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Emma Haynes

Professor Sobocinski

English 1201

2 August 2020

Are Vegan/Vegetarian Diets Suitable for Children?

Do you ever wonder what you would be like, feel like if you raised on a vegan or

vegetarian diet? Would you be more disciplined with eating? Leaner? Have fewer health

problems? I wonder the same thing; I also wonder how a vegan diet might affect a

growing child that is on the verge of being overweight like my nephew who just turned

two this past month. My nephew who was abandoned by his birth mother and father

who did not want to fight to gain custody of their son left him with his grandparents.

Soon after he was signed custody to my grandparents who never raised their children

on their own and only know how to spoil their grandkids with sugary treats and

unhealthy meals did, he begins to gain unhealthy weight. The food he eats and the

weight he has gained since he was only 9 months is it something my grandparents be

concerned about. Should they switch to a healthier diet? He is in the highest percentile

for his age in weight and has some early signs of possible health problems. My family

and I have tried to talk my grandparents in altering his diet, but we don’t know what

would be best for him. Since he is only two years old would it be beneficial for him to be

on a vegan/vegetarian diet? 

According to Vegan Demographics, only 1.62 million Americans are vegan or .

5%. Of those select few who choice every day to be vegan, they tend to be in their mid-

twenties’ early thirties. Those who express the most interest in a vegan or vegetarian
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diet have free will of choosing this diet and stick to a healthy one. You would not expect

a kid to choose to be vegan or vegetarian it is like asking a child to choose between a

McDonalds chicken nugget and a piece of broccoli. More time then not the child will

choose the unhealthy meat option. It is something that a parent or guardian could

implement in their lives for health reasons or dietary reason, the child may have a lot of

food allergies and switching to a vegan diet would be the safest option for them.

Although a strictly regulated vegan/vegetarian diet can be effective for adults without

health concerns like rickets or bulk eating the main health concerns associated with a

vegan/vegetarian diet can negatively affect children without the strict regulation, even

then it is likely that a vegan/vegetarian is not meant for growing children. 

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There can be many reasons to start a vegan diet or even just implanting some

small foods into your everyday life. For adults a vegan diet is deemed very health and

can help with weight lost and reduce risk of heart diseases. Though a vegan diet is rich

in some nutrients but not in the one to support the growth of a child (Talevska).

A vegan is someone who eats a strict diet of no animal products all including no

meat, dairy, fish, and eggs. An even stricter vegan chooses not to use any products that

were tested on animals and uses vegan and cruelty free items for all their household

items like shampoo and conditioner. Many of those who choose a life of a vegan aim to

help the environment, they believe that if they stop the use of products that harm

animals and switch to a plant base diet, they are doing their part in helping the

environment.

A vegetarian unlike a vegan allows to some extent of animal products like eggs

and animal milk but still excludes all meats. Some extreme forms of vegans are

Rastafarian and fruitarians who have a very strict diet of what they can and cannot eat.

Rastafarians are connected to the Earth in a spiritual way, only easy nature and clean

foods. A fruitarian also eats naturally clean food that has fallen from a natural plant, but

mainly eat fallen fruit hence the name fruitarians. There are cons to sticking to suck a

strict diet causing bulk eating to happen.

Bulk eating is used to describe when eating large amounts of food that lack

nutritional value, like most fruits and vegetables. Bulk eating leads to less energy since

the person is full and cannot eat anymore. Less energy can hinder a child’s ability to

keep up with their peers. They might be able to run as long as them needing more
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breaks, they may get injured more since their bodies might not have enough of the

nutrients in keeping healthy bones. Not only does bulk eating lead to less energy it can

lead to stunt growth and other irreversible health problems. Another common health

problem that occurs from lack of energy and nutrients is rickets, which weakness and

causes the bones to become soft more prone for breakage. Rickets can cause stunt

growth and could cause skeletal deformities. Not commonly in an adult

vegans/vegetarian since when they usually implement a strict diet they are fully

developed and unlikely to suffer from any of these health problems, but they are still at

risk if their diet is not properly supplemented and regulated like any diet would be.

Children’s health is put at a higher risk since they are not finished growing yet

and are still in the prime stages of development. Vegan/vegetarian children are also at

the risk of a lower bioavailability of certain minerals and vitamins, which means when

those certain minerals and vitamins enter the body and into the bloodstream the body is

unable to capture the full amount of energy and nutrients to sustain a functioning body.

A lower bioavailability means the intake of certain minerals needs to be increased to

achieve the correct amount of nutrients. Since the body cannot properly intake the

correct among from the lack of nutrient rich foods in a vegan diet. It is important to at

least increase the intake of B-12 and vitamin D since the child is at highest risk for the

lack of these two vitamins.

Vegan/vegetarian diet isn’t something new or just a fad that comes and goes,

vegan/vegetarian diets have been around a long time. There are many things that can

influence one decision on becoming vegan, like “religion, economic status,

environmental issues, concerns of world hunger may play a role in a person’s decision
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to exclude animal products from his or her diet” (Dunham, Linda). Veganism has roots

in ancient India, with religions that include Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Hinduism

and Buddhism vegetarianism are not mandatory but are influence by scriptures and

religious authorities. Jainism vegetarianism is mandatory for everyone because they

believe it’s moral to avoid animal products. Veganism and vegetarianism are not just

meant for religion, or people would want to have a wholesome diet and better their lives

by switching to a healthier diet based on plants and not meat. While some others are on

here for more ethical issues, they choose to stop the use of all animal products. Some

go to extremes of stopping their using products that are tested on animals and they buy

vegan products and cruelty-free products. 

You would think a diet based on plants, fruits, and vegetables would be the

healthiest diet there is, you would think there would be no repercussions of a plant-

based diet from a young age. There are plenty of benefits of a plant-based diet from

Vegan Diets “such as low rates of obesity and reduced risk of coronary heart disease

and diabetes,” but these qualities are more likely for adults, “but as less established in

children, although vegan children tend to be leaner.” Being leaner could be a cause of

one of the health concerns of a vegan/vegetarian diet which is lacking in nutrients and

vitamins that you would normally get through a meat-based diet omnivore aren’t as lean

as their vegan peers because of this reason. Some of the essential nutrients that

vegan/vegetarian diets lack include essential amino acids, vitamins B-12, D, and A,

riboflavin, and lastly fiber. Although a vegan diet can be viewed as a healthy way of life

for adults and normally does not cause problems in adults, for growing children, there is

a larger concern for the development of diseases early on in life as well as later. 
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In some regulated diets it is possible to avoid the lack of nutrient based energy in

Vegetarian diets in children and adolescents by M Amit states that “vegetarian children

to have adequate energy intake compared with nonvegetarians.” A healthy diet and

energy intake can be managed with the proper regulation of the food the child is given.

When vegan and vegetarian children eat less food, they are more likely to have less

energy, to grow or to play, then compared to their nonvegetarian peers when they eat

less food since the food that a nonvegan is eating is higher in the nutrients that plants

lack. In order for a vegan/vegetarian child to obtain the same amount of protein as their

nonvegan/vegetarian peers, they would have to increase their intake of thirty to thirty-

five percent. Not all vegan/vegetarian foods lack the source of energy need to sustain

growth there are specific kinds of food products that are effective, “wheat protein

consumed alone may contain up to 50% less usable protein than animal protein”(M

Amit, Canadian Paediatric Society, Community Paediatrics Committee). Parents need

to understand what diet they are giving their child since they may be lacking in curtain

proteins caused by a meatless diet. The understanding for parents to properly substitute

their child's diet with effective protein cannot be stressed enough. 

A parent’s knowledge of the foods they eat and how it can affect their nutrient

intake us important to their health just like what and how often their child eats is

important to their health. Parental nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake an

atherosclerosis prevention project: the impact of child-targeted nutrition counseling

states “if the understanding of the connection between different nutritional facts is

incomplete, he or she may still be unable to translate this knowledge into decisions in

food choice situations.” A child does not know that sugary candies are bad for their
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health even when told they still want them.  Just like a partner should know that feeding

their child fruit and vegetables is healthy but their diet cannot just consist of fruits and

vegetables and expect them to grow without any problems.  

Regular monitoring of a child’s weight is important for keeping track of their

health needs. Vegetarian Eating for Children and Adolescents “if the child is on a

normal vegan/vegetarian diet consists of and shows signs of malnourishment they need

to add supplements to ensure the child’s health is optimal.”  Regular checkups at a

pediatric can help ease the challenge of figuring out the quality of the plant-based diet.

24-hour recall is a counseling method used for children to document their food and

liquid intake for a day. A child needs to have more check-ups when involved with a strict

diet like a vegan diet. There can be health issues that cannot be detected just from the

appearance of a child. The child may experience exhaust more since they are not used

to the low energy from this diet. They may experience lightness in the head again from

the low energy and the low nutritional value even though they are eating quite a low of

vegetables and fruits. Since their diet is based on fruits and vegetable their bodies may

discrete of the nutrients before the body can absorb it also leading to lower

bioavailability.

Since a plant-based diet can be lower energy and lack the sufficient amount of

protein for normal growth “good sources of nutrient-dense foods for vegetarian weaning

diets include: full-fat dairy products, mashed or pureed beans/tofu, soy yogurts mashed

avocado and mashed vegetables with added fats/oils” ( McEvoy, Woodside). It would be

easier for a vegetarian to obtain certain nutrients since they are still able to have some

animal products like dairy which is a good source of vitamins and calcium. A vegan child
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would have to use soymilk for their intake of vitamins and calcium which is good and

healthy alternate rich in both vitamins and calcium. Other options would to take

supplements to make sure they are getting enough to stay healthily. Some vegan

alternatives are not suitable for children. Not all vegan options are meant for growing

children, “in view of their low saturated fat and high fiber contents, may offer certain

advantages to the health of adults” (Reddy). Some of the vegan products cannot be

digested by an infant, increasing their chance for them to have a health problem related

to more serious health problems later on in their growth. Supplements have to be

closely regulated and have to be made sure they safe for children and usually

recommend by a pediatrician to ensure their safety.

If a child is deprived of certain nutrients, that are found in meat, long enough they

can develop diseases like rickets, iron deficiency and have stunted growth. During this

time of crucial growth, a child should not be subjected to extra steps and supplements

to make up for their lack of nutrients in their food. Vegetarian diets and children’s “risk of

nutrient deficiency is greatest during periods of physiological stress and accelerated

growth.” The healthy growth of a child especially early on is important because this is

where they get all their nutrients and vitamins to sustain rigorous growth.

Even though child can catch up to their peers they still tend to be lower in weight

and height. A child can suffer from stunt growth, but the correction of supplement intake

can help the child catch up and be at a healthy weight for their age. Lack of these

nutrients may be manageable for adults since they have more control over what they

are intaking and can correctly supplement themselves and they are not as prone to the

health concerns but more prone to the health benefits.

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 A child needs a caretaker who knows what to add to a diet to help regulate their

health and manage their growth, “for children and adolescents who follow a vegetarian

diet and may not be ingesting 100% of the recommended amounts of vitamins…

supplement will help ensure that their needs are being met” (Dunham, Kollar). It would

be easier on vegan/vegetarian parents for their child to share the same diet but since

the diet has such restriction for a child it might not be as suitable. A parent may invest in

more time and money to ask specialist and pediatricians what the right supplements

and correct source of nutrients they should be giving their child. Not all parents are

ready for the commitment and longevity of vegan diet for their children. The diets could

be manageable, and the child would live but the child may not have an equal chance of

thriving like their mixed diet peers. 

A vegan/vegetarian diet has lots of benefits that can give a child a one up on

their peers but it seems that to achieve these benefits a child must go through extra

steps to ensure they are obtaining all the nutrients they need to achieve optimal growth

and development. A child who is strictly on a vegan/vegetarian diet can have slow

growth due to lack of nutrients and incorrect supplementation, but when they continue to

grow, they will catch up to their omnivore peers. While my nephew has more than

enough nutrients as he gets old, he will be able to differentiate between what he wants

to eat and what he needs to eat and will be like his peers if he wants to. A

vegan/vegetarian diet is high risk for reversible health concerns if not regulated correctly

but when regulated correctly a child can achieve normal growth even though they may

fall behind and have to play catch up till they are able to decide what to eat for
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themselves. Although it is not suitable for a child to be on a vegan/vegetarian diet,

consider the amount of extra effort needed in just the bare minimum to grow. 
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Works Cited

Dunham, Laurie, and Linda M. Kollar. “Vegetarian Eating for Children and

Adolescents.” Journal of Pediatric Health Care, vol. 20, no. 1, 2006, pp. 27–

34., doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2005.08.012

M Amit, Canadian Paediatric Society, Community Paediatrics Committee, Vegetarian

diets in children and adolescents, Paediatrics & Child Health, Volume 15, Issue

5, 5/6 2010, Pages 303–314, https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/15.5.303

Mcevoy, Claire T., and Jayne V. Woodside. “2.9 Vegetarian Diets.” World Review of

Nutrition and Dietetics Pediatric Nutrition in Practice, vol. 113, 2015, pp. 134–

138., doi:10.1159/000367873.

Reddy, Sheela. “Vegetarian diets and children.”, The American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition,  vol. 60, no 3, 1994, pp. 1176-1180., doi:10.1.1.911.1862

Sanders, T A. “Growth and Development of British Vegan Children.” The American

Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 48, no. 3, 1988, pp. 822–825.,

doi:10.1093/ajcn/48.3.822.

Talevska, Maja “The Age of Veganism.” VEGANWORLD Talevska Maja. Veganworld

magazine 18 march 2020 https://vegworldmag.com/the-age-of-veganism-

vegan-health-statistics-for-2020/ 16 July 2020