Is it safe for my young kids to be vegans?

Question

My husband and I are in the process of switching from omnivore to vegan. We cook plenty of beans, fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. If this a "safe" diet for my 1, 3 and 5 year old kids? Any suggestions on doing this with them?

Answer 1

if they love soy milk and soy yogurt and tofu and fruits and veggies, and if they can also have plenty of vegan snacks and goodies on hand, I'm sure they'll have little difficulty adjusting to a vegan diet. You'll have to be particularly careful, given their ages, and make sure they get enough calcium, protein, and all the important vitamins. In fact, I'm not sure soy/almond/rice milk and yogurt is okay for a one year old, seems too close to infancy (for which these products are NOT okay to use as formula). Maybe to play it safe you can start with some nice organic milk, at least that would be far healthier than non-organic milk.
Being a vegan might be easiest for the 5-year-old, at home anyway, because he/she can eat more stuff than the younger ones. But if the child attends a birthday party, if (s)he's lucky there will be enough food that nobody will notice (s)he's not eating the birthday cake or ice cream. Chances are, though, at that age (s)he'll probably want to share in the joys most other kids his/her age will, and not feel left out. Same thing for pizza as well. I'm sure your kids, if taught properly, will be happy to only partake vegetarian food when outside (refusing meat, and possibly eggs as well), but unless you expect them to memorize or carry around a list of taboo foods and ingredients with them all the time, I think it will be hard to expect them to be vegan unless they choose to do so themselves. They will want plenty of snacks and goodies in the snack aisle and once in awhile you might find yourself buying something just to stop a tantrum (even if its not vegan).

If you and your husband are omnivore, you may want to start with vegetarianism yourselves before switching to veganism. If you gradually cut out all the dairy products, etc. you'll be there.

Answer 2

I am a vegetarian 12 year old girl child and I'm fine. I am healthy, fit, and strong. The rest of my family eats meat. My grandmother wishes I would be a meat eater really bad. I just ignore her and eat the veggies on my plate and leave the meat. I've been a vegetarian for a little more than a year. If I were you, I would teach my kids to be vegetarian, but it's completely up to give your kids meat or not to give them meat. All I know is that being a vegetarian has only effected me in a good way, and I never needed meat. There are many things that take the place of meat's nutritional value, and with effort, it can be easy to get. I'm just telling you based on my personal health, and I wish you and your kids the best of luck! ~Green Tea

Answer 3

It's safe so long as you make sure they eat balanced meals. Make sure they eat complimentary proteins (beans & rice, or beans & milk, or tofu, or etc.) and lots of fruits and vegetables. Also, you can try out a lot of different good-for-you grains such as quinoa or amaranth (the Aztecs lived on this for centuries) or millet all of which have plenty of protein and are complex carbohydrates (translation: gives you long-lasting energy and you don't burn out quickly). (try amaranth with a little molasses mixed in, then cooled in fridge, it's good) Also, make sure they have plenty of options all the times. Especially when they get a little older. Kids want to eat lots of "regular" things so experiment by making pizza with vegan cheese (chreese is really good! chreese.com) and having spaghetti and veggie burgers and veggie bratwurst and stuff like that. Also keep individual soymilks in your fridge and good snacks for when they come home like peanut butter and celery and almonds and walnuts and healthy breads, soy yogurts, fruit, crackers, etc. You could also go to a nutritionist that you trust and go over a few thins with them. They can be pretty affordable, especially if you go only once and just verify the choices you are making with them. Your kids will actually be much more healthy than other kids who unfortunately eat things like Mcdonalds and doritos all day long!

Answer 4

Sure it is! In fact you will be doing them a favor by doing this earlier in their lives. Its much harder when you have been raised on a meat based diet. I would limit their soy intake, though, unless you are sure the soy products you are using have not been genetically modified-most soy has been, and often causes food allergies to develop in young children. Give them good sources of complete proteins, such as millet, rice, quinoa, amaranth, etc as grains, and pulses, beans, legumes and lentils. Leafy greens are a great source of iron, and can be juiced with an apple to make a tasty, nutritious drink (my 12 year old veg daughter drinks 2 juices of greens a day, and she is thriving) A great source of all of the B vitamins, including B12 is nutritional yeast (not bakers or brewers yeast) It can be made into a tasty mock cheese sauce, or mixed into smoothies. Good luck on your healthy choice-your family will be so much better off on that type of diet. No point clogging up those little ones arteries with cholesterol laden meat.

Answer 5

It trully depends on if you and they are going to be true vegans. Most vegans do not stay vegans for an long time, beacuse there are som many products that have some type of animal product. 1. Are you a vegan as a life style? - you fell it it wrong to eat anilmals or anything from and animal. 2. Are you a vegan because of religion? or just because.... There are so many things out there on the market that come from animals that do not harm them or the enviorment, I think that your children would miss out on alot of things if there start out as a vegan. If you still decide to go ahead you have to consult with a doctor and then a nutrionist, seeing that your children are so young you can really damage them by just feeding them peas, beans and lentals...(stunt their growth, possibly raise their chances on getting sick, liver and kidney problems the list is endless.)

Check some web sites, I have a friend who has a TV program on the Discovery health network (Get Fresh with Sara Snow.) that might be able to help or just check the site out. discoveryhealth.com

Answer 6

I think so, I wish I had known about vegetarianism and veganism when my daughter was little. We are all vegan now though.

Answer 7

It is totally safe. Here are some good sites:

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/crosenthal.html

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/crosenthal.html

http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/vegankidsroom.html

http://www.natural-family.com/3veg-49-vegetarian-kids.htm

and a good video (quality of video is horrible but listen to what they say):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhFaB92gglw

Answer 8

as long as they get enough of the proper nutrients, they should grow up healthy. these sites should help. there are also books available. check the local library.

Answer 9

www.veganoutreach.com Read their nutrition information
Vegetarian Resource Group also has good information.

Answer 10

Well if you start while they are young then their bodies will get used to that.