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Thread: Vegan Mom needs advice

  1. #1

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    Question Vegan Mom needs advice

    My husband and I have been vegan for 8 years. We now have a son, who we hope to keep vegan. He just turned a year old.

    I have done a lot of reading (online and in books) about vegan nutrition for children. I need ACTUAL advice, though - tried and true. We are new to Vermont and don't know many people. NONE of the people we know are vegan. We are surrounded by people who hunt or do other damage to the environment. I have spoken to a nutritionist, 3 pediatricians, and allergy MD, and a naturalpathic doctor. ALL of them tell me that I MUST give my son dairy and that I SHOULD give him meat. I even went to our local co-op and asked an employee if any other employees are vegan parents. She replied "No one here is vegan. Vegetarianism and veganism are not the trend anymore". WHAT!?!?!

    So, here is my ultimate problem. My son currently refuses vegetables (he used to love them). I am sure it is just a food jag but, for now, he won't eat them. He loves fruit, starches and anything made from soy. SO...

    - How can I get "good fat", iron, and protein into him (he can't have nuts)?

    - The majority of his diet is soy (variations such as chick nuggets, "meat" balls, tofu, soy milk, Vegan Rella, etc). Now I am reading that to much soy is harmful for kids. What can I give him instead of all these soy products?

    I would love practical advice from vegan parents who have been in my shoes. PLEASE HELP!!!

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Dear Vegan Mommy,

    There are some mothers raising vegan children on this forum (some don't post every day so I hope this bumps your post up to where they see it). My sister is a new vegan raising a (mostly - she can't control her husband or in-laws) vegan toddler of age 2 and she posts here at times. I sent her the "Raising a Vegetarian Child" (or something like that) and even her pediatrician asked for a copy of the book. There are some ideas in the book "Becoming Vegan" by authors Davis and Melina. I know of a vegan/vegetarian website for parents (I'll look for it and post it if I find it).

    If this helps - I am an advanced practice nurse married to a medical doctor who admits that he knew NOTHING about nutrition before he met me. Most doctors are not so honest. Don't believe them when they say you need meat or dairy. And even omnivore children go through phases where they won't eat certain foods (even milk or meat!!). This is every parent's nightmare so far as I can see.

    I'll post again when I find the website I mentioned. In the meantime, tell those people at the local co-op to read "The China Study." Veganism has never been trendy, just brilliant.
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Here is the link. Concious Cuisine has raised a vegan child who is now 9 or 10. There are others but I can't think of them. Try this section on the forum.

    Good luck.
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

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    Melissa assilembob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    These are some other sites that might help you out some as well!

    http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ <--her son is school age and I do not know how long they have been vegan but her food is inspiring.
    http://www.veganfitness.net/forum/vi...vegan+children <--I know there are more than just the two I found because I remember a big discussion with Mary last year and how she raised her son...she offers lots of tips. I took a long break from that forum and haven't really been on it much at all in the last year!
    http://www.veganfitness.net/forum/vi...vegan+children

    Hope that helps! I am getting flak cause if I ever adopt kids I will want them to be vegan...and my family is stupid about it.
    ~Mel
    ~Mel

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    All i can say is best of luck, it's hard. I have a nearly three year old daughter, and I know It's just plain difficult, especially when Dad is an Omni, but Mamma is a vegan. See if he'll take a vitamin, and since there isn't a vegan support group in your area, start one. make signs and post them in grocery stores, health stores. GYMS, libraries, ect.
    Who knows, maybe you'll even interest a omni into seeing what it's all about.
    Best of luck. If you ever need anothr mom to talk to, PM me.
    "Uh, we don't eat meat. It's kind of like a professional courtesy." -Maggie, Home on the Range

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Dear Vegan Mommy

    I am a vegan dad in the UK and I would recommend a book entitled "Feeding your vegan infant with confidence - a practical guide from pre-conception through to pre-school". This book can be ordered online at www.vegansociety.com/shop. The book is written by a dietitian and includes lots of practical advice. At the back of the book are real-life stories from vegan parents including those whose children have allerigies to nuts, etc. In my experience kids can go through phases where one day they love vegetables and the next day they hate them. I have two children aged 4 and 18 months and I have lost count of the number of occasions I have thrown away entire plates of delicious food. However, I persevered and they currently love their vegetables. If you want to cut down on soy products then beans, pulses and seeds are a good source of protein. I make a lot of stews and always slip in some lentils, etc. My kids also like snacking on seeds.

    Hope this helps!

    Julian

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    You could try a multi vit for children just to put your mind at rest during your sons non veg periods.

    And you could always try the age old parental trick of hiding them (sneaky I know, but sometimes necessary) perhaps make a fruit smoothie but add a couple of mild tasting veggies, or a bit of cabbage - I know it sound horrid, but in the right quantities, he shouldn't notice

    Or how about soup? You could make your own, and put all the veggies you want him to eat in, but put it in perhaps a mainly tomato base so it still tastes fairly sweet.

    Don't forget things like unsulphured dried apricots for high iron, sweet but great.

    Hope this helps

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    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    I have spoken to a nutritionist, 3 pediatricians, and allergy MD, and a naturalpathic doctor. ALL of them tell me that I MUST give my son dairy and that I SHOULD give him meat.
    Hi!

    Ask them for documentation. Most non-vegan doctors etc. don't know much about vegan nutrition...

    From http://www.ivu.org/faq/children.html
    What about infants and children? According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarian diets can meet all nitrogen needs and amino acid requirements for growth. A vegan diet, to be on the safe side, should be well planned, and probably include fortified soy milk. If you live in a cold climate and you don't intend to get your child out in the sun a lot after you finish breastfeeding then a vegan source of vitamin D should be added to their diet.
    Children need more of the essential fatty acids than adults so a bit more fat in their diet is a good idea. Also keep the fiber content down, their under-developed digestive systems can't handle it. Generally the energy content of their meals should be higher than for adults. You should also ensure that they get a regular supply of B12.
    "No one here is vegan. Vegetarianism and veganism are not the trend anymore". WHAT!?!?!
    Yeah, right... as if being even was a trend, and the number of vegans were diminishing.

    My son currently refuses vegetables (he used to love them). I am sure it is just a food jag but, for now, he won't eat them.
    Raw or cooked? Many kids (our 5-year old son, for example), won't eat cooked carrots, but enjoy eating them raw. He'll eat more stuff, including cooked vegetables, if they are chopped up, mashed, or look nice (kids like to 'eat colors'), or wrapped in something, like a lettuce leaf.


    The majority of his diet is soy (variations such as chick nuggets, "meat" balls, tofu, soy milk, Vegan Rella, etc). Now I am reading that to much soy is harmful for kids. What can I give him instead of all these soy products?
    Kids normally enjoy and like to love the food the parents give them, so just by nut buying things you think he gets too much off, he'll adjust to new things you introduce. Non-vegan kids also gets hooked on certain foodstuff, which even sometimes is used as an argument for not going vegan by their parents ("but he can't live without chicken nuggets!"). The thing is, if the parents don't buy chick nuggets, vegan or not, the kids won't eat them, but they'll still become hungry and need to eat something else. There is so much room for variation, and IMO not hard to get a child to eat and enjoy vegan food at all. Any switch in the parents diets will probably cause some protests from their kids (the same thing may happen if you go on holiday somewhere and the kids can't get what they're used to get), but that's no reason not to go on holiday .

    There are many vegan cookbooks, and there are also several books on raising kids on a vegan/vegetarian diet.

    Raising Vegan Children in a Non-Vegan World is being sold with a 50% discount right now at http://www.vegfamily.com/. (The writer has her own forum here: http://www.vegfamily.com/forums/ )

    If you experiment a little, especially with food from other cultures, I'm sure you'll find plenty of food your son will like. Our son likes Indian, Mexican, Lebanise, Chinese, Italian food etc., and there's always the 'mash it and make a sauce out of it' trick if kids for a period want to avoid certain foods, because shape and texture are often more important than taste for small kids.

    They often actually also have better taste than their parents, and refuse to eat overcooked vegetables .

    My 5 year old watched TV the other day, and there was a program for kids encouraging them to eat more healthy food, where they suggested milk, fish, meat and so on. His only comment was 'That guy can't' know much about what's healthy, the only healthy thing he showed was an apple and a tomato!' .

    I think having kids have forced many parents to try new food and new recipes and to become more creative in the kitchen...
    Last edited by Korn; Dec 30th, 2009 at 11:54 PM.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Becoming Vegan by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis is an excellent book to cover nutritional guidelines for vegan families, there's a great recipe in there for Sneaky Dad's Pudding. It sounds disgusting but is highly nutritious and allegedly, children love it. I haven't tried it with my kids yet though.

    There are ways to 'sneak' veggies into your son's meals. Does he like muffins or cookies? Add pureed zucchini, pumpkin, squash etc.. Does he like spaghetti with marinara? Puree mixed vegetables, broccoli, spinach etc until very smooth and add to the pasta sauce. Substitute rice or almond milk instead of soy for cereal, oatmeal, baking etc.. Make smoothies with rice or almond milk and add some veggies, kids love funny colored foods so make him a Green Smoothie with fresh kale or spinach leaves, banana, flax oil and water.

    My kids have been vegan since birth but they are only 20-months old now. Their pediatrician, who is the Director of Pediatrics for a major hospital and specializes in Developmental Pediatrics, has no problem with them being vegan and is always pleased with their progress to the point where we rarely see him since they have never been really sick (just minor cold) and are not immunized. I agree with Korn, ask them for documentation that veganism is unhealthy for children.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Thanks so much for the advice and suggestions. Please keep it comming!

    I actually tried "Dad's Sneaky Pudding" a few days ago. I thought it was amazingly delicious but my son wouldn't touch it.

    What are some things you fed your toddler as a main dish (my son is 13 months old)? Everything I make IS soy or has soy in it...tofu, soy yogurt, soy "meat" (like tofu hot dogs), tofurkey, etc. I'd like him to have some diversity. Are any of you worried about the new research that indicates we shouldn't consume too much soy? Anyone have a good bean loaf recipe that he might like?

    How do you get fat into thier diets without nuts? I mix flax seed oil into whatever I can, which isn't much. He won't eat avocado. Any thoughts?

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    My kids have rarely eaten soy. They eat a stew/soup everyday made with an alternating combination of: brown rice (always), lentils (different kinds), yellow split peas, green peas (always), broccoli, mixed vegetables, spinach, and/or kale. This is a one-pot dish and when it's done, I add some extra-virgin olive oil and a huge glob of nutritional yeast then use a hand blender to break down the veggies into small bits. They also eat whole-wheat pasta daily with a marinara that has pureed veggies in it. They drink rice milk with every meal and we add Udo's oil to their bottles. They also eat cashew or raw almond butter by the spoonful for lunch and sometimes dinner. Tempeh is the healthiest form of soy for toddlers to eat (high in amino acids, great for digestion) and they absolutely love tempeh. They'll eat slices of it. They also like kidney beans so they snack on kidney beans and when I have steamed kale, I wrap a piece of steamed kale around the kidney bean and they pop them into their mouths.

    I do worry about their soy intake so I do limit it. They just started eating soy yogurt (last week), they split a container in the morning occasionally and they only eat tofu if I make lasagna (using spinach, whole wheat lasagna noodles, tofu ricotta, marinara and vegan gourmet cheese).

    There are some good bean burger/loaf recipes on www.vegweb.com . The garbo burger is particularly tasty.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Forgot to add, they have oatmeal every morning with blueberries and blackstrap molasses (great source of calcium and iron). We had to start off using small amounts of the molasses and gradually increasing it since it has a very strong taste (I can't stand it). Also, my kids eat about 90-95% organic, the only item I can think of off-hand that they eat which isn't organic is their cashew butter.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    I know some Japanese mothers make really cool lunches and they take rice and shape it in all sorts of neat ways (cat shape, heart shape, etc). Have you tried mashing up or pureeing some veggies and molding them into fun shapes?
    Peace, love, and happiness.

  14. #14
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    Quote Vegan Mommy
    My husband and I have been vegan for 8 years. We now have a son, who we hope to keep vegan. He just turned a year old.

    I have spoken to a nutritionist, 3 pediatricians, and allergy MD, and a naturalpathic doctor. ALL of them tell me that I MUST give my son dairy and that I SHOULD give him meat. I even went to our local co-op and asked an employee if any other employees are vegan parents. She replied "No one here is vegan. Vegetarianism and veganism are not the trend anymore". WHAT!?!?!

    So, here is my ultimate problem. My son currently refuses vegetables (he used to love them). I am sure it is just a food jag but, for now, he won't eat them. He loves fruit, starches and anything made from soy.
    Look at what nutrients dairy has (protein, calcium, vitamin D are the main ones) and replace them with healthy products: Fortified plant-based milks have these in abundance and are healthier and easier for your body to use than animal sources. As long as you do this, no health professional in thier right mind could argue with you;dairy doesn't have "magical" properties that are irreplacable...it's the nutrients that matter! Find a good chiropractor who can tell you why dairy is so bad for humans.

    If your people at the co-op are trend followers, ignore them; they are misguided ididots.

    Keep offering healthy foods to your son. He WILL eat them, eventually! Others have given good advice about making sauces, muffins etc. with veggies. Remember that the NUTRIENTS are what matter. If he won't eat a food, find another way to get the nutrients he needs into his system, another food he DOES like that has those nutrients!

    I suggest Udo's Blend oil. It will give his brain and body what he needs to thrive! Is he still breastfeeding?

    Best of luck!

  15. #15
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    Ahh....this reminds me of a thread a while back where I stated that doctors scoff at veganism, and noone believed me. It's true..there's a massive propoganda machine and conspiracy at work to keep plant based dietary lifestyles down. I've learned so much about the way it works in the last year...

    The above posters are correct. It's the nutrients, not the dairy, which are good for your child's body. Simply substitute those nutrients that bovinal udder pus contains but do it from plant sources. This should be pretty easy to achieve.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Pilaf
    The above posters are correct. It's the nutrients, not the dairy, which are good for your child's body. Simply substitute those nutrients that bovinal udder pus contains but do it from plant sources. This should be pretty easy to achieve.
    I am not trying to substitute anything for "bovine udder pus" since we are vegan and don't drink/eat it. I am trying to find out what other vegan parents feed their children, especially when they are picky eaters. Do you have kids? If so, what did you feed them at age 1?

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    What to feed a 1-yr old? Heh... whatever he'll eat!

    Seriously.... Are you still breastfeeding him? If so, then you don't have to worry as much. Have you started giving him smoothies? If so, you can easily throw some avocado in those with no problem (and ground flax seed, etc.). I've been lucky in that my son really likes veggies. He also loves fruit. At one year, he was crazy about oranges. I remember just trying to make sure that he had some red, yellow and green each day (along with grains and other stuff). It may sound simplified, but at 2 yrs and 3 mos he weighs about 32 lbs and is just over 3 feet tall. --He's expected to be about 6 feet tall as an adult. And my son is very healthy and happy.

    Is your son continuing to grow and gain weight? If so, then I wouldn't worry too much. Many a parent is concerned if their child doesn't eat heartily all the time. Most children are very good at getting the nutrients they need every day. My own son 'skips' meals here and there. I try not to let it bother me. He's growing. Like Korn said, my son will not really eat cooked carrots--mainly raw. However, I did get him to eat some cooked by making some mashed potatoes with carrots added. Have you tried salsa? My son really likes salsa! Most parents tend to avoid spicy foods because there seems to be some expectation that children will not like spicy food. Try it anyway. My son loves salsa, garlic, and can't seem to get enough ginger.

    The book that I used during most of my earlier parenting days was "Super Baby Foods". The author is vegetarian, though not vegan. I found it at a used book store.

    They say it can take 10-20 times of offering a food before your child may accept it. Take that to heart. I offered my son salad a lot of times, but he finally eats it now. If you are offering healthy food, then he'll get what he needs. No child will willingly starve themself. If you want me to look through my Super Baby Foods book for you, I'd be happy to do it. It's arranged by age for ease.
    If at first you don't succeed, laugh as you set it ablaze!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Litsea:

    Thanks for your comments.

    Unfortunately, I am not breastfeeding right now. I became very ill and was hospitalized. I tried to continue producing milk by pumping but the medications I was on decreased my milk supply to nothing. I am a certified lactation counselor, so this event was especially devistating for me. My son now drinks fortified soy milk.

    He is growing very well - but I want to keep it that way. He is almost 13 months old and weighs 22.5 lbs and is 31.5 inches tall. He has always been tall and thin (even at birth).

    Any extra thoughts you can send me from "Super Baby Foods" will be greatly appreciated. I will try to buy a copy for myself.

    My current concern is just how to get him to eat foods other than soy. Do I just stop giving him soy, even when her refuses all other food? Is this the "he'll eat when he's hungry" theory?

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Litsea has a good point about children needing to be exposed to new foods repeatedly before they eat them. I've found that to be true. I'm not a huge fan of refusing all food and letting a child starve. I'll try 2 or 3 things with my kids if they won't eat the 1st thing offered. Again, like Litsea pointed out, they just occasionally don't feel like eating. I just give them rice milk and Udo's oil and they always eat well at their next meal. I would suggest if he drinks alot of soy milk, start watering down the soy milk with rice or another non-dairy beverage and gradually increasing that until he's off of soymilk. That would certainly eliminate a large portion of soy. And experiment with different nut butters on a spoon or wrapped in a tortilla/piece of bread for good fats and vitamins.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Litsea has a good point about children needing to be exposed to new foods repeatedly before they eat them.
    Yes, another parent I met said that she keeps sticking the new food on her son's plate along with something he does like and then removes it without comment if he doesn't eat it, and after the requisite 20 or so goes he just starts eating it. She made sure he saw her eating whatever it was but didn't criticise him for not having any. Must take an iron will!

    I also read somewhere a theory that we evolved to have neophobia (mistrust of new foods/things generally) at that age to avoid children getting poisoned when they start to be mobile. ...if it's any consolation!

    Edited to add - hello there feline!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Ugh... I really feel for you in having to stop nursing so early. I had to stop nursing when my son was 18 months old in order to prevent a kidney infection--the meds they put me on turned my milk toxic. I actually cried right after his last nursing session, since I knew exactly which session it would be. I'm not normally the emotional type, but I'm sure you understand. It still upsets me.

    It's late here, but I was wondering if you could tell us which foods your son DOES like right now?

    I'll get the book out tomorrow to see what I can find. Have you tried beans? My son LOVES beans! How about grilled 'cheez' sandwiches?

    And, does your son have a nut allergy (you mentioned no nuts)? How about sunflower seed butter? I'm not crazy about it personally, but it might do the trick for you and others swear by it. You can easily find it at a Trader Joe's. Have you tried giving him seitan for a protein source?

    That's all for now... more tomorrow.
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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Will your son eat pasta? If so you could make a really nice sauce with extra veg. You could blend the sauce so it just looked like tomato sauce.
    Nice to hear your son likes fruit though.
    Is your son better with finger food than being spoon fed? If so i would suggest lots of fancy shaped carrots, cucumber, tomatos etc. My little one loves dipping his carrots in a big blob of hummus. Its rather messy but he has a good time

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    Ex-admin Korn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    Unfortunately, I am not breastfeeding right now. I became very ill and was hospitalized. I tried to continue producing milk by pumping but the medications I was on decreased my milk supply to nothing. I am a certified lactation counselor, so this event was especially devistating for me. My son now drinks fortified soy milk.
    It's good that he gets B12 fortification then, because lack of mother's milk might be a more important cause of B12 deficiency than most people think;


    Is this the "he'll eat when he's hungry" theory?
    I don't think there is a "he'll eat when he's hungry" theory, nobody want's to starve their kids! But if kids are used to eat something, and that something isn't available anymore, they'll normally learn to like something new within not too long... it doesn't need to be more dramatic than if it's weekend and the stores are closed and there's no more oranges or orange juice.... small children often forget things faster than we can imagine.

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    Hey, mine was long and thin too! She is 4 now -vegan with long time vegan mum, omni papa. At least there is more acceptance of vegan diets here in the U.K. (have lived Oz U.S. China). She is NOW a fussy eater. So, I hide bits in her food too. Bribery, now that she is old enough to think a head, is part of the game of have-a-few-bites. As a toddler I didn't make a huge effort to please her palate because she would learn to demand food just so. Instead there was a boring option -say a boiled potato- that she could have if she didn't want to sample a dish. Often she would indeed then try a bite from my plate -no pressure. I didn't fret too much as the food at home was unprocessed and a colorfull; in the space of a week she had variety. I agree that having the veg around to touch and smell and watch being eaten eventually brings surprises.
    As for starch, great! millet porridge, quinoa, different rice varieties. The leftover grain went into veggie-burger: a thick batter of besan (chickpea flour) mixed in sufficient quantity to hold together fine chopped veg and cooked grain. season to taste. small patties pan fried or baked (perhaps crumb-coated). Really, you are doing the best for your little one; let his good health be your reasurrance!
    the only animal ingredient in my food is cat hair

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Maybe this summer you can grow a small vegetable garden? Your son will be a bit older and he can "help" you with the garden sometimes. He can help pick off the tomatoes, for instance. Maybe he'd be interested in eating some veggies that he helped create?
    Peace, love, and happiness.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    LOL, Tigerlily! Hehehe... at his age, he'll more likely be pulling up the plants then being productive in a garden!

    Sorry, but really... my son is a year older and I had absolutely NO red peppers this year because of my son's *help* in the garden. I can still recall clearly the sound in his voice when he'd run out in the back yard in the morning, chanting "pepper, pepper, pepper..." right before he plucked another unripe one from the plants! LOL I'm really hoping that next year he'll actually help me. Fortunately for me right now, the snow peas, carrots and mesclun are behind a barrier he can't reach through effectively. However, my beets and spinach have somewhat suffered, being within his reach. Fingers crossed on the swiss chard that's just started poking through the soil.
    If at first you don't succeed, laugh as you set it ablaze!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    This is a great thread - I'm learning tons - Thank you!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Oh, hey... have you tried feeding him polenta yet? You can get it to a nice firm texture, mix in all sorts of veggies, and you can also slice it and then cut out shapes for him! Just a thought... my son really enjoys polenta. It's great finger food!
    If at first you don't succeed, laugh as you set it ablaze!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    I have 2 really good recommendations for resources:

    1) the book "Raising Vegan Children in a Nonvegan World" by Erin Pavlina.
    and
    2) www.vegfamily.com It's a website about vegan parenting and families with a great forum

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Litsea
    Oh, hey... have you tried feeding him polenta yet? You can get it to a nice firm texture, mix in all sorts of veggies, and you can also slice it and then cut out shapes for him! Just a thought... my son really enjoys polenta. It's great finger food!
    You mean that you make your own polenta? I have only tried the kind ready-made from the grocery store. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I sliced it and sauteed it.. Served it with some tomato sauce. My son hated it both times. I'd love to use your recipe. Can you post it?

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    Default Drink?

    It sounds like most of you are moving away from soy. Is there anyone who feeds it to their kids? how about soy milk? Anyone give thier kids soy milk? From what I have read, most of you give rice milk. Arent' you afraid of all the carbs? These carbs from rice are simple, they are the stuff that leads to type 2 diabetes. Heck, the newest feeding reccomendation is that children not even be started on rice cereal as their first food. Now we are supposed to start kids with a fruit veggie, or protein.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    You mean that you make your own polenta? I have only tried the kind ready-made from the grocery store. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I sliced it and sauteed it.. Served it with some tomato sauce. My son hated it both times. I'd love to use your recipe. Can you post it?
    If your son hated it with sauce on it then it's probably the texture. When making your own it starts off as a porridge consistency (he might like that). Then, if you allow it to cool on a pan (pie, jelly roll, etc.) you can cut it into shapes and bake or saute, or use it as a "pizza" crust. You can also add flavorings to the polenta as it cooks to make it more interesting. It is slightly time consuming (stirring) and you need to follow the directions on the package or you may wind up with lumps. If you want to buy some from the bulk section of the grocery store and get just enough for a few servings, one of us will post a recipe or pm it to you.
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

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    Default Re: Drink?

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    It sounds like most of you are moving away from soy. Is there anyone who feeds it to their kids? how about soy milk? Anyone give thier kids soy milk? From what I have read, most of you give rice milk. Arent' you afraid of all the carbs? These carbs from rice are simple, they are the stuff that leads to type 2 diabetes. Heck, the newest feeding reccomendation is that children not even be started on rice cereal as their first food. Now we are supposed to start kids with a fruit veggie, or protein.
    Brown rice is used in the rice milk, at least what we buy, which is a complex carb, not a simple carb. I'm not worried about feeding them complex carbs but they don't get simple carbs; no white flour, sugar etc.. My kids eat the occasional serving of tofu and soy yogurt and they do eat tempeh regularly but we try to avoid overly-processed soy products (or overly processed any products actually) like the fake meats.

    Here's a bit about brown rice versus white rice from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...spice&dbid=128:

    The latest research is clearly supporting this vital distinction. Refined grains and the foods made from them (e.g., white breads, cookies, pastries, pasta and rice) are now being linked not only to weight gain but to increased risk of insulin resistance (the precursor of type 2 diabetes) and the metabolic syndrome (a strong predictor of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), while eating more wholegrain foods is being shown to protect against all these ills. Common features of the metabolic syndrome include visceral obesity (the “apple shaped” body), low levels of protective HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure.

  34. #34
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    Default carbs

    "as carbohydrate intake goes up and fat intake goes down, the number of deaths from diabetes plummets from 20.4 to 2.9 per 100,000 people. the verdict? A high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet -a plant-based diet- may help to prevent diabetes" source: T. Colin Campbell THE CHINA STUDY

    Makes sense to me so I don't sweat the odd simple carb for my 4 year old.
    As her nursery, grandma etc offers sugery treats, at home I might sweeten with dates.

    Oh, and polenta is good 'ol corn-meal-mush for U.S. southerners...
    I mix the dry with some cold water before tipping into the boiling pot. No lumps! Sadly it isn't whole-grain having been stripped of the germ

    About protein: back in school I totted up the individual essential amino acids in all the typical grains against the U.N. recommended allowances; I proved to my smug instructor that GRAIN alone could do it... millet and oats were the best match (eaten the same day) For those who have had their fair-share of beans and tofu!
    the only animal ingredient in my food is cat hair

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    Default Re: Drink?

    Quote feline01
    Brown rice is used in the rice milk, at least what we buy, which is a complex carb, not a simple carb.
    Thanks so much for the great info. Like I previously stated, I am out here alone....We have no vegan friends or even health care providers who know ANYTHING about diet. Your comments have been VERY helpful.

    Which rice milk brand do you use?

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    You mean that you make your own polenta? I have only tried the kind ready-made from the grocery store. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I sliced it and sauteed it.. Served it with some tomato sauce. My son hated it both times. I'd love to use your recipe. Can you post it?
    Hmmm... if he didn't like store-bought, then there's not a lot of hope for homemade, but it's always worth a try. I never really added much to mine because my son has always been good about eating a varied diet--okay, mostly good! I used to serve his with some marinara and vegan cheese.

    Here's a pretty straightforward recipe for polenta. You can use any kind of cornmeal/polenta for it. You might even try blue cornmeal... never know, the color might add some appeal for your son. You might try using broth instead of water, or adding some pesto. Add finely chopped veggies before cooking it (does he have any favorites you could add?). Have fun with it! I normally make mine on the stovetop and then pour/spoon it into a breadloaf pan to cool in the refrigerator. After that, you can slice it, saute it, grill it, cut it into shapes... whatever. I've even seen layered polenta (yellow/blue), but that seems like a bit much work for new moms, doesn't it? I should warn you that making polenta is much like tending an active volcano! It does bubble and splatter a bit. Keep the heat low and stir frequently to prevent sticking. Those splatters WILL hurt! So try not to make it when your little guy is underfoot.

    And you had asked about soy. I use soy almost daily here. I try not to overdo it, but my son absolutely loves tofu and will occasionally ask for it as a snack (today he had some that he dipped in Bragg's--lol). He likes edamame also and about 90-95% of the milk we use is soy (almond too).

    Polenta

    4 cups water

    1-2 teaspoons salt (optional)

    1 cup polenta or cornmeal

    In a 3-quart saucepan, heat water and salt until boiling. Drizzle in polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until all polenta is incorporated and mixture begins to thicken. Switch to a wooden spoon, pull off heat and continue to stir until thick as paste.
    If at first you don't succeed, laugh as you set it ablaze!

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    With the recipe above, I would boil 3 cups of water and add the polenta after mixing it with 1 cup of cold water (to avoid lumps).
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

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    Default polenta

    also if afraid of spatter, once it all comes to the boil it can be baked instead. that's what we did at one restaurant with a particularily course maize that would have been stirred 45 min. In a casserole covered in a med-hot oven the time needed about doubles. But no scorched bottom!

    I might throw in a leftover lemon rind to the pot and some cumin seeds.

    also substituting a bit of millet for variety (longer cooking type)
    the only animal ingredient in my food is cat hair

  39. #39
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    Default Re: polenta

    I always bake my polenta as well and use vegetable stock/milks instead of water, add herbs, spices and so on in addition to covering it with pestos or sauces It tastes GREAT if it's fried after it's been cooked

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    Default Re: Drink?

    Quote Vegan Mommy
    Thanks so much for the great info. Like I previously stated, I am out here alone....We have no vegan friends or even health care providers who know ANYTHING about diet. Your comments have been VERY helpful.

    Which rice milk brand do you use?
    Have you looked into a vegan playgroup in your geographic region. The website, www.vegfamily.com , has an area where you can search for playgroups or list that you are interested in starting your own. I hooked up with one in New Jersey last year and we now have about 20 members and have met for playdates/potlucks a few times already including a Thanksgiving Day vegan potluck and a Halloween playdate. It's been very helpful and great for both us and the kids; having other vegan parents and children to socialize with.

    We've been using Trader Joe's Organic Original Rice Milk but I found out yesterday that they discontinued it!! I've been calling their corporate office but haven't talked to a human yet to complain but that's my goal the next few days. Rice Dream also makes a decent rice milk using organic brown rice. It's fortified as well and contains calcium, B-12 etc.

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    How about nuts? Our pediatrician has told us that children should not eat nuts until 2 years old (3 years is better). She said that all children shoud be treated like they have nut allergies and should not be exposed to nuts at all (until 2 or 3). Do any of you feed your young children nuts?

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    Heh... I feed my son any nut I can get my hands on! The only concern I've ever heard is related to peanuts, which aren't technically a nut anyway. When I asked my pediatrician about it, he said peanuts are mainly a concern if your child is at some risk of allergies (they run in the family or whatever). I also read somewhere (don't know how true it is) that if you had peanuts during pregnancy, then it's about the same as feeding them to your baby. --Apparently you shouldn't have peanut butter during pregnancy. But they never tell you these things when you're pregnant. Or maybe what I read is false. My pediatrician said the real problem with peanut allergies is that they tend to stay with a person their whole life... you can outgrow other allergies, he said.

    In any case, my son has been eating nut butters for a long time.
    If at first you don't succeed, laugh as you set it ablaze!

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    Default nuts

    What I have picked out from the literature on allergies is that babies, newborns really (possibly fetuses) exposed to minute amounts of proteins over a period will then develop antibodies to these antigens and when later- months or years, the child is exposed to a meal of the antigen: bang, anaphylactic shock. The famous example of this is peanut oil in a popular nipple cream that led to a number of sudden toddler deaths. Waiting a few more years before heavy exposure to the antigen lets the severity of the reaction diminish.
    For my child I just avoided early exposure to food completely. Breastfed exclusively till 4 months. Just small tastes of fruit and veg till about 8 months then grain and by 10 months I was adding raw nutbutter. It was in my breastmilk anyway. General rule: new foods one at a time. By 2 yrs softer nuts (pecans cashew pistachio) were given working up to almond halves. As choking is a worry for young children, every bit of food was eaten sitting down with me present. Makes it quite social really and at 4 she doesn't have a problem stopping her play if she is actually hungry!

    It is worthwhile to read up on allergies and decide what you are comfortable with. Our family doesn't have asthma or excema so it wasn't such a worry.
    the only animal ingredient in my food is cat hair

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    Default Re: Vegan Mom needs advice

    I havent given nuts to my nearly 2 year old. I would rather wait till he gets a little older. I didnt give nuts to my eldest until he was at about 4. I was also told not to eat peanuts while pregnant. There is no history of peanut allergies in my family so i am not to worried, just my little one has a habit of not chewing things properly. I watched him eating a mini breadstick yesterday and he only crunched it twice and swollowed it

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