Baby Talk January 2019

Life & Style
Love For Life
Tips on vegan diets for young
children
Most vegan babies are ready to enjoy family meals by the
time they are one. Here are some of the best foods for your
vegan child.
• Green vegetables - Other than being an excellent source
of iron, they’re also rich in calcium and antioxidants.
Not many young children take to them easily at first, so
vegan parents may have to resort to blending them into a
tomato-based pasta sauces or adding them to juices with
sweeter vegetables such as carrot. Yummy!
• Calcium-fortified tofu , which just happens to also be
rich in protein, can be made into a mash or be served as
finger food.
• Low salt yeast extract is a good source of B vitamins for
older children – Think Vegemite and the likes.
• Use more soya bean oil or rapeseed (canola) oil for they
are known to encourage the production of fatty acids
that are important for the development of the brain and
vision. You can also add a little of these healthy vegetable
oils to cooked grains to increase their calorie content, and
improve palatability.
• Use avocado, or seed/nut butters on bread to increase
calories.
• Mashed pulses such as lentils, mung beans and chick peas
provide energy and protein. Make sure they’re well-cooked
though. Strain them through a sieve to get rid of the skins,
so that young tummies can digest them and get the best
of all the nutrition they have to offer.
• Using black molasses for flavoring is known to boost iron
and calcium intakes.
• Non-dairy milks e.g. soya milk are popular vegan choices
for they are fortified with calcium, vitamin D2 and
vitamin B12.
• Don’t forget to add sources of Vitamin C for healthy skin
and also to help absorb iron. Vitamin C-rich foods include
broccoli, cabbage, kiwi fruits, oranges, strawberries,
pineapple and oranges.
So….thinking of raising a vegan kid? Consult with a
registered dietician if you have any doubts about your
decisions. He or she can help point you the right direction so
that your child can thrive on this alternative diet.
Calcium needs of
toddlers
We need calcium as one of
the nutrients for healthy
bones. Vegan toddler can
thrive on calcium-fortified
plant milks, breakfast
cereals and some tofu to
meet their calcium needs.
42 BabyTalk | January 2019