The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids - M.s.j., Dana Villamagna [2]
As adults, it’s not always easy to be a food contrarian, and it can be even more challenging for kids. But motivated, resourceful parents can find ways to make anything, including veganism, work to their child’s advantage.
Different readers may come to this book for different reasons, but all with the common goal of helping the kids you love be healthy and happy eating vegan all the time, most of the time, or more often than not. How you came to that decision is as unique as your situation.
Perhaps you’ve been vegan since high school or college. Maybe you’ve been health conscious about your own vegan diet, or maybe not so much. But now, with a baby on the way or a little one ready to try solid foods, you’re ready to step up your nutrition game. Yet, like most new parents, you’re not exactly sure how to introduce your child to eating (in this case, vegan style), or exactly what she needs nutritionally to grow and thrive at different stages. You’ll find all that in this book.
Did your school-age child announce she doesn’t want to eat animal products anymore? Out of love for animals or a desire to help the environment, your child is proclaiming, “No more meat! No more milk! No more eggs!” The media devotes lots of coverage these days to the cruelty of factory farms, the positive work of animal compassion groups, and the environmental impact of animal products and veganism, so it’s no surprise kids are taking notice and declaring their change of heart at the dinner table. Find out how to support them, and why you may want to take the plunge, too.
Or maybe your child is becoming vegan by default as one among many in the ever-increasing number of kids with allergies or sensitivities to dairy, eggs, or the additives and hormones in meat.
If your entire family is starting out on the vegan road together, you need to be sure each family member’s needs are met. This isn’t one-size-fits-all because kids at every stage of growth have unique sets of nutritional and social needs we parents need to tune in to.
Whatever your motivation, now that you’re here you’ll:
◆ Get the 411 on vitamins and calories
◆ Find out how to talk to your child’s doctor about vegan diets
◆ Learn to make vegan pancakes, a delicious vegan birthday cake, and quick vegan snack bags
◆ And more!
With tons of health, nutrition, kitchen, and social tips, and 35 kid-friendly vegan recipes, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids helps you navigate your child’s vegan food options and choices. By starting with a few simple nutrition guidelines and safeguards, adding some flexibility, throwing in a heaping spoonful of community and a dash of creativity, you’ve got the recipe for healthy, fun, vegan family living for you and your kids.
The tide is turning toward plant-based diets. You and your kids can ride the wave to greater health, increased animal compassion, and a better Earth.
How This Book Is Organized
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids is divided into four parts. We take you from the health, dietary, and social basics to more specific nutritional needs for kids at different ages and stages. Then we cover the nuts and bolts of a kid-friendly vegan kitchen, including 30+ kid-tested, food-writer-mom-created and doctor-dad-approved recipes.
Here’s how it all breaks down:
Part 1, “The Basics of Raising a Vegan Child,”outlines why being a vegan kid is achievable and healthy, yet sometimes incredibly tricky. We’ve included lots of motivating news from health studies on the benefits of vegan diets for kids, as well as why it’s important to consider taking vegan ideals into your choices for your child’s toys, clothes, and more. You’ll be encouraged to examine your own family’s beliefs and boundaries about what is and isn’t “vegan enough.” You can debunk the most common myths about vegan