Are you afraid that your treasured Oliver or Olivia won’t fare nicely in the event you do not feed them animal merchandise? This concern has stored many mothers and households from going all-in on a vegan weight loss program, not simply within the U.S., however the world over as nicely. The latest cross-sectional examine that was revealed in Communications Drugs in 2025 supplies contemporary proof that vegan diets can help wholesome development in youngsters. This has been seen earlier than, nevertheless it’s good to see contemporary proof.
Vegan Children within the Czech Republic Are More healthy than Omnivore Children
This is what the analysis crew discovered within the Czech Republic, amongst households with youngsters who had adhered to their weight loss program since start. The analysis crew interviewed 95 households. There have been 47 vegan households, 23 vegetarian and 25 omnivore households for a complete of 187 adults and 142 youngsters.
Whereas the vegan youngsters confirmed no vital variations in development or bone well being in comparison with their vegetarian or omnivore friends, they did discover that urinary iodide ranges had been decrease within the vegan children. The vegan children had increased ranges of folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D than omnivores, partly on account of cautious supplementation. The authors concluded that, total, a well-planned vegan weight loss program was protected and useful for the kids, particularly for lipids and cardiovascular well being, because the vegan children had decrease complete and LDL ldl cholesterol than the opposite teams. Variations in development had been attributed to household variations relatively than to weight loss program.
The one nutrient of concern was iodine, which could be simply optimized with dietary supplements.
Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics: Deliberate Vegan Eating regimen Wholesome for Children
It’s not stunning to me to see this discovering, as this isn’t new science. In reality, the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics, previously often called the American Dietetic Affiliation, has endorsed vegan diets for youngsters for nearly a decade now. Of their 2016 place paper, they said this: “It’s the place of the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics that appropriately deliberate vegetarian, together with vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally satisfactory, and will present well being advantages for the prevention and therapy of sure ailments. These diets are acceptable for all levels of the life cycle, together with being pregnant, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older maturity, and for athletes.”
Current Research of Vegan Children Agree: Deliberate Vegan Diets are Wholesome
VegChi Eating regimen Research
In a latest weblog known as Wholesome, Comfortable and Plant-Primarily based: The Final Information for Mother and father, I highlighted the work from the VegChi Eating regimen Research for 1 to 3-year-olds. On this German examine, they in contrast 430 youngsters raised on vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets. They had been all rising tremendous.
The vegan children had increased intakes of vitamin E, B1, folate, magnesium, and iron, whereas the omnivorous weight loss program offered extra vitamin B2, calcium, iodine, and DHA. All of them wanted extra vitamin D and iodine from dietary supplements.
VegChi Youth Research
I additionally talked concerning the VegChi Youth Research, well being outcomes of 6-18-year-olds in Germany. Power consumption was the identical for all of them, they usually all had ample protein consumption. Folate ranges had been increased within the vegan children, however there have been no variations in hemoglobin, vitamin B2, vitamin D, HDL, ldl cholesterol, or triglycerides between the teams.
Technology R Research
A examine of three,340 youngsters within the Technology R examine, primarily based within the Netherlands, discovered that youngsters ages 8 via 13 maintained wholesome physique composition from childhood via adolescence. After they adopted a healthful plant-based weight loss program, that they had higher nutrient intakes of fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and copper—and a better fat-free mass index and a decrease physique fats share.
Meta-Evaluation of 59 Cross-Sectional Research of Youngsters on Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
An Italian analysis group revealed a meta-analysis of lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets in youngsters and adolescents in March 2025. They recognized 59 research together with 48,000 individuals, together with 7,000 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, about 1,300 vegans, and about 40,000 omnivorous youngsters. Nutrient consumption amongst these vegan youngsters was just like that present in different research—rather less vitality, protein, fats, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc than their omnivorous friends, but in addition extra fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium. (Not the entire youngsters in these research took dietary supplements.)
The vegan youngsters had been barely smaller and leaner. Iron deficiency and anemia had been a priority for vegetarians and vegans each, however this will have been extra in lower-income nations with much less entry to fruit and veggies. Iron deficiency and anemia weren’t seen within the VegChi Research or within the Czech Republic examine. Iron is definitely obtained in a whole-foods plant-based weight loss program, with no problems with satisfactory consumption or absorption.
General, vegetarian and vegan diets supported wholesome development in youngsters who had been a bit leaner and fewer vulnerable to being chubby; with a little bit of planning and supplementation, they did tremendous.
4 Key Dietary supplements Wanted by Vegan Children and Most Different Children, Too
Now, a key phrase in there may be “appropriately deliberate,” or “particular steerage,” or “well-planned.” Phrases like that point out you’ll be able to’t simply do it haphazardly.
There are simply 4 vitamins that you simply want to pay attention to: vitamin D, vitamin B-12, fish oil, and iodine. Of those 4, three of them additionally must be supplemented on an omnivorous weight loss program. So do not feel unhealthy about taking dietary supplements on a vegan weight loss program. As an alternative of pondering your weight loss program is by some means poor, reframe it: You’re really optimizing these vitamins by taking a little bit little bit of care.
How the Donaldsons Do Dietary supplements
This is how we did our youngsters’ dietary supplements. As soon as per week, we took our “Sunday nutritional vitamins”, vitamin D and vitamin B12. On daily basis, we gave them a capsule of fish oil and vitamin C, and we combined iodine into our morning smoothies. That was it. Tremendous easy to handle, just a bit little bit of planning and never very costly both. So we optimized these vitamins for our youngsters and received all the advantages of a plant-based weight loss program. It’s a win-win state of affairs.
And it labored nice for us. Our youngsters grew up with out allergic reactions, having loads of vitality, rising recurrently, however not being chubby, and studying good habits about consuming entire, actual meals. They grew a little bit slower throughout their development spurts, however for longer via adolescence to succeed in their full potential.
Backside Line: You Can Increase Thriving Vegan Youngsters
Once you mix all of this analysis along with the expertise of individuals you recognize or individuals who have been round you, you see that vegetarian and vegan diets should not simply protected for youths; they’ll present superior well being outcomes once they’re deliberate and well-balanced. Children develop up normal-sized, not like chubby Individuals, they usually thrive.
So ditch the concern and soar in. It is tremendous to be plant-based. In reality, you may be doing all of your children a favor. Chill out, have enjoyable, and luxuriate in your meals collectively.