By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Finland, a country in northern Europe, has done something that few other countries have – issued nutritional guidance for vegans. The Finnish Food Authority, which issued this guidance, is a government entity under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. According to its website, the Finnish Food Authority “works for the good of humans, animals and plants, supports the vitality of the agricultural sector, and develops and maintains information systems.”

The Finnish Food Authority recommends that a vegan diet “contains cereal products, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit, berries and vegetable fats as well as a nutritious milk replacement drink.” A vegan plate is described as consisting of one third foods supplying protein including whole grains and legumes, one third raw and cooked vegetables, and one third additional carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, or barley. Supplements of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iodine are recommended. A “carefully composed” vegan diet can be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and teens.

These guidelines are complemented by a section in Eating Together,  the national food recommendations for families with young children. This section provides additional information about vegan diets in pregnancy and lactation and for infants and young children. According to this text, vegan infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 4-6 months with breastfeeding continuing at least until age 1 year. After 1 year, the recommendations call for use of a drink made from soy, oats, quinoa, or other grains (excluding rice) that is fortified with calcium and vitamin D and designed for young children. Vegan families shall be provided with guidance by a nutritional therapist and children’s growth should be monitored.

These sensible guidelines should be adopted, with modifications for country-specific foods, by other countries, including the United States.

References

Finnish Food Authority. Vegan diet. https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/themes/healthy-diet/nutrition-and-food-recommendations/vegan-diet/. Last updated April 2019.

National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland. Eating Together – Food Recommendations for Families with Children. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/137770/URN_ISBN_978-952-343-264-2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. 2019.