Raising a Vegan Toddler

Raising a Vegan Toddler

Cindy Negron shares her experience of bringing up her child vegan

I have a two ­year ­old, and we’re the only vegans in our family. Since we introduced him to solid food, it’s been a fun journey. My toddler loves food, though he’s not too crazy about some textures, and vegetables sometimes have to be covered in nooch [nutritional yeast] to encourage him to eat them.

As I'm a working mother, he spends most of his time with his grandparents, who aren’t vegan. Everyone has done their best to make it work. This means that his grandparents try to make food which makes sense to them ­ meals which are an easy bet and that they know will work. So my kid eats tons of rice and beans, broccoli, and different kinds of yams or potatoes. These lunches are easiest for his grandparents. At home, we make an effort to introduce him to more foods; with us, he often tries veggies and fruits cooked in different ways. I was amazed when he ate lentils at an Indian restaurant and loved the whole (mild) dish.

In terms of treats, my family wants him to have cookies, but I’m constantly reminding everyone to look for eggs or milk on the packaging just to make sure they get the vegan stuff. Some of the approved brands are a staple, but when they find another brand I have to scan the packaging and teach them why it's not vegan, reminding them where to look for sneaky animal ingredients. I’ve given away full boxes which aren’t vegan (I don’t like to throw stuff away) so he won’t eat them. I also remind them that he can eat any fruit, so that’s a better treat than a cookie.

I’ve been lucky with my family, and even though they might not understand why we do what we do, at least they respect it. That’s important for my kid, because not only is he living a compassionate life, he’s also learning that we have to respect each other.

Though the food department is great, there are many cartoons or shows that most definitely aren't vegan-friendly and which drive me nuts. One of the things which has been more annoying that I expected is watching educational videos. We often see videos which are set in utopian farms, which sends the wrong message to kids about how we treat animals. Many videos or shows objectify these animals, implying it's okay for us to use them as we please. I would definitely love to see more veganism in the media for kids. SM