Raising Vegan Tin Lids (Kids):
Nutrition

(From the AACT Newsletter, February 2008 by Karen Bevis)

People often express concern about the adequacy of the vegan diet for growing children. Dairy consumption is so ingrained in modern culture that people have come to believe (and are encouraged to believe by the Dairy Industry) that dairy is necessary for strong bone formation. In fact there is nothing necessary or natural about consuming dairy products. Humans are the only species to consume the milk of another species and it is not something that we evolved to do. Eggs and honey are the other items that we can easily do without, and I’m sure the birds and bees would thank us!

I am the mother of two healthy beautiful and engergetic young children, aged 6½ and nearly 4. They have both been vegan from conception. I personally know of nearly 20 vegan children in Tasmania, Victoria and NSW. They come in a wide variety of builds, are all healthy, and going strong.

To provide adquate nutrition, any diet must be balanced and a vegan diet is no exception. It would be unhealthy, but still vegan, to live on a diet of just bananas, for example. Information on balancing a vegan diet should be taken from the New Four Food Groups, which can be found on the website of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) www.pcrm.org. This advises on what an appropriate mix of cereals and grains, vegetables and fruits, beans and legumes should be. Advice on vegan nutrition for children and adolescents can also be found on the website of the American Dietics Association (ADA) (www.eatright.org and search for vegan children). The ADA are satisfied that appropriately planned vegan diets meet the normal growth and development needs from infancy to adolescents – so why shouldn’t we be?

Both the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), and the World Health Organisation, say that breastmilk should be the only source of nutrients until infants are at least 6 months of age, and breast milk should constitue some part of the diet until the child is 2 years old. If the mother is eating an adequate diet, the breastmilk will be rich in all the nutrients required. Of course there are rare occassions where a mother is not able to breastfeed and the choice must be made between dairy and soy formulas, both of which can cause allergies in certain individuals, however cows milk formula has strong links to childhood diabetes (refer The China Study by T Colin Campbell). Fortunately inability to breastfeed is much rarer than the more than 50% of Australian mothers who give up breastfeeding before their child is 6 months old would have us believe. Much of the issue here is to do with lack of support in the wider community, and inadequate knowledge of where to go for advice, and the fact that so many generations have relied on formulas now that the wise women of the “tribe” just don’t exist to pass on their words of wisdom. I strongly recommend the ABA for any assistance with breastfeeding issues.

For older children, there are a number of guides available online by Googling “vegan chldren”, I would highly recommend the PCRM fact sheet titled “Vegetarian Diets – Advantages for Children”. Vitamin B12 is the main thing you have to look out for, as it is not available in the usual vegan diet. B12 is found in soil bacteria, as well as meat and dairy products, and as our vegetables are scrubbed clean these days, we need to get it from other sources. The ADA reccommends 5 to 10 µg daily for an adult. This can be obtained by vitamin supplement, the Blackmores brand B12 is vegan. I suggest crushing a portion of a tablet up in juice or in breakfast cereal. The other way of getting B12 is by using fortified products. Both Vitasoy Calci-Plus, and Soy Life fresh milks are fortified with B12, as are Sanitarium products such as their refrigerated sausages, Not Burgers etc., and Marmite. Aim for 1.5-2.5 µg B12 in fortified foods, in at least 2 serves for a child (source www.veganhealth.org).

There is a lot of hype about fish oil these days for providing essential fatty acids. It is not necessary for vegans to compromise their ethics to provide the tools for adequate brain development in their children. Flax seed oil is a wonderful source of Omega 3, and includes Omega 6 and 9 as well. We pour some on our breakfast cereal each morning (you do get used to it, and my children ask for it). We now also purchase a table spread, made by Melrose, that is made from canola and flaxseed oils – use it just like a margerine for breads and baking – how easy it that?

Vegan diets can easily provide enough calcium. Get some ideas from the websites I have suggested. Being a vegan child doesn’t mean you have to miss out either. You can replace almost anything with a vegan alternative Soy ice creams and cheeses are available, and vegan baking really is simple (ask AACT for a fact sheet on using your favourite non-vegan recipe to create scruptious vegan treats).

So what does a typical vegan daily menu look like for my children?
Breakfast: home-made muesli (almonds, dates, rolled oats, rice straws, flax oil and fortified soy milk) and diluted fruit juice
Morning tea: fruit
Lunch: home-made bread with either Kingland soy cream cheese & Marmite; hommous & tomato; advocado; or peanut butter
Afternoon tea: soy smoothie; biscuit or crackers with spread; or more fruit
Dinner: bean nachos with corn chips; red lentil and vegie dahl with rice; Sanitarum sausages with wedges or mash and vegies; and baked beans are always a favourite.

Importantly, don’t stress over getting it just right, measuring this and that for every meal. There is no need, everything in moderation and a wide variety of foods, and your child will grow healthily and happily.

Increasingly research is showing that a vegan diet is protective against many of the so called ‘western diseases’. Also we are realising that what is good for our bodies, is also good for non-human animals, and great for the planet!