More and more research studies are coming to the same conclusion: a vegan diet is optimal for promoting long-lasting health. That’s exactly what we find in our own clinical research studies that we conduct at the Physicians Committee, too. And while studies have shown that a plant-based diet is a great way to improve and reverse a wide variety of ailments, we have come to understand that it’s also the most effective means to prevent them in the first place. And eating to protect our health from the standard American diseases—which are rooted in the standard American diet—should start from birth.
When you consider the state of children’s health today—nearly one-third of American children and adolescents are overweight or obese, and one in four has diabetes or pre-diabetes—it is clear that we need to start taking their health seriously. Recent studies have shown that most children already have traces of heart disease in their arteries. Prevention needs to start early, and a plant-based diet is the key.
A diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds is optimal for children and clearly meets their nutritional needs. These foods are the best sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to support lifelong health. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has publicly attested to the health value of a vegan diet for children, emphasizing that “appropriately planned vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets satisfy nutrient needs of infants, children, and adolescents and promote normal growth.”1
Research has shown that eating habits formed in childhood carry on into adulthood. By forming healthful habits early in life, we better ensure that our children will have a healthy future.
Society is already headed in this healthful direction. The USDA’s latest figures indicate that meat consumption is currently the lowest it has been in three decades. In the past ten years alone, Americans have dropped an average of twenty pounds of meat per year from their diets. We’ve seen an increasing number of doctors begin advocating a plant-based diet to their patients as a means to prevent or reverse diseases or other health problems, and we have also begun to see many schools across the nation bring plant-based menu options into their cafeterias. This movement is not only beneficial for our health, but it also leads to big advantages for the environment and for animals. We still have a long way to go, but we are making huge strides in the right direction.
Parents who aim to provide healthful foods for their children will encounter challenges along the way. And that’s where Dreena Burton comes in. Dreena has raised three strong, fit, happy, healthy girls on a vegan diet. In Plant-Powered Families, she provides not only delicious, kid-friendly recipes to keep you and your family nourished and satisfied at home, but she also offers her tried-and-true tips for common scenarios that come up in childhood, such as packing school lunches or attending birthday parties.
If you’re looking to fuel your children’s healthy growth and development—and to foster positive eating habits to last a lifetime of health and well-being-then Dreena’s book is the perfect place to start.
1W.J. Craig and A.R. Mangels, “Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets,” Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109 (2009): 1266–1282.