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Hi all,
I have just started a new journey in my life, living as a vegan.
I have a 9 month old healthy baby who already eats mainly vegan meals. I'd like her to be able to follow a vegan life like my own. I feel it's much cleaner and healthier.
Was wondering what other peoples thoughts are on this?
Is it healthy for her to be a vegan?
Kind Regards,
Rebecca :)
I've also been debating this question as I start living a vegan life. My two girls are 18 months and almost 4. My opinion is if it's good for an adult how can it not be good for a child? As long as they are eating a balanced, healthy diet I think they should be fine. My 4 year old doesn't really like meat anyway so she eats beans instead. They like soymilk and soy yogurt both of which are fortified with calcium. A 1 year old child needs 500 mg of calcium a day. One cup of Silk plain soymilk provides 45% of an adult's daily calcium needs which is 1,000 mg. A 6 oz cup of Stonyfield Farms Organic Soy Yogurt provides 35% to 45% of an adult's daily calcium needs so she can definitely get what she needs from a vegan diet. I worry about fat intake also but again I'd rather my baby girl get the healthy fat from soymilk and nuts and seeds than from the saturated fats from meat and dairy. Hope that helps!
Kim
Hi, I also think that eating a vegan diet in way cleaner and healthier specially for kids. The main concern with vegan kids is their B12 daily intake. It's very important to get enough of B12 as it can be very dangerous to not consume the daily recommanded intake. Soy milks have added b12 and Red Star nutritional yeast also has it, as well as many fake meat products like hotdog sausages, fake salami, etc. There are some books about vegan kids like Raising vegan children in a non-vegan world and The complete idiot's guide to vegan eating for kids. The most important thing to do when going vegan is read, read and read reliable information about veganism. Very important!
I just gave birth to my first son and remained vegan throughout pregnancy. He is now being exclusively breastfed. I do take a b12 supplement daily and I use nutritional yeast and fortified alt milks. I am confident in my choice to raise him vegan. Good books to consult include "Disease Proof Your Child" by Joel Furhman "New Vegetarian Baby" and "Your Vegetarian Pregnancy".
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