Are you afraid that your valuable Oliver or Olivia may not fare effectively when 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 effectively. The current cross-sectional research that was revealed in Communications Drugs in 2025 offers recent proof that vegan diets can assist wholesome progress in kids. This has been seen earlier than, nevertheless it’s good to see recent proof.
Vegan Children within the Czech Republic Are More healthy than Omnivore Children
This is what the analysis crew discovered within the Czech Republic, amongst households with kids who had adhered to their food plan since beginning. The analysis crew 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 important variations in progress or bone well being in comparison with their vegetarian or omnivore friends, they did discover that urinary iodide ranges have been decrease within the vegan children. The vegan children had increased ranges of folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D than omnivores, partly because of cautious supplementation. The authors concluded that, general, a well-planned vegan food plan was protected and useful for the kids, 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 have been attributed to household variations fairly than to food plan.
The one nutrient of concern was iodine, which may be simply optimized with dietary supplements.
Academy of Diet and Dietetics: Deliberate Vegan Weight-reduction plan Wholesome for Children
It isn’t stunning to me to see this discovering, as this isn’t new science. The truth is, the Academy of Diet and Dietetics, previously often called the American Dietetic Affiliation, has endorsed vegan diets for kids for nearly a decade now. Of their 2016 place paper, they acknowledged this: “It’s the place of the Academy of Diet and Dietetics that appropriately deliberate vegetarian, together with vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally sufficient, and will present well being advantages for the prevention and therapy of sure illnesses. These diets are applicable for all phases of the life cycle, together with being pregnant, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older maturity, and for athletes.”
Current Research of Vegan Children Agree: Deliberate Vegan Diets are Wholesome
VegChi Weight-reduction plan Research
In a current weblog known as Wholesome, Completely satisfied and Plant-Based mostly: The Final Information for Dad and mom, I highlighted the work from the VegChi Weight-reduction plan Research for 1 to 3-year-olds. On this German research, they in contrast 430 kids raised on vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets. They have been all rising superb.
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 Research
I additionally talked concerning the VegChi Youth Research, taking a look at well being outcomes of 6-18-year-olds in Germany. Power consumption was the identical for all of them, and so they all had ample protein consumption. Folate ranges have 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 Research
A research of three,340 kids within the Technology R research, primarily based within the Netherlands, discovered that kids ages 8 by way of 13 maintained wholesome physique composition from childhood by way of 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 share.
Meta-Evaluation of 59 Cross-Sectional Research of Kids on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
An Italian analysis group revealed 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 individuals, together with 7,000 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, about 1,300 vegans, and about 40,000 omnivorous kids. Nutrient consumption amongst these vegan kids was just like that present in different research—rather less vitality, 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 have been barely smaller and leaner. Iron deficiency and anemia have been a priority for vegetarians and vegans each, however this may increasingly have been extra in lower-income nations with much less entry to vegatables and fruits. Iron deficiency and anemia weren’t seen within the VegChi Research or within the Czech Republic research. Iron is definitely obtained in a whole-foods plant-based food plan, with no problems with sufficient consumption or absorption.
General, vegetarian and vegan diets supported wholesome progress in kids who have been a bit leaner and fewer liable to being chubby; with a little bit of planning and supplementation, they did superb.
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’ll be able to’t simply do it haphazardly.
There are simply 4 vitamins that you just want to concentrate on: 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 in some way poor, reframe it: You might be really optimizing these vitamins by taking just a little little bit of care.
How the Donaldsons Do Dietary supplements
This is how we did our youngsters’ dietary supplements. As soon as every week, we took our «Sunday nutritional vitamins», vitamin D and vitamin B12. Each 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 youngsters and bought 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 allergy symptoms, having loads of vitality, rising commonly, however not being chubby, and studying good habits about consuming complete, actual meals. They grew just a little slower throughout their progress spurts, however for longer by way of adolescence to succeed in their full potential.
Backside Line: You Can Elevate Thriving Vegan Kids
Whenever you mix all of this analysis along with the expertise of individuals or individuals who have been round you, you see that vegetarian and vegan diets should not simply protected for youths; they will present superior well being outcomes once they’re deliberate and well-balanced. Children develop up normal-sized, not like chubby Individuals, and so they thrive.
So ditch the worry and bounce in. It is superb to be plant-based. The truth is, you will be doing all of your children a favor. Chill out, have enjoyable, and luxuriate in your meals collectively.
