Feeding Vegan Toddlers: Healthy, Happy, Meat-Free

A vegan diet for toddlers can be a healthy choice, but careful planning is needed to ensure nutritional needs are met. Toddlers grow and develop quickly and need plenty of calories, and a well-balanced diet with sufficient nutrients and energy. While breast milk or formula is important for the first 12 months, after this, toddlers need a nutrient-rich diet to support their growth and energy needs. A vegan diet may need to include fortified foods and/or supplements to ensure adequate intake of vitamin B12, protein, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Ensuring your toddler gets enough nutrients

Toddlers grow and develop quickly and need frequent, healthy meals and snacks. A vegan diet can be suitable for toddlers, but careful planning is required to ensure they get all the nutrients they need. Toddlers on a vegan diet often need fortified foods and/or supplements.

• Calcium: This is important for strong bones and teeth. Breastfeeding will help toddlers get enough calcium. Other sources include fortified plant milk (such as soya milk), tofu, almonds, leafy greens, dried figs, chia seeds and almond butter.
• Iron: This is vital for producing red blood cells and energy. Good plant-based sources include fortified cereals, lentils, beans, green leafy vegetables (such as broccoli and kale), pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, quinoa and wholegrains. Combining iron-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods will increase your toddler's iron uptake.
• Vitamin B12: This is crucial for neurological development and is only found naturally in animal sources. Include fortified foods in your toddler's diet, such as plant-based milk, yoghurt and nutritional yeast. A vitamin B12 supplement may also be required.
• Vitamin D: This is essential for calcium absorption and bone health. Fortified plant-based milk, spreads and cereals are good sources. Exposure to sunlight is also important for vitamin D. All children aged five and under are recommended to take a vitamin D-containing supplement.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: These are important for brain and eye development and can be found in plant sources such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp and walnuts. However, because plant sources are not the richest sources of these fats, some vegans choose to supplement with omega-3 fatty acids derived from microalgae.
• Iodine: A supplement is typically recommended to ensure adequate iodine intake. If you are not offering a supplement, opt for plant-based milks that are fortified with iodine.
• Zinc: This mineral is involved in many metabolic processes in the body. Include nuts, legumes and wholegrains in your toddler's diet to ensure adequate zinc intake.
• Protein: While protein is paramount for growth and development, toddlers only need modest amounts. Examples of good plant-based proteins include soya products (tofu, tempeh, edamame, yoghurt, milk), beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Generally speaking, if toddlers are getting enough calories and consuming a variety of foods, they will meet their protein needs.
• Fats: As many plant foods are naturally low in fat, this is an important area to focus on. Use vegetable oils when cooking, and include nuts, seeds, avocados, plant-based margarine, vegan mayo and salad creams in your toddler's diet.
• Fibre: While fibre is important, too much can cause gas, diarrhoea and fussiness, and can interfere with the absorption of important nutrients. Introduce fibre-rich foods gradually and offer plenty of fluids.

Breastfeeding and/or formula

Breastfeeding is compatible with a vegan lifestyle. Although breast milk is technically an "animal" product, it is human milk made for human babies and so poses no ethical conflict.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solids around 6 months of age. While some vegan soy-based baby formulas do exist, they can be hard to find.

Breastfeeding mothers generally need more calories to meet their nutritional needs while breastfeeding. It is recommended that well-nourished breastfeeding mothers have an additional 330 to 400 kilocalories (kcal) per day compared to the amount they were consuming before pregnancy. Requirements for many nutrients also increase as they are needed for secretion into breast milk as well as for the mother's own wellbeing.

According to Alina Petre, MSc, RD, vegan breastfeeding mothers need around 500 extra calories per day compared to how much they needed pre-pregnancy. This is just slightly above the extra 450 calories needed in the last trimester of pregnancy. Petre is not a huge advocate of tracking or counting calories, instead, she encourages listening to hunger and satiety signals to determine when and how much to eat.

It is important for breastfeeding mothers to stay hydrated. Drinking enough may also make it easier to recognize hunger and satiety signals. Alina Petre suggests keeping fluids near your nursing station for easy access during night feedings.

Protein-rich foods are a must for all vegan breastfeeding mothers. Protein is essential to build and repair tissue, something both mother and baby need. While nursing, the daily protein requirement remains the same as during pregnancy. This is around 75-85 grams per day for most mothers or around 100-115 grams if nursing twins. High-protein foods include legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which are also rich in iron, zinc, calcium and B-vitamins.

Fats are essential to both mother and baby's health. Omega-3s are probably the most important type of good fat to get enough of while nursing a baby. Foods rich in ALA include flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds and soy nuts, while microalgae is the only vegan source of EPA and DHA. DHA is particularly important for a baby's brain and vision development. Vegan breastfeeding mothers are advised to eat enough ALA and take an algae oil supplement providing 200-300 mg of DHA per day.

It is important to pay attention to vitamins and minerals. The amount of vitamins and minerals in a mother's diet will directly determine their levels in her milk. Therefore, a nutrient-poor diet will result in nutrient-poor milk for the baby. In other cases, the baby will take what it needs from the mother's nutrient stores, which can leave the mother feeling tired, weak or sick.

Vitamin B12 is massively important. The amount of vitamin B12 in a mother's diet will directly determine the amount in her milk. So it is important for vegan breastfeeding mothers to get enough B12 to help meet their baby's daily needs. Vitamin B12 is best absorbed in small doses. Vitamin B12-enriched foods or supplements are the only reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegan breastfeeding mothers.

Vitamin A requirements almost double while nursing a baby. This vitamin is vital to help cells specialize to carry out various functions in the body and is also needed for hormone function and the growth of teeth and bones. Plant foods rich in vitamin A include orange, yellow and green fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, peppers, mangoes, papayas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, turnips and leafy greens.

Iron requirements drop dramatically after giving birth, from around 27 mg per day during pregnancy to 9 mg per day while nursing. All breast milk is low in iron, so by 6 months of age, all breastfed infants require another source of iron in addition to breast milk. Iron needs can be met through the introduction of iron-rich foods, iron-fortified cereals, or iron supplement drops.

Zinc is a nutrient that helps a baby grow and develop a healthy gut and immune system. As a nursing mother, your zinc requirement increases slightly from 11mg per day during pregnancy to 12 mg per day for nursing. You can meet those requirements by adding zinc-rich foods such as wheat germ, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds to your meals.

Despite what many mothers think, calcium needs don't actually increase while nursing a baby. In truth, they remain at the recommended 1,000 mg of calcium per day. However, it is still very important to get enough calcium through your diet. Calcium-rich plant foods include bok choy, broccoli, napa cabbage, collard greens, kale, okra, calcium-set tofu, almonds, blackstrap molasses and figs. Calcium-fortified plant milks, juices and yoghurts are other great options.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps build strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium and phosphorus present in foods. It also helps nerves and muscles function properly and promotes a strong immune system. While nursing a baby, vitamin D requirements don't change from the 15 mcg (600 IU) recommended during pregnancy. The only vegan reliable sources of vitamin D are fortified foods, supplements and sun exposure.

Choline is a nutrient essential for the health of the nervous system and it is especially important for a baby's brain development. Choline is present in all cell membranes, meaning that many plant foods contain small amounts of this nutrient. However, it may be difficult to reach the daily recommended amount. Vegan pregnant mothers may want to take choline in supplement form.

Iodine is another nutrient important for brain development and is an essential component of thyroid hormones. The recommended intake for iodine while nursing is 290 micrograms per day. Seaweed can be a source of iodine but amounts can vary. Iodized salt is another source of iodine, but you would have to consume more than 2 grams of iodized salt per day to meet your iodine requirements. Iodine drops provide the easiest and most reliable way for vegan breastfeeding mothers to ensure they meet their daily iodine needs.

Formula

There are currently no 100% vegan infant formulas available in the UK. This is because these products may contain nutrients like vitamin D3 that are derived from animal sources. While soya-based formulas are available, these are not recommended for infants under six months and should only be used on medical advice.

Soya and oat 'milks' can be used from one year old. Before this time, they 'aren't appropriate as they don't have the right ratio of carbohydrates, protein and fat.' They also lack the vital nutrients for growth and development. Rice milk should also be avoided for all children under five years, as it is

Fortified foods and supplements

Vitamin B12 is only found in animal-based foods, so it is important to ensure your toddler gets enough through other sources. Fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, plant-based milk, and yogurts are good sources of vitamin B12. It is also recommended to include a B12 supplement in your toddler's diet.

Iron is vital for producing red blood cells and energy, and while it can be found in plant-based sources such as fortified cereals, lentils, beans, green leafy vegetables, and pumpkin seeds, it is less easily absorbed by the body than iron from animal sources. Combining iron-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods will increase your toddler's iron uptake. For example, you could try offering orange segments with a fortified breakfast cereal or peppers with lentils in a vegetable casserole.

Calcium is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Breastfeeding your toddler will help them get enough calcium, but if they are no longer breastfeeding, you can include other sources of calcium in their diet. 300ml of unsweetened fortified soy milk provides a good daily intake, as do plain fortified soy yogurt and calcium-set tofu. Other sources include kale, pak choi, okra, dried figs, chia seeds, and almonds.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone health and is involved in many other processes in the body. Exposure to sunlight and fortified foods can provide adequate vitamin D. All children aged five and under are recommended to take a vitamin D-containing supplement by the Department of Health. Vitamin D2 is suitable for vegans, and there are also vegan sources of vitamin D3 derived from lichen.

Omega-3 fatty acids support brain and eye development. While these can be obtained from plant sources such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and fortified margarines, some vegans choose to supplement with omega-3 fatty acids derived from microalgae.

Iodine is another nutrient that may need to be supplemented, as it can be challenging to obtain enough from a vegan diet. Iodine is found in some cereals and grains, but much of our dietary iodine comes from fortified salt, which is not recommended for babies under 12 months. A supplement containing iodine that is appropriate for your toddler's age is recommended.

Zinc and selenium are also important nutrients to consider. These can be obtained from wholegrain products, Brazil nuts, nuts, legumes, and wholegrains.

High-fibre foods

Toddlers on a vegan diet may need to be offered iron or calcium-fortified foods or supplements, as they can be at risk of becoming deficient in some nutrients and minerals. This is because plant-based foods are harder to digest, and growing toddlers need to eat a lot of them to get enough nutrients.

It is recommended to include plenty of nutrient-dense foods that also contain fibre, such as avocados, nuts and dried fruits. Lower-fibre starchy foods such as white rice and pasta can also be useful sources of energy.

Toddlers need frequent healthy meals and snacks, and it is important to ensure that their food is in a suitable form for them to chew and digest.

Snacking between meals

Snacks are a must for toddlers on a vegan diet. Since plant-based foods can be quite filling, snacks can be a great opportunity to get more calories into your child's diet and help them meet their energy needs.

Provide snacks at least two hours after a meal and no closer than two hours before a meal to ensure your toddler is hungry enough for their next main meal. Grazing (snacking multiple times throughout the day) isn't advised as this can interrupt how much is eaten at mealtimes, where higher-quality food tends to be offered. If main meals aren't being finished, you may be offering snacks that are too large or too close to mealtimes.

Examples of balanced snacks for toddlers include:

• Rice cakes with peanut butter and a piece of fruit (adjust the number of rice cakes according to the age and activity level of the child)
• Vegetable crudites and houmous
• A handful of nuts (size of the child's hand and prepared according to age) and dried fruit
• A smoothie based on plant milk (not water or juice) and including peanut butter/chia seeds/flax seeds. Limit smoothies to 200 ml daily as they can displace other foods
• Fortified plant-based yoghurt and a piece of fruit. Soya is the highest in protein if this is a concern
• Smashed avocado on half of a whole seeded bagel (with the size of the bagel depending on the child's age)
• Flapjack containing nuts or seeds and dried fruit or energy balls based on nuts
• Homemade banana loaf or muffins with added ground chia/flax seeds and fruit/veg

Children of high-school age might require more substantial snacks after school. Try a big bowl of low-sugar fortified cereal, beans on toast, a sandwich, a bowl of soup with a slice of bread, or increase the portion size of one of the snacks previously mentioned.

Many families opt for processed foods like crisps, biscuits and cakes as snacks due to convenience. These foods tend to be low in nutrient quality and not overly filling, leading to an increased likelihood of further snacking. Opt for these types of snacks from time to time, and if you choose crisps, pick baked varieties and serve them alongside a dip like guacamole, salsa or baba ganoush to make the snack more balanced.

Frequently asked questions