Can there be babies out there who are brought up on Vegan diet since they are born?
Well, recent findings indiciate there are parents who are brining up their children on a vegan based diet.
A favourite meal is lentil curry with rice or sweet potato mash, and you’ll never see vegan babies pulling a ‘yuck’ face when given a veggie stir-fry.
Parents are serving there children vegan based diet as thats all they are being introduced to . Toddler staples such as chicken nuggets, fish fingers or boiled egg and soldiers have never made their way on to their plate.
However Vegan parents explain their decision to feed their children a plant-based diet raises eyebrows. Is it morally right, or even healthy, to enforce such a strict eating regime on a growing child, they have been asked.
One parent claimed
‘I’ve had people accuse me of child abuse, and had comments such as, “You should let him have the choice to eat meat,” and, “He won’t grow properly,”’
However its been noted that these babies appear as fully healthy.
Even so, vegan parents are been stigmatised and have lost friends. ‘I’ve lost three friends who don’t agree with what they see as my “militant” ways. They were vile on social media, too, telling me I’d make my baby ill and that I’m denying him a choice in life.
‘It’s interesting because my view is that I didn’t have a choice as a child. I was given meat and fish to eat and told to clean my plate. I expect Dylan to be curious and maybe even rebellious about meat in the future. I hope he understands why he’s vegan, and I will try not to freak out if he tries meat and dairy when he’s older.’
There are an estimated 3.5 million vegans in the UK — 7 per cent of the population — who eschew meat, fish, dairy and any other products that derive from the killing of an animal or from agricultural practices that exploit living creatures.
This includes honey and foods containing such ingredients as gelatine or animal fats.
Food manufacturers have also responded to soaring demand for vegan foods, with companies such as Babease and Piccolo offering vegan food for little ones. But while there are milk alternatives for adults, there is still no vegan baby formula milk in the UK.
Nevertheless just how safe is it to raise a child as a vegan and is it really possible for them to get the vital nutrients they need? While many experts note that a vegan diet can be perfectly healthy for children, they also warn that it must be done properly.
A study of veganism in children at University College London concluded that a lack of nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, zinc and high-quality protein (found in meat and dairy) can lead to malnutrition and ‘irreversible damage’ to their nervous systems.
Professor Fewtrell claimed ‘It is difficult to ensure a healthy and balanced vegan diet in young infants. The risks of getting it wrong can include irreversible cognitive damage and, in the extreme, death.
‘A wholefood vegan diet is typically low in fat and high in fibre, and essentially low in calories, which has the potential to affect how much energy and nutrients children are able to consume.
‘When reviewing the diet of a vegan child, I scrutinise it to ensure it includes the nutrients which are essential for children — namely iron, calcium, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. They are harder to obtain from a vegan diet, so many youngsters require supplements.
‘Iron deficiency can also impact on children’s weight, appetite and energy, and increase the risk of coughs and colds.