Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

Is it safe to feed my 8 month old vegetarian "meats"' When can I start using soy milk in cooking, like in mashed potatoes and such'

Article continues below

While it may be technically safe to feed your 8-month-old small amounts of faux meats (assuming no allergy or intolerance), it is not necessary. An 8 month old baby still should be getting a significant portion of nutrition from breastmilk and/or formula, and other foods are used more as introductions to flavors and textures than nutrient sources. This is not to say that infants this age won't benefit from foods; they certainly will! Best foods at this age include iron-fortified hot cereals, pureed fruits, vegetables and lentils/beans; and soft foods like steamed tofu and well-cooked vegetables. This is the age many babies also start getting used to soft chunks in purees, as well as crispy foods that melt easily (like a Cheerios-type cereal).

If your baby can tolerate soy products, feel free to use soy milk in small amounts in cooking. Better to use breastmilk or formula in things like mashed potatoes, but if you're using soy milk for the rest of the family and want your baby to dig in too, by all means let her or him experiment with a taste or two. If it's the first time your baby is taking in soy, pay close attention to any adverse skin reactions or digestive problems, as soy is a common allergen.

Ideally, waiting until babies are about 12-15 months old might be best for introducing faux meats. However, every family is different, and it is not necessarily dangerous to offer it sooner. If you do, I recommend limiting processed soy or gluten-based 'meats' to once per day or less (no more than 2 tablespoons), as these foods are high in sodium (which may alter a young baby's development of flavor preferences) and concentrated protein (which might be hard on young bellies). Also, many contain chemical additives; avoid these if possible. If you're offering a food with the texture of a soy hot dog, for example, be sure to dice it in tiny bits; larger pieces may be a choking hazard.

Every baby develops at different rates, so if your baby likes soy "meats" and digests and tolerates them well, provide them occasionally as part of a varied, primarily whole-foods diet. But there's no need to feel like soy "meats" are an essential food; they are not.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

See full index of questions

Sponsors: