of kindness
-Compassion
-That animals are no less than humans as they have feelings too
-About sustainability of planet earth
-To question things
-To research
-To make decisions on facts and feelings
-Nutrition awareness
-Sacrifices for the greater good
-That sacrifice can actually feel like a super power

Nutritional Info For Raising Kids Vegan

No matter which diet you follow, it is vital to have a balanced version of that diet.

They key element to ensuring a healthful plant-based vegan diet is to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods, with all different colors of the rainbow. Ensure there are legumes, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables all being included.

When grocery shopping, it’s a good idea to look for fortified foods. Cereals, nutritional yeast and almond milk are great examples.

Here’s the most important part of this article.

You need to be very well informed and do you research.

“What do I need to know?” I hear you ask.

It’s a good idea to be mindful of other critical nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, zinc, calcium and good fats. Know these nutrients inside out and what your kids need to include in their diet to ensure they get them.

Ensure you littles ones are getting enough calories necessary for growth.

Vegan diets can be less dense than meat and so it’s important to cover any calorie shortfalls. They are easily obtained from eating the right plant-based foods. But in my view, if you KNOW these you’ll feel super confident that you are feeding your child a healthful diet.

The Department of Health in the UK recommends that all children aged 6 months to 5 years are given vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D every day.

Vitamin B12 is essential for anyone following a vegan or plant-based diet.

This is because over time B12 has been stripped out of our soil through over sanitization. Animals are supplemented with it, but by taking a supplement you’re cutting out the middle man. Both adults and children are recommended to take this vitamin.

It’s also recommended that babies who are being breastfed are given a daily vitamin D supplement from birth, whether or not you’re taking a supplement containing vitamin D yourself.

Handling It Socially For Parents

It can be difficult to handle the social implications of raising plant-based children. Hopefully some of these tips can you help you overcome some of the most common social situations.

When you say as an adult that YOU are switching to a vegan or a plant-based diet, some may be ok with it, some may have a couple of questions or make some jokes. But when you say that you are raising your CHILDREN vegan, a different level of concern may arise.

You may be met with apprehension, worry and an interrogation-type-level of questioning from loved ones.

Some see it as ‘forcing’ your views onto your helpless children. I don’t see this as a valid point. For the first decade (at least) of a child’s life, parents make the decisions for them, just as a lot of children are raised as meat eaters.

It seems to be that vegans always have to explain themselves, but meat eaters are not held to the same accountability.

If anyone starts asking questions, it can be a good idea to feel armed with the KNOWLEDGE in nutrition, especially where protein comes from as that seems to be a sticking point for many non-vegans.

I tend to answer questions and just keep it light.

You can also check out Dispelling The 11 Biggest Myths: The Vegan Plant-Based Diet for potential questions you’ll be facing, it’s very similar for adults and children.

Handling It Socially For The Children

Birthday parties can be tricky, it’s best to come with a vegan version of cake if they like it. When the kids are all singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and the cake gets passed around, it can be tough initially to explain why they can’t have any.

Vegan snacks are LIFE.

For adults and kids alike.

I take snacks with me pretty much everywhere I go. For playdates, you can easily prepare chopped carrots, celery, hummus, nuts and fruit that they can eat. I even do small portions of left overs. It’ll only take five minutes and will ensure they have their snacks.

Children also can’t be watched ALL of their childhoods by parents. Children go to kids parties with spreads of food and the school cafeteria will be a land of temptation.

You can explain to your little ones why the family is plant-based and do your best to encourage, but then they will be out on their own and really it’s up to them.

It’s up to you how strictly you enforce the plant-based diet.

My take on it is that slip ups might happen. Kids are kids. You don’t necessarily want them to feel like they are living in a food prison.

Perhaps if they try a non-vegan cupcake or a piece of pizza eat and it doesn’t make them feel very good, they’ll know for the future.

What To Tell Your Kids

I explain that’s for the greater good.

Also it is so that they feel as healthy as possible, it’s for the good of the animals and the planet.

Will your children be teased? Possibly. Adults do it so it’s possible too for children. But hopefully armed with the information your children can use that as a defence.

I also tell them that it’s VERY IMPORTANT to be RESPECTFUL of everyone’s diets.

That it’s important in life to be non-judgmental. That not to mention it unless you’re asked. NEVER to be brat about it, as what a person chooses to eat is personal to them. That everyone eats whatever the feel is right for them.

That even if they get teased to not be mean back about food choices.

Though my children will be raised as plant-based, following such diet and lifestyle will of course be up to them as they continue to become independent of their own decisions and choices.

I will only be understanding if they decide it’s not for them. They are their own people.

Vegan Packed Lunches Ideas

Sometimes it’s easier to give your child a packed lunch to take to school.

You can try making elements fun by adding faces or keeping it colorful. Another idea is to get a lunch box with different compartments and (a bento box) and putting in different options. You can put Shepherd’s Pie in one section, hummus in another and carrots to dip in the hummus. You can also add colorful fruit!

It sounds corney but you could try making little animals out of fruit or putting smiley faces on things – it’s also more fun for you while making them!

Medical Advice

Ensure to let your paediatrician know or a nutritionist, just so that they can keep an eye on everything too.

If you’re switching your child over, it’s advised to keep a food journal for the first month, noting what your child eats plus notes on any mood swings, emotional impact or tiredness. It’s a good idea to transition very gradually anyway if they are currently on a diet inclusive of animal products (say 6 months – 1 year). But journalling can only be of help if there are any issues.

What My Husband Thinks

Honestly, I got so lucky with mine. We are on the same page.

When we first started dating he was eating meat or dairy at most meal times. I respected this, I even cooked him a roast chicken at home (when I hadn’t cooked or eaten meat for two years) and I always said to him ‘you do you.’

He kept asking me why I was plant-based. I told him I didn’t want to ‘burst his bubble’ and wouldn’t really answer for a few months and just brushed off the question.

After around six months into the relationship, him and his gym-loving friends asked me, so I just blurted all of the reasons out. Naturally, all of the guys responded with “But I don’t want my protein levels to suffer.” I said I didn’t think they would, we left the conversation there.

Over the next few months my husband started phasing out animal products and researching. He started eating more plant-based foods and said his digestion had improved tenfold and that was his favorite thing about it.

He said he never had that heavy feeling from meat anymore. He, like the rest of us, is concerned over the climate crises, he also loves animals and is a nature buff. When we watch any David Attenborough shows he knows EVERY animal species and shouts it out, even the little-known ones!

He’s incredibly open minded in general and this is one of the things I love most about him.

For us, we are now both fully whole foods plant-based, it’s a no-brainer for us to raise our children whole foods plant-based too. If not for the reason alone that we truly believe a plant-based diet to be the most healthful diet a human can consume. We believe that there’s link between cancer and diseases and meat and dairy, so we’d prefer to stick with plants.

It’s more tricky with a relationship where one is veggie or vegan and your partner has a diet including meat. How do you decide which diet is best for a child? It requires good communication, talking over the motivations and also each person researching thoroughly can help.

Only you as a couple can decide on what’s right for you as a family. Every couple is different.

What The Future Looks Like

With cutting back on meat and dairy in the western culture on the rise, predominantly with 16-34 olds, will the next generation be welcoming an increased percentage of vegan babies? Probably.

Currently plant-based diets or veganism is on the rise, it could be possible for vegan kids to be more ‘the norm’ in a decade. Only time will tell!

The Bottom Line

Yes, it is entirely possible to raise HEALTHY plant-based children.

But it is ESSENTIAL that it is done in an informed way and ensure that it’s enough calories as well as varied and following nutritional guidelines.

If you do this then you shouldn’t have any issues.

Wherever you are with your little ones on your plant-based journey, I wish you all the best!

If you’re new to eating a plant-based diet then check out Going Vegan In 2020 – The Ultimate Guide for Beginners.  

If you liked this article and found it helpful, please sign up for my newsletter below to receive handy lifestyle tips and delicious vegan recipes straight to your inbox.

Sign up to receive delicious plant-based recipes and handy lifestyle tips straight to your inbox!

 YES PLEASE! SIGN ME UP