World Vegan Day

                                                         Vegan Children

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD and Sandra Hood, BSc (Hons), SRD

The number of vegans in the UK today is estimated at 0.5% but we do not know how many of these are children. In the US, a poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group in the year 2000 found that about 0.5% of 6 to 17-year-olds were vegan and did not eat meat, fish, poultry, dairy products or eggs.

Growth of Vegan Children
If a child's diet contains enough calories, normal growth and development can be expected and studies of vegan children have shown that their caloric intake is close to recommended levels and similar to intakes of non-vegan children of the same age.

Vegan children in the UK and the US have been found to be slightly shorter and lighter in weight than average but appeared to be growing at a normal rate. Children need a lot of energy in relation to their size and although healthy eating should be encouraged it is important that the diet be energy dense. Including foods such as vegetable oils, avocados, seeds, nut butters and pulses can provide both calories and nutrients. Dried fruits are also a concentrated source of energy and are an attractive food for many children. Children from an early age should be encouraged to brush teeth after eating dried fruits and other sweet foods to prevent tooth decay.

What Foods are Popular with Vegan Children?

Many vegan children like:

• Bagels with nut butter or hummous
• Bean burritos or tacos
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Mashed potatoes
• Oven-cooked chips
• Pancakes and waffles
• Pasta with tomato sauce
• Peanut butter and yeast extract sandwiches
• Pizza without cheese, topped with vegetables and pulses, tofu, or fake meat
• Raw vegetables with dips
• Shakes made with soya milk and fruit
• Spaghetti with tomato sauce
• Tofu/vegetarian dogs
• Veggie burgers
  

http://www.vegansociety.com/