Is a Vegan Diet Safe for Children?

As parents, we understand what it feels like to want the very best for your children. Supporting them to grow into the most magnificent human beings possible is our ultimate goal. If you're reading this blog we know that part of that includes providing a healthy diet for your family. 

A question that strikes at the heart of every plant-based family is: "Am I giving my children everything they need for their optimal development?"  

In fact, you have likely had friends, family and strangers question your plant-based choices.  A vegan diet is sometimes considered restrictive and incomplete by those who are not educated in nutrition. We always appreciate these questions and concerns because it gives us an opportunity to provide information and help others understand how a plant-based diet can not only meet, but easily exceed the nutritional requirements for people of any age. 

In this article we'll look at some questions and concerns people have surrounding a vegan diet and what you need to do to feel confident that you're giving your family all it needs to thrive. 

#1: A Vegan Diet is Healthy

First, we must acknowledge that a vegan diet is undefined beyond avoiding animal based products. It's impossible to make any generalizations about how healthy it is.

A person can eat Doritos, Oreos and Coca Cola and be on a vegan diet. In fact, junk food vegans are a growing sector of plant-based eaters due to the plethora of processed vegan foods arriving on the market daily. 

A whole foods plant-based diet where you eat across a broad range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes can be a very healthy diet if you're mindful about meeting nutritional needs and add supplements where necessary. This is the diet we help individuals and families incorporate into their lifestyles. 

#2 A Vegan Diet is Restrictive

If you look around any school cafeteria you will see most of the kids eating processed foods in lunches they bring from home or eating cafeteria cheese pizza, chicken fingers, chips... and not many fruits,  vegetables,  beans, whole grains, nuts or seeds, even if they're offered. Not only is the common school cafeteria meal lacking in nutrients, it's high in fats, salt and sugars.

Sadly, heart disease, obesity and diabetes are now common childhood diseases. 

Most children do not eat a wide variety of foods, let alone whole foods (unprocessed ingredients). 

Our boys eat EVERY fruit, vegetable, nut, grain, legume and seed available. They eat  an average of 15-20 different whole foods every day and across a multitude of world cuisines. They love lasagne, lentil dal, seaweed wrapped vegan sushi rolls and edamame, Chinese stir fry, Thai curry, Egyptian bean soup... all packed with veggies. 

Plant-based diets can be highly creative and bursting with flavor. All cultures have plant-based recipes you can explore. There is no reason to feel restricted. 

#3 You're Children Will Be Weak and Deficient

Not with a smart whole foods plant based diet. To ensure our choices are data driven rather than emotionally or belief driven, we nutritionally analyze many of the recipes we make to look for any nutrient gaps. You'll find nutrition data at the end of the recipes in this blog.

We do supplement with a vitamins that provide those nutrients we know they don't get enough of on our plant based diet such as Vitamin D, DHA and EPA omega 3's, and B-12. We know our diet provides adequate iron, calcium, zinc... Even with all this information we still have their blood drawn occasionally to check nutrient levels and they are all perfect. They are both robust, athletic boys who are intellectually sophisticated, top of their class, and rarely sick.

If your children eat a narrow range of foods or a processed foods diet, they will be deficient and unhealthy whether they're omnivores or vegans. A nutrient poor diet with a multivitamin is not a healthy way to eat. One should always strive to meet most of their nutritional needs through whole foods. 

#4 Where Will They get Their Protein? 

Just ask the vegan Olympic athletes! Beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and some vegetables are high in protein. If your children eat a variety of these foods on a regular basis, they will get enough protein. 

#5 How can you be sure your children are getting their nutritional needs met? 

Use HappyForks.com or another online nutrient analyzer and enter a few of your family favorite recipes. Use the recipes on our blog and peruse the nutritional data at the end. Get familiar with the nutritional profile of your family diet and make necessary adjustments.

If you need help analyzing your diet and making the right adjustments, we can help you establish a Peak Performance Family Diet. Just click this link to set up an appointment to explore how we can best help you: Explore! Session

Eat a wide variety of whole foods. Science shows us that a varied diet is key for good health. Eating at least 30 different whole foods per week creates a divers gut biome that helps us extract nutrients form our food, build immunity, and mitigate disease.  

We hope this information helps you engage in positive ways with people who may voice concerns about the safety of a vegan diet for your children. 

There is more information under the How To Vegan tab in our menu bar and here: https://www.yourveganfamily.com/eating-vegan