Transcript Episode 15 - How Much Protein Do Vegan Kids Actually Need?

Karla Moreno-Bryce: When we think of protein we often think of it as a type of food group. Perhaps you learned about the food pyramid or at least have come across something similar to the food pyramid that depicts protein as an important source that should take place on your plate at each meal. And if you're not familiar with the food pyramid, it's basically a diagram in the shape of a pyramid that represents food servings for various food groups, protein being one of them. The food guide pyramid was first introduced in 1992 in the United states but since then it’s been updated a few times and now it’s called MyPlate. It's basically the same thing but the diagram now represents a plate rather than a pyramid. 

Society and particularly the meat and dairy industry have placed a lot of emphasis on this food group. They have led us to believe that without protein in our diet, we can’t survive. Or without enough protein, whatever that amount looks like, we can’t grow or build muscle. And while it's true that without protein our bodies wouldn't be able to function, this vast focus on protein makes us question if we’re actually providing enough protein to our growing vegan kids. 

Now, I’m not saying that protein is not important. It is important in our diet, especially in including a variety of plant foods that help meet our kids daily protein needs but what I’d like to point out in this episode is that protein isn’t nearly as important as others make it to be—at least for young children. It's not the most important nutrient or the one to primarily focus on because it's plentiful in so many plant foods. There's an abundance of protein that you and your family can meet through a variety of plant foods. 

So, in today's podcast, I'll be sharing a little bit about protein, answering the question whether your vegan kids need protein powder, and how you can feel reassured that your vegan kids are meeting their protein needs so you can feel confident in supporting their growth.

Alright, so protein is the term we use to describe a chemical substance. Meaning, protein is a molecule that is composed of smaller molecules called amino acids. And that’s actually what we eat. We consume the amino acids from plant foods that then our body makes into long chains of amino acids called proteins. A good way to describe it is if you think of a pearl necklace. The amino acids are each of the pearls then when strung together, they make a necklace or in this analogy, one protein. 

And our bodies have thousands of proteins where each has unique jobs to help our body function properly. We go into much more detail about the logistics of protein inside the Vegan Kids Nutrition Blueprint course but I just wanted to give you a bit of a background of what we actually mean when we talk about protein so we’re all on the same page. 

Alright, so let's talk about how much protein your vegan child actually needs. And the answer may surprise you. 

Because protein often takes a front seat in meals, it's perceived to need high amounts. But the reality is that young children don’t need as much as we think. When children eat a balanced diet and have adequate calories and carbohydrates from a variety of plant sources, they will likely meet their protein requirements. In fact, studies have shown that vegan kids meet or exceed their protein requirements. 

A study published in 2021 called the veCHI Youth Study looked at 401 German children and adolescents between the ages of 6 - 18 years old and examined dietary intake among vegetarian, vegan and omnivore children. The study found that the average protein intake exceeded the German reference values of 0.9 g/kg body weight/day in all diet groups. Meaning that regardless of the diet the child or teen was consuming, they exceeded their protein requirements. 

Children of all ages don’t need that much protein to support their growth and development. For growing children, focusing on calories is much more important to supporting their growth. And helping meet their calories is primarily met through carbohydrates and fat. Almost 60% of calories for a toddler between the ages of 1 - 3 years old should come from carbohydrates and about 40% of their calorie needs should come from fat. For children four years and older, 60% of their calorie needs should come from carbohydrate and 25-35% from fat. Only about 20% of their total calorie needs actually come from protein for both age groups. So, when you consider that percentage it’s much less than what we believe they need. 

In some cases, certain children or adolescents may require a bit more protein compared to their peers. For example, for young athletes who participate in sports or other arduous physical activity, they may benefit from some additional protein but not always. 

Studies have shown that young athletes consume two to three times their daily protein needs. So, even for kids who may benefit from more protein due to being an athlete, they don't actually need extra sources of protein in their diet. 

Now, this brings me to the topic of protein powder. Do vegan kids or young vegan athletes need protein powder in their diet? By now, I’m sure you might know the answer to this question. And that is that they actually don’t need protein powder. Unless your vegan child has a medical condition that requires the use of protein powder in their diet, young children don’t need it or benefit from its use. 

In fact, using protein powder in addition to their usual intake of protein sources throughout the day, may lead to them consuming more protein than what they need. And when your vegan child consumes more protein than what their body needs, their body doesn’t use this protein as a calorie source. Instead, the body translates it as excess calories and stores it typically in the form of fat. 

I’m sharing this not to bring fear or worried that you may be doing something wrong. On the contrary, I’m sharing this information so you can feel reassured that your vegan child may already be getting enough protein from their diet, afterall all plants have some amount of protein, just in different amounts. And offering them additional or more protein than what they need, such as using protein powder, doesn’t provide any benefit and isn’t always needed. 

Some of my top sources for meeting protein needs come from legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. Certain types of beans provide slightly more than others but for the most part beans are a great source of protein. Tofu, which is made from soybeans and falls under legumes, is one of my favorite foods for meeting protein requirements for children of all ages. It's a very versatile food that can be prepared in so many different ways and flavored differently too. A way that my family really enjoys tofu in our vegan family meals is by blending firm tofu into a sauce for vegan Mac & cheese or Alfredo sauce. It makes it so creamy. And you can find that recipe in the vegan kids cookbook. I'll leave the link in the show notes if you're interested in grabbing a copy. 

Now if your vegan child is allergic to tofu, there's other legumes like beans and lentils that can meet your child's protein needs. So, tofu isn't the only source of protein, it's just a favorite for me because it can be prepared in many ways for vegan kids. And also tends to be a preferred food for the majority of vegan kids and teens. 

While legumes are going to offer greater amounts of protein in your child’s diet, grains also help meet their daily protein needs. These foods can include quinoa, farro, brown rice, and buckwheat just to name a few. We do a lot of rice in our family meals but I like to add a variety of grains in our diet by buying buckwheat soba noodles from time to time. We typically eat this as a cold noodle dish with tofu, veggies, and a peanut sauce and it’s so good. It’s a favorite noodle dish for Camila and also works as a great option for her school lunch. 

I know that making sure your kids are getting all their protein needs in their meals is important to you. By including a variety of plant-based foods from legumes, grains, nuts and seeds throughout the day, you’ll give your vegan child the opportunity to help meet their protein needs and additional vitamins and minerals. Don’t feel like you have to meet a specific amount at each meal or that your child has to eat a specific portion to meet their protein requirements. Approaching meal times this way creates more stress than you need when it comes to feeding your family. 

I remember working with Tanya, I’m going to change their name here for privacy, but we worked together a few years ago when I was doing private coaching. And her type of work required her to be very analytical. Naturally, she transferred this to how she fed her toddler at the time. She wanted to measure every portion and then calculate how much of that amount her toddler actually ate to determine how much protein was actually met during that meal. 

Tanya just wanted to feel reassured, so I understand why she would want to continue with that approach at meal times. But this led to feeling stressed because if and when her toddler didn’t eat enough of their sources of protein, she felt worried her toddler wasn’t getting the right amounts. So, while it can be very tempting to measure portion sizes and to know how much our vegan kids are getting from that food or meal, it’s not something that I would recommend for you. 

Because at the end of the day, I know you want to go to bed knowing that you provided the best meals for your kids to meet their daily nutrient needs without worrying if you missed something or if they got enough. And how you can accomplish that in a way that’s more approachable and stress-free is to consider serving meals that have a variety of foods. In doing so, you help meet your vegan kids protein needs without sacrificing your time or mental energy in feeling concerned whether you’re doing enough to meet their nutritional requirements. 

And knowing how to include a variety of foods so that you meet all of the key nutrients for your kids is laid out for you inside the Vegan Kids Nutrition Blueprint program. You’ll learn exactly how much protein your child needs at each age—whether they’re 9 months old or 6 years old, you’ll also know what plant foods provide protein, and how much protein they each provide. In addition, you’ll know this information for all other nutrients like calcium, iodine, zinc, iron, vitamin d, and vitamin b12 so that you feel confident feeding your vegan child at each stage of their growth. Come join me inside the Blueprint program so you can stop questioning if you’re doing things right. 

Alright my friend, I hope that today’s episode helped you feel a bit more at ease that what you’re already doing and providing for your vegan kids is more than enough in meeting their protein needs. Remember, when you focus on meeting their calorie needs, they’re more likely to meet or exceed their protein needs. I’ll talk to you in the next episode. Bye for now.