by Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

When I first stopped eating meat at the age of seven I was much less informed on vegan foods as I am now, at the age of fifteen. I also never made my own food, leaving my parents to please my past self with requests for meat-free meals. Yes, accommodations had to be made, but I nostalgically remember many dishes I loved during the earlier years of my childhood.

For example, I still recall the delicious vegetable soup that became a comfort dish to my younger self; full of potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and spices. Young kids, and even teenagers, can be easy to please with warm soup for dinner. Besides home cooked recipes, there were products my parents would buy for the whole family from grocery stores. Before I became a vegetarian, a family favorite was veggie corn dogs from Trader Joes. Almost any traditional meat dish can now be found “veganized” in the frozen food section of a local grocery store, and items like vegan corn dogs that are available today are especially attractive to young kids. Anything in a unique shape or that one can eat with their hands has an extra element of fun!

As part of a Latinx household, beans were also always on the menu, with so many different ways to prepare them! Perhaps a cultural staple in some families, beans can be adopted by any parents who want to serve their young kids a vegan meal that is delicious and full of nutrients as well. On tostadas topped with tomato and avocado, or in a bowl with broth, beans can be best friends to young kids and parents.

Along with vegan store-bought items and vegan staples that can be blended into a range of recipes, vegan snacks for kids are actually everywhere, starting with fruit! Looking back on my early childhood, I absolutely adored going to the backyard to pick ripe guavas from our tree, and most importantly eating them after. Watermelon, bananas, mandarins, tomatoes, and avocados were just the beginning. Applesauce was great on the go, as were raisins, craisins, and nuts. Kids wouldn’t be kids without also indulging in snacks like potato chips, rice cakes, pretzels, and tortilla chips, but those are all vegan-friendly too.

When going out I easily learned to order the veggie burger or veggie delight in place of sliced turkey and orange chicken, respectively. Perhaps surprisingly, a lot of kids are flexible with their diet if you give them the chance to be, and can be willing to try something new if it’s sold to them in a convincing manner. I was definitely willing to try an alternative lunch provided by my elementary school instead of what my friends were served so that I could help my animal friends.

Otherwise, school lunches ranged from a thermos full of pasta to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with diced fruit cups to the side. No matter what you have to eat, lunches at school are a part of childhood that will be remembered later on. For me, I recall presenting my lunch with friends as if I was on a fancy cooking show, and thoroughly being excited to have the chance to choose my own lunches as I got older.

Overall, despite the general pickiness of younger kids, there are a very wide variety of vegan foods that can become nostalgic favorites over time. Below are just a few of the meals and snacks that could please the vegan kid in your life:

Meals:
–    Vegan pizza
–    Pasta with tomato sauce
–    Vegetable or lentil soup
–    Nut butter and banana sandwiches
–    Vegan waffles/pancakes
–    Veggie burgers/dogs

Snacks:
–    Apple slices and peanut butter
–    Trail mix
–    Fruit salad
–    Smoothies
–    Fruit popsicles
–    Carrot sticks (with your choice of dressing or dip)

For more suggestions, Join VRG’s Parents’ Group. See: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids/

Also, go to https://www.vrg.org/family/tips_for_young_vegans.php