Global Courant
How do we want to feed our child? This individual decision is up to the parents, at least until the offspring can have a say on the issue.
And for some families it is clear: if we completely renounce foods of animal origin, we will be vegan.
What must be taken into account so that the child does not lack anything and develops healthily?
Child nutritionist Mathilde Kersting, a researcher at Ruhr University in Bochum (Germany), summarizes it like this: whether a vegan diet is healthy for children “depends in the first instance on ensuring nutrient intake.”
The basics: be well informed and consult with professionals
This means that the nutrients that are missing in a diet of purely plant origin must be replaced in their entirety. According to Kersting, it is in principle possible, although clearly more difficult, to provide the child with all the important nutrients in a vegan way of eating.
Carolin Wiedmann, pediatrician and nutritionist, clarifies: parents should be especially well informed. “I always have doubts about whether parents are properly informed before deciding to feed their child vegan,” she says.
Also, according to Kersting, it is important that parents seek advice from nutrition professionals and that a pediatrician periodically review the child’s development.
A well thought out eating plan
In general, it is valid: the more food groups that are excluded from a diet, the greater the risk that nutrient demand will not be sufficiently covered, explains Kersting.
If that is the case, shortages can occur, warns Wiedmann. And a possible consequence is that children’s cognitive development is not optimal.
According to Kersting, it is also possible that a lack of some nutrient makes children more prone to infections. Above all, if iron intake is not sufficient just in the critical phases of development in early childhood, developmental disorders can occur.
Of course, these risks can be prevented with a well-thought-out eating plan, in which “we don’t even allow the deficiencies that we know occur with a vegan diet to occur,” advises Kersting.
When age matters
What does it matter in matters relating to age? It is clear that a vegan diet plays a big role in whether the child is two or 16 years old. Adolescents, for example, already have needs and risks that adults also have, explains Kersting.
Younger children, especially in the first three years of life, have specific nutritional needs. For example, they need more calories, more protein and also more of other nutrients for each kilogram of body weight.
If these needs are not met, the risk of the child not developing according to his or her age increases considerably. That is why different ways of eating are more risky at that age than in older children or adolescents, Kersting maintains.
A look at nutrients
But what nutrients should families supplement in the case of a purely vegan diet?
For example, calcium. This is an important mineral for bone formation and is ingested mainly through dairy products. If they are not consumed, parents should give the little one food of plant origin that contains a lot of calcium and, if necessary, supplement.
The thyroid gland, which regulates many processes in the body, needs iodine. This trace element is ingested mainly through sea fish and dairy products, but also through iodized salt. Parents should pay attention that at least the salt they use is iodized.
And then there’s vitamin B12, which is important for nervous system function. “If you eat vegan, you should get the vitamin through dietary supplements or enriched products,” advises Wiedmann.
The key recommendation is to use nutritional supplements. Because even through fortified foods it is difficult to achieve sufficient intake of vitamin B12. That, according to Wiedmann, goes for both children and adults.
More fibers
It is important to know that a plant-based diet alone has a higher percentage of fiber than a mixed diet. This can be a challenge in very young children, given that their stomach capacity is reduced, emphasizes Wiedmann.
When ingesting large amounts of fiber, in theory it can happen that the child feels full, but has ingested too few nutrients. In this case, Wiedmann recommends, for example, peeling fruits and vegetables, since there is a lot of fiber in the peels.
Research knowledge
And what does the science say about vegan nutrition in children? According to Wiedmann, professional societies recommend eating mostly plants, that is, between 70 and 80 percent.
But the rest should not necessarily be covered with animal products, says Wiedmann. In the case of nutrient supply, according to the VeChi-Youth study, supported by the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture, there are only few differences between the different forms of diet: vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous.
According to Wiedmann, the study even allows us to recognize that children who eat vegan or vegetarian on average have healthier eating habits. Young vegans have the lowest consumption of sweets and ultra-processed foods. Children and adolescents between six and 18 years old were surveyed.
This could be a result of the fact that parents of vegan children generally focus more on diet. “If the diet is well planned and meets all the nutrients, then a vegan diet has at least the potential to also present health benefits. But a lot depends on its implementation,” summarizes Wiedmann.
