A lot has already been discussed about the benefits of accepting vegan diets for adults. But what about the kids? Many think that a plant-based diet is not healthy for young ones? People find the lack of nutrition for kids while following a vegan nutrition plan while relying on barley, nuts, seeds, quinoa puffs , soy, and other sources. Well, all these are just myths that need to be busted.
Myths about plant-based diets for kids are not new. Several people opine that children might not get the proper nutrition, lack protein, and have stronger bones while consuming vegan food sources. As already said, these are all myths. And, we are here to debunk such kinds of top four plant-based diet myths for kids.
Children at a young age are full of innumerable energy and the zeal to indulge in so many physical and mental activities. Let your kid has enough power to focus on several tasks by keeping a close tab on proper nutrition. Protein is a relevant macronutrient for kids to get stronger muscles. It provides muscle repairing functionality after children got themselves hurt while playing inside or inside. Now, many people think plant-based food sources lack the level of protein in comparison with meat, chicken, or fish.
Well, it’s a myth. Vegan food sources have an equal or high protein content and nine essential amino acids. For example, 100 grams of cooked black beans provide 21 grams of protein and other nutrients. You can mix and match beans with vegan sandwiches, tortillas, and salads for kids to increase their protein intake. Not just this only, several seeds, nuts, peas, and other products offer much-required protein to kids.
Many parents are concerned about providing essential macronutrients to their growing kids. Children must consume a healthy stack of food that offers an adequate amount of Vitamin B12, iron, and Vitamin D. Each macronutrient plays an essential role in providing much-required energy, a healthy lifestyle, and other benefits.
Vitamin B-12 is imperative for the central nervous system to function properly, form red blood cells, and turn the food into energy. Iron is important to move oxygen to the lungs so that kids must not feel suffocated or have heavy breathing while playing. Moreover, Vitamin D supports bone growth and the overall development of children.
Taking all such imperative factors into account, a vegan diet for kids is the right choice to get it all. Sources like tempeh, nutritional yeast, fortified soy, almond milk, and more are Vitamin B-12 food products for kids. Even for getting iron and Vitamin D, you can include plantain tostones Canada , lentils, tofu, mushrooms, seeds, nuts, and more.
It is a myth that children who subscribe to a vegan diet experience malnourishment at a later stage. However, studies stated that a proper vegan diet plan provides all the required nutrition to kids. It also helps in their overall growth pattern physically and mentally.
Malnutrition can be seen only in underdeveloped children who follow a limited nutrition plan. It happens when children are not given a proper diet by their parents due to a lack of sources of money. As a result, kids appear leaner as compared to other children, feel a lack of energy, and have several diseases.
Quite the opposite, there are plenty of plant-based food sources available within budget and easy accessibility. It provides optimum nutrition to little ones, prevents malnutrition, obesity, chronic disease, and more.
You might have heard this, “cow milk is imperative for kids to grow and have strong bones”. While cow milk is a good source of calcium and protein. But vegan diet does not contain animal extract products. Instead, there are several plant-based milk options available for children to consume regularly. Quinoa, almond, walnut, soy, coconut, hemp, and several other varieties are available for little ones.
The mentioned ones are fortified non-dairy milk that consumes double the amount of calcium found in cow milk. Additionally, vegan milk options contain other nutrients as well like Vitamin D and K, phosphorus, protein, Omega-3, and more
Myths about plant-based diets for kids are common to hear around. Sometimes, makes it confusing for children to follow a healthy diet pattern. Refer to the above points to debunks all the myths and strategically follow a nutritional-rich vegan diet. Also, consume crunchy and low-calorie healthy snacks obtained from a pioneer brand like Ojas Vegan.
