10 Supportive Steps to Help Parents Gently Transition Kids to a Vegan Diet

2.6K

What’s the hardest food to give up when you go vegan?

Is it the fancy cheese that accompanied your glass of fine wine?

That Sunday morning omelet and bacon?

How about the obligatory Fourth of July hot dogs and burgers?

Those are tough, right? 

Now, imagine you’re 8. 

And every birthday party you attend is centered around cake and ice cream. Every school lunch table has cafeteria trays of chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. Every get-together you attend serves either pizza or burgers.

It’s hard for adults to pass up those “staples” of an American diet. 

Can we really expect our young, fragile, innocent offspring to do the same?

Abso-freaking-lutely!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

Why Do You Want Your Kids to Go Vegan Anyway?

When the mister and I found success after transitioning to a plant-based diet and decided to start a vegan lifestyle, the options were: 

1. Go vegan without the kids.
2. Don’t go vegan.
3. Encourage the kids to join the party.

#1 means making separate meals for everyone. And I don’t have time for that.

#2 wasn’t an option. We were at a crossroads with our health and something had to be done. 

#3 was the only way. 

After doing some research, the data we found only supported our decision. Dr. John McDougall, MD writes in his Forks Over Knives post titled Diet, Children, and the Future: 

“One in every three children in the US is now overweight or obese, and underneath all that extra body fat is sickness. Weight gain lays the foundation for type-2 diabetes. Sadly, one-third of all children born in the year 2000 are expected to develop diabetes during their lifetime. Additionally, artery disease (atherosclerosis), leading to strokes and heart attacks, and common cancers of the breast, colon and prostate, also begin in childhood. These trends have led to the conclusion that the current generation is expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.”

Dr. John McDougall, MD

GAH! How scary is that? 

But wait, all hope isn’t lost! 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website strongly recommends a plant-based diet:

“Children who are raised on healthful vegan diets have a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions. Adolescents raised on a plant-based diet often find they have an easy time maintaining a healthy weight. They also have fewer problems with acne, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems than their peers who eat animal products.”

Decision made. 

The whole family’s going vegan! 

Getting the kids on board, however, was bound to be more difficult. 

10 Steps to Gently Support Our Kids’ Transition to a Vegan Diet

Before talking to your kids, go through this list. Then spend some quiet time brainstorming how you want this process to look.

It took us a couple days and conversations before we came up with this 10-step plan. And as we followed it, we discovered it helped us compassionately address our kids’ concerns, and brought us one step closer to becoming the vegan family we are today.

Ready to get started? Don’t worry, we’ll walk through this together. 💗

1. Get Peace of Mind—Seek Professional Advice

Although the research online and in documentaries like Forks Over Knives or NutritionFacts.org is compelling, get information personalized to your kids. Get your doctor’s opinion.

Ask questions like this:

• “Is it safe for my kids to eat only plants?”
• “Are there any nutrients they aren’t getting on this diet? If so, how do I make sure they get them?”
• “Do they need special vegan kids vitamins? If so, what nutrients should I look out for?

Our doctor was excited—albeit shocked—with our decision to have the kids transition to a vegan diet. She said, “If you guys are able to maintain a plant-based diet, this really is the healthiest way to eat.”

Relieved to have her support, she provided us with the exact amount of all the nutrients our kids require and even reviewed our supplements to ensure the vitamins met the kids’ needs.

Getting a professional’s opinion grants you some serious peace of mind. If your doctor isn’t knowledgeable about eating plant-based, do as much research as you can from reputable sources to ensure your kids get the nutrients they need. 

2. Hold a Family Meeting.

If your kids are old enough to notice a change in their diet—my older two were 5 and 8—then walk them through what’s about to go down. They need to hear what will change and how you’ll support them along the way.

Find a time to hold a family meeting. Then, talk about this in an age-appropriate way:

• Share your “why.” You’re concerned for their health and want them to live a long, happy life. You wish to protect the environment and want them to have a beautiful and clean space to play. You empathize with animals and are sad about how animals are treated in order to provide food.
• Lay out how you’ll integrate this lifestyle into your lives.
• Be sensitive to their feelings and answer their questions honestly. If you don’t know the answers, tell them you will figure it out together, as a family.

Remember, keep this age-appropriate. Don’t bore them with too many facts or give them nightmares with the harsh truths of how animals suffer.

This won’t be a one-and-done talk. They’ll have plenty of questions now and in the future.

If you need help with this step, check out how we told our kids we were switching to a vegan diet.

3. Up Your Meal Plan and Food Prep Game.

As parents, we’re busy people. If we want something to become a habit, we need to make it simple and attainable.

As we near our 2nd Veganniversary, here’s what works for our family:

• Build up a list of about 21 plant-based, vegan meals for kids (and you!). This list includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Refer to that list when you plan your weekly meals. (And yes, vegan frozen meals can be on that list, too!) Here are 7 easy vegan family dinners and 15 vegan lunches for kids we relied on in the early months.
• Doctor up recipes that your kids already know and love. Make them vegan by taking out the cheese or meat, subbing the milk with a plant-based milk, and adding more fruits and veggies.
• Don’t forget to consider snacks in your food prep. Making cut fruit and vegetables and vegan crackers or peanut butter easily accessible will help kids make quick decisions about what to eat on-the-go and at snack time.

Sticking to the same list of menu options makes transitioning to a vegan diet a little less overwhelming. Once you get the hang of those, it becomes easier to introduce new vegan meals for kids. If you want more inspiration, here’s what our vegan family eats in a day.

4. Get Creative and Have Fun.

With the popularity of plant-based diets rising, there’s a lot of resources available to assist busy parents.

• Bring a few plant-based replacement foods home so your kids can try something new, like Beyond Burgers. There’s also lots of crackers, chips, cereals and bars that can replace the snacks they used to eat.
• There are loads of vegan Pinterest boards. Search vegan meals for kids and get creative with the food you place in front of your family.
• Veganize your old family recipes. We did that with our sugar cookies recipe and they came out delicious!
• Search out new vegan options on local restaurant menus.

Like many families, vegetables are our greatest struggle. If there’s a veggie they don’t care for, I don’t push it. We find one they enjoy, and throw that into the mix and revisit the other one later.

If the kids see you having fun with this, it’ll be contagious, and they’ll have fun too.

5. Make this a Family Thing.

Include your kids as much as possible as you fine-tune this lifestyle.

This may have been your (or your partner’s) decision, but that doesn’t mean you guys have to go it alone. Include the kids! They are excellent problem solvers if you invite them to brainstorm a solution. 

• Ask them to help you cook or bake. When my kids and I decided to do an experiment and bake cookies with a flaxseed egg for the first time, it turned out to be a fun bonding experience.
• Enlist their help when you’re planning a party or an event. Although I hadn’t baked a vegan cake before, we talked about what they wanted for their birthday cake. Together, we worked out what replacements to use and how it would differ from what we ate before we were vegan.
• Create family experiences that involve this new lifestyle. Take the kids to a vegan restaurant. Visit vegan food festivals like the Vegan Exchange in North Hollywood.

If you’re like us, and this process is as new to you as it is the kids, seeing all the plant-based options available is exciting—especially when we discover it as a family.

6. Prepare Them for Meals Outside the Home.

Prepare your kids for situations and environments that don’t have plant-based options readily available, like parties, restaurants and the school cafeteria. Do this by identifying what’s not vegan on the plate and offering solutions for these situations.

Here are some suggestions:

• Cheese or meat on the plate? Scrape it off. 
• No vegan-friendly meal items? Order sides like a potato, salsa, avocado, steamed veggies and beans. Or wait until you get home. Or find something to eat at another local diner. We use HappyCow and PETA to find eateries with vegan menu options.
• No vegan kids meals? Order regular menu options that are plant-based instead. Then split them amongst the kids.
• If your kids are older, show them how to read the nutrition facts and ingredients on labels. Most labels will say “Contains: Milk,” for example.

Our kids’ biggest complaint is missing out on the perks of kids meals: dessert, juice, toys, etc. But we order them a vegan drink or dessert and they’re happy.

The important thing here is to help kids spot and avoid animal products in food so that when you aren’t with them, they can find ways to eat plant-based.

7. Show Them They’re Not Alone.

One of our kids’ first questions when we told them we were transitioning to a vegan diet was, “Will the rest of the family go vegan too?”

My in-laws switched soon after we did, but otherwise, we don’t know many people who eat like us. And that can be a lonely feeling for me as an adult. I can only imagine how my kids feel about it when they eat at the lunch tables surrounded by yogurt, corn dogs, cookies and chocolate milk.

Show your kids they aren’t alone in this endeavor.

• Take them to vegan events or markets.
• Tell them about all of the celebrities and athletes who eat a plant-based diet.
• Watch family friendly vegan YouTubers like Ghetto Vegans.
• If they want to learn more, show them PETA Kids, and find vegan kids books that are appropriate for your children.

Researching other vegans can help you feel less lonely as well. You may want to sign up for a PETA mommy mentor. Mine offers advice and it’s comforting to confide in a fellow vegan parent.

Share the plant-based, vegan movement with your kids and they’ll see that rather than being alone in this, they’re actually leaders.

8. Compromise.

Let’s be real. Our kids will attend birthday parties, team celebrations and other events. And it’s more than likely that there won’t be a vegan cake at that party. Or chips that don’t have that cheese powder on them. Or a plant-based burger, pizza or hot dog.

It’s going to happen. Guaranteed.

So, what are your options?

• Bring replacement food.
• Wait to eat until after you leave.
• Let them eat cake.
• Don’t go to the party.

Every time we’re in this situation, we do something different. But, we always have a discussion with our kids beforehand. And together, we come to a compromise.

And one day, because I was pressed for time and wasn’t able to bake ahead, we decided they could eat a cupcake at a party.

*GASP*

Sure, it’s not ideal, but at the end of the day, I’m a busy mom of three who has to be realistic, compassionate and understanding. And just because this works for my family doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for yours.

But don’t beat yourself up if you slip up—we’re human, we’re going to make mistakes. What matters is that you stay true to your mission and do the best your can.

9. Listen and Acknowledge Your Kids’ Feelings.

What do you do when kids yell, “I hate being vegan!” or “I wish we were never vegan!”?

Realize you’ll be uncomfortable.

Here’s how to tackle this:

• Listen.
• Avoid being authoritative or shying away from challenging topics.
• Acknowledge feelings.
• When they’re calm, remind them of your family’s “why.”

For example, My oldest came home from school in a terrible mood because he wanted a cheeseburger at school.

I acknowledged his feelings: It’s hard when everyone eats something you like and you can’t eat it. Then I asked, “Remember how you get a stomach ache after eating cheese?” Then he said, “Yeah, since I’ve gone plant-based I also run much faster at PE.” Next I asked him, “How do you feel that no animals had to get hurt for your lunch today?”

Knowing his decisions didn’t harm any animals brought a smile to his face.

It’s not always like this. In most conversations, I listen to the kids and don’t say anything except to express my understanding for how they feel. Then I wait and see what they need next. (Maybe a hug or another venting session.)

Engage in discussions and be sensitive to your child’s woes to help them feel their concerns are heard and they aren’t alone.

10. Revisit Your Family’s “Why” and Celebrate Your Success.

We can’t shelter our kids from what their peers eat, but if we remind them about our “why”—our reasons for making this change, it helps them remember why we’re doing this.

Recall why you went vegan and the benefits you’ve experienced so far:

• According to PETA, in one month, each person saves about 8 animals by eating plant-based. So our family saves 40 animals every month!
• By avoiding animal products, we help our environment.
• By eating a plant-based diet, we do what’s best for our bodies. Dr. Michael Greger’s words continue to make our decision easy:

“By age 10, nearly all kids have fatty streaks in their arteries. This is the first sign of atherosclerosis, the leading cause of death in the United States. So the question for most of us is not whether we should eat healthy to prevent heart disease, but whether we want to reverse the heart disease we may already have.”

Dr. Michael Greger

By revisiting our “why” for transitioning to a vegan diet, we create opportunities to showcase the positive results of our decision, rather than focus on what we’re missing out on.

Sure this Worked for You, but Can My Kids Go Vegan?

Imagine only cooking once for each meal. 

Imagine watching your kids eat more fruits and vegetables.

Imagine your family working towards the same goal—transitioning to a vegan diet as a team. Celebrating the wins together, learning from the mistakes, and bonding along the way. 

If my three kids—who were adamant about eating all things dairy, professed cheeseburgers to be their favorite meal, and asked for bacon on a daily basis—can go vegan, so can yours!

Getting your kids to eat a vegan diet isn’t impossible, but it will take a consistent and concerted effort, and loads of support from you. These steps have brought our family success. We hope they do the same for you!

Stay mindful, even when your mind’s full,
~Chelsea