I've written this post to help show other parents out there how simple it can be to raise a child on a plant based diet. In particular I'm referring to feeding a Vegan Toddler.
By the time I became pregnant in 2017 I was already Vegan. However, I felt at a bit of a loss as to what I should be feeding my baby once weaning age came. It was all still quite new to me at the time and I had the usual worries about making sure I was going to meet all my babies nutritional needs.
Thankfully, 2 and ½ years later, and after A LOT of googling, reading, and some trial and error, I now feel a lot more confident about what he eats.
Here is a run down of what my vegan toddler ate during one particular week.
I hope this gives you some encouragement and confidence to start introducing more plant based meals in to your families repertoire.
Monday
- Breakfast - Healthy Loaded Weetabix Medley
1 x Weetabix, 2 tablespoon quinoa flakes, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and plant milk. Once added to the bowl I leave it to sit for a couple of minutes whilst I prepare the toppings, allowing the plant milk to be soaked up. Once ready I mash it all together with a tablespoon almond butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Toppings for Weetabix today consist of blueberries, sliced banana & hemp seeds - Lunch - Hummus & Spinach Sandwich with sliced veggies
2 x slices of wholemeal seeded bread, plain hummus & finely chopped spinach. Served alongside sliced cucumber and red peppers - Dinner - Harissa Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans, Kiwi and Grapes
A serving of our Green Beans and Potatoes with Harissa Pesto and Cashew Cream.
2 x kiwis and a bowlful of grapes - Snacks - Salted Caramel Date Bar, 2 nectarines & 2 Satsumas
Tuesday
- Breakfast - ½ Watermelon and 1 x Mango, sliced
- Lunch - Satay Noodles
Wholewheat noodles, homemade satay sauce, finely sliced courgette, peppers, spinach and carrot - Dinner - Homemade Sweet Potato Wedges, Corn on the Cob & Olives
Sweet potato wedges sprinkled with smoked paprika and garlic granules, unbuttered corn, and a handful of olives - Snacks - Pomegranates, blackberries and 2x bananas
1 x Tub pomegranate seeds, a few handfuls of freshly picked local blackberries from a walk we went on, and 2 bananas sliced lengthways and topped with almond butter and hemp seeds
Wednesday
- Breakfast - Mango and Greens Smoothie
1 Banana, 1 cup frozen mango, 1 handful frozen kale, ½ teaspoon spirulina, 2 medjool dates, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed & plant milk. Blended together until smooth - Lunch - ½ Watermelon, ½ honeydew melon, punnet of raspberries, 1 pear
- Dinner - Courgette & Pepper Pasta
Diced courgette & red pepper, thyme, basil, chopped tomatoes & lemon juice, served with lentil spaghetti & topped with cashew and hemp parmesan - Snacks - Cucumber, baked satay tofu bites
Firm tofu cut in to cubes, coated in leftover satay sauce from yesterdays noodles, and baked in the oven at 180c for 18 minutes until slightly crispy
Thursday
- Breakfast - Healthy Loaded Weetabix
1 x Weetabix, 2 tablespoon quinoa flakes, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and plant milk. (Preparation as per Mondays breakfast)
Toppings for Weetabix today consist of sliced banana, strawberries & a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds - Lunch - Hummus & Spinach Sandwich with sliced veggies
2 x slices of wholemeal seeded bread, plain hummus & finely chopped spinach. Served alongside sliced cucumber and red & yellow peppers - Dinner - Butternut squash mac & cheeze
Roasted butternut squash, blended with cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, miso paste and smoked paprika. Served mixed in to cooked lentil penne pasta and steamed broccoli florets - Snacks - 4 stuffed medjool dates, 1 slice of peanut butter & marmite on toast, 1 ½ satsumas
4 medjool dates, halved and stuffed with almond butter, and sprinkled with hemp seeds and cinnamon
1 slice of seeded wholemeal bread topped with peanut butter and marmite
Friday
- Breakfast - Berry Pancakes
Banana and flaxseed pancakes topped with maple cashew cream, fresh berries, and a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds - Lunch - Potato, lentil and spinach curry with rice and quinoa
1 x Potato, cubed and boiled, cooked in coconut milk with red lentils and chopped spinach, mild curry powder, veg stock and extra garam masala
50/50 White rice and quinoa - Dinner - Cauliflower & potato mash, carrots, corn on the cob
Steamed cauliflower and potato, mashed with 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, plant milk & vegan butter - Snacks - Raw Vegan chocolate caramel bar, 1 banana & tub of pomegranate seeds
Supplements
Given that a plant based diet is lacking in B12, and that my toddler doesn't always want to eat what I give him, I give him a Vegan friendly multivitamin.
We use Natures Aid Multivitamin Drops which I buy from Holland & Barrett*.
I also give him an iron supplement during weeks when eating gets particularly 'fussy'. I use Natures Aid*. This supplement comes in droplet form but the taste is very metallic so I often hide it in to smoothies.
*(Not an affiliate link, just what we use)
Other Vegan Toddler Recipes
For more meal inspiration take a look at some of my vegan toddler recipes:
Let us know what you think