What's the Advantages and Disadvantages of Raising a Baby Vegitarian
The debate on veganism has been there for many years. People weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both and stick to whatever pleases them. While the vegan diet is primarily plant-based food. A non-vegan diet includes animal-based food like chicken, meat, fish, eggs, etc.
With the increase in various cardiovascular and heart diseases, many non-vegetarians are switching to veganism. Thus, a vegan diet is becoming quite popular. However, experts believe that well-balanced nutrition is essential for children during the early years of their life. Some even recommend the inclusion of meat to ensure proper development and growth.
Let's talk about the vegan diet and how a vegan lifestyle can affect your toddler.
Is a Vegan Diet Safe?
A vegan diet is safe in every manner and has all the nutrients one needs for proper nourishment. But parents need to be very careful in choosing what to include in their kid's menu. A vegan diet lacks all types of non-vegetarian food. One example of this is dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter- all of which are essential for a growing child. So you must feed them healthy and nutritious food, and then plan accordingly.
Moreover, we're now seeing many viruses and diseases being initiated from eating meat. Therefore, opting for a vegan diet does seem to be a bad option. That's because it eradicates all those unnecessary hassles.
Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
There's no doubt that a non-vegan diet is rich in proteins and fat. It's the most crucial reason why pediatricians recommend their intake during a child's growing years. But even a vegan diet doesn't stand back in advantages. These are some of the benefits of your kids being on a plant-based diet:
- Following a vegan diet leads to developing a habit of healthy eating from a very early age.
- A vegan diet lacks saturated fats and cholesterol, thus reducing the long-term risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc.
- Eating green leafy vegetables from an early age causes kids to develop a liking for them.
What Does Science Say About It?
Experts believe that a well-planned vegan diet with vitamin B12 supplements is sufficient for providing the right nutrition in all stages of life. The rate of Type 2 diabetes is surging in the world, and it has been proven that a plant-based diet can reduce it. A recent major review found that diabetes patients who followed a plant-based diet improved their insulin sensitivity, reduced their diabetes medications, and lowered their intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol.
Risks Involved In a Vegan Diet
There are certain risks involved when a kid is following a strict vegan diet. They are:
- Due to no milk or milk product consumption, there's a lack of calcium- a nutrient that's essential for healthy bones and teeth,
- The primary source of protein lies in meat and poultry products, and the vegan diet is entirely devoid of it.
- Children need abundant calories that can provide kids energy, and a diet without milk can be very disappointing.
Precautions For a Vegan Diet
Here are some precautionary tips you should keep in mind while raising a toddler on a vegan diet:
- Breastfeeding until six months of age. But if that's not possible, the only alternative left is soy milk. However, if the baby is allergic to soy, it'll be tough to find a replacement.
- Vitamin B 12 supplements should be given right from birth from consulting with your pediatrician. If the child is breastfed, the mother should take the necessary supplement.
- Vitamin D is also quite challenging to find on a vegan diet. So sun-bathing your child for about 30 minutes five to six times per week for a couple of months would be necessary to meet this requirement.
- Iron supplements should also be taken, as it's the main constituent in the formation of blood.
Those are the pros and cons related to a vegan diet. You can weigh them and decide to change your lifestyle accordingly. Before you make any drastic change in your toddler's diet, make sure to consult her pediatrician.
Next: How To Start Teaching Your Toddler Sign Language
Source: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,FirstCry Parenting
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About The Author 
Neha Chakraborty (557 Articles Published)
Neha is a writer by passion, and a freelancer by profession. With the eagerness to quench the thirst for knowledge, she has set out on the endless journey of writing and growing. Also, being a super active mother of a super busy child, she wants to strike the perfect balance between her career and personal life!
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What's the Advantages and Disadvantages of Raising a Baby Vegitarian
Source: https://www.babygaga.com/benefits-risks-raising-vegan-toddler/
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