Eating a plant-based diet can be a beneficial option for your family. It does not necessarily mean that you stop eating all types of meat or dairy products. It means that most of your food comes from plant sources such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, beans, and grains.

Why choose a plant-based diet?
Choosing a plant-based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet (which is based on plant foods but also includes fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, and yogurt a few times a week) or a vegetarian diet has been shown to have health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Changing your diet to a more plant-based one could not only benefit your health, but it can also be good for the environment. The production of meat and dairy products requires more water and land, and this contributes to higher greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

How to follow a plant-based diet
General guidelines for a healthy plant-based diet include:

• Make at least half of your plate vegetables, at lunch and dinner, by choosing vegetables of various colors. Also, aim to eat green leafy vegetables at least once a day.
• Include less meat, or eliminate it altogether, in 1 or 2 weekly family meals. Plant-based protein options that can make a satisfying meal include beans, tofu, lentils, and nuts.
• Choose healthy fats, which can be found in nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and olive oils.
• Choose fruits as your family’s dessert every night.

How to ensure healthy growth for children on a plant-based diet
A plant-based diet that includes eggs and dairy ensures that your child has all the necessary nutrients for healthy growth. A vegan diet without eggs and dairy can also be healthy and complete if sources of vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, and iron are maximized. Sources of these nutrients include:

Vitamin B12: in vitamin-fortified cereals, breads, soy milk or nutritional yeast or in some supplements.

Calcium: kale, broccoli, dried beans, calcium fortified soy milk.

Iron: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, tofu, nuts, whole grains, kale, cabbage, broccoli, iron-fortified breads and cereals.

Zinc: hummus, potatoes, nuts, fortified cereal, dried beans, pumpkin seeds.

Vitamin D: fortified cereals, fortified milk substitutes, mushrooms, or some supplements.

Additional Information:
– Beyond Chicken Nuggets: High-Protein Food Alternatives for Picky Eating Kids
– What can you do to help your child eat more fruits and vegetables?
– How to choose healthy foods