Raising a vegan toddler

by Holly
(Indiana, USA)

I am the mother of a beautiful 19-month old little boy and we have been eating a primarily vegan diet for the last 4 months.

I have been breastfeeding my son all this time and am currently in the process of weaning him. I felt much more confident that he was getting the nutrition he needs while I was breastfeeding because I know mother's milk is the perfect food for him.

Now that I am close to being done with breastfeeding I am worried about him getting the vitamins and minerals that he needs. He is kind of picky about what he will eat and drink. I drink almond milk mostly and he isn't crazy about it.

I worry about B12 deficiency as well. I want to make sure he gets enough good fat in his diet as well.

We live in Northern Indiana so we don't have access to a lot of organic fresh produce during the winter. I'm not crazy about the idea of dairy products for him, but I've contemplated giving him raw milk or cheese. I feel very confused and worried about the holes in his diet. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Sassy Sez: Hi Holly! I am so proud of you for wanting to learn more about how to raise a healthy and happy vegan child. Bravo, Mama! :)

Firstly, please know you can do this! But it will take some time on your part to educate yourself on the topic not only to understand what your vegan baby needs nutritionally, but what YOU need as well.

You will have to learn firstly what a healthy and balanced vegan diet looks like. And which supplements are recommended (such as Vitamin B12, EPA/DHA, and Vitamin D - which is lacking in most everyone's diet these days, vegans and non-vegans alike!).

The best place I can think of to start is with the amazing book Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet by Davis & Melina, Registered Dieticians who have created a complete guide to adopting a healthy plant-based diet. Not only do they teach you as an adult what you need to be a nutritionally sound vegan, they have chapters on Pregnancy and Lactation, Birth through Adolescence, and even Teens.

Davis & Melina will teach you what you and your little one must eat and why. Then come on back here to learn how to create all the components that make up a healthy vegan diet - such as how to cook beans, whole grains, and veggies - and how to put them together to make a winning meal.

This Vegan Cooking Guide Tutorial will help you make the most of the information found throughout the site.

Hope this helps, and I am sending you and the babe a giant hug! xo