Quite often I get questions about what our little one eats in a day and what supplements we give him. Knox has been plant-based his entire 4.5 years and it’s been really cool introducing him to foods that I wouldn’t have even touched until my late 20s LOL. We did make sure to ask our pediatrician her opinion and she was super supportive. Since 2013, my husband and I have grown to share the same mindset that meat, dairy and eggs are not food, so those things aren’t an option for our family.

Now that eating vegan is more mainstream, people have also become more open-minded about living a compassionate lifestyle. Luckily, all of the nutrients and vitamins we as humans need come from plants and there have been increasingly more helpful resources available to those who are interested.

Knox likes to help me make his smoothies. This one is spinach, banana, mango, hemp seeds and coconut water. Try not to judge our messy kitchen;)

Like most parents, we were eager to learn about what our little one needed for optimum growth and development. The one thing I would keep in mind when eating a wholesome plant-based diet is that your caloric intake is going to be a little less than that of the typical American diet. The good news is we get to eat even more yummy food to fill that need! Every age group has certain dietary needs as far as calories and nutrients go, so check with your pediatrician on how many calories your child needs at this time. I do know that toddlers need about 35-40 calories per pound every day. A really useful resource that I highly recommend is the Cronometer App. It’s free and you can plug in what you or your little one are eating for a few days (or as long as you’d like) to record all your nutrients, calories, and macros! It’s a very handy little tool to keep track of your nutrients.

When Knox was first starting to eat baby foods, we worked really hard to incorporate a variety of veggies and bits of fruit to broaden his palette. From papaya and cucumbers to butternut squash and chickpeas, this child has tasted and grown to love so many nutritious foods. When we began weening around 14 months, we incorporated unsweetened Ripple Milk until he just wasn’t interested in mylk anymore. I remember working so hard in the kitchen pureeing cooked vegetables and squeezing them into reusable pouches. It was tedious, but honestly, so worth every minute. It makes me feel good knowing that I did my best with the amount of time I had to expose him to wholesome food in his early development years. Now don’t get me wrong, we certainly had our fair share of baby crackers and store-bought packets, but I’d say about 90% of the time, his food made from scratch.

Baby food is a topic for another day though. Today, I want to focus on what Knox eats in a day at this point in his toddlerhood. We like to keep things balanced, so an adequate amount of starches, greens, healthy fats and protein is what we base his meals around. He has grown to be particular about the things he loves, so we usually give him a couple of options to choose from during meal time to eliminate any power struggles. It seems to work for us for now;)

I decided to compile a list of different things he eats in a day to get your wheels turning and inspire you to make food that your little ones will like! Keep in mind all of these ingredients are 100% plant based. Be sure to look at labels when you’re in the grocery store. Animal products are lerking everywhere! And lastly, we try our best to make sure Knox is getting wholesome foods, but we occasionally breakout some tofurkey or vegan ice cream from time to time. Again, we are not perfect, we are just doing our best;)

Simple Plant-Based Kids Meal Ideas

Breakfast:

Avocado toast with a squeeze of lemon and hemp seeds

Almond butter toast with blueberries and hemp seeds

Organic oatmeal with chia seeds, cinnamon, bananas and sweetened with a bit of agave syrup

Rawnola rolled into balls (1 cup rolled oats, 3 dates, 1/4 c unsweetened coconut shreds, 1/4 c maple syrup)

3-Ingredient pancakes with some blueberries thrown in the mix (1 ripe banana, 1/2 cup of nut mylk, 1 cup rolled oats in a blender)

Snacks:

Green smoothie- Knox loves banana, spinach, mango, hemp seeds, and coconut water

Homemade coconut yogurt with blueberries (blend a can of full fat coconut milk with 2 capsules of probiotics-cover with a tea towel and leave on the counter for 24 hours. Chill and eat!)

MadeGood bars for an occasional treat

Cucumbers + carrots with a vegan tzatziki

Lunch:

Lentil or Chickpea Fussili with lentil bolganese sauce + steamed broccoli

Vegan turkey and cheese roll-up on a whole wheat tortilla with vegan mayo and avocado on the side

Organic Tofu cubes pan-seared with turmeric +sweet potato fries in the air fryer (no-oil) + mixed veggies (from the frozen isle) heated in veggie broth for flavor

Pizza with roasted with butternut squash + vegan riccota and some veggies on the side

Dinner:

Taco with black beans and avocado with a side of air fryer french fries (no oil)

Mac n Cheeze with broccoli :) Queso recipe here!

Veggie patty burger with roasted butternut squash cubes (air fryer)

Spaghetti (typically lentil spaghetti for protein) with some hidden spinach in the pasta sauce and a side of peas

Gardein mini chik’n sliders with broccoli + spiral air fryer fries (no oil)

Vitamins:

Infants and young children require more protein, calcium and vitamins D and B12 than adults do, so I would definitely keep those supplements on hand. I go into more detail about all of these in my Vegan Essentials List. You can learn more about why these vitamins are so important here. I also created a shopping list of vitamins that we give Knox everyday. Check them out here!

Some Final Words:

Since we had 5+ years of experience before Knox was born, feeding him plant-based came pretty naturally. If you’re just starting out and want to give this a try with your little one, please know there is no perfect path. I want our story to inspire you to incorporate more wholesome plant-based foods into your life. Remember that aiming for perfection can sometimes result in failure. Take it one day at a time and if you need guidance, feel free to reach out to me or others who inspire you within the vegan community.

One last tip! When introducing new foods to your kiddos, try substituting a few things out with what you know they do like. Incorporate more whole foods here and there. If they’re old enough, have them help you in the kitchen so they have some skin in the game. You could have them wash some veggies, or have them help you assemble a taco with all the fixin’s. Chances are, a lot of this stuff isn’t too terribly different from what they’re used to. Knox gets pretty excited when he gets to help me make juices and smoothies. While we’re putting everything in the blender, he talks about all the ingredients and how yummy they are. It’s a win-win!

Good luck with everything and remember I am just an email away if you need any guidance!