Vegetarian and vegan toddlers: a balanced plate

Can toddlers be vegetarian or vegan?

Yes. The AAP says vegetarian diets are healthy for children as long as they get the key nutrients they need, and that a plant-based diet including eggs and dairy gives children what they need for healthy growth. An egg- and dairy-free vegan diet can also be healthy and complete, if sources of vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, vitamin D and iron are maximized (AAP).

Vegan diets need the most planning. The AAP recommends that a child only follows a vegan diet after talking with your pediatrician, because vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, vitamin A, calcium, zinc and riboflavin can all run short.

This guide is for children aged 1 to 3. For the first year, including milk choices and starting solids, see vegetarian and vegan babies.

Build every meal around protein

The AAP warns that some children who stop eating meat just eat more bread or pasta, which fills them up without giving them balanced nutrition. A vegetarian plate needs a protein food every time.

• Beans, lentils, peas, peanuts and soy help make sure children get enough protein (AAP). Vegan children may need more of these than other children (AAP).
• The NHS suggests at least 2 portions a day of protein from vegetable sources (beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu) or 1 from animal sources such as eggs.
• Good choices: soft tofu, tempeh, soft-cooked lentils, mashed or flattened chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and edamame, hummus, well-cooked egg, and dairy like yogurt and cheese.
• Go easy on meat substitutes. The AAP notes that many are loaded with salt, oil and preservatives.

Plant foods are filling. The NHS says not to give under-2s only wholegrain starchy foods, because fiber can fill them up before they get enough energy. Add energy with foods like mashed avocado, smooth nut or seed butter spread thinly (such as peanut butter or tahini), and a little oil in cooking.

Iron

Toddlers aged 1 to 3 need 7 mg of iron a day (NIH). Iron from plants isn’t absorbed as well as iron from meat, so the NIH says vegetarians need almost twice as much, and the NHS says children who don’t eat meat or fish are more likely to lack iron, which can lead to anemia.

• Iron-rich foods: beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and soy, dark green vegetables like kale, broccoli and spinach, iron-fortified cereals, and ground seeds like sesame (tahini) and hemp (AAP, NHS).
• Add vitamin C at the same meal to help absorption (AAP, NIH): strawberries, orange, kiwi, mango, bell pepper or tomato.
• Don’t let milk crowd out food. The AAP says drinking large amounts of milk can lead to iron deficiency, because children become less interested in other foods. See cow’s milk at 12 months.

Don’t give iron supplements unless your doctor advises it: too much iron is harmful (AAP). See iron-rich first foods and iron deficiency.

Vitamin B12

B12 keeps blood and nerves healthy. Toddlers need 0.9 mcg a day (NIH). Plant foods have no B12 unless they’re fortified (NIH).

• Vegetarian toddlers who eat dairy and eggs usually get enough (AAP).
• Vegan toddlers need a reliable source every day. The AAP says vegan children should take a B12 supplement or eat fortified foods. The NHS says vegan sources are limited and a B12 supplement may be needed. Fortified options include some breakfast cereals, fortified unsweetened soy drinks, and fortified nutritional yeast or yeast extract (AAP, NHS).

Pick low-salt yeast extract and cereals with no added sugar (see salt and sugar for babies), and ask your doctor which supplement and dose to use.

Iodine

Iodine helps make thyroid hormones. Children aged 1 to 8 need 90 mcg a day (NIH). The best sources are dairy, eggs and seafood, so vegan children, and those who eat little dairy or eggs, may not get enough (NIH, NHS).

The NHS suggests iodine-fortified foods or an iodine supplement on a strict vegan diet, and says some soya and oat drinks are fortified: check the label. Too much iodine also causes thyroid problems, and the NIH upper limit for ages 1 to 3 is 200 mcg a day from all sources. Seaweed is generally rich in iodine and kelp supplements contain it (NIH), so ask your pediatrician or health visitor before giving any iodine or kelp supplement, or offering seaweed often.

Omega-3 fats

The omega-3 fats DHA and EPA come mainly from fish, so they’re low in vegetarian diets and absent from vegan ones, and the body turns only a small amount of plant omega-3 (ALA) into them (AAP, NIH). Toddlers need 0.7 g of ALA a day (NIH).

Good plant sources of ALA are flaxseed, chia and hemp seeds, walnuts, and canola (rapeseed) oil (AAP, NHS). For toddlers, offer seeds and nuts ground or as a smooth butter: try ground flaxseed cooked into porridge, ground chia seeds fully soaked into porridge or yogurt, ground hemp seeds stirred into food, or finely ground walnuts. Algal oil is a vegetarian omega-3 supplement (NIH); ask your doctor whether your child needs one.

Calcium, vitamin D and zinc

• Calcium. The NHS suggests at least 350 ml (12 oz) of milk a day for young children, or 2 servings of dairy foods. Vegan sources include fortified unsweetened soy drink, calcium-set tofu, tahini, beans, kale and broccoli (NHS, AAP). Spinach is a poor source, because the body can’t absorb much of its calcium (NHS, AAP).
• Vitamin D. The NHS recommends a daily 10 mcg vitamin D supplement for all children aged 1 to 4, as part of vitamin drops with vitamins A and C. The AAP says to keep giving 600 IU a day after age 1 if your child drinks less than 32 oz of milk. For vegan families, check that the vitamin D isn’t from an animal source (NHS).
• Zinc. Deficiency is rare, but levels can be lower in vegetarian children (AAP). Good sources are soy, beans, grains, cheese, ground seeds and nut butters (AAP).

A sample vegetarian day

Our own example, not a rule (see toddler portion sizes):

• Breakfast: iron-fortified oatmeal made with milk or fortified soy drink, with ground flaxseed cooked in, and mashed berries.
• Snack: plain full-fat yogurt (or fortified soy yogurt) with soft pear pieces.
• Lunch: lentil and vegetable soup with toast fingers and a little cheese or hummus.
• Snack: soft banana and a thin spread of peanut butter on toast.
• Dinner: tofu or flattened-bean stir-fry with soft-cooked broccoli and rice, and small pieces of orange with the membrane and seeds removed.

Water and milk (or a suitable fortified alternative) are the everyday drinks. See plant milks for toddlers and the toddler meal schedule.

Safety

Many plant staples are common allergens (soy, peanut, tree nuts, sesame) or choking risks. Never give whole or chopped nuts or seeds, or thick spoonfuls of nut butter: offer them ground or thinly spread (CDC, AAP, NHS). The CDC also lists whole beans as a choking hazard, so mash or squash beans, chickpeas and edamame as each food page shows. See allergens and safe food sizes and shapes.

When to talk to your doctor

Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor:

• before starting a vegan diet, to plan B12 and other supplements (AAP)
• if your child isn’t growing as expected, seems unusually tired or weak, or is slow to reach milestones (NIH); the AAP says your doctor may suggest a blood test for iron or B12
• if your child refuses most protein foods (see picky eating in toddlers)
• before adding any supplement beyond routine vitamin drops, so you don’t double up (NHS)

Where US and UK advice differs

• Whole nuts. The NHS says no whole nuts, including peanuts, under 5 years. The AAP says to keep nuts and seeds from children until 4 years or older. Ground nuts and thinly spread nut butter are fine in both.
• Routine vitamins. The NHS recommends daily vitamins A, C and D for all children from 6 months to 5 years. The AAP says vitamin D (600 IU a day) for toddlers who drink less than 32 oz of milk, and to ask your pediatrician about other supplements. In both countries, B12 for vegan children is extra.
• Plant drinks. The NHS says you can give unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drinks from the age of 1 as part of a healthy, balanced diet. US advice on which plant drinks can replace cow’s milk differs: see plant milks for toddlers. Whichever you choose, the NHS says no rice drinks under 5, because of arsenic.