Many people think that parents who are vegan force their kids to choose the same lifestyle. However, this isn’t the case. Mamas and papas who don’t eat animal products are just there to explain to their young ones why they think vegan diets are better for them. Both health- and ethics-wise. So, if you’re looking to feed your kids a vegan diet, we’ll introduce you to some effective tips and tricks.
Always Include a Plant-Based Meal
The first step to making sure your vegan diet is safe and healthy for your young ones is to include plants. They don’t include any meat, eggs, honey, or milk which is what you’re looking for if you’re a vegan. Nevertheless, plant-based foods include five groups. These are fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes.
When it comes to fruits, your diet should include the likes of apples, lemons, oranges, bananas, berries, and grapes. Veggies, on the other hand, should consider corn, peas, peppers, kale, etc. For tubers, you can always count on potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables. And lastly, for grains and legumes, your kids can enjoy cereals and beans.
The pros of these foods are many. Yet, we’ll mention just a few of them so that we can move on. Namely, a plant-based diet is good for weight management and disease prevention, and, most importantly, it leaves a light environmental footprint.
Be Consistent With the Preparations
Next up, we need to talk about consistency. If you want a vegan diet for kids, it’s best to keep at it while preparing such food. This is the only way to make it a habit for them. Otherwise, they might find it interesting for a while but continue preferring meat, milk, and other animal-based foods. So, how can you do this?
The easiest way is to find recipes that are both fun to prepare and taste great. Luckily, there are tons of them online, and a fast Google search will help you pick them up in no time. After all, vegan options for kids shouldn’t be frustrating. They should, instead, be fun and enjoyable, as they are the best way to introduce them to youngsters.
Make Variations in Their Meals
We’ve mentioned that plant-based foods include five groups. So, you should always make sure that you combine all of them when preparing food for your kids. And not just because of their health benefits! It’s also about keeping things different, so that you never bore your children with the same old, same old.
From easy meals that take up to 30 minutes to prepare to stews, humus, sweets, and morning kick-starters, there are a whole host of meals to keep things varied. Again, just like being consistent, changing things from time to time will keep your kids engaged. It will also reduce the risk of them going back to eating meat and other animal foods.
Always Encourage Kids With Their Achievements
The two most important facts about vegan diets for kids are health and environmental benefits. It’s always a good choice to influence your children to eat and live the right way, and being vegan is all that. Plant sources of food are great for heart health. They help manage weight properly and even fight type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, the environment is critical too. Not only do vegetarian and vegan diets benefit total water consumption, but they also affect waste management. Furthermore, eating plants reduces greenhouse emissions. And since we all know how bad things are climate-wise, why not bring forth a new and better generation in our kids.
Short Disclaimer
Before we conclude this plant-based story, we should mention that you shouldn’t force anything on your children. Not only should they have free choice when it comes to their lifestyles, but you should also know that not all diets suit all people. In fact, we recommend that you speak with a certified doctor before you turn your kids onto plants.
The best way to do so is to speak with a doctor or a nutritionist. Their field of work is all about diets, so they will know what kind of vitamin intake your boys and girls should eat. Additionally, they will have previous knowledge with vegan foods, making them the only experts when it comes to this topic. Trust their knowledge before anyone else, and you’ll soon be feeding your kids a vegan diet they’ll enjoy!
