Vegan childrens health

[louli]

I have posted on here about the recent struggles in trying to provide a balanced diet for my children. We were all vegan then switched some weeks to being veggie then me panicking about heart disease etc. and us going back to being vegan. I actually think I have a food disorder as I carry a lot from my abusive childhood, but my 4 yera old only eats : white pasta, carrot, broccoli, apple, rice cakes, tubes of pate, potatoes, burgers/sausages(specific ones) breakfast cereal and bits of soya milk. I know this can't be balanced but she is healthy enough visibly, it's her future health I stress about.
I guess I want a reassurance that me saying <you can't have that cheese it's cows milk> or <that cake is not vegan> is not gonna have any adverse affect on their adult eating habits. Maybe a vegan forum is not the best objective place to ask this but I'd value your opinions.
Is there anyone on here who's kids - who know about why we are vegan- but still ask for ice cream when we are out, and cakes at parties even when a vegan alternative is offered? My friend is vegan but her kids have chosen to eat veggie stuff which she will buy and prepare for them. She says she has chosen to be vegan and you can't MAKE someone be a vegan, it has to be their choice. Any opinions on any of this? Thanks xx

[5xblessed]

Well, it's hard not to worry but honestly, that sounds pretty close to what my 4yo eats, maybe with some grapes and bananas thrown in. If she is growing well I wouldn't worry too much. Lots of preschoolers who are not vegan are picky. It's got to be better than chicken nuggets and box mac&cheese. I just keep offering new foods even if it's not eaten on the theory that eventually it will get tried. As to requesting non vegan foods, kids request stuff all the time and we say no. ( No pony is our recent heartbreak.) Luckily my kids usually are happy with a vegan equivalent but I'm sure the teen years and rebellion will raise their ugly head soon. I just wouldn't make it a big deal. Here is what we eat. Other people eat different things. Just like they wear different clothes, have different religions or come from different countries. Just part of what makes the world interesting. If you don't dwell on it chances are the kids will become accepting. Sorry this turned into a book. Hang in there.
Lisa

[Erin Pavlina]

I discovered something recently...

I liked making my toddler comfort foods. Vegan mac and cheese, vegan pizza, spaghetti with marinara, vegan muffins and other baked goods etc. Sure, she likes fruit for snacks and such and she is not picky at all; loves all the food I give her.

Then my husband started going raw and making fresh squeezed veggie juices. We're talking apple/beet/carrot juice, and parsley/cucumber/kale juice, etc. And you know what? She downs this stuff! She loves the veggie juices. This is stuff I myself don't even like but she loves everything he's been making for her. She's eating salads now, raw cabbage and cole slaws, raw avocados, raw nuts intead of the roasted and salted kind, banana/walnut/flax shakes, etc.

And what this taught me is that kids eat what's in their lives. If you don't serve them white flour, refined stuff, and fatty foods, and instead you serve them fresh fruits and raw veggies, they might surprise you and like them. I know my toddler surprised me! I think kids eat what their parents eat.

I've never seen my child eat so healthy and I love it!! I'm so glad my husband is experimenting with the raw stuff. There are times my toddler totally prefers one of his meals than that old comfort food of pizza, chick-free nuggets, and spaghetti. It really opened my eyes.

So, the reason I am pointing this out is that if you offer kids healthy foods, they might actually prefer them to the junkie stuff or the vegetarian/dairy stuff. Let's not assume that just because we grew up loving this stuff that we are depriving our children by giving them healthier food than we ever had. I am so proud that my toddler chooses apple/beet/carrot juice over a cookie. Shocked... yeah, but really happy!

[louli]

Thanks for your replies. Erin I don't agree that kids will always eat whats in the house or what a parent is eating. That may be true if they'd never had white stuff but I do serve up brown rice, pasta etc. and it ALWAYS ends up in the bin. I'm trying to avoid food battles as then my kids will have issues for life. I don't coerce my kids into eating things as some may do ie. if you don't eat that you can go to bed hungry etc. as this is just not the way I parent. You are lucky your daughter is not fussy, but many children are. I make fresh juices and my 4 year old won't even try them. I guess I'm just gonna be patient and maybe one day she will. :0)

[vegma]

Sometimes I worry about how the "strictness" of our diet will impact my child when he's older, but I like to think it will be a good, solid base for him. Not only are we vegan, but I've tried to eliminate the dyes, hydrogenated oils, preservatives ... processed stuff in general. While he LOVES the occasional sweets I serve, he also eats almost any fruit - especially berries! - nut butters, many whole grains, some legumes, flax seed, soy milk & yogurt, and a few ... very few veggies. But I remind myself that if we ate meat/dairy, he still wouldn't be eating his veggies, would he? So I offer him what we're eating, but make sure he has some food that he likes too.

[alexis]

i doubt telling your kids that they can't have something because it's not vegan will lead to eating disorders...it's the method of using food as a reward/punishment that will lead to destructive eating habits...at least that's what goes on in my aunt's house where i live, my aunt will give my cousin root beer and burgers for going to enrichment classes and make her eat cauliflower if she has been disobedient...if you feel doubtful just remember that you're setting them up with a pretty good foundation for their future eating habits by being vegan...good luck...

[Sylver]

Posted by Vegma:Sometimes I worry about how the "strictness" of our diet will impact my child when he's older, but I like to think it will be a good, solid base for him.
I think for the majority, we are providing a good base for our children. I hope that our children will stick with the values I (we) teach them. I don't think that when they are older they will rebel toward a meat or dairy diet. Look how many vegan products are at the grocery stores already! There are vegan ice creams and soy/rice/oat/nutmilk, cheeses, microwave dinners, canned dinners etc. Imagine what the stores will be like 5 years from now. Now 10 years from now!! I believe everywhere we go then, we'll have something to eat, guaranteed! I also think the prices will not be outrageous in comparison with other "mainstream" foods. If this is the case, I don't think our kids will be pressured too much into eating foods that are non-vegan. Every year it gets easier, and every year people become more aware of what veganism is. I know I'm going way off into the future, but I just think when our kids are old enough to be out on their own, they will probably make good choices because it will be widely available to them. I really, really hope this will be!!
Take care!

[Fiona]

To answer Louli’s original post…

Fussy eating - generally my daughter (nearly 4) eats well, but there are a number of fruits/vegetables she won't eat willingly, so I make a few things each week with ‘hidden’ ingredients, which she doesn't mind eating, e.g. soup, blended pasta sauce, mushroom burger, fruit smoothie etc. There are other foods which she's not too keen on, but can be persuaded to eat - usually with some imaginative games or playful negotiation. I never force her to eat anything though, and never expect her to finish a meal if she doesn't want to (although she often clears her plate quite happily).

I don't think a vegan diet in itself will lead to eating problems later on, but I do think it's important that kids don't feel deprived, i.e. offering them something they like instead of whatever it is that they can't have. My daughter's diet is fairly well balanced but we occasionally make some stodgy stuff (chocolate refridgerator cake, choc chip cookies etc) which she loves.

As for bringing children up vegan - it's natural for parents to bring their children up according to their own beliefs, and veganism is one of the kindest things you can believe in. To me, its more logical to start off with a cruelty free and potentially very healthy diet, with older children opting out later on if they wish (at a point when they can be fully aware of the implications of doing so), than to start off with a diet which includes animal products, and for the child to be more or less oblivious to its implications as they grow up.


Fiona

[VOW]

The "Three Bites" rule might work here.

My kids were not picky eaters (thank God!), but sometimes they did get rather selective over the various parts of a meal. My son is still notorious for snarfing up just the protein, and looking for seconds and thirds, when he needs to eat some salad and veggies as well.

When my kids were little, and I felt that they should eat more of a variety instead of singling out one dish of a meal, I would tell them they could leave the table after they ate three bites. (and I already cautioned them about trying to convince me that a single pea was "one bite") If I pretended like it wasn't a big deal to me, I could often get them to "take three bites" two or three times. And of course, that would generally take care of the entire serving on their plates.

For our family, it was a very diplomatic way of handling something that could have become a power struggle at the dining table.


~VOW

[Christa]

I can't say for all kids, but I have decided that I am comfortable with my girls eating some foods that contain dairy or eggs occassionally b/c I don't want them to feel too different from their peers. Where we live, they are already a bit odd for being vegetarian. My older daughter understands the distinction btwn vegan & vegetarian & why I don't eat dairy/eggs. I would say that she agrees with me, but has a hard time turning down cake that tastes good regardless of whether it has eggs in it.

My husband felt weird as a kid b/c his parents were immigrants & packed different foods in his lunch, so he is very sensitive to the kids feeling that they can eat the food that everyone else is eating. I also am not wanting to make anything the "forbidden fruit". I don't know that it would cause an eating disorder, but feel that the best I can do is explain my values to my children & allow them to make their own choices. Angelina (my older one) tells me that she will be vegan when she is older. She just finds it a little hard right now, and as much as I would like her to be vegan, I have to respect that. She is not me.

At home, they do eat primarily vegan, though, and they are comfortable with that. They like soy milk, and vegan pancakes, etc. It is just that when they are at the neighbor's house for breakfast, her pancakes aren't vegan, and they have decided that they are willing to eat them anyway.

[Sheree]

One trick I use is making popsicles out of fresh squeezed orange juice and with small chunks of fruit (or you could blend everything like a smoothie, then freeze it in popsicle makers).
Soy yogurt also makes a good popsicle, sometimes I even sneak in flaxseed meal. Also, you could try silken tofu blended up in smoothie. What kid doesn't like popsicles?

I always put lots of healthy snacks out for my daughter, especially if she hasn't eaten very much at mealtime...she loves celery (with the strings removed..I've been told that toddler's don't need that much fiber which is good cause she won't eat it with the strings) with peanut butter to dip into, kids seem to really like dipping finger foods. I put marinara sauce in a little dish for my daughter to dip her pasta in.

Something I used to make frequently to get her to eat more veggies is potato pancakes, but now that I don't use eggs, I don't know how to get them to stick together...so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

:)

[sophie]

Sheree- we make potato pancakes (they're probably different from the ones you do, but they're yummy) like this:
Use 1 cup of grated potato, 1 cup of other vegies either grated or finely chopped (eg carrot, corn kernels, spinach), 1 finely chopped onion. Mix all together, season with soy sauce and ground pepper, add 1 cup of flour, and about half a cup of water (or less, it depends how much vegie juice is present, but you want it to be thick and wet like a thick batter), mix well. Fry fritters in a little olive oil. Hope it works for you!

[Sheree]

Thanks Sophie!! I'll definitely give them a try! :D

[5xblessed]

Here is another thought. I make potato cakes using mashed potatoes, grated veg and onion, sometimes some garlic. I just smoosh them into a pancake shape and brown them. The kids like them for breakfast.
Lisa

[Sheree]

Hi Lisa,

I've tried a similar recipe, but have a hard time getting them to stick together, do you?

[5xblessed]

They seem to hold together pretty well for me. I do fry them in olive oil. I think it's the "crust" that holds them together. Or maybe I have really thick mashed potatoes, LOL!
Lisa

[Sheree]

Thanks Lisa! I appreciate it.

[louli]

Fiona, what is your recipe for choc refridge cake and cookies :o)
Anyone got any recipes for smoothies using tofu I could freeze into popsicles. My fussy dd will eat these!! Anyone know where I can get flax meal from here in the UK? I have whole flax but can't seem to grind them in a processor, baby blender or mortar and pestle. My dd will eat them in pancake but I'd put them in more stuff if I could grind them somehow. Thanks, you've all been very helpful with this post. I feel I have a group of vegan buddies xx My eldest still seem to eat dairy ice cream when out with friends, but I accept this and talk to them often about animals, ethics, health etc and leave it with them.

[vegma]

I bought a small electric coffee grinder to grind my flax seeds. Works great!

[Sheree]

Try this:

1/2 C soft silken tofu
1 1/4 C pear nectar
1/2 C frozen diced pineapple
1/2 frozen banana sliced
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine tofu and pear nectar in blender. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend till smooth. Poor into popsicle molds and freeze.

This recipe is from "Super Smoothies" recipe book.

[Erin Pavlina]

Sheree (and everyone else), we have a policy where we don't post recipes from cookbooks because it violates the owner's copyright and we could be liable for damages if they decide to sue us. The best thing to do is to say, "I have a recipe from (name of book) that would work. Private message me or email me and I'll send it to you."

You can send recipes to people for their personal use, we just can't post them on message boards. I hope you understand.

[Sheree]

Oh, I'm sorry Erin. I didn't realize this...I guess I should check out the rules. Thanks for the email suggestion.

[Fiona]

I was going to post the recipes that Louli wanted....Erin, I can't find your policy, so please can you clarify? Can we post recipes that have been modified beyond recognition from the originals (e.g. nearly all quantities changed, ingredients added etc)? Thanks.


Fiona

[Erin Pavlina]

I believe the policy is mentioned on the sign-up form as part of the agreement.

Basically we can't post a recipe in its entirety if it is copyrighted, such as those found in a cookbook and even on some websites. You can post an original recipe any time, and you could post a totally modified recipe too.

You just can't copy verbatim a recipe from a copyrighted source.

[Fiona]

Louli - recipes as requested. Both very modified.

Chocolate refridgerator cake
Grease a square 8 inch tin or dish, then line with greaseproof paper. In a bowl crush 8 oz digestive biscuits into crumbs and mix in 2 oz raisins. Put 3 oz margarine, 1 oz Muscovado sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons golden syrup in a pan and gently melt. Combine biscuit mixture with melted mixture and press into tin. Cool in fridge for 30 minutes. When cooled, gently melt 4 oz plain chocolate and pour over the set mixture, using the back of a spoon to smooth out the chocolate. Return to fridge for about an hour until chocolate has set. Cut into squares.

Choc chip cookies
Grease two baking sheets. In a bowl cream 4 oz margarine and 3 oz Muscovado sugar and mix in 1 dessert spoon golden syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence. Slowly fold in 6 oz self raising flour, and bring together into a slack dough. Form dough into about 14 ball shapes and arrange, well spaced, on the baking sheets. Break 4 oz plain chocolate (Lindt is best - doesn’t go runny) into pieces. Flatten balls with back of a fork and press three pieces of chocolate onto each biscuit. Bake for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees, until just turning golden. Leave to set in tins before cooling on a rack.

Happy cooking!

Fiona

[louli]

Thanks for the recipes and for listening xxxxxx