When it comes to feeding our vegan kids, we want to provide them nourishing meals that support their growth and development. We want to ensure that the meals and plant-based foods we serve meet their nutritional needs. 

However, sometimes certain questions and uncertainties come up about specific plant foods. Questions like: “Are processed meat alternatives healthy for vegan kids?”, “Can babies eat beyond meat”, or “What are good meat substitutes for plantbased children?”. 

These are actual questions that have come up when working with vegan parents and I can understand having these questions. 

One one hand, we just want to ensure that what we provide to our vegan children meets their nutritional needs so that they thrive on a vegan diet. And on the other hand, we’re unsure if offering “processed” meat alternatives is the healthiest option for our vegan kids. Our culture emphasizes and almost idealizes wholesome, unprocessed food and (sometimes) diminishes the value of anything that is merely considered “processed”. It’s engraved in diet culture and for many of us, it’s challenging to not listen to these beliefs. But there are different foods that are considered processed and not all are created equal. 

What are processed meat substitutes?

Many of us have a clear idea of what meat substitutes are but just so that we are all on the same page, I want to give a few examples of what these are and also define the word “processed”. 

A plant food is considered a processed food when it has gone through any sort of alteration. As defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a food is considered to be processed if has been washed, cut, trimmed, milled, cooked, heated, canned, mixed, packaged or any other additives or substances that changes the flavor or nutrient profile of that particular food (2). There are a wide variety of “processed” foods and to different degree of processing we can find today in the grocery store from frozen vegetables, packaged fresh fruit, and even salad dressings. Processed foods are not all created equal and it extends to beyond crackers and cookies that we may think of.

So, while meat substitutes are considered processed foods, that doesn’t necessarily indicate to us as a vegan parent to completely eliminate these foods from our family’s diet. Just because a plant food is ‘processed’, doesn’t mean it’s ‘bad’ for our growing vegan children.

Now more than ever, there are numerous vegan meat substitutes that we can find at our local grocery store—each with a few pros and cons. And that’s what I would like to talk about here so that you can make an informed decision for your vegan family. But more than anything, so that you don’t have to fear or question whether it is okay or safe to offer meat alternatives to your vegan kids.

Are meat alternatives healthy for children?

Many vegan parents I work with often want to include some sort of a meat alternative in their child’s diet. This is for convenience, trying something new, or simply to meet a specific nutrient requirement like protein. 

Whatever reason you choose to offer vegan meat substitutes to your vegan kids, know that it’s okay. It’s your choice and you get to decide what and how these foods become part of your meal planning for you and your vegan family. So, it’s not so much about whether these plant foods are “healthy” or not, it’s more about feeding your family in a way that fits your meal planning lifestyle and knowing you’re contributing to reducing harm to animals. 

There are just a few things to consider that I want to share with you so that you feel confident about your decision in serving meat alternatives or other similar vegan options to your vegan kids.

1. Not all meat alternatives are created equal

   With vegan options becoming more and more popular these days, there are a variety of meat substitutes on the market today. However, they are not all created equal. Some meat alternatives for kids and families are made with legumes, grains, and vegetables. Others are primarily made from soy protein isolate or soy protein concentrate, vital wheat gluten, pea protein concentrate, cooking oils, and other natural flavors. So, rather than trying to find the “healthiest” option for your vegan family, I encourage you to simply consider what your vegan kids will enjoy. Choosing an option from this angle will help you feel more confident in feeding your kids, knowing that you’re still supporting their growth while also fulfilling their taste profile.
   
   My family personally enjoys the veggie burgers from Sweet Earth Enlightened Foods. They are primarily made from vegetables, several grains and vital wheat gluten. But we also enjoy other meat alternatives like the Plant-Based Chik’n Patties from 365 brand and the Plant-Based Deli Slices and Plant-Based Sausages from Tofurky.  Again, these three brands I mentioned are made with different ingredients but we include them in our vegan diet because we enjoy having them from time to time. 

2. Include meat substitutes as part of your overall diet

One of the things I emphasize to vegan parents is that including meat substitutes is not truly a “bad” thing. What matters is that other plant-based foods are equally part of your vegan child’s diet. This ensures that your child still gets exposure to other plant-based foods like beans, lentils, and tofu which serve as meat alternatives. And this serves a great benefits to them from meeting their nutrient requirements like iron, zinc, and protein to also becoming more familiar with them and more willing to try these plant foods. While it’s great to include meat substitutes in your vegan child’s diet—if that’s what you choose—I encourage you to not make them the focus of each and every meal. Spread them out throughout the week so that your vegan child gets exposed to a wide variety of foods. 

Many of you may be wondering how often I include vegan meat substitutes in our meals and to be quite honest, it’s rare that we have them in our home. Again, not because they are “bad” but because we enjoy other dishes that include beans and tofu. But you’ll frequently see us having veggie burgers or plant-based sausage for pizza at least once a week—typically on a Friday night!

3. Many are high in sodium

Majority of meat substitutes are high in sodium which can be a challenge for young kids, especially
vegan babies. While vegan babies can have meat substitutes like Beyond Meat or other brands, they
are extremely high in sodium for them. A baby’s Adequate Intake requirement of sodium is roughly about 400 milligrams per day (1), which includes sodium from breastmilk/infant formula and that of food. I encourage parents like yourself to simply be mindful about this and if you choose to offer these to your baby, offer a very small portion for taste and experience so that you can be mindful about their overall sodium intake. I talk more about this approach to help guide you in feeding your vegan baby inside the Vegan Baby Led Weaning Program.

For toddlers and older vegan children, it’s just about being mindful about what other salty foods or plant-based foods high in sodium they’ve already consumed throughout the day. For example, if they ate an entire vegan sausage with spaghetti during lunch perhaps considering a meal that does not include another vegan meat substitute would be helpful. This will ensure that their overall sodium intake doesn’t exceed their needs.

4. Meets several key nutrients and supports growth

Serving meat substitutes to your vegan kids isn’t just necessarily for convenience with your meal planning or to guarantee that your picky eater will eat something, it actually offers nutrition. Again, not all brands and options are created equal but the majority provide iron, protein, fiber, and B-Vitamins which help support growth for your child.

Can kids eat plant-based meat alternatives?

A simple answer is yes. Kids of all ages can enjoy the abundance of meat substitutes that are on the market these days. There really isn’t a “best” meat substitute that would work for each vegan child. Consider your child’s taste preference, allergies, and also sodium content to help guide you which ones would be best for your vegan family. 

And remember, no matter if others say processed meat substitutes are “bad” or “unhealthy” to serve to your vegan child, what matters is that you serve a meal that fits your meal planning lifestyle and will be enjoyed by every family member. At the end of the day, including meat alternatives in your vegan family’s meals is still helping your child thrive on a vegan diet and help reduce the inhumane treatment of animals. That should always be something to feel proud of. So, no matter which brand or type of meat substitute you end up bringing home, know that they are helping you feed your vegan family.

References

1. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium. (1970, January 01). - Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D - NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56068/table/summarytables.t3/?report=objectonly

2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food Labeling Guide: Guidance for Industry. January 2013.