Feeding a Vegan Toddler
By Ashley Kerckhoff, B.S.
My family follows a whole food, plant-based, vegan, diet. We became vegan when I was pregnant with our now 16-month-old daughter. I originally made my commitment to this way of eating for environmental sustainability reasons, and later came to learn about all the amazing health implications that come as well.
Feeding a young child (especially a toddler) can be tricky, particularly when eliminating some foods. However, that's exactly what we did, and I feel confident knowing that I'm putting nutritious and delicious foods in her little tummy.
Snack Time
I am not the only mom in the vegan world who has encountered a situation like this at one point or another. During snack time at the park, a play-date, or another fun-filled parent-and-child outing, non-vegan mothers and fathers inquire about what snacks I feed my vegan child. To their surprise, we eat more than just fruit for snacks. I continue to tell them that I've come to find that my daughter loves a variety of different vegan snacks that are healthy, easy, and transportable:
- One great snack is hummus, with either veggies or a whole-grain pita.
- My daughter is a late teether, so softer veggies, like steamed carrots or tomatoes, is what we go towards.
- She also loves homemade vegan muffins. (Let your kids help make them. They will love it and it fills up play time on those rainy days!)
- Other options are Larabars, green smoothies (to get in those colorful veggies), and homemade protein balls. (Plant-Powered Families has a great recipe.)
- If your kiddo has plenty of teeth and you are confident your child can chew these items without choking, trail mix made with nuts and dried fruit only is another great, healthful snack!
- Furthermore, I always make sure to add a good source of vitamin C to her snacks (as well as meals) to increase iron absorption.
Breakfast
What about breakfast hits for young children, besides oatmeal or a sugary and processed cereal of some kind?
- Smoothies are a HUGE hit with my daughter! They are so versatile (not to mention quick and easy to make) with nutrition and flavor that make both child and parent happy! We tend to do a combination of oats, frozen banana, almonds or peanut butter, chia or flax seeds, a pinch of cinnamon, and unsweetened soymilk. (Soymilk is often fortified with vitamin B12, an essential supplement for vegans.) Adding a spoonful or two of canned pumpkin plus some nutmeg gives it a nice fall twist (and an extra serving of veggies).
- My daughter also likes non-dairy yogurt, such as unsweetened (to avoid all the added sugars) soy or coconut milk yogurt with added toppings like granola and seasonal fruit.
- Finding a great chia pudding recipe is also a huge life saver, as it's super easy to make, and keeps well in the fridge for a while. Similar to yogurt, chia pudding is a blank canvas for adding whatever whole food toppings your child likes.
Little Tip: Get your young child involved in the topping-picking process. It gets them comfortable in the kitchen, lets them be creative, and teaches them about healthy eating. Also, they will be more likely to eat the snack if they help make it!
For more information, see:
You can also order the book Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton from The Vegetarian Resource Group book catalog: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/.
