Written by Suzy Sorensen, RD, LD, CDE

Are plant-based diets ok for babies? You bet they are! The AND says “Appropriately planned…vegan diets…are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes.” (1)

But, remember that infants are not just little grown-ups! During the first year of life, babies have unique nutrition needs to support accelerated growth and development.

A parent’s milk (breast milk) is the best food for infants and it’s the only food needed from birth until 4-6 months. Balanced vegan diets can meet the needs of older babies.

If baby is not able to breastfeed, commercial iron-fortified formulas should be used. Currently, soy formula is the only reliable, safe vegan option. 

At 4-6 months old, babies start to show they are ready to try solid foods! They can keep their heads upright and sit with little support. 

The first food is typically baby cereal fortified with iron and zinc diluted with breast milk or formula to a thin consistency. As baby grows, it can be thicker. Often soft fruits and vegetables are added next. These can be pureed or fork mashed at home, and store-bought baby food can be a convenient option. 

For safety, add in just one new food every 3-4 days to identify any food sensitivities.

As baby gets better at chewing, pasta and soft-cooked grains, soft bread, sweet potatoes, cereal, and crackers can be added. At 7-8 months, add in cooked and mashed or pureed beans, lentils, tofu, and non-dairy yogurt if desired.

Babies need enough calories and fat to support normal growth. Items like hummus, avocado, tofu, and cooked dried fruits can offer a boost. Calcium can come from calcium set tofu, fortified juice or yogurt, and dark leafy greens like kale and broccoli.

To avoid choking risk, foods like nuts, nut butters, grapes, chunks of veggie dogs, whole beans, and popcorn should not be given to babies.

Infants often need to be fed every hour or 2. After starting on solids, babies will need at least 3 small meals and 2-3 small snacks daily to meet their needs. 

Ideally, baby will sit at the table with a parent who can model healthy eating at meal time!

Sample menu for 10 month old vegan baby: 

Breakfast: ¼ cup fortified baby cereal with 4 oz breast milk/formula & 2 TBS mashed banana

Snack: ¼ slice soft bread & 4 oz breast milk/formula

Lunch: ¼ cup fork mashed lentils, 2 TBS steamed chopped kale, 2 TBS applesauce, 2 TBS quinoa, 2 TBS mashed avocado, 4 oz breast milk/formula

Snack: 4 oz breast milk/formula

Dinner: ¼ cup cubed tofu, ¼ cup fortified baby cereal, 2 TBS fork mashed sweet potato, 2 TBS peaches, 4 oz breast milk/formula

Snack: 6 oz breast milk/formula

Breastmilk or infant formula should continue during the first 12 months. It is not safe to use plant-milks (like plain soy or almond milk) or homemade formulas as a substitutes. They do not have the right nutrients and do not have enough of many vitamins that a growing baby needs for health.

Supplemental B12 and Vitamin D are recommended for infants along with iron starting at 4 months. Always discuss with baby’s doctor before starting a supplement.

(1) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Please note: This information, while accurate, does not provide an all-inclusive feeding plan and is not intended to substitute personal medical advice. It is intended to offer guidance only. We recommend working with a registered dietitian to help meet any specific questions you may have.

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Suzy Sorensen is a Twin Cities-based Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator who is passionate about plant-based eating! She has a Certificate of Training in Vegetarian Nutrition from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and opened Move2Veg Nutrition Counseling in 2009 to support those interested in plant-based eating. For more information, visit move2veg.com.

Dominion is an eye-opening film that many people don’t want you to see. Fortunately, Director Chris Delforce does, and he created an incredible documentary that exposes the ongoing atrocities committed by modern animal agriculture. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, Dominion is a hard-hitting documentary that has won multiple awards for its writing, directing, and music.

For some, realizing the origin story of what we once called food is a difficult process with many stops along the way. Dominion is a two-hour wakeup call to those still consuming animal products as well as to those who are not. In anticipation of the Twin Cities premiere screening of the documentary this weekend, we compiled some of the reviews the film has received.

This film will be one that switches on the lights… challenging an ignoble atrocity that masquerades as an “industry.”

Philip Wollen Philanthropist, former Citibank VP via Dominion Website

This is the most important film you will ever watch. This documentary is a shocking expose of hidden violence behind our food system. Dozens of people had to step out of the theater where I saw it in San Francisco because they could not face the actual real-life footage of what happens behind the walls of animal farms and slaughterhouses. The filmmaker had his house raided by the Australian government and faced repeated threats for releasing this footage. This documentary is going to turn the world upside-down.

Julianne Perry via imdb (10/10)

The filming techniques are staggering in their construction and the crew’s unwavering commitment to reveal the darkness is worthy of the utmost admiration… The film’s core value is to make us think about our relationship with the animal kingdom and assess the power we use (and abuse) but more than that, through the viscera stained graphic footage and lingering power, Dominion exposes how we need to grow, we need to improve and frankly, we need to wake the hell up.

Jack Bottomley via UK Film Review

This documentary will open your eyes to the truth about the ‘food’ you choose to eat. It explodes the myth of ‘humane slaughter’, show the reality of ‘free range’ and every day farm practices and animal agriculture in Australia, but common around the world, as well as some other practices that occur in other countries to bring us in the West, our ‘creature comforts’ like down pillows and fur coats.

The undercover footage that was bravely obtained by activists and painstakingly put together for this film, along with the drone footage, has some of the most moving and powerful scenes portraying the suffering and horror that is the life and death of farmed animals.

Especially if you still consume animal products, have the courage to watch this film and see if your choice to do so really stacks up as a good reason to do something that requires so much suffering, and creates so much waste, greenhouse gases and poor human health outcomes.

Kali via imdb (10/10)

Whatever your views on eating meat this film will surely make you think hard about the life choices you make and what we can collectively do to be kinder to the animals we share this world with.

Michael Phillips via imdb (10/10)

To experience Dominion for yourself, join us this Saturday at 1pm in Coffman Memorial Hall for the Twin Cities premiere screening. Learn more about the screening here and buy tickets here.

Written by Kerri Newcomer

“What if you were stranded on an island and you had to eat animals to survive?”

“What if a chicken just ran up to you, laid an egg, then ran off? Would you be okay with eating the egg?”

“What if there was a cow that really needed to be milked? It would hurt the cow to not milk it. Would you drink milk then?”

If you’re a vegan, you’re likely to have been asked a question like this at some point in your life. When I first adopted a vegan lifestyle, I seemed to get several questions like these per day. Usually, they were fairly easy to answer: I would eat whatever the animals eat. I wouldn’t eat the egg. I would do what I could to help the cow, but still not drink the milk.

Over time, though, it can become annoying and tiresome to answer. Maybe it’s because of the absurdity of the scenarios these questions are constructed around, or maybe it’s because they are desperate to find a situation where the consumption of animal products is unquestionably okay. Either way, it’s always a good idea to avoid being outwardly frustrated when faced with these questions.

While it’s possible that the person asking you this may be trying to mess with you, it is also very possible that they are genuinely curious about the specifics of being vegan.

I’ve found that the best way to handle these questions is to recognize that all of these implausible situations ultimately have the same underlying question: “Is there any situation where you would eat meat or animal products?” or in other words, “How far does this ‘vegan’ thing really go?”

Depending on the context, this can sometimes seem mean spirited. These questions are designed to find a loophole or gap in ethical and moral beliefs. Essentially, they’re trying to ‘break the vegan.’

Instead of getting defensive, annoyed, or entertaining the ridiculous situation specific to the question, try to calmly answer that underlying question. The response I typically give is:

“No. I would not eat or drink animal products under any feasible situation because I am morally against the exploitation of animals and I do not want to consume animal products.”

Connecting to your ethical or other “why” helps reinforce your own personal answer to questions about how far your veganism goes. Find what your personal answer to that question might be and practice being confident in speaking it. This should hopefully provide an answer to any question in the “What if…” style.

And if you find yourself in the position of being asked a question like this by someone, consider whether or not it’s a situation where you might feel comfortable inviting the person to join you for a plant-based meal or activity. A little bit of conversation and community can go a long way in creating more understanding in friends and family about why living your lifestyle is important to you.

If you are someone, currently plant-based or not, who has asked this type of question in the past, don’t worry. It may have been a frustrating ask but it’s in the past. In the future, though, if you’re really wondering about the limits of someone’s lifestyle choices, just cut to the chase and ask, “Is there a situation where you would eat meat or animal products?” and they’ll tell you. No further questions needed.