Can Kids Be Vegan?
The answer is YES – as long as you make sure to follow a few simple guidelines.
Go Organic
Kids are more sensitive to toxins than adults are, so be sure to choose organic foods – especially avoiding the “dirty dozen” if you are not buying 100% organic.
I would add all non-organic grains and beans to the dirty dozen list, since many farmers are now spraying these crops with toxic glyphosate to speed “ripening.” They are actually killing the plants before they are ripe so they can harvest early and make more money without regard to your health or the health of your children!
The First 6 Months
Of course the best food for the first six months is mother’s milk. If you can’t breastfeed, please consult a wholistic nutritionist or natural doctor for the most natural and organic formula recommendations you can find, ideally without cow milk, eggs, gluten, soy, corn or canola oil ingredients.
You can also make your own excellent baby formula as recommended by the Medical Medium. Make a thin blend of banana with avocado and coconut water (from the inside of young coconuts, not the thick white coconut milk you get in cans) and strain it to replace mother’s milk. Babies can thrive on this blend for a long time.
Babies cannot properly digest solid foods before 5 or 6 months old.
Weaning
At about six months of age you can introduce chunks of bananas, cooked sweet potatoes, avocados, cooked peas, potatoes, peaches and other soft fruits and vegetables in addition to breastfeeding Ideally continue breastfeeding for the first year or longer.
Don’t worry! Your baby will get plenty of protein from these whole foods.
Pure coconut water from young coconuts is an excellent drink for babies.
Adding other foods before one year old, like grains, beans and animal products, can cause lifelong allergies, and they are totally unnecessary for the first year. Avoid grains, animal products and beans until over 12 months.
***Honey is generally not recommended for children under one year old due to possible botulism!***
Vitamin B 12
Once you stop breastfeeding it is a good idea to start supplementing with a drop or two of vitamin B12 once or twice a week – ideally Vimergy or Global Healing B12.
From ForksOverKnives:
Five micrograms (mcg) [of vitamin B 12] daily is sufficient and appears to be non-toxic even at the high dosages commonly found in stores (500 to 5000 mcg per dose).
At One Year and Beyond
Most kids are ready to try adult foods by the time they are a year old. Start sharing small portions of your meals with them and see what they like.
As long as they don’t have access to refined junk foods, they will naturally select a balanced diet that fits their needs. Offer a wide variety of whole plant foods and trust their instincts.
Use a baby food grinder, blender or food processor to grind foods that need to be chewed.
Kids Need More Carbs!
Because kids are growing so fast and expending so much energy, they need a lot more carbohydrates than adults in proportion to other nutrients. That’s why they often crave candy!
Fill them up with healthy whole food carbohydrates like potatoes, sweet potatoes, fresh and frozen fruits, and organic whole gluten-free grains and beans.
Maple syrup, dates, honey (if you’re not strictly vegan), coconut sugar and date sugar are healthy sweeteners you can add to curb your child’s sweet tooth.
Whole grain, organic, gluten-free baked goods are also good additions – pancakes, muffins, breads and even cakes and cookies when made with wholesome ingredients.
Kids Have A Slightly Different Protein Requirement
As you probably know, protein is made up of amino acids that are available in all whole plant foods. Like adults, children can get all the protein they need from plants.
From ForksOverKnives:
The protein content of human breast milk is a mere 5% of total calories.
Most plant foods contain a good deal more protein than that!
Though young children need the same amino acids adults need (see Whole Plant Nutrition page), they also need three additional amino acids:
- Arginine – found in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts and walnuts, spirulina, quinoa, oats
- Cystine – found in seeds, nuts, oats, legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts), quinoa
- Tyrosine – found in carob, spirulina, legumes, oats, peanuts, spinach, watercress
Organic gluten free oats and peanuts are good sources for all three – only for kids over one year old.
If you are feeding a variety of whole plant foods, your kids will get all the protein they need, as well as the other nutrients they require.
Don’t Skimp on Fats!
Even if a healthy low fat diet is best for you, it is important to make sure your kids get enough essential fatty acids for their developing brains and greater caloric needs for their size.
Particularly important are the Omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seed meal, ground chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and leafy greens. You may also want to include nut and seed butters, avocado and olives along with whole grains.
Let your child’s appetite be your guide.
Growing Bones Need Vitamin D3
If your child does not get out in the sun on a regular basis, you may want to add a vitamin D3 supplement. Mary Ruth’s Liquid D3 drops are a good choice for kids.
Resources
Here are some links to Medical Medium information about feeding vegan kids.
https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/childrens-health
https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/healthy-pregnancy
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1235087563293086
Mary Ruth’s Supplements for Babies and Children
More Links – Just be aware that some of the articles linked below recommend foods like soy, or feeding grains before one year of age – both of which are totally unnecessary and may be contributing to the widespread allergies we see in children these days.
