Meals don't need to be fancy for vegan teens.
Children growing up in a vegan family have a nutritional edge. They are likely to be exposed to a variety of whole grains, protein-rich plant foods and a diet that is generous in fruits and vegetables, setting the stage for good lifelong eating habits.
But what happens when a teen decides to go vegan on his or her own—and the rest of the family eats meat, cheese and eggs? Just what do you feed a rapidly growing almost-adult who suddenly turns her nose up at all the traditional family favorites?
If parents want to make sure their child is eating healthfully, a little participation is mandatory. That means providing some guidance and making sure the pantry is stocked with foods that vegan teens eat. Here are a few ideas for keeping the peace at home and making sure that vegan teens are eating healthfully.
• Since adolescents eat lots of meals as snacks and while they are on the go, it’s important to focus on foods that don’t require a whole lot of preparation. Teenagers can build a pretty healthy diet around veggie burgers and other faux meats, peanut butter, hummus, calcium-fortified soymilk, instant soups, trail mix, protein bars, instant oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereals, fruits, salads and vegetables.
• Make a pact with your child: You’ll be supportive, but they need to agree to some basic nutrition rules. That means taking a regular vitamin B12 supplement and using calcium- and vitamin D-fortified foods or taking supplements for these nutrients. (It’s possible to get plenty of calcium from foods alone, but a supplement is great insurance during the growing years.)
• Insist on breakfast even if it’s just a bagel and almond butter on the way out the door.
• Explore meals that the whole family can enjoy with a few tweaks to create options for vegans and meat-eaters in the group. Some easy ideas: bean burritos with vegan sour cream and soy cheese for vegan family members; tacos, with a meatless ground beef substitute; pasta with marinara sauce; homemade vegan pizza piled high with vegetables and faux sausage. For summer menus, barbecues are a great option for the “mixed” family, since vegans can toss a veggie burger on the grill and make their own potato salad with a vegan mayonnaise.
On the plus side, as you make some compromises and explore more plant-based meals, the whole family is likely to start eating more healthfully. And when your child shuns fast food burgers and chicken, he or she is reducing risk for obesity and the chronic diseases that are becoming common among American adolescents.
Your teen’s diet may create a few hassles in the family, but it is a good choice with lasting benefits. Here is a flexible sample menu for a vegan teen. Adjust the serving sizes to suit your child’s appetite and calorie needs.
Breakfast:
Toast with peanut butter
Instant oatmeal with blueberries
Calcium-fortified orange juice
Snack
Luna bar
Apple
Lunch
Instant cup of soup
Pita with hummus
Banana
Raw carrots
Snack
Oatmeal cookies
Calcium-fortified soymilk
Dinner
Vegetarian chili with meatless ground beef
Brown rice
Steamed broccoli
Salad with dressing
Snack
English muffin with almond butter
Comments
Teens' vegan/vegetarian diet should not be a hassle for the family.
A super healthy, ultra energetic breakfast can consist of many fruits which the family should already have at home no matter what. Diner can consist of many veggies which each family should already store at home too.
Teens' lunch hardly takes place at home. Conscientious vegan/vegetarian teens will figure out their lunch on their own.
I see no hassle for the family.
Hi Virginia,
Great post! I run a veggie advice column on my website, Savvy Vegetarian. I often hear from teens who go vegan and end up with malnutrition within a couple of months. They also have a lot of conflict with their families over their new, unpopular diet.
Less often, I hear from concerned parents of new vegan teens, wondering what they should feed their kids, and worried about malnutrition. In most cases, I advise the new vegan (and their parents, if willing) to learn all about vegan nutrition. I recommend Vesanto Melina & Judy Kryzsmanik's books - do you have one too?.
I also recommend that teen vegans learn to cook, and help buy all the new foods that might not be in the budget, or parents aren't willing to buy.
I agree that parents are ultimately responsible for their childrens' health and well-being. But I'm sure you're aware that there are a lot of parents who are unwilling to accommodate their child's new diet - if they're not actively hostil
Thanks so much Judith for your comments and the retweet on twitter. I agree; I hear from many parents that they will let their kids eat a vegan diet but they aren't going to "cook anything special." I think that's a recipe for disaster. Teens can learn about nutrition and can cook, but adult supervision and input is so important. You've obviously seen that, too! That's why I made the recommendation that parents stock the pantry and craft some agreements that everyone can live with. I want parents to say "ok, I'll help you do this, BUT, you need to show me that you are going to be serious about eating healthfully."
Unfortunately, as you noted, there can be real resistance and hostility on both sides.
My own book on veg nutrition is a little dated at this point, but I'm working on some updates and also have some concise advice on menu planning for vegans on my website: http:www.vegnutrition.com.
Savorique, thanks for your comment. Teens need much more than fruits and vegetable
Being vegan for 7 years in my 20's is on my list of worst things I've ever done. It depleted me and set the stage for 17 years of chronic fatigue syndrome. Having studied nutrition I've found 2 things. 1)Beans have protein in them, but because they come bound with fiber, it is very hard for the human digestion to extract the protein. 2) All the amino acids that make for happy neurotransmitters are found in meat. I've seen a lot of neurotic vegans. I WAS one.
Susan, I don't know where you studied nutrition but your conclusions are absolutely wrong. The protein in plant foods has been a subject of scientific research for many years. Protein in legumes is easily digested and utilized. And plant foods contain all of the essential amino acids. Any type of poorly planned diet can raise risk for illness. But vegan diets don't "deplete" people or cause chronic fatigue syndrome or neuroses.
My daughter wanted to give up eating white meat, red meat only eating fish and eggs. We have been backed her on her choice even though we do. Even though it has been cooking two meals at dinner time. As teens can be very responsible they can be very relaxed not understanding the dangers. She excercises 3 to 6 hours of competive sports. Every few months feels ill. I don't think her diet is providing enough for her active sports life. I am very worried for her health. It is very true that if you grew up in a veggian home you have an understanding of a proper diet than just going for it without knowledge. Many people have done this with harmful effects (so I'm starting to hear... my daughters coach was one). Any suggestions!
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