Vegan Nutrition with Brenda Davis

Brenda Davis is a registered dietitian in private practice. She is the past Chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. Brenda is co-author of the international best seller, Becoming Vegetarian, and highly acclaimed Becoming Vegan. Brenda is an internationally recognized speaker. She has worked as a public health nutritionist, a clinical nutrition specialist, nutrition consultant and academic nutrition instructor.

Question:

Is it safe to feed infants (over 9 months) and toddlers nutritional yeast? If so, is there a restriction on the amount?

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Answer:

Yes, it is safe to feed infants and toddlers nutritional yeast. Be sure to select a variety that is fortified with vitamin B12 (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula is an excellent choice - most varieties are NOT fortified with B12). Remember to follow the same precautions when introducing nutritional yeast that you would when first introducing any new food. Use only about ¼ tsp mixed with a food you know the baby does not react to. Wait about 3-4 days to observe for allergy. If the baby is not allergic, then you can gradually increase the amount to about ½ tsp/day until one year of age and up to 1 tsp/day during the toddler years. Avoid giving greater amounts of nutritional yeast because it is a highly concentrated source of B-vitamins. Two of these B-vitamins (niacin and vitamin B6) can cause adverse reactions if given in excess. Too much niacin can result in symptoms such as flushing, diarrhea, rash, sweating, vomiting and fainting, and too much vitamin B6 can cause a pins and needles sensation, numbness, loss of reflexes, weakness, irritability and headaches. While nutritional yeast is a wonderful addition to the diet, treat it like a supplement, and don't go overboard!

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