CHAPTER 6 Vegan for Every Life Stage

A VEGAN DIET IS GREAT AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE. THERE ARE a few things to think about at various points along the way, and this chapter will provide some important tips that let you take advantage of vegan power during pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, childhood, and older age.

Vegan Foods During Pregnancy

At what age can children start a vegan diet? The answer is at conception. A plant-based diet is great for a developing baby, and it’s great for Mom, too. Women who stick to vegan diets during pregnancy may have fewer complications, compared with omnivores. For example, a condition called preeclampsia occurs in 3 to 4 percent of pregnancies, manifesting as a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Decades ago, researchers studied the medical records of vegan mothers, finding preeclampsia to be much less common in this group. They found only 1 case in 775 pregnancies—as opposed to the usual 1 in 25.¹⁷

Unfortunately, pregnant women are the recipients of abundant unsolicited advice on what they should be eating, and it can be hard to know what advice is worth listening to. So let’s look at the basics.

How Much to Eat?

You will no doubt be reminded that you are “eating for two.” True enough, but one of you is very small. So the increased nutrition you require is modest. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it works out to about 340 extra calories each day in the second trimester (that’s the equivalent of an extra cup of rice and an apple each day) and about 450 extra calories during the third (the rice and apple, plus a banana).¹⁸ There is no need to add extra high-protein foods to the menu; extra servings of vegetables, beans, and grains bring protein along with them. And there is never a need for meat, fish, dairy products, or other animal-derived products.

Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy

The best nutrition comes from our familiar four staples—vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), plus your prenatal vitamins.

Skip dairy products. Your most healthful calcium sources, as we saw earlier, are “greens and beans.” There are plenty of other sources, too, as we saw in Chapter 5. You will want to emphasize them in your routine. You do not need dairy products at all, and I would encourage you to avoid them. Here is why.

First of all, dairy products are one of the leading suspects as a cause of type 1 diabetes. The theory is that dairy proteins trigger the production of antibodies in the baby’s body that can destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. This theory is still under investigation, but researchers have long known three things that would suggest there’s something to this: First, certain dairy proteins can pass into your bloodstream; second, children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have antibodies to cow’s milk proteins circulating in their bloodstream, and they are found at much higher concentrations than in children who do not develop diabetes. These antibodies may well have been the ones that destroyed their insulin-producing cells. Third, children who are never exposed to cow’s milk have less risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Since we do not know the age of greatest vulnerability to developing diabetes—before birth, during infancy, or in early childhood—I suggest that pregnant or breastfeeding women avoid dairy products entirely and avoid giving them to their children as well.

Skip meat. While we tend to think of the risks of fat and cholesterol—or of unhealthy foods in general—as applying only to older people, it pays to protect your developing baby, too. Meat products have fat, cholesterol, and a load of unnecessary calories, making meat-eaters significantly heavier than people who avoid meat. Excess weight gain in pregnancy can pose risks to your baby. Some particularly chilling findings recently emerged in a study of twenty-three women and their newborns at the University of Sydney, in Australia. Researchers measured the thickness of the babies’ blood vessel walls, which can be done easily and noninvasively. It turned out that babies born to overweight mothers had thicker aortic walls. In other words, for these babies, heart disease had begun in utero. These infants are also more likely to show signs of inflammation at birth, measured using a test called C-reactive protein, or CRP.¹⁹ In other words, mothers’ unhealthy diets were apparently triggering disease processes in their infants before birth. They are set up for a lifetime of weight problems and for increased risk of damage to their hearts and blood vessels. While heart disease and artery damage are, to an extent, reversible, the best time to stop them is before they start. That means a healthful, well-planned, plant-based diet from day one.

Know Your Prenatal Vitamins

While there are shelves filled with vitamins at stores, the simplest thing is to take a basic prenatal vitamin. Vegan prenatal vitamins (including iron-free brands) are widely available. You will find them at natural food stores and online.

And if you can, it pays to start before you become pregnant. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid, which protects against neurological deficits that can occur within the first few weeks of fetal development.

Prenatal vitamins also include vitamin B_₁₂, which you already know is essential at all stages of life. And rather than having a whopping B_₁₂ dose every several days, as some people do (simply because some common B_₁₂ brands are so large), it’s better to have a small dose on a daily basis, so prenatal vitamins have you covered.

It also helps to make sure your vitamin is providing you with vitamin D, which as we’ve discussed helps your body absorb calcium from the foods you eat. Normally, it is produced by sunlight on your skin, as you know. Hopefully you are getting out in the sun regularly. But because many people do not get much sun exposure, especially in the winter months, prenatal vitamins include vitamin D. They also have calcium, which is important for bone development.

A word about iron: There is abundant iron in green leafy vegetables and beans, and iron absorption is improved when you have vitamin C–rich foods along with it (e.g., those orange slices in your salad). Most prenatal vitamins include iron. Unfortunately, iron supplements can sometimes aggravate nausea or constipation. And, over your life span, excess iron can actually be harmful in other ways, increasing the risk of heart problems and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. Since many women get plenty of iron in food, some experts advocate skipping iron supplementation early in pregnancy and giving it in the second or third trimesters only if blood tests show you need it. That said, women who are not having their iron status checked are better off taking prenatal vitamins with iron.

DHA. Some people recommend taking supplements of DHA during pregnancy. As we saw in Chapter 5, your body makes DHA from natural plant oils in the foods you eat. For example, broccoli, kale, walnuts, and almonds have traces of the natural oils your body needs. However, not everyone eats their greens and other healthful foods, and so not everyone has the right balance of natural oils in their diet, raising concern about whether they are able to make the DHA they need. That is where the question of DHA supplements comes in. Some authorities feel they may protect brain development. Unfortunately, the jury is still out as to whether DHA supplementation is beneficial, so we do not yet have clear guidance as to DHA supplements’ value. Should you choose to take them, you can find vegan DHA (derived from algae) in health food stores and online.

What about alcohol? How much alcohol is safe during pregnancy? The answer is zero. Not even a little bit at any point during pregnancy, including times when you are trying to get pregnant. If you are pregnant or might be pregnant, it is important to avoid alcohol.

Vegan Foods During Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides the best possible nourishment for babies, and a vegan diet gives you the nutrition you need to feed yourself and your baby. At first, breastfeeding can be awkward or even uncomfortable. This will pass. Let me encourage you to get advice from experienced family members, a lactation consultant, or La Leche League. You will be glad you did.

The guidelines for foods during pregnancy apply pretty well to breastfeeding, too: Focus on healthful vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Don’t forget your calcium-rich greens and beans. And be sure to have a source of vitamin B_₁₂, which could mean continuing to take your prenatal vitamins or taking any common vitamin B_₁₂ supplement. You need B_₁₂ and so does your baby, who will get it from your breast milk, so don’t skip it. If you are not getting regular sunlight, you will need a vitamin D supplement, too. Some people recommend DHA during breastfeeding—although the evidence remains uncertain—so the comments about DHA apply here, too.

Here’s an important note: Some foods that you eat can make your baby colicky. In 1991, researchers found that intact cow’s milk proteins can pass from a mother’s digestive tract into her bloodstream and eventually into her breast milk, reaching her breastfeeding baby in sufficient quantity to upset the baby’s stomach.²⁰ So if you have ice cream, cheese, or a glass of milk, tiny amounts of cow’s milk protein can end up in your breast milk and can affect your child.

Other foods can do the same. Researchers have asked women which foods in their own diets seem to trigger colic in their breastfeeding babies. The problem foods seem to be cow’s milk, coffee, chocolate, onions, and cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage). So, as much as I love green leafy vegetables, if they are making your infant colicky, you’ll want to turn to the other calcium-rich foods mentioned in Chapter 5.

Foods During Infancy

Babies should breastfeed for at least twelve months and can continue for two years or even longer. If breastfeeding is not possible, for whatever reason, soy-based baby formulas are a good alternative. Note that babies need baby formula, not the soy milk sold for drinking or splashing on your cereal.

By five or six months, babies are ready to add a bit of solid food. Iron-fortified warmed cereal is a good first choice, because by that point your baby has about used up the iron he or she got in the womb. Mix cereal with a little breast milk or soy formula.

Other iron-rich foods include lentils, beet purée, blended spinach in a fruit smoothie, or hot mushy cereal with a splash of molasses. You’ll want to introduce one new simple food at a time at one-to two-week intervals.

Foods at Six to Eight Months

At around six months, you can try slightly more adventurous foods:

Vegetables—potatoes, green beans, carrots, and peas—all very well cooked and mashed

Fruits, such as mashed bananas, avocados, strained peaches, and applesauce

At about eight months, breads, crackers, and dry cereal can be served. And your infant is now ready for higher-protein foods, such as very well-cooked mashed beans or tofu.

There is never a need for infants to have meat, dairy products, or eggs. As we have seen, these products create problems for them, just as they do later in life. Dairy products are a well-known cause of constipation in toddlers, leading to blood loss and other problems. The concerns raised about type 1 diabetes mentioned earlier apply here, too. I know that it can often be challenging to shield children from unhealthful foods, especially when you are on the go, at parties, and so forth. We’ll have plenty of tips to help you in Chapter 8.

Foods for Growing Children

After the age of weaning, children’s diets are not so different from those of adults and are built from our familiar healthful staples: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. A few quick kid-friendly tips:

Stick to simple foods. Most kids prefer simple foods, so corn, carrots, and green beans go over bigger than more complex tastes (e.g., grilled asparagus or marinated artichoke hearts), but give them a chance to see what they like.

Provide snacks. Children are super active but have small stomachs, so healthful snacks, such as fresh fruit, soy milk, or crackers, come in handy.

Skip animal products. Remember that artery disease begins in childhood. So kids should not have meat, dairy products, eggs, or unhealthful fats. And in case you were wondering, they do not need meat for normal growth.²¹ As we saw in Chapter 5, it is easy to get complete nutrition from a vegan diet. Children thrive on healthful plant-based diets.

Try soy. Soy products (veggie dogs, tofu) are fine. Some parents have heard that soy products contain “hormones” that could lead to breast cancer in girls or feminization in boys. The truth is just the opposite. Women who grew up with soy milk, tofu, or other soy products have less risk of developing cancer, and men who grew up with these same foods have no impairment of fertility, masculinity, athletic prowess, or anything else. And if they are labeled “organic,” these products cannot be produced from genetically modified soybeans. You can find more details on this in Chapter 10.

Let them help. Depending on their age, allowing children to help prepare the meal can greatly increase their interest in trying new foods. Even a tiny tot can help tear up lettuce. Getting them involved in food preparation will build their confidence, will help them develop motor skills, and may even let them tackle a few math problems.

Include nuts and seeds. Although nuts, nut butters, and seeds are high in fat and calories, most authorities are more liberal with these foods for growing children than they would be for adults who are battling weight problems.

Supplement with vitamin B_₁₂. Nursing infants will get vitamin B_₁₂ from breast milk or formula. For older children, the recommended dietary allowance increases from 0.9 microgram in one-year-olds to 2.4 micrograms for fourteen-year-olds. Typical supplements and multivitamins contain this much or more, and B_₁₂ is essential for all children and adults.

Children who are raised on a healthful vegan diet have a huge measure of protection for their health. Their risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions is cut dramatically. Children who never drink cow’s milk have just as good bone development as children who do. And children who skip meat do as well as or better than their meat-eating friends. Vegan kids have normal growth and have a measure of protection against weight problems, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and other health issues that are common in their not-yet-vegan friends.

Meal Planning for Kids—Made Simple

The following table shows the approximate numbers of daily servings that are appropriate for children as they grow. But these are rough estimates. Every child is different. Monitor your child’s body weight and adjust the servings if needed.

2- to 3-year-olds: 1 serving

4- to 8-year-olds: 1.5 servings

What’s a serving?: 1 cup fruit

½ cup raisins

2- to 3-year-olds: 1 serving

4- to 8-year-olds: 3 servings

What’s a serving?: 1 cup vegetables

2- to 3-year-olds: 2 servings

4- to 8-year-olds: 6 servings

What’s a serving?: 1 Tbsp. nut butter

¼ cup cooked legumes

2 Tbsp. hummus

¼ cup cubed tofu

2- to 3-year-olds: 3 servings

4- to 8-year-olds: 2.5 servings

What’s a serving?: 1 slice bread

½ cup cooked grain

½ cup cooked pasta

2- to 3-year-olds: 2 servings

4- to 8-year-olds: 2.5 servings

What’s a serving?: 1 cup soy milk

Before long, children will reach the age where they eat essentially like adults. For them, a healthy eating pattern will be based on the same healthful food groups, plus the supplement considerations we discussed in Chapter 2 and Chapter 5.

Adults at Older Ages

Older age is when many diet-related diseases—heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer—take their greatest toll, meaning that this is a time when a vegan diet is more important than ever. A few pointers:

Focus on vegetables. Dark green vegetables are rich in calcium for healthy bones, are important for cancer prevention, and provide micronutrients that help prevent macular degeneration, a common cause of visual impairment.

Feed your head. As we saw in Chapter 4, research shows that Alzheimer’s disease is less common in people who avoid the saturated fat found in dairy products and meats and also avoid the trans fats found in some snack foods. There are other steps you can take to protect your brain, so have another look at Chapter 4.

Vitamins B_₁₂ and D. Older folks are at higher risk of vitamin B_₁₂ deficiency. That is because they make less stomach acid, which is needed to separate B_₁₂ from proteins, and many are on metformin (commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes), acid blockers, or other drugs that interfere with B_₁₂ absorption. This is another reason for B_₁₂ supplements. They are absorbable without stomach acid. And if you are missing out on daily sunlight, you’ll want to supplement with vitamin D, too, as we saw in Chapter 5. If you are taking a multivitamin, choose one without added iron or copper.

If You Take a Blood Thinner.

If you take a blood thinner called warfarin (sold under the brand name Coumadin) to prevent blood clots that could lead to a stroke, heart attack, or other problems, you might have been told by your doctor that you need to avoid vegetables. What your doctor meant was that warfarin works by blocking vitamin K, which is involved in the clotting process. Because vegetables have vitamin K, your doctor is thinking that they will interfere with warfarin’s anticlotting effect.

A better answer is not to avoid vegetables, but simply to keep the amount of vegetables you eat more or less steady from day to day. That way, your doctor can set your warfarin dose and keep it stable. And, of course, many prescribers are using newer blood thinners that do not raise this issue at all.

As we have seen, plant-based foods are great for every stage of life. In the next chapter, we will see how to make food preparation easy and quick.

CHAPTER 6

Vegan for Every Life Stage

Vegan Foods During Pregnancy

How Much to Eat?

Foods for a Healthy Pregnancy

Know Your Prenatal Vitamins

Vegan Foods During Breastfeeding

Foods During Infancy

Foods at Six to Eight Months

Foods for Growing Children

Meal Planning for Kids—Made Simple

A DAY’S MEALS
for a 2-to 3-Year-Old

BREAKFAST

SNACK

LUNCH

SNACK

DINNER

A DAY’S MEALS
for a 4-to 8-Year-Old

BREAKFAST

SNACK

LUNCH

SNACK

DINNER

Adults at Older Ages

Medications

If You Take a Blood Thinner.