The flexitarian toddler: a plant-based diet for children?
Every parent wants their child to have a balanced, nutritious diet. Many instinctively believe that this needs to include plenty of meat and fish. This creates a conflict with the trend towards plant based diets, which are increasingly followed for environmental or animal welfare reasons. In this article, Laura Matthews, a registered nutritionist, food consultant and early years nutrition expert, answers your questions about following a plant based diet with your child.
What is a plant based diet?
The British Nutrition Foundation sums up a plant based diet perfectly: “Plant-based diets are dietary patterns that have a greater emphasis on foods derived from plants (such as fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, nuts, seeds and oils)”.
A plant based diet is based on foods that come from plant sources with few or no ingredients that come from animals.
Plant based diets are becoming popular for many reasons; including concerns around animal welfare, the environment and the possible health benefits. They could reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
What are the outcomes of a plant based diet?
Following an increasingly plant based diet can have many health outcomes, but ultimately a well planned plant based diet rich in wholegrains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables may reduce total fat, salt and saturated fat intake and increase wholegrain foods (e.g. oats and quinoa), fruit and vegetable intake and hence increase dietary fibre intake too.
The exclusion of animal foods doesn’t necessarily equal a healthier diet though. Poor dietary choices with foods containing high quantities of salt, sugar and saturated fat can be made with any dietary pattern. This is where it’s important to plan a plant based diet to meet your and your child’s nutritional needs.
If you begin to eliminate certain foods from your child’s diet, then it’s important to replace the key nutrients from these foods.
What nutrients should I consider for my child when on a plant based or mostly plant based diet?
● Fat is an important nutrient for young children and is needed to support normal growth. There are certain vitamins (A, D, E and K) which are fat soluble, meaning they are better absorbed when consumed with fat in the diet. Aim to offer a source of fat at each meal, such as nut or seed butters, avocado and olive oil to roast vegetables.
● Iron is an essential nutrient which comes in two forms: haem and non-haem iron. Haem iron is found in animal sources and is more easily absorbed in the body while non-haem iron is found in plant-based foods. It’s also advised that we should include foods rich in vitamin C (e.g. tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, peppers) with a meal containing plant sources of iron to help enhance iron absorption. Try adding some strawberries to your child’s breakfast cereal or making a vegetable curry with chickpeas and tomatoes to aid the absorption of iron.
● If following a vegan diet, consider supplementing with vitamin B12, an essential nutrient that cannot be made by the body and is found in animal based products such as meat and eggs.
● If you’re excluding dairy foods from your child’s diet (e.g. cow’s milk, yoghurt and cheese), make sure to consume other calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods, e.g. tofu, wholemeal bread, fortified cereals and plant milks and green leafy vegetables.
Can my child get enough protein in their diet with plant based protein alone?
In my line of work as a children’s nutritionist I often see nursery vegetarian menus lacking in protein and iron. Sources of iron in a vegetarian diet are similar to protein sources and include beans, chickpea, lentils, dried fruits, tofu, seeds, nuts and nut butters. Both protein and iron are very important nutrients: iron is needed to support the function of a number of bodily systems including making haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells which transport oxygen around the body. Protein is vital in children to help muscles and bones to function. The Eat Better Start Better nursery food guidelines recommend 2 portions of protein based foods a day, which can comfortably be met with a well planned menu.
Nuts and seeds are a good way to get extra fat into your child’s diet. This could be achieved by adding ground almonds to their porridge or a little milled flaxseed stirred into plain yoghurt.
Adding beans, chickpeas and lentils to curries, soups and stews are a great way to add plant based protein to a meal. Offer these alongside foods which are a source of vitamin C, to increase the iron absorption. A lentil bolognese made with lentils and tomatoes or fresh orange slices served alongside a bean stew recipe would both suffice.
Try to minimise the use of manufactured meat alternative products. This includes vegetarian sausages, burgers and Quorn. The Eat Better Start Better guidelines recommend limiting these foods to no more than once a week. This is because these products are typically high in salt and contain added sugar.
Top tips for raising a child on a plant based diet
● All ages can benefit from a well planned plant based diet. The key nutrients to ensure you have in your diet are protein, calcium, iron, vitamin D, Vitamin B12, zinc and iodine.
● Consider a vitamin D supplement during the winter months (October to March).
● Consider supplementing with vitamin B12 if your child is following a vegan diet, this is because vitamin B12 is exclusively found in animal foods.
● Try to include an iron rich food alongside a vitamin C rich food in each meal.
● Ultimately ensure a variety of foods are offered over the course of a week to ensure you’re covering off all nutrients.
At Two Hands Preschool, we shall have a varied and balanced food menu with some fish and meat, but with a strong leaning towards a plant based diet, rich in pulses. If you would like your child to follow a fully plant based diet, we are able to accommodate that whilst still ensuring that they get the protein and iron they need. Without hesitation, we can work with parents to help support children with allergies or other dietary needs.
