Getting kids to eat anything remotely healthy can be a chore, especially if you have a picky eater on your hands. What if you are vegan, though, and are raising vegan kids? It doesn’t have to be an uphill battle, and with a few tips, you can set your children up for a healthy lifetime of great eating.
Benefits of Raising Vegan Kids
We could go on and on about how healthy eating vegan is, but no matter what we say, someone is invariably going to ask, “Is it healthy to feed your kids only plant-based foods?”
That’s not something that we even have to argue. The answer is an emphatic yes!
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has shown that raising vegan kids results in reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. As they enter into adolescence, vegan teens also have fewer issues with acne, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems. And maintaining a healthy weight comes more naturally on a plant-based diet.
If those aren’t great reasons for raising vegan kids, we don’t know what are!
Like Father, Like Daughter
It’s been well documented that our kids model after us as parents. Our daughter has been vegan since birth and is tall, athletic, incredibly smart, and our pediatrician scores her as extremely healthy. And she learned how to eat that healthy diet by watching us.
Having taught a lot of classes about vegan cooking for families and kids all over the country, I’ve seen a trend that a child’s emotional response to food often mimics their parents. Overall, children are incredibly good at picking up on genuine emotions. If you, as a vegan parent, are excited about trying new foods and experimenting with flavors, the likelihood is that your kids will have the same attitude. But on the flip side, if you are a picky eater, your kids will probably have issues with food as well.
Raising vegan kids who enjoy their veggies, as well as trying new things, starts with you. Simply put, if you want your kids to eat a healthy plant-based diet—and stick with it into adulthood—you need to do the same. And be sure you express how much you enjoy what you eat.
Allow for Flexibility
No one can be expected to be perfect all the time, least of all kids. That’s why you need to be a little flexible when it comes to what you allow your children to eat. Raising vegan kids (or any kids, for that matter) means a little give and take. While we’d all love to say our kids only eat 100% healthy food 100% of the time, we know that’s not a possibility for most of us. After all, there are plenty of temptations around.
A vegan burger or pizza for dinner from time to time isn’t going to hurt anyone. Those fun cheat meals allow for some special bonding with your kids and as a family. What kid doesn’t want to call Mom and Dad out on having some vegan ice cream?
When you allow for some flexibility in what you offer your children to eat, you’ll end up with healthy, happy, and sane vegan kids.
Take the Hassle Out of Feeding Your Family with The Vegan Taste
The Vegan Taste provides fully cooked, nutritious plant-based meals directly to your doorstep. You no longer have to worry about planning, shopping, or cooking when you subscribe to our weekly meal service. Plus, with meals ready to heat and eat, you can be sure that raising vegan kids will be that much easier!
Learn more about how it works.
