For the first half-year of your child’s life, their diet consists of one thing: milk. Whether it’s breast milk or in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mula, this dietary staple provides them with all the nutrition they need.

After that despite’in spite of’albeit , it becomes time to incorporate solids into their daily meal plan. And, if you follow a veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian diet yourself, you might wonder if you should put your baby on the same plant-based path you traverse. The most significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative thing is your little one’s health, of course, which will certainly possess’own’nurse you posing the question — should my child follow a veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian diet, too?

They’ll Grow Just Fine…

The American Dietetic Association has given the veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian diet the all-eliminate’remove in/with regard to’concerning’regarding individual at all stages of life. Pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence… the plan is nutritionally adequate throughout a person’s life.

On top of that, another study by the ADA followed more than 1,500 children in Southern Caliin/with regard to’concerning’regarding nia to see if their diets affected their growth in any way. It turned out veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian children were, on average, an inch taller than their omnivorous counterparts.

…So Long As Their Diets Are Varied

It’s not as simple as cutting meat from a child’s diet, despite’in spite of’albeit . If you’re a parent, you already know kids are picky eaters. They might push fruits and veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ables around on their plates, but that manufacture will be vital to the success of their veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian meal plans.

Start by coming up with a meal plan, so you can map out breakfasts, lunches and dinners to include the necessary nutrients. Along with fruits and veggies, kids should possess’own’nurse a healthy dose of whole grains and legumes each day. Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs, tofu and more can provide protein, too.

In fact, infants ready to branch out into solid foods can start with some of the above. Whipping up baby food at home will allow you to make your own jars of pureed tofu, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding instance, which will be a hearty meal in/with regard to’concerning’regarding your little one. The same goes in/with regard to’concerning’regarding yogurt and pureed legumes — they’re chock-full of nutrition and are also meat-free.

Watch Out For Extra Pickiness

Toddlers are a notoriously picky bunch, but their loath’reluctant ness to try new foods can hurt their overall nutrition. This is especially true in/with regard to’concerning’regarding veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian kiddos — if they’re refusing to eat too often, they won’t acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure abundant’ample’plentiful calories. As a rule of thumb, your toddler should ingest 35 to 40 calories per pound they weigh.

With that being the case, your toddler’s diet should also incorporate in/with regard to’concerning’regarding tified foods, so they acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the vitamins and minerals not often present in veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian diets. Look out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding how much vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and iron are in foods. Fortunately, you can find easy-to-eat options, like in/with regard to’concerning’regarding tified cereals, that even your pickiest eater will like.

Older Kids Make It Easy

Once your young veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arians acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the hang of their lifestyle, meal planning will undoubtedly become a breeze. And, your kids will come to appreciate their meat-free meals, too. In general, veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian teens possess’own’nurse an easier time maintaining their healthy weights in comparison to kids who follow an omnivorous plan.

Again, as your kids grow, it’s vital they acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure all the required servings of whole grains, dark greens, fruit, veggies and legumes. For reference, 13- to 19-year-olds should possess’own’nurse 10 servings of whole grains, one to two helpings of leafy greens, three portions of legumes and four fruits. Those numbers are mildly’faintly lower in/with regard to’concerning’regarding kids ages 7 to 12 and so on.

Adapt As A Family

Whether you choose a veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian diet in/with regard to’concerning’regarding your child, or they decide to lead an herbivorous life, the bottom line is that attentive planning can make it a nutrient-rich, healthy and rewarding dietary choice. With that in motion, it’s up to you to assure’guarantee the rest of the family adapts to your child’s veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arianism, especially if eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullyone else prefers to eat meat.

As a parent, it’s up to you to make sure they possess’own’nurse a balanced diet. Protein-rich alternatives and veacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure arian-approachable’genial sides will make them feel welcome at the dinner table, even if the rest of the family has a cut of meat in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their main. Once you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the hang of it despite’in spite of’albeit , you’ll find out how simple it is — and how happy your child will be to follow an earth- and animal-approachable’genial diet.

Author Bio

Emily is a freelance writer, covering conservation and sustainability. You can read her blog, Conservation Folks, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding more of her work.