Raising vegan children

Vegan Society Dietitian, Andrea Rymer, explores the benefits of raising children vegan

Well-planned vegan diets are suitable for all stages of life, and children can get all the nutrients they need from them. Luckily, in my role as a dietitian for The Vegan Society, I’m in a fortunate position to absorb this knowledge and put this into practice with raising my son. Had I not been in this field, negative media headlines around raising a vegan family may have led me to second guess my decision. After recently coming back from maternity leave, this topic is more important to me than ever.  

What does the evidence say?  

It is well known that most vegans converted to this lifestyle beyond childhood, meaning that there remains a lack of large-scale studies available on the nutritional status of vegan children. 

A recent study that caught the headlines reported vegan children were on average 3 cm shorter than omnivorous children. Although this may seem alarming, there was no data to suggest that this led to any negative health outcomes, and heights remained within expected reference ranges for normal growth. Another study concluded that weight and height did not differ significantly between vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous children, indicating a normal average growth in all groups.  

Healthy bones require adequate calcium and vitamin D. Meeting calcium needs is not difficult on a vegan diet; however, calcium intake remains a concern in the vegan population and has repeatedly been reported to be lower in vegans. Historically, less calcium-fortified alternatives were available, and this may well be reflected in the data. There remains no data on vitamin D status in vegan children; however vitamin D deficiency remains a public health concern in both adults and children in the UK due to sunlight being its primary source. Children and adults in the UK are recommended to take a vitamin D supplement containing at least 10 micrograms daily (8.5 micrograms from 0-1 year) in winter months as a minimum. Some vitamin D3 supplements come from lanolin (sheep’s wool) but vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 from lichen are suitable for vegans.  

Selective supplementation is key for optimal health on a vegan diet, which includes vitamin B12, iodine and selenium. Most studies reported that vegan children were taking a vitamin B12 supplement; however B12 status was not measured to support this. There have been no studies on vegan children that measured iodine or selenium status, and further research is needed to support the nutrient status of children that follow well-planned vegan diets, inclusive of fortified foods and selective supplementation.   

In the UK there is an obesity epidemic stemming from childhood. This poses several health risks including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Despite a lack of nutritional research in vegan children, we know that replacing animal proteins with plant proteins drastically reduces saturated fat intake and increases fibre intake, which can lead to better health outcomes. This is why vegan diets are associated with lower body mass index and lower rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, not to mention planetary health benefits.

Take-home tips

• Introduce a balanced and varied diet to your children.
• Opt for lower fibre first foods for little ones to meet their energy needs without filling up too quickly e.g. white rice and pasta.
• Add extra energy to meals by using vegetable oils/spreads, nuts and seeds (ground/butter versions for children under five).

• Include good-quality sources of protein in meals such as beans, tofu and lentils.
• Help your children reach their calcium target by choosing calcium-fortified dairy alternatives, calcium-set tofu and spring greens.
• Eat nuts and seeds rich in omega-3 such as ground linseed, walnuts, chia seeds and rapeseed oil and/or consider a microalgae supplement.
• Offer a supplement that provides nutrients deserving attention in a vegan diet such as VEG 1/VEG 1 Baby and Toddler.

Visit vegansociety.com/lifestages for more information on well-planned vegan diets for children.

Rainbow pizza

Serves four

Demonstrate healthy eating habits to your little ones with this fun and filling meal.

For the base 

• 150 g wholemeal flour + extra for dusting/rolling 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 125 g Greek-style soya yoghurt 
• 1 tbsp water 
• 100 ml passata 
• 1 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs   

For the topping 

• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved  
• ¼ butternut squash, peeled and diced 
• 50 g frozen sweetcorn 
• 1 handful of spinach, chopped   
• ½ aubergine, thinly sliced (around 5 mm)  
• 1 tbsp olive oil  

‘Cheesy’ sauce 

• ¼ butternut squash, peeled and diced 
• 100 g cashew nuts 
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast  
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp garlic powder  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C/200 °C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Boil the butternut squash for 10–15 minutes and then reserve half to make your cheesy sauce later.
3. Boil the cashew nuts separately for 15 minutes. Then drain, reserving the water.
4. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the mixed herbs onto the sliced aubergine and one half of the diced butternut squash and place them in the oven for 10 minutes. 
5. Mix the flour and baking powder in a large bowl before adding the yoghurt and 1 tbsp water and mixing well. Use your hands to form a dough. Dust a clean surface with the rest of your flour and continue to knead the dough for one minute. 
6. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball and then, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle.   
7. Carefully lift the pizza base from the surface with a spatula and place onto a lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes before removing it from the oven. Mix the passata and mixed herbs together and spread this all over the base. 
8. Add your toppings starting with the aubergine, covering the whole base. Then starting from the outer edge and placing in a circular motion, add cherry tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, sweetcorn and spinach.  
9. Drizzle the pizza with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with more mixed herbs. Bake the pizza for 10 minutes.  
10. Place the remaining boiled butternut squash chunks, cashews, smoked paprika, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and 6 tbsp water (or more if needed) into a blender and blitz until a thick and creamy consistency is achieved.  
11. Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with ‘cheesy’ sauce before serving. 
12.   

Nutrition per portion: 

Article and recipe by Andrea Rymer. Recipe image by Hannah Hossack-Lodge (Domestic Gothess).

This article was first published in The Vegan 2023 Issue 2. The Vegan is our quarterly in-house members’ exclusive magazine featuring interviews, reviews, recipes, deep dives into veganism, and more! To receive your copy, please join us to support our work to help people go and stay vegan, and protect the rights of existing vegans.

Check out our nutrition and health resources to get lots of tips about getting the most out of your vegan lifestyle. Search through our recipe hub and explore a variety of delicious vegan dishes that cater to every taste and occasion.