The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids - M.s.j., Dana Villamagna [25]
The Least You Need to Know
◆ Infants and children can follow vegan diets safely without compromising nutrition or growth—and with some notable health benefits.
◆ Current studies suggest that vegan kids may be slightly smaller than their omnivorous counterparts. Smaller size may be associated with better long-term health.
◆ Take advantage of the excellent, kid-friendly sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals in the plant world. Whatever nutrient needs a boost in your child’s diet can be achieved by taking a supplement. Vegan kids’ diets do need a bit of a protein boost.
◆ The lunchroom, birthday parties, and baseball games don’t have to be avoided. Vegan kids can fit in, have fun, and maintain their food ethics in any of these social situations.
◆ Social myths that vegan families are neglectful, depriving, tasteless, or isolated can be easily countered with education; creativity; and a fun, open attitude.
Part 2
Nutritional Needs of Vegan Kids
A plant-based vegan diet is an incredibly healthful choice for kids, as long as special nutritional needs—such as vitamin B12 and a handful of other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients—are met. Parents can readily meet these special needs with some basic nutrition information, an awareness of kids’ unique growth and development needs at different ages, and a commitment to meeting their child’s needs even when the child throws them a curve ball—hello, picky eater.
The vast majority of vegan kids eat an extraordinarily healthful diet compared to their counterparts eating the standard American diet. Part 2 helps ensure that you’re optimizing your child’s diet to provide everything she needs to thrive.
Chapter 5
Vegan Babies (0 to 12 Months)
In This Chapter
◆ Help your doctor help your baby
◆ Human milk for human babies
◆ When it’s time for solids
◆ A baby-appropriate meal plan
Every day, babies bring smiles, love, and worry into a parent’s life. Everything has to be just perfect for your little wonder, including what she eats.
In this chapter, we talk about how to be sure your baby gets the healthiest nutritional start possible. Find out how to partner with her doctor and be her spokesperson in medical situations. All the vegan-specific info you need about baby nutritional needs, favorite food lists, and safe eating tips are here, too. We also include a sample meal plan specifically for the newest vegans.
Tune in to your baby’s individual personality, learn about her vegan-specific nutritional needs, and get comfortable with change (which will happen almost daily in these stages of childhood growth). This is the start of a very long and beautiful growing season for your little sprout.
Be Your Baby’s Medical Spokesperson
Especially when your child is too young to speak for herself, it’s up to you to help your doctor help her. Make it to all the regularly scheduled well-baby visits. This not only ensures your child is hitting all the appropriate milestones, but also helps you create a relationship with your child’s doctor when all is well. When your child is sick, the more information you can bring to her doctor, the easier it will be for the doctor to make a correct diagnosis and the quicker your little one can be 100 percent healthy again.
It’s also important to keep good records of your child’s health history and medical information. Doctors are extremely busy, and your child will likely see many different health-care professionals in most clinics. Be your child’s medical advocate to ensure the best, most error-free health care possible. At each appointment, bring the bottles of any medications she’s currently taking, including vitamins and other supplements (herbal,