Dear Lesley: Vegan: fad or healthy?

In my opinion, being vegan is not a fad even though eating vegan foods may be trendy at the moment. A plant-based diet is high in carbohydrates, low in fat, and is packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. A vegan diet can support and/or improve one’s health. How something is made, preserved, and what is used in preparation is what will determine how healthy it is as with any type of food you eat.

You said your child wants to go vegan and as a parent who supports exploration, discuss with them why they believe going vegan is a good idea for them. After discussing the reason for their decision, encourage critical thinking and objectively research, analyze, and evaluate the pros and cons of veganism. After you have listened to them and you both have analyzed what going vegan means and requires, you could build their confidence to explore their decision in the way healthiest for their age, weight, gender, activity level, and individual health needs which could include allergies.

I can understand your hesitation if you are not familiar with vegan eating. I incorporate vegan meals in my meal planning to maintain diversity in nutrients, create balance, and simply enjoy different kinds of yummy foods. I would suggest trying vegan meals at well-reviewed vegan restaurants as a slow introduction. A few more tips to consider include:

• Do your research. Make sure you understand your child’s nutritional needs.
• Meal planning is necessary. You want to make sure they are receiving adequate nutritional intake.
• Read labels on all packaged foods even if they are vegan and labeled plant-based, organic, or all natural. Read the ingredient list intently and review serving size, calories, added sugars, and fillers as you would with any packaged foods vegan or not.
• Balance is key. Nutritional adequacy cannot be achieved by eating vegan packaged foods only. Eat whole, fresh foods consistently. Supplement when necessary.
• Speak with your child’s pediatrician about their interest to change their eating habits.

Hopefully I have provided points for you to consider discussing with your child’s pediatrician and your child to help you decide how to approach this situation. Be encouraged.