October | 2016 | legitmama

I am NOT a nutritionist, just a SAHM with a knack for research and a passion for health 🙂

This post is not meant as a persuasion to go vegan with your kids, it is simply the needs our babies need to grow and how I personally fulfill them with food examples.

There have been a few headlined stories of vegan parents whose baby was malnourished or even died. The real reason being because the parents did not feed them a proper variety diet, but of course the internet jumps to blame veganism.

I read through comments on comments about how cruel it is to raise a child vegan, how dangerous it is, and how there is no way they can get all the nutrients they need. I’m about to prove them wrong.

What I have found as a vegan mom, is that I tend to know more about what nutritional needs are and how to meet them versus other parents. Perhaps I have to worry more about it, since clearly there is a strong scrutiny against my lifestyle. Or maybe I am just more into health related things and know how certain foods can fuel and others can cause problems.

So here it is: some of your toddlers nutritional needs, and my examples of how I meet them. Please remember too, there is no need of “food groups”. Your child does not need meat, they DO need protein.

(The below vary slightly depending on weight) Calorie needs: 1000-1400

Iron: 7 milligrams

Calcium: 700 milligrams

Protein: about 13 grams

These three nutrients are met with just my daughters milk, Ripple Milk. It is a pea protein milk only found at Target. She gets three cups a day which gives her:

24 grams of protein, 135% of her calcium, and 75% of her iron.

I also mix her multivitamin ( I like Rainbow Light Nutristart) which adds in the extra 40% of her iron that she needs. SO 3 nutrients checked off 🙂

33-45 grams of fat

From her milk, she gets 15 grams of fat. I try and give her half an avocado a day which has 14 grams of fat.

She also loves Gardein Chicken Fingers. They are frozen and quick to make, so I like them too! 3 pieces adds 7 more grams of fat which gives her a total of 36 grams from milk, avocado, and Gardein Chicken Fingers.

So we are done with Protein, Calcium, Iron, and Fat and she hasn’t even finished eating for the day.

She is getting MORE than enough of her nutrients, and plenty of vitamins through food and her multivitamin. Which explains why she is growing physically and developmentally 🙂

Educate yourself on nutrition for yourself and your children. Look passed food groups, toddlers are picky and mine is no exception, so it will come in handy to know other foods that your baby can get the good stuff from.