My Baby is Well Nourished
The most common misconception is that vegan children will miss essential nutrients and be malnourished. Unfortunately, the media globally cherry-picks such stories, and one case of a malnourished boy in Italy doesn’t mean that all vegan babies are malnourished. Beau is almost a year old and is thriving! He loves his food, and has not shown a dislike to anything we offer him. He loves lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, black and brown rice, buckwheat, tofu, hummus, crackers, pasta and an ever-abundance of veggies and fruit. He loves bananas and is a fan of nutritional yeast. He’s also a fan of homemade banana pancakes and mini muffins from Nana. He’s had great weight gain and height growth, and in the past 11 months he’s only had one cold. We truly believe immunity is at its best when animal products are eliminated. He’s also had full blood tests and like his mummy, passed with flying colours.
Beyond Food
Veganism isn’t just about diet, it is about living a lifestyle with compassion for all beings and caring about our environment and future generations. We try to be as minimal and waste-free as possible – using reusable nappies and wipes, composting all our organics, and recycling (including soft plastics which many people aren’t aware it’s recyclable). Most of Beau’s clothes, toys and baby items are second-hand, and when we’re done with them, they go back to the op shop for further use.
Veganism isn’t just about diet, it is about living a lifestyle with compassion for all beings and caring about our environment and future generations.
The Future is Vegan
Veganism is becoming more mainstream as people become aware of animal cruelty and the harmful effects on health and the environment caused by animal agriculture.
Being vegan is easy nowadays – there is a wealth of information online, and a plethora of vegan options. There are now healthier vegan versions of everything I missed the taste of. Vegan cheese, chicken nuggets, yoghurt, pizza, pulled pork, Italian sausages, chocolate, cakes, pies, donuts, Trumpet-style ice creams, the list goes on. Ten or even five years ago it was a different story. There really is no better time to be vegan!
We do worry about Beau’s school days and getting picked on. But we strongly believe that the future is vegan. By the time that Beau starts school, we hope veganism will be the norm.
Helen Fletcher is a first-time mum and loves educating people about the vegan lifestyle. For ideas of vegan foods and recipes, visit www.tryvegan.org.nz and start the journey today to a healthier you, a better environment, and a better life for the animals.
Wonderful article marrying non violence and the gentle being of a baby, consistency in belief and action. Solid science behind it of course- we are entirely physiologically anatomically and biochemically frugivores (fruit – plant eaters) with minimal supps for mum and baby (b12 drops) you will be far healthier than standard omnivores for sure. An inspiration.
Well done. We have 2 lifelong vegan children, 7 and 9 years old. They are thriving, smart, and taller than most. My son, at 5 years old, gave the best answer as to why he didn’t eat anything from an animal, “Because I don’t need to”. From the mouths of babes! It’s hard to justify destroying the planet and killing millions of animals by the second when it’s simply not necessary. Just eat something else! So so so many delicious options out there. Keep up the good work. It honestly gets easier and easier as they grow in understanding the why’s and how’s along with you.
I love this. I have a nearly 6 month old who I am planning on raising vegan. I know she will be healthy and nourished, the only thing I also worry about is her getting picked on at school… but like you, I hope vegan will be the new norm by then too and that she may even find some fellow vegan friends