Raising a Vegan Child
Until recently, I had been a vegetarian for about eight years, a vegan for a year before that, and a pescatarian for thirteen years prior. Shortly after the new year, my husband and I decided that we were going to adopt a vegan diet and lifestyle. This also meant that our daughter would be brought up vegan as well. There are not a lot of challenges with having a one-year-old vegan child, especially since she is still breastfeeding like a champ, but we know we will face challenges down the line. Here are just a few we have begun to think of and how we plan on dealing with them:
1. Making Sure Their Dietary Needs Are Being Met.
This is obviously our top priority. There have been some sad stories in the media lately of vegan children being taken from their parents due to malnourishment. With that said, this is not the norm, as most vegan children lead a very healthy life and thrive both physically and mentally. Raising your child vegan does however require vigilance and diligence to make sure their dietary needs are being met, and that the appropriate supplements are being used when necessary. But this is no different from what anyone else eating a different diet has to do for their children. We are being proactive by continuing to introduce a wide variety of foods on a regular basis, including fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, and lots of other yummy vegan foods. Currently, our little lamb is obsessed with avocado, blueberries, peas, and pinto beans.
2. Birthday Parties.
At a year old, our little lamb is not missing out on the cake and cookies that are so commonly found at children’s birthday parties. At our little lambs first birthday party it was easy for us, because all of the cupcakes and cookies were vegan! We do however know that there will come a time when we send our little lamb off to a non-vegan birthday party. So what is a vegan parent to do? First and for most, we plan on letting the parent know about our families dietary restrictions. Next, we will find out what is on the menu for the party, and bring the vegan version for our child. I have already had an instance with a family party where we brought a tray of vegan cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. I have embraced the fact that I am going to be making many batches of cupcakes in my life. I have also embraced the fact that I will always be offering to bring a fruit or vegetable tray, a hummus appetizer, vegan frozen pizzas, veggie burgers, smart dogs. and so on, so that my child does not feel left out when going to an event.
3. Visiting Relatives.
It took my dad over ten years of me being a vegetarian to stop offering me a bite of his chicken or steak when we went out to eat. It was not because he was being insensitive; it was because he just simply forgot at that moment that I did not eat meat. Visiting family members, especially for an extended period of time, can become challenging when you do not share the same eating philosophy. They will have food options at their house that you do not have at yours. They will have places they enjoy going out to eat that do not have vegan options. They will have candy readily available for their other grandchildren that your child cannot eat. So what is a parent to do? Be prepared! Bring snacks, a bag of your child’s favorite lollipops, a loaf of bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, coconut milk, hummus, pancake mix, Earth Balance buttery spread, and whatever else your child and your family eats on a regular basis. Do some research and find out what local grocery stores and/or health food stores are in the area. Do the same kind of research for restaurants. Cross your fingers and hope that one of the ice cream parlors in the area is Ben & Jerry’s, and go indulge in some vegan peanut butter cookie yumminess. And, when in doubt, remind your relatives about your vegan lifestyle and set ground rules for what your child is offered to eat.
4. Explain Why You’re a Vegan to Your Child in an Age Appropriate Way.
It is not enough to just tell your child that you do not eat animals, drink cows milk, or eat grilled cheese sandwiches that aren’t made of Daiya cheddar style slices. They need to know why. At a young age, we are using phrases like, “Animals are our friends, and we do not eat our friends,” and, “A cows milk belongs to her baby just like my milk belongs to you.” As our children get older, we plan to go into more detail about factory farming and health benefits, but every step of the way we will explain things at an age appropriate level using our own wisdom, books, and videos. We are looking forward to visiting farm sanctuaries and vegan festivals that will both reinforce and normalize our way of life for our children. One of the things I am working on is word choice for foods we eat. Words like “hotdog” and “bacon” are something I am trying to get out of the habit of saying, and replacing it with “smart dogs” and “smoked tempeh”. It may sound silly, but I would like to avoid the confusion in my little lambs young life so she does not mistakenly except a meat based hotdog at a party or event, assuming it was the same plant based ones we eat at home.
There is a lot to consider when raising a child vegan. Unfortunately, they cannot be kept in an ethical vegan bubble once they leave the comfort of their own home. As a result, it is important for us that we stay diligent when it comes to what our children eat until they are of an age when they can make their own decisions about their food and lifestyle choices. The best we can do is prepare them as much as possible and be prepared as much as possible with healthy food options that will not make them feel left out in a social setting. At the end of the day though, our main priority is making sure our little lamb is eating a healthy diet that meets all of her nutritional needs.
