Are you afraid that your valuable Oliver or Olivia may not fare properly in case you do not feed them animal merchandise? This worry has saved many mothers and households from going all-in on a vegan food plan, not simply within the U.S., however the world over as properly. The current cross-sectional research that was printed in Communications Drugs in 2025 gives contemporary proof that vegan diets can help wholesome progress in kids. This has been seen earlier than, however it’s good to see contemporary proof.
Vegan Children within the Czech Republic Are More healthy than Omnivore Children
Here is what the analysis group discovered within the Czech Republic, amongst households with kids who had adhered to their food plan since delivery. The analysis group interviewed 95 households. There have been 47 vegan households, 23 vegetarian and 25 omnivore households for a complete of 187 adults and 142 kids.
Whereas the vegan kids confirmed no vital variations in progress or bone well being in comparison with their vegetarian or omnivore friends, they did discover that urinary iodide ranges had been decrease within the vegan children. The vegan children had increased ranges of folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D than omnivores, partly on account of cautious supplementation. The authors concluded that, general, a well-planned vegan food plan was secure and useful for the youngsters, particularly for lipids and cardiovascular well being, because the vegan children had decrease complete and LDL ldl cholesterol than the opposite teams. Variations in progress had been attributed to household variations relatively than to food plan.
The one nutrient of concern was iodine, which may be simply optimized with dietary supplements.
Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics: Deliberate Vegan Food plan Wholesome for Children
It isn’t surprising to me to see this discovering, as this isn’t new science. In truth, the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics, previously generally known as the American Dietetic Affiliation, has endorsed vegan diets for youngsters for nearly a decade now. Of their 2016 place paper, they said this: “It’s the place of the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics that appropriately deliberate vegetarian, together with vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally enough, and will present well being advantages for the prevention and remedy of sure illnesses. These diets are applicable for all levels of the life cycle, together with being pregnant, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older maturity, and for athletes.”
Latest Research of Vegan Children Agree: Deliberate Vegan Diets are Wholesome
VegChi Food plan Examine
In a current weblog referred to as Wholesome, Glad and Plant-Based mostly: The Final Information for Mother and father, I highlighted the work from the VegChi Food plan Examine for 1 to 3-year-olds. On this German research, they in contrast 430 kids raised on vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets. They had been all rising high quality.
The vegan children had increased intakes of vitamin E, B1, folate, magnesium, and iron, whereas the omnivorous food plan offered extra vitamin B2, calcium, iodine, and DHA. All of them wanted extra vitamin D and iodine from dietary supplements.
VegChi Youth Examine
I additionally talked in regards to the VegChi Youth Examine, taking a look at well being outcomes of 6-18-year-olds in Germany. Power consumption was the identical for all of them, they usually all had adequate protein consumption. Folate ranges had been increased within the vegan children, however there have been no variations in hemoglobin, vitamin B2, vitamin D, HDL, ldl cholesterol, or triglycerides between the teams.
Technology R Examine
A research of three,340 kids within the Technology R research, based mostly within the Netherlands, discovered that kids ages 8 via 13 maintained wholesome physique composition from childhood via adolescence. After they adopted a healthful plant-based food plan, that they had higher nutrient intakes of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and copper—and a better fat-free mass index and a decrease physique fats proportion.
Meta-Evaluation of 59 Cross-Sectional Research of Youngsters on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
An Italian analysis group printed a meta-analysis of lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets in kids and adolescents in March 2025. They recognized 59 research together with 48,000 contributors, together with 7,000 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, about 1,300 vegans, and about 40,000 omnivorous kids. Nutrient consumption amongst these vegan kids was much like that present in different research—rather less power, protein, fats, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc than their omnivorous friends, but additionally extra fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium. (Not the entire kids in these research took dietary supplements.)
The vegan kids had been barely smaller and leaner. Iron deficiency and anemia had been a priority for vegetarians and vegans each, however this will likely have been extra in lower-income international locations with much less entry to fruit and veggies. Iron deficiency and anemia weren’t seen within the VegChi Examine or within the Czech Republic research. Iron is definitely obtained in a whole-foods plant-based food plan, with no problems with enough consumption or absorption.
General, vegetarian and vegan diets supported wholesome progress in kids who had been a bit leaner and fewer susceptible to being chubby; with a little bit of planning and supplementation, they did high quality.
4 Key Dietary supplements Wanted by Vegan Children and Most Different Children, Too
Now, a key phrase in there may be “appropriately deliberate,” or “particular steerage,” or “well-planned.” Phrases like that point out you may’t simply do it haphazardly.
There are simply 4 vitamins that you simply want to pay attention to: vitamin D, vitamin B-12, fish oil, and iodine. Of those 4, three of them additionally have to be supplemented on an omnivorous food plan. So do not feel unhealthy about taking dietary supplements on a vegan food plan. As a substitute of pondering your food plan is someway poor, reframe it: You’re really optimizing these vitamins by taking slightly little bit of care.
How the Donaldsons Do Dietary supplements
Here is how we did our children’ dietary supplements. As soon as per week, we took our “Sunday nutritional vitamins”, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Every single day, we gave them a capsule of fish oil and vitamin C, and we blended iodine into our morning smoothies. That was it. Tremendous easy to care for, just a bit little bit of planning and never very costly both. So we optimized these vitamins for our children and obtained all the advantages of a plant-based food plan. It’s a win-win state of affairs.
And it labored nice for us. Our children grew up with out allergic reactions, having loads of power, rising repeatedly, however not being chubby, and studying good habits about consuming entire, actual meals. They grew slightly slower throughout their progress spurts, however for longer via adolescence to succeed in their full potential.
Backside Line: You Can Increase Thriving Vegan Youngsters
While you mix all of this analysis along with the expertise of individuals you recognize or individuals who have been round you, you see that vegetarian and vegan diets are usually not simply secure for youths; they’ll present superior well being outcomes after they’re deliberate and well-balanced. Children develop up normal-sized, not like chubby Individuals, they usually thrive.
So ditch the worry and bounce in. It is high quality to be plant-based. In truth, you may be doing all of your children a favor. Calm down, have enjoyable, and luxuriate in your meals collectively.
