Becoming a vegan often opens the floodgates to well-intentioned but, ultimately, unwelcome advice. The marching cries of ‘But where do you get your protein?’ and ‘What do you even eat?’ become daily echoes in most vegan’s lives.
This can become doubly the case when you fall pregnant. It’ll start innocently enough; ‘Do you think you’ll raise them vegan?’ and ‘Are you planning on breastfeeding?’ But well-meaning family members and friends can often start to feel more like an overwhelmingly anti-vegan army. That, mixed with the pressures of living in a society conditioned to love eating animal products could very easily make you worry; am I doing the right thing? Unless you have a fully fortified, child-laden vegan friend, it can be hard to know where to turn to for tips and advice. Naturally, you should always listen to your doctor and midwife, but what about when you’re knee-deep in reusable nappies with a broken washing machine? Or what if you are finding your little one does not seem physically capable of latching, chucking any notions of breastfeeding straight out the window? How do you ensure your cherub is getting all the right nutrients with the meals you haphazardly fling together whilst still in the pajamas you haven’t changed out of in two days? That is where the following books come in!
Here, we have earmarked the best Amazon has to offer on raising your child vegan in an oftentimes blinkered world. Below you will find meal plans, nutritional guides, and tips and advice on handling food-heavy holidays, birthday parties, and everything in between to help ensure your little green warrior has the best start in life. Let’s get stuck in!
- The Secrets of Vegan Baby Nutrition: A Healthy Recipes Guidebook For Babies.
Number 5 starts us off with an in-depth food guide for children aged right up to 12 months. The author, Nataly Shvinklelstain, offers up answers to questions every vegan parent will have at some stage, particularly focusing on how nutrition affects a baby’s health. Incorporated are also do’s and don’ts when it comes to nutrition, whilst avoiding being preachy. This is a cool, calm, and collected book that would be a welcome addition on any shelf!
- Your Vegan Kid: The guide to raising a healthy, happy, and compassionate human being.
At number four we have a book that spans a child’s pre-adult life, from baby to teen. Writing from her perspective as a vegan mumma of three, Joanna Drauss tackles issues that she and her children have faced whilst being committed to a vegan lifestyle, herself being dedicated to the big V for over 26 years! Asking and answering the questions of ‘Why veganism?’ and moving the discussion away from a purely health-based standpoint, this nifty little book is a must-have for parents who want something that encompasses not just the diet, but the way of life.
- The Big Book of Plant-Based Baby Food: 300 Healthy, Plant-Based Recipes Perfect for Your Baby and Toddler.
This one does exactly what it says on the tin! Packed full of amazing recipes, complemented with bright, gorgeous visuals, a brief flick-through would make anyone want to try their hand at cooking plant-based for the babes. This one does also briefly mention nutrition and why to go plant-based, however, it is far more focused on bringing delicious, well-rounded recipes to your dinner table.
- The Smart Parents Guide to Raising Vegan Kids: Lessons for Littles in Plant-Based Eating and Compassionate Living.
Our number two book aims to present the best ways to introduce your child to a vegan lifestyle, whilst protecting your tots from tricky compassion-less experiences. With a tongue-firmly-in-cheek writing style, Eric Lindstrom offers up indispensable advice for all soon-to-be and current green parents. From relearning the food pyramid to vegan-friendly traveling, he dips into a vast array of topics lifted heavily from his own experience as a mid-life vegan and parent. This hilarious offering takes the reins off of nervous parents and guides them towards raising successful, happy, and healthy vegan children right from the get-go. A gem to have on your shelf that can be read again and again!
- Vegucated Family Table: Irresistible Vegan Recipes and Proven Tips for Feeding Plant-Powered Babies, Toddlers, and Kids.
Last but certainly not least, we come to our number one spot. This offering combines recipes, tips, and advice to present an incredibly well-rounded comprehensive on raising and feeding a vegan child. Beautifully designed and vibrant throughout, this book provides delightful recipes from baby to toddler years. An expert nutritionist covers the potential health concerns in the form of a Q & A and the authors handle the advice for meal prep, skirting around potentially awkward situations, and getting the most out of veganism for your child. Full to the brim with useful tidbits and recipes that are sure to get you and your little bean’s tummies rumbling, this is a must-have for all vegan parents!
Being a parent can be incredibly daunting, and raising a vegan baby in a carnivorous world, even more so. These books provide fantastic insight into raising your child to give them their best shot at becoming a fully-fledged compassionate, plant-based king or queen. There are always willing, experienced vegans out there who will help guide you on this beautiful journey, and the planet will thank you for choosing to bring your child up to be the cleanest and greenest we humans have to offer. You’ve got this!