Vegetarian or even vegan, that's no longer a trend. It's more of a movement, and more and more people are changing their diet and becoming vegetarian or even vegan. In the wake of the climate crisis and sustainability, veganism in particular has experienced a boom. This diet that does without animal products entirely is experiencing increasing popularity. Vegan diets are in. But feeding babies a vegetarian diet - is that even possible? Opinions on this topic are divided. Of course, if your diet is vegetarian or even vegan, you don't want to offer your child any animal products as complementary foods. The researchers at the Child Nutrition Research Department recommend offering complementary foods for children as a mixed diet in order to include all the important nutrients in their diet, but isn't that also possible with a vegan diet?
Topic: Supplementary feeding: Is a vegetarian diet for babies a no-go?
Fears of malnutrition in children are high. Vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and iron intake are particularly associated with a vegan or vegetarian diet. Talking about feeding children a vegetarian diet is often met with incomprehension. However, it's worth taking a closer look at the various plant-based diets and also which nutrients are actually important for a child. To help you decide whether you want to feed your children a vegetarian or vegan diet, we've created a brief overview below.
Vegetarian nutrition for children: the diets
To decide whether you want to feed your baby a vegetarian, vegan, or mixed diet, you should be familiar with the different dietary options available and their specific characteristics. Of course, you only want the best for your baby. A healthy diet is important for their development.
- Omnivorous diet : In the omnivorous diet, meat products, meat and fish, eggs, milk and dairy products as well as plant products are integrated equally into the diet.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarians : People who follow a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet do not eat meat or fish, but they still consume eggs, milk and dairy products.
- Lacto-vegetarians : In addition to plant-based products, lacto-vegetarians also eat milk and dairy products.
- Vegans : Veganism is a cruelty-free lifestyle, and thus vegans do not eat any foods such as meat and fish, milk and dairy products, eggs, or honey. Instead, their diet is purely plant-based.
How healthy is a purely vegetarian diet?
Starting complementary feeding is an exciting time for both parents and babies. Discovering the different tastes and textures is exciting, and new, delicious foods are introduced almost every day. A baby won't miss meat or meat products, or even fish, per se. So, there's no need to go without. Especially in the beginning, when introducing complementary foods, you usually start with delicious vegetables in the form of puree or steamed sticks. Vegetables therefore form the basis of a baby's diet. However, experts warn of iron deficiency. The iron supply from plant-based foods is harder for the human body than from meat. The iron supply from breast milk is not sufficient to provide your baby with enough iron. Therefore, if you want to feed your child a vegan diet, it's important to ensure that you include sufficient iron-rich foods in the complementary feeding plan. Those with the highest iron content are:
- Wheat germ
- millet
- oatmeal
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Black salsify
- spinach
- Raisins
- currants
- broccoli
Can I feed my baby a vegan diet?
If you are vegan yourself, a vegetarian diet is certainly not what you want for your baby. In principle, the jump from a diet without meat and fish to a vegan diet is not far. In addition to the iron supply, a purely plant-based diet must pay attention to the omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 supply, which is ensured by fish, eggs and milk in an omnivorous diet. Vitamin B12 in particular is a vitamin that vegans can only get through supplements. Therefore, before you decide to feed your baby a vegan diet, you should consult your pediatrician to avoid a deficiency. Omega 3 fatty acids should also be supplemented if necessary, as your baby's brain needs the DHA compounds found in sea fish for brain maturation and development.
A vegan or vegetarian diet for babies is not a problem as long as you pay attention to the nutrients your child needs for healthy development. Babies fed a vegan diet lack nothing; the myth that a vegetarian diet is malnourished is long outdated. Nevertheless, parents who want to start their baby on a vegetarian diet should consider how they want to incorporate the critical vitamins and nutrients into their child's diet to avoid taking any risks. During the first year, infants should continue to receive breast milk or formula, regardless of the feeding method.
