Vegan infants

As a vegan, I had to make a difficult decision when it came to raising my children. Living where I do, in an area where vegan options are not widely available, I made the decision to raise our two children as vegetarian until they are a little older. Miller (20 months) and Heidi (3 years) were both breastfed until the age of one at which time, after seeking advice, I transferred them onto infant commercial formula. I could not get a vegan formula and you cannot make your own as it is downright dangerous to infants as it does not contain all the nutrients a growing body needs and can end in the most awful circumstances. It is recommended to nurse your baby for as long as you can, preferably until at least 2 years of age but we all know that can be difficult in an environment where mum usually has to go back to work. I still research the vegan option for the children as they actually don’t like milk so only really consume yoghurt and cheese but I don’t feel I know enough yet to eliminate these from their diets. My eldest, Heidi will not drink milk or any other substitute such as soya or rice milk, she downright refuses, therefore she is not getting the calcium or supplements from this source. This is why I make sure she has 2 yogurts and a slice of cheese each day. If you are out there with a solution to this, I’d love to hear it - bear in mind what I said about limited options here e.g no fortified vegan foods and only seasonal fresh spinich etc. Miller drinks soya milk and cows milk. I also buy free range organic eggs occasionally for them. I just want to make sure I have it all covered but I still don’t like buying and having these items in our fridge as I know it is not right but as so few people think like that, there is not enough yet to convince me my kids don’t need them as there are not enough options for us on the market. It is also an issue when they are at nursery or going to other children’s houses. If you say vegetarian at least they can probably get a cheese sandwich. If you say vegan then people feel lost and have little idea of what your children can eat. I guess you have to make your own choices about this and don’t feel guilty about them, just think of all the positive outcomes already achieved by the choices you have already made.

And if you do choose to raise your children as vegan I advise you research this thoroughly. You cannot take chances at this and must plan carefully to make sure your children get all they need, e.g. vitamin B12 supplements are essential (for adult vegans too) and vitamin D is much needed. With careful planning and availability of nutrient rich food I am sure that raising children from infancy is not going to be a problem for many.

I would also like to put out a call to any health professionals to respond to this topic. If I am confused as to the effectiveness of a vegan diet in childhood, even after reading up about it many times, then I guess I am not alone!

Book recommendation: ‘Becoming Vegan’ by Brenda Davis, R.D. and Vesanto Melina, M.S, R.D.