Nutrition describes the process of obtaining nutrients from food to keep the body healthy. Good nutrition for children is essential to help prevent disease and promote general health, growth, and development.

The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health states: "Prior to World War II, the main nutritional problems in the United States stemmed from both a limited supply of food and lack of nutrient variety. During this time, scientists began to discover essential nutrients for basic growth and development and began the process of defining the minimum nutrients essential for growth and survival."

Nemours Children's Health recommend parents plan their children's diet daily: half of everything a child eats in a day should be vegetables and fruits, and the other half grains and protein foods.

The guidelines go on to say "Milk is an important part of a toddler's diet." However, what if that child is vegan? Nemours suggests, "[Exploring] other calcium sources, such as calcium-fortified soy beverages, calcium-fortified juices, fortified breads and cereals, cooked dried beans, and dark green vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, and kale."

The American Dietetic Association recommends, "As toddlers are weaned from breast milk or infant formula, the
diet should be evaluated to ensure adequate food sources of
calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B-12 are included. In some
cases supplements may be indicated. Vegan toddlers should be
provided with foods of high energy density and be offered 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. Popular snack ideas for vegan
preschoolers include nut butters on crackers or miniature
bagels, fresh fruit, fruit juices, raw vegetables with hummus or
tofu dip, dry breakfast cereals, and breads."

But what if your toddler is picky? Messina and Mangels go on to say, "Children may form strong food and
eating preferences and are likely to reject unfamiliar foods. Repeated exposure can result in eventual acceptance of foods and parents should offer a variety of foods and model food preferences as toddlers’ food preferences have been shown to
be markedly affected by the foods offered them."

Concerns regarding vegan children range from the relatively mild worries about metabolic changes to accusations of child abuse.

So what are the facts? Research from Topi et al. (2021) concluded, "...cholesterol, essential amino acid, and [DHA] levels were markedly low and primary bile acid biosynthesis, and phospholipid balance was distinct from omnivores." Current research only indicates there is a difference, not whether or not this difference is harmful.

A similar study with a larger sample size, conducted by Sutter and Bender (2021), has found vegan children are overall lighter and often smaller.

Possible reasons for these differences, and therefore future research, range from the impact of growth hormone in dairy products to the absorption of nutrients in relation to each other.

Neither researcher indicated vegan children were underweight or underdeveloped. Rather, BMI and body fat were significantly lower in comparison.

Considering the widespread concerns for childhood obesity, this could be considered a positive outcome.

In studying metabolic changes, specifically, Hovinene et al. (2021) admitted more studies were needed and that metabolism and nutritional consequences were insufficiently known, although a "Possible combination of low vitamin A and DHA status raise concerns for...visual health."

However, every study conducted admitted to limitations based on the variance in supplementation.

Sutter and Bender (2021) state, "a vegan diet is feasible in children of all age classes, if parents plan meals carefully, use fortified foods, and supplement crucial nutrients."

Therefore, in conclusion, negligence and malnutrition can happen regardless of diet. Likewise, as stated by Farella, Panza, & Baldassarre, (2021) supplementation, proper planning, and coordination with pediatricians and dieticians results in healthy children, whether vegan, vegetarian, or otherwise.

Research from Porter, M. C., Harmon, A., & Oberleitner, M. G. (2016). Childhood nutrition. In Gale (Ed.), Gale encyclopedia of children's health: Infancy through adolescence (3rd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://libproxy.dtcc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/conte...

Farella, I., Panza, R., & Baldassarre, M. E. (2020). The difficult alliance between vegan parents and pediatrician: A case report. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6380. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176380

Hovinen, T., Korkalo, L., Freese, R., Skaffari, E., Isohanni, P., Niemi, M., Nevalainen, J., Gylling, H., Zamboni, N., Erkkola, M., & Suomalainen, A. (2021). Vegan diet in young children remodels metabolism and challenges the statuses of essential nutrients. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 13(2)http://dx.doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202013492

Hovinen, T., Korkalo, L., Freese, R., Skaffari, E., Isohanni, P., Niemi, M., Nevalainen, J., Gylling, H., Zamboni, N., Erkkola, M., & Suomalainen, A. (2021). Vegan diet in young children remodels metabolism and challenges the statuses of essential nutrients. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 13(2)http://dx.doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202013492

Messina & Mangels
Considerations in Planning Vegan Diets
Article in Journal of the American Dietetic Association · July 2001

Daniel Olivier Sutter a
, Nicole Bender Nutrient status and growth in vegan children
Nutrition Research
Volume 91, July 2021, Pages 13-25