Lovely Vegan Ladies: Raising A Vegan Child: Topic #3/4- A Well Balanced Diet is Key/Timeline for Introducing New Foods

Hello Lovelies!

How's everyone week going so far? Today I'll be touching on the diet and timeline for diet changes with vegan children. Since protein, vitamins, and other nutrients won't be coming from "traditional" American diet sources, it's important to know what substitutes are safe and should be given to your child. It's also important to know when to start providing these to your children to guarantee they are getting all the nutrients they need.

We've covered the first 6 months in Topic #1- Breastfeeding vs. Formula. Whichever path you choose, breast milk and/or formula are a must for the first year. This can be the sole source of nutrition for up to 6 months, but anywhere between the 4 to 6 month mark, pureed (solid) baby foods should start getting introduced. Below is a timeline I've created from a collection of websites.

1-6 months: Breast milk or Formula *For a vegan baby, it is strongly suggested that if you are using formula, you opt for one that is fortified with Iron and DHA.

4-6 months: Being introducing Level 1 super pureed baby foods and rice cereal. I've enjoyed buying a few of the jar or pouch foods and then writing down the recipes Audrey enjoys. Then I can make them at home myself and save some money! Great starters are bananas, apples, prunes, sweet potatoes, peas, any of the real mushy fruits and veggies. Some of my favorites have been from Earth's Best Organic.

6-8 months: Start feeding your baby more protein oriented foods such as legumes, tofu, soy yogurt, etc. Your baby can being eating more flavorful fruits and veggies now such as kale and collard greens. To balance the flavor of these, combine with avocado or apple sauce. Juices are a fun thing to start at this time as well! Avoid juices that have a high citrus content or introduce a small bit at a time to watch for any allergic reactions.

8-10 months: This is also a good time (once you notice your baby is able to pick things up with their fingers), to introduce rice puffs or cereal bites. As long as the bites are small enough and your baby is able to chew with his/her gums, you can also provide small chunks of tofu, bread, or crackers. At this stage, until teeth are fully present, try to stick to foods that are easily mashed or dissolved by the gums.

10-12 months: Babies can begin enjoying different nut butters. Peanut, Almond, Tahini (sesame seed butter) can all be given when being spread thinly on bread or crackers. Keep the layers think to avoid any risk of choking.

1 year and on: Your child can enjoy the same foods as you! You may still want to pre-mash and cut food into smaller bite size portions, but food just got a lot easier! Since you'll now be feeding your child a diet closer to yours, it's good to make sure you're feeding your entire family a balanced diet. In my last post I included the Vegan Food Pyramid, pictured below. This is the best representation I've found of what we, as vegans, should put in our body. Of course this pyramid is based off of what an adult should eat, but you get the idea.

Even as adults, we often neglect how much of "the good stuff" we should be putting in our body. A great diet is one that highly varies. Who would want to eat the same thing every day anyway? Enjoy a variety of fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. Try different substitutes for your dairy products until you settle on one that suits your tastes. You may find you actually enjoy the more savory flavor of Tahini instead of Peanut butter. Becoming vegan has opened my eyes and taste buds incredibly to a world of new flavors! Things I never would have tried as a carnivore. Raising a vegan child has made me more conscious of how I eat and what I cook for my family.

I hope you've found this informative! Raising a vegan child, at least for the first year, is not difficult at all. I can foresee some "societal" difficulties as Audrey grows older, when she is presented with non-vegan foods in school, at birthday parties, or out with other family. I do, however, believe that providing my child with the information on what she is eating and being a great example with help her counteract any problems she may have. Preparation is the best tool in these situations!

My final post this week will be Topic #5- How to Have Fun with Vegan Kiddos. We'll cover how to handle some of the above issues and make sure your kid doesn't feel "out of place" when around non-vegan people. Talk to you soon lovelies!