Is Vegan Food Good for Your Child?

After their daughter was born in 2018, Delhi resident Umang Narain and his wife Disha decided to go vegan. Umang had been a practising vegetarian for his entire life, unlike Disha, who would enjoy a plate of biryani or tandoori chicken every once in a while. But the couple wanted to bring about a conscious change to their lifestyle, and going vegan seemed the best option. Their only worry was whether they would be able to do justice to their growing child’s dietary needs.

“We were not really worried about going vegan. With plant-based proteins and even mock meats available in the market, we did not see any problem with our diet. But the fact that our daughter Shaivika needed a healthy and nutritious diet, got us a little sceptical about the worth of going vegan,” says Umang. The couple momentarily decided to not follow a vegan diet for their daughter. But a meeting with the nutritionist convinced them that a vegan diet could be wholesome for their growing child.

Kunal Mutha, Founder and Director of Only Earth, a vegan-plant-based milk brand, says, “Introducing more plant-based foods into your child’s diet will help them to stay energised throughout the day and keep them at bay from many lifestyle disorders such as asthma, diabetes and heart diseases.

Mothers are often concerned about their child’s nutrition especially when it comes to calcium and protein. This, unfortunately, makes them feed their children a diet dominant of meat, dairy and eggs, the goodness of which can be found in a vegan diet minus the negatives.”

As per a recent study from the University of Oxford, the majority of the food sourced from the animal agriculture industry consists of hormones and growth promoters which enter the human body and cause major health diseases.

In contrast, whole food and plant-based food are credited by nutritionists and doctors to reverse many lifestyle diseases. Leafy green vegetables, tofu, beans, nuts and fortified foods contain a very high amount of calcium and protein which is sufficient for a child to lead a healthy life.

While practising a vegan diet, it is important to have nutrient-rich foods. Since animal protein and dairy are ruled out, one must supplement the same with legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils, nuts and seeds and dairy alternatives such as soymilk, coconut milk, almond milk or even pea milk.

“I want my child to grow up health-conscious. She should know where the food is coming from that she puts into her mouth. Veganism teaches us to be conscious eaters. You eat to derive health benefits. And you eat in a way that does not adversely affect the environment, or hurt another being,” Disha says.

Moreover, over 60 percent of the Indian population suffers from lactose intolerance. This means we don’t digest the sugar (lactose) in milk. Hence it is highly recommended to wean children from animal-based foods and shift them to healthier alternatives which are widely available.

“The trend of veganism is growing the world over. Advanced countries are also advocating veganism. For example, to address the growing health crises among children in the US, it has been made mandatory this year for schools based out of New York to serve vegan meals every Friday. Healthy and nutritious meals are currently being served to over one million students and have been received very well by the parents and the community,” Mutha says.

But not all are convinced. Last year, a study conducted by researchers from UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, Poland and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that veganism in kids may not be ideal.

The study found that children following vegan diets were on average shorter than their counterparts who followed a non-vegetarian diet. Children following a vegan diet also had lower bone mineral content and were more than three times more likely to be deficient in vitamin B-12 than the omnivores and had an accumulation of the unhealthy form of cholesterol, besides lower levels of body fat.

“A vegan diet is made up of only plant-based products—no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. In young children and adolescents, not only weight and height but also neurocognitive and psychomotor development are all strongly influenced by the source, quantity, and quality of their nutrition and eating habits.

Various researches on the adult population have shown that a plant-based diet benefits in the reduced risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer.

However, there is no clear evidence that a vegan diet started in early childhood confers a lasting health benefit. On the other hand, a vegan diet can be potentially critical for young children with risks of inadequate supply in terms of protein quality and energy as well as other nutrients like long-chain fatty acids, iron, zinc, vitamin D, iodine, calcium, and particularly vitamin B12, says Anam Golandaz, Clinical Dietician, Masina Hospital, Mumbai.

Deficiencies of these nutrients can lead to severe and sometimes irreversible developmental disorders. Instead of a vegan diet, Golandaz advises that a vegetarian diet can be a healthy choice for all kids. “But only as long as it’s planned well,” she adds.

The Narains may be going ahead with vegan food for their child, but the jury is still out on whether it is worth the while.