Diet Dilemmas – 5 Tips for Vegan Parents on What to Feed Your Kids

 Photo: Vitolda Klein/Unsplash

Vegan children can grow up to be as healthy as non-vegan children. If you’re vegan and want your children to be vegan too, the best way to help them adjust to the lifestyle is to introduce them to it early on. In order to do this, you must plan your child’s meals carefully. The following tips have been designed to help you do just that. 

1. Milk

Even for vegans, milk can be an integral part of the diet. It’s an essential source of nutrients for growing children, whether you opt for breast milk or formula.

As your child grows older, you can always switch from breast milk or formula to soy-based milk or other plant-based milk alternatives. It’s a general rule that parents should avoid introducing children to vegan milk alternatives too early in life. Instead, decide on how you want to go about weaning and keep your children drinking formula or breast milk for as long as you can.

2. Breakfast

Luckily, there’s no shortage of healthy breakfast options on the vegan diet. You’ve got a mixture of cereals like oats or wheat, as well as fresh fruits, which provide natural sugars that are far healthier than candy.

To make fruit more appealing to your child, you can cut it into innovative shapes. It’s also a good idea to buy in-season, locally grown produce as it’s usually more delicious and nutritious. It’s also a great opportunity to get kids involved in the process of selecting food and understanding its connection to the natural world. 

3.Vegetables

If you’re just introducing your child to solid food, you could start with things like mashed bananas or vegetables like mashed butternut squash or some pureed peas. The secret is not to add any spices to these vegetables. Eventually, you might need to add natural seasonings to make vegetables more appealing to your child.

4. Beans, Nuts, Tofu, and Pasta

During the first month of feeding your baby solids, you will see that fruits and vegetables are enough. From about 9 months on, your infant will crave more variety. This is where the hard work comes in.

Vegan parents often state that they struggle with providing enough variety for children. However, variety needn’t be a problem! Start by introducing a wide selection of beans, nuts, and tofu.

Look for new ways to cook these foods, and if you’re reluctant to introduce pasta, remember most packaged pasta is absolutely vegan. There are even organic pasta alternatives. Pasta is a fun addition to your child’s diet. Indeed, it often ends up being the food kids love the most.

5.Embracing the Vegan Lifestyle

While choosing a variety of plant-based foods for your child is important, you must remember that they will interact with other children who may not be vegan.

The best way to prevent your child from dipping their fingers into another child’s melted chocolate is to always provide them with their own delicious snacks. The best part is that there are plenty of vegan chocolates available for kids to enjoy.

A vital component to being a vegan family is embracing the vegan lifestyle and the sacrifices that accompany being vegan. However, as your child grows older, you may wish to allow them freedom of choice when they are out with friends. This is a tricky subject and one that will be handled differently in each vegan family. 

When it comes to being creative with vegan food, think outside the box, and you will win over your child’s vegan heart.