Beginner’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition for Toddlers

• Is a vegan diet safe for toddlers?

• Is a vegan diet good for toddlers?

A plant-based vegan diet is safe and healthy for infants, toddlers, and children!

In this Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition for Toddlers, you’ll learn about the essential nutrients that your vegan toddler needs and how to provide them in foods and supplements.

This article (and the ebook below) will help you feed your vegan toddler with confidence.

GRAB THE FREE EBOOK!

We’ll dig into:

• Protein

• Iron

• Vitamin D

• Calcium

• Vitamin B12

• Omega 3

• Calories and fat

• Concerns about soy

As a pediatric nurse, the research has convinced me and many of my pediatrician colleagues that a plant-based diet is, without a doubt, the best diet for babies and children.

Dr Yami, Board Certified Pediatrician of VeggieFitKids.com and The Veggie Doctor Podcast says…

"A well-planned plant-based diet is not only safe for children, but it can help prevent many of the most common chronic diseases that we face in the United States. Prevention starts during pregnancy and can be continued throughout childhood."

Let’s dive in!

Plant Protein for Your Toddler

Protein is a macronutrient that builds and maintains muscle and body tissue.

Protein is made of amino acids.

Is plant protein as good as animal protein from meat, dairy and eggs?

Yes!  In fact, it’s better.

There’s a myth out there that we to eat need meat to get high quality protein.

What most people don’t know is plants have more than enough protein--for growing babies, children, elite athletes… everyone!

Many of the largest animals on the planet get all their protein from plants. Gorillas, elephants and hippos all grew their huge muscles and bones with only plant protein!

And humans can grow big, strong muscles from plant protein too. 

Animal protein  (from meat, dairy and eggs) has risks that come along with it that plant-protein doesn’t have.

Did you know animal protein increases inflammation in the body, is hard on the kidneys, and comes in a package that’s high in saturated fat? It also increases risk for colorectal cancer, autoimmune disease and heart disease —all common chronic diseases.

Unlike animal protein, PLANT PROTEIN IS CLEAN PROTEIN and comes without any bad company hanging around.

Although protein is an essential macronutrient, we’ve been led (incorrectly) into thinking more is better.  Because of this protein myth, Americans, including children, tend eat excessive amounts of animal protein and their health may suffer because of it.

You might be surprised to know protein is in nearly everything you eat!

Guess what? Per 100 calories, broccoli has more protein than beef.  It’s near impossible to be deficient in protein. The only way to have a protein deficiency is from a severe calorie restriction (aka starvation).

The meat, dairy, and egg industries have worked very hard to convince the public that we need meat, dairy and eggs to get “high quality” protein.

That’s just not true.

How do you know if your child is getting enough plant protein for optimal growth and health?

Per the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,  “To consume a diet that contains enough, but not too much, protein, simply replace animal products with grains, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), and fruits. As long as one is eating a variety of plant foods in sufficient quantity to maintain one’s weight, the body gets plenty of protein “

In other words, if your child is eating enough calories from mostly whole plant foods, she is getting more than enough protein.

Do you need to combine different foods to make complete proteins every day? 

Absolutely not. That’s old school and has been disproven.

Plants have all the essential amino acids. The human body is smart, and it stores amino-acids (building blocks of protein). Then it recycles and mixes and matches the amino acids to form the complete proteins it needs when it needs them.

Good sources of plant-based protein:

Quinoa

Tofu

Beans

Peas

Lentils

Barley

Brown Rice

Hemp

Nuts

Seeds

Hummus

Nut Butters

Spinach

Broccoli

Iron for Your Toddler

Iron carries oxygen in our blood to all the cells of the body

A deficiency in iron is called anemia.Your pediatrician will check your child's iron level at 12 months and not again unless there is a concern for anemia.

Most of the time your child will get all the iron she needs from food.  

Breast milk contains little iron. So if your baby gets more than half of her feedings from breast milk, she should take an iron supplement until she starts eating iron-rich foods at about six months.

If your baby gets more than half of her feedings from formula, no need to supplement with iron since infant formula is fortified with iron.

Plant-based children are not at higher risk than meat-eating children for iron deficiency anemia.

In fact read why toddlers who drink large quantities of cow’s milk are at higher risk for iron deficiency anemia.

Iron Rich Foods

Iron-rich plant-foods

Iron fortified infant cereals

Iron fortified dry cereals

Lentils

Beans

Peas

Leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens

Pumpkin

Tofu

Tempeh

Enriched pasta

Raisins

Prunes

Dried apricots

Soy milk

Blackstrap molasses

Dark chocolate

Vitamin D for Your Toddler 

The body makes Vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight.

Most Americans don’t get enough sunlight to make adequate vitamin D.

Sunlight and supplements are the best ways to give your child vitamin D.

So most babies, toddlers, and children (both plant eaters and meat-eaters) need a vitamin D supplement (most adults too).

If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your baby, your pediatrician will start your newborn on a vitamin D supplement.

Breast-fed babies from birth to one year need 400 IU per day

No vitamin D supplement is needed for formula fed babies.

Everyone else from age one to age 70 needs 600 IU per day.

To get vitamin D naturally, your child should play in the sunshine 10-15 min a day if light-skinned  and 20 min a day if darker skinned. In rainy Portland, Oregon where I live, everyone needs to take a vitamin D supplement for at least nine months of the year!

Choose plant-based milks that are fortified with vitamin D.

Download the Free Mini Ebook: How to Choose a Plant-Based Toddler Milk

Calcium for Your Toddler

Your child needs calcium for bone, muscle and heart health.

Calcium is plentiful in plants! Your child does not need dairy to get calcium.  

Strong bones come not only from calcium, but also from weight-bearing activities...running, playing, lifting, jumping.

Fun Fact Have you ever seen a moose’s antlers? They can span 6 feet across and weigh up to 70 lbs.  A moose’s antlers are made of bone composed mainly of calcium. A moose builds his antlers and his 1800 pound body entirely with plants!  

Good sources of calcium

Fortified plant-based milks like soy, almond, cashew, hemp, oat and rice 

Collard Greens

Spinach

Kale Bok choy

Broccoli

Napa cabbage

Tofu

Fortified plant-based milk

Lentils

Beans

Sweet potatoes

Blackstrap molasses

Figs

Corn tortillas

Vitamin B12  for Your Toddler

Vitamin B12 help keeps the nerve and blood cells healthy.

All plant-eaters need to supplement with vitamin with B12.  

Vitamin B12 comes from micro-organisms that are found in dirt.

Meat has B12 because animals eat dirty food and store the B12 in their muscles (meat).

• Vegan and plant-based babies 6-12 months should have a supplement of 0.5 mcg each day.

• Vegan and plant-based children from 1-3 years should have 0.9 mcg each day.

• Vegan and plant-based children from 4-8 years should have 1.2 mcg each day.

• Vegan and plant-based children from 9-13 years should have 1.8 mcg each day.

• Vegan and plant-based children from 14 years through adulthood should have 2.4 mcg each day.

• (Vitamin B12 recommendations from nih.gov)

Food sources of Vitamin B12

Nutritional Yeast

Fortified plant milks

Fortified soy products

Fortified breakfast cereals

Fortified breads

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids for Your Toddler

Necessary for heart health, brain health, skin and eye health.

No need for supplements.  Just sprinkle a teaspoonful of ground flaxseed , chia or hemp seed on your kiddos meal once a day or blend it up with a smoothie (below).

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Flaxseeds

Chia seeds

Hemp seeds

Walnuts

Wheat germ

Leafy greens

Calories and Fat for Your Child

Babies and young children need plenty of fat and calories for healthy growth and development.

But they have little tummies and can’t eat large quantities of food at one time.

So you’ll want to give your little calorie and nutrient-dense foods…meaning foods that pack a lot of calories and nutrients into a small package.

Calorie and Nutrient Dense Plant Foods

Avocados

Nut butters

Hummus

Full fat plant milks and plant yogurts

Tofu

Whole grain breads, cereals and baked goods

Enriched pasta

Smoothies and smoothie bowls

Energy bites and bars

Puddings

Dried fruits

Plant based frozen desserts like coconut ice cream and nice cream

Soy for Your Child

Don’t be afraid of soy.  

When eaten as tofu, tempeh,  soy milk, miso, or edamame (soybeans) soy is not only safe, but has been shown to reduce risk of prostate and breast cancers. 

Avoid highly processed soy isolate products (and all highly processed foods).

There’s a lot of fear our there about soy.

"The media have propagated concerns about soy's effect on hormones. You may have heard how soy consumption decreases fertility or gives a male 'man-boobs'.  But no solid evidence supports these assertions."Similarly, fears circulated that soy-based infant formulas led to problems with sexual development, brain function, immunity and future reproduction. No conclusive evidence supports these claims, either." 

Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT and Raymond Cronise, from Plant-Based Nutrition, second edition 2018.

Men in Asia have eaten soy for two-thousand years,  yet they don’t have man boobs or higher rates of infertility.  If you're really worried about these things you should stop giving your child dairy. If you're still worried about soy you can find more information here,  here , here and here .

“Consuming soy foods during childhood and or the teen years may reduce cancer risk in later life by as much as 60 percent”

Davis, RD and Melina, MS, RD from Becoming Vegan, Comprehensive Edition, The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition

“Soy  products  have no adverse  effects on men and may help prevent cancer in men”

An analysis of 14 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that increased intake of soy resulted in a 26 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk.

Putting it all together

Use these graphics plus the Nutrition and Supplement Checklist to plan your toddler’s plant-based meals and snacks.

Don’t aim for perfection with every meal. But do try to get these in over the course of a day. It’s actually not that hard.

I DO NOT recommend measuring your child’s servings. I’m only including this because many mamas have reached out and requested this information.

I hope by now you are feeling empowered with knowledge about plant-based about plant-based nutrition for your little one. 

Smiles!

Heidi

Resources

Davis, B., & Melina, V. (2014). Becoming vegan: The complete reference to plant-based nutrition. Summertown, TN: Book Publishing.

Fuhrman, J. (2006). Disease-proof your child: Feeding kids right. New York: St. Martins Griffin.

Hever, J., Jillette, P., & Cronise, R. J. (2018). Plant-based nutrition(2nd ed.). New York: Alpha, a member of Penguin Random House LLC.

Iron-Deficiency Anemia: The Problem of Pale, Chubby, Milk-Guzzling Toddlers. (2013, February 07). Retrieved June 2, 2018, from https://kindercarepediatrics.ca/general-advice/anemia-the-problem-of-pale-chubby-milk-guzzling-toddlers/

Vitamin D & Iron Supplements for Babies: AAP Recommendations. (2016, May 27). Retrieved May 26, 2016, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Vitamin-Iron-Supplements.aspx 

Messina, Mark, and Leena Hilakivi-Clarke. “Early Intake Appears to Be the Key to the Proposed Protective Effects of Soy Intake Against Breast Cancer.” Nutrition and Cancer, vol. 61, no. 6, Oct. 2009, pp. 792–798.,doi:10.1080/01635580903285015.

PCRM resource Booklet  for feeding kids plant based https://pcrm.widencollective.com/portals/gr0kpkol/factsheets