How a plant-based diet can help children thrive – experts share the benefits, best foods and how to get kids to eat them
- It is safe to raise children on a plant-based diet, studies and doctors say. Experts explain which foods give them key nutrients they need
- A mother raising children on a plant-based diet offers tips on getting kids to embrace vegan meals, such as letting them pick recipes and help shop for them
There is a growing trend of families choosing to follow vegan diets, also called plant-based diets.
They comprise vegetables, fruit, beans, grains, nuts and seeds – and exclude meat, poultry, seafood and other animal derived-products such as milk, cheese and eggs.
While adults who adopt the lifestyle are recognised as making a wise choice, many still question whether it is healthy and safe for children. The answer, research and experts suggest, is yes.
A review of research papers published in the journal Nutrition Research in 2021 said “vegan children showed normal growth and were less often obese” and that “a well-planned vegan diet using supplementation is likely to provide the recommended amounts of critical nutrients to provide for normal progression of height and weight in children, and can be beneficial”.
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) says that a well-balanced diet supplemented with critical nutrients, such as vitamin B12 and D, makes a vegan diet an appropriate option for pregnant women and children.
